EN
Der 100. Jahrestag des Košice-Marathons erweckt großes Interesse. / Foto: © 2022 Košice Marathon Club - Ľubomíra Ištoňová.
100th year of the Košice Peace Marathon. THE NUMBERS ARE GROWING FAST – The oldest marathon in Europe, which will take place on Sunday, 1 October 2023.
Only about 500 numbers now remain free for those interested in standing at the starting line of the 100th year of the Košice Peace Marathon.
The limit of the total number of 12,500 runners is rapidly filling up, so those interested must decide very quickly. If we take into account the Saturday Family Run, the Košice marathon weekend could draw more than 16,000 participants from all over the world to the starting line.
In terms of representation of individual countries, of which there are thus far more than 60, the most runners are planning to come to Košice from Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Serbia.
Aside from the race itself, the organisers are also preparing several accompanying and social events, exhibitions, concerts and campaigns. We will keep everyone informed about them in addition to other news about the programme of the oldest marathon in Europe, which will take place on Sunday, 1 October 2023.
MESSENGER OF PEACE
Košice marathon has passed through several important milestones since its founding in 1924.
If we look at its history from the viewpoint of wider social contexts, we see that the city of Košice itself as well as the entire country has undergone truly turbulent changes in the past century. These were marked by the two world wars, which also had an impact on other social and political environment in this part of the world. It is no coincidence that after 1945 words like “freedom” and “peace” appeared in the name of the event.
And it is these very attributes that are still under threat still today, when neighbouring Ukraine has faced a military invasion for more than a year now. This is why we want to create a new art work in Košice, which will be named “Messenger of Peace”.
This monumental work of art is currently being builded in Košice. The symbolic podium of this creation will be “covered” with Košice Marathon medals. You’ll find the word peace on each one of them. And at the very top, on the highest pedestal, we will see a dove of peace, which is here to protect under her wings the values we still believe in. Runners from four continents and dozens of countries have competed at the marathon in Košice in the past.
Send us your marathon medal and let your story be a part of Messenger of Peace, too. We will gladly add your medal to this monument.
