Less than three weeks remain until the start of the 103rd Košice Peace Marathon. 

And as the first Sunday in October draws closer, some of this year’s most remarkable marathon stories are beginning to take their final shape. In this issue, we bring you several of them.

• The record-breaking years continue
• Both defending champions are returning to Košice
• Peter Polák is preparing for his extraordinary 50th start
• Ten runners will carry a message of peace from Kyiv to Košice
• Horst Milde brings another chapter to the long Berlin–Košice connection
• Runners can now check their race numbers and starting waves
• The Košice Peace Marathon will once again be broadcast live to Slovakia and around the world
• Important race-week information and the 2026 Welcome Bag are ready for runners

And all of this comes as the numbers behind the Košice Peace Marathon continue to grow.

The Record-Breaking Years Continue

The anniversary editions of 2023 and 2024 brought record participation and extraordinary attention.

After the centenary celebrations, it would have been natural for the numbers to return to pre-anniversary levels. They did not. As of 16 September, 19 017 runners from 74 countries around the world have registered for the various events of the 103rd Košice Peace Marathon. Considering the size of Košice and Slovakia’s population, these figures become even more remarkable.

But there is more behind these numbers than the growth of a single sporting event. The marathon is increasingly influencing the way people think about exercise, health and an active lifestyle. For thousands of them, the first Sunday in October has become a goal towards which months of preparation are directed.

This impact extends far beyond the Košice marathon weekend itself. It reaches families, schools, corporate teams and many different communities. In a natural way, the event connects elite sport with people who, only a few years ago, may never have imagined themselves standing on the start line of a running event.

In this broader sense, the Košice Peace Marathon is helping to transform habits and behaviour across a significant part of society.

The Champions Return

Kemei Is Even Faster.

Both 2025 champions will return to defend their titles at the 103rd edition – Moses Kipngetich Kemei of Kenya and Balemelay Shumet Kebede of Ethiopia.

Last year, Kemei won in Košice in a new course record of 2:06:47. Since then, however, he has managed to go even faster. In March 2026, he finished fourth in Barcelona, setting a new personal best of 2:05:51. That was 56 seconds faster than his winning performance in Košice. He therefore returns not only as the defending champion, but as a runner who has made significant progress over the past year.

Last year, Balemelay Shumet Kebede left Košice not only with the women’s title but also with a significantly improved personal best of 2:21:59. That performance remains her lifetime best as she prepares to return to the Košice Peace Marathon. Earlier this year, she also competed in the London Marathon, but did not finish the race.

Polák – Kelley – Köhnke

It was 6 October 1974. A 26-year-old Peter Polák was waiting at the marathon start. Since January, his training diary had already logged 5201 kilometres. Earlier that spring, he had won a 20-kilometre race in Hranice na Moravě and perhaps felt well prepared for what lay ahead. What was going through his mind before his first start in Košice? We do not know exactly. He ran with respect for the distance and finished in 2:50:22. Just one year later, with valuable experience behind him, he improved by more than nine minutes. From then on, the starts came one after another, and his Košice personal best eventually fell to 2:25:20. And now he stands on the threshold of his 50th start in Košice.

Peter Polák, however, is not alone in his extraordinary running longevity. As remarkable as his streak may be, there are a few similar stories elsewhere in the world. The ultimate record-holder remains Johnny Kelley, who completed 58 Boston Marathons between 1928 and 1992 and even won the race twice, in 1935 and 1945.

And in just a few days, another fascinating milestone may be reached in Europe. On 27 September 2026, Wilfried Köhnke will attempt to complete the Berlin Marathon for the 50th time. If he succeeds – and Polák does the same one week later – Europe will have two truly exceptional marathon record-holders.

Brano Koniar – race director