Warsaw, 03.04.2014
The second edition of ORLEN Warsaw Marathon is scheduled to take off on 13 April 2014. Thousands of runners will stand up to the challenge of completing the 42.195 kilometre event. A fast route, ideal for achieving record-breaking results, as well as attractive starting packs and moderate participation fees await them. A large prize purse, including both cash and in-kind prizes, will surely get the competition going.
This year's competition will feature three runs – the marathon, the 10 kilometre run and the 4.6 kilometre walkathon. The latter is a charity event that will start in the very heart of Warsaw, at the Castle Square, on the day before the main runs. The walkathon route will lead past the Presidential Palace along one of the capital’s most elegant streets – Krakowskie Przedmieście. The participants will then cross the Vistula River over the Świętokrzyski bridge and reach the finish line located at the grounds of the National Stadium – a sports facility built to host the UEFA Euro 2012 football matches. The routes of the Sunday runs were planned with participant safety and comfort in mind, and a number of unnecessary uphill sections were eliminated.
Our goal was to make the route as flat as possible, and we have succeeded. The terrain characteristics should suit in particular all runners who prefer long, straight stretches that enable them to keep a steady pace– says Leszek Kurnicki, head of the ORLEN Warsaw Marathon Organising Committee.
Our foreign guests will be given a chance to admire some of Warsaw’s famous landmarks, including the Poniatowski and Świętkorzyski bridges, Aleje Ujazdowskie street, Marshall Józef Piłsudski’s monument and the Royal Łazienki park. An additional wealth of attractions for runners and spectators were planned along the routes of all runs. This includes special spectator areas and performances from over 20 bands!
Over 26,000 runners took part in last year’s ORLEN Warsaw Marathon edition, with Sisay Iemma Kasaye taking the win. The 28-year-old Ethiopian completed the marathon in 2h:09min:02s. Elias Kemboi from Kenya took second place, while Jaouad Gharib from Morocco, the Beijing silver medallist, came in third. Kenyan Milka Jerotich proved fastest (total time 02h:28min:23s) among the 700 women who took part in the marathon. Maryana Damantsevich, a Belorussian, finished second and Olga Kalendarova-Ochal took third place. This year's edition of the event will also feature a number of the world’s leading athletes. Henryk Szost, Europe’s fastest man, has already confirmed his attendance.
ORLEN Warsaw Marathon has been highly rated by participants and received recognition also from foreign running enthusiasts. Therefore, we expect even more contestants, not only from Poland but also from all over the world, to run through the streets of Warsaw on 13 April– added Leszek Kurnicki.
Every registered ORLEN Warsaw Marathon participant will also receive a generous starting pack. Thanks to ASICS, the event’s main partner, the marathon pack will include a backpack, a technical shirt and a cap. The fastest runners will receive large cash prizes, while all participants of the marathon and the 10 kilometre run that manage to reach the finish line will take part in a lottery with a chance of winning attractive in-kind prizes. These include two cars – a Mercedes- Benz GLA (the marathon) and a Smart ForTwo (the 10 kilometre run).
Warsaw is the largest and most populous city in Poland. About 3 million citizens inhabit the capital’s metropolitan area. The city offers a wide range of hotels, and travel options from other European countries are plentiful. Warsaw is serviced by two airports that handle both international and domestic flights. The city, located in the centre of Poland, stretches across both banks of the Vistula River and is the only European capital to be situated right next to a national park. ORLEN Warsaw Marathon made it possible for Warsaw to join the club of cities that host Europe’s biggest running events. A well-planned and interesting route, attractive prizes and an opportunity to visit the Polish capital – all of these are good reasons to include ORLEN Warsaw Marathon in your competition schedule!
ORLEN Warsaw Marathon is the biggest running event in Poland and has been appropriately dubbed the National Celebration of Running. Over 26 thousand runners from Poland and abroad competed in all of the runs organised during the event’s first edition in 2013. The Polish Men’s Marathon Championship is held during ORLEN Warsaw Marathon, with a cash prize purse that is comparable to Europe’s leading running events. A 10 km race is scheduled for the same date, while a 4.6 km “Bieg na TAK! Biegam Bo Lubię” Walkathon takes place on the preceding day.
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