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Sports · Košice
On the first Sunday in October, Košice in eastern Slovakia hosts the oldest marathon in Europe, held since 1924: runners from several countries race through the city streets, starting and finishing in the historic center.
In the photo: Košice
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Click a photo to enlarge it.
Košice Peace Marathon — Košice
On the first Sunday in October.
October
Dates change every year: check this year's date before you travel.
The festival
The Medzinárodný maratón mieru, the Košice Peace Marathon, is Košice’s major sporting day, in the main city of eastern Slovakia. Held since 1924, it is recognized by the international marathon association AIMS as the oldest marathon in Europe and, worldwide, is younger only than Boston. It always takes place on the first Sunday in October.
The story began with a local journalist and athlete who, after returning from the 1924 Paris Olympic Games, decided to organize a marathon in the city. The first race gathered few competitors but became a tradition. Over the decades, the event has attracted great names in athletics, including Ethiopian Olympic champion Abebe Bikila, who won in Košice in 1961.
On marathon Sunday, the city revolves around the race. The start and finish are in the historic center, near the Cathedral of Saint Elizabeth, and the route runs along avenues and neighborhoods of Košice, with residents cheering from the sidewalks. In addition to the marathon there is a half marathon, relays, short races and children’s events, and elite athletes, many from Kenya and Ethiopia, compete for the top places alongside thousands of amateurs.
In the days before the race the city organizes a race fair and cultural programs, and the MarathonPoint on the main street tells the history of the event. Košice has a well preserved historic center along Hlavná, the main street, with the Gothic cathedral, the state theatre and the singing fountain.
The marathon is worth the trip for runners who want to add a historic race to their list and for those who enjoy seeing an entire city take to the streets: running or cheering at the oldest marathon in Europe is a good way to discover Košice.
The start in the historic centre, near the Cathedral of Saint Elizabeth. The finish of the elite runners, who compete for the top places on the centre’s streets. The short and children’s races, which fill the city with amateur runners. The MarathonPoint, a main-street space dedicated to the race’s history. A walk along Hlavná and past the Gothic cathedral after the race.
If you plan to run, register in advance on the official website, as entries usually sell out before the date. If you plan to cheer, good views are available on Hlavná and the streets near the start and finish. On race day several streets in the centre are closed to traffic and public transport routes change; walk around the centre. Weather in Košice in early October is usually cool in the morning: bring a warm layer for waiting at the start.
Book accommodation in Košice’s centre in advance, as demand is high on the marathon weekend. Košice has an airport and a direct train from Bratislava. Check the official website for the event rules, races and the route for the year.
In the city
October
Your questions
Always on the first Sunday in October.
Yes. It has been held since 1924 and is recognized by the international marathon association AIMS as the oldest in Europe.
Yes. In addition to the marathon, the weekend usually includes a half marathon, relays, and short and children’s races. Check the official website for the events of the year.
Festivals and events in Slovakia
June/July/August/SeptemberOn a summer weekend, Friday to Sunday; the date changes each year and has fallen between June and September, with recent editions in July or August.
For three days, Bratislava recalls the time when it was the coronation city of the Kingdom of Hungary: a procession in period costume descends from the castle to the main square, where the coronation of a monarch is staged, and knights compete in a tournament on the banks of the Danube.
June/JulyOn the first weekend of July, from Thursday or Friday to Sunday; the opening may fall in the last days of June.
On the first weekend of July, the village of Východná in the Liptov region, beneath the Kriváň peak, hosts Slovakia’s oldest folklore festival: music and dance groups from across the country and invited foreign ensembles perform in an open‑air amphitheater.
July/AugustAt the end of July or the beginning of August, for four or five days, from Wednesday or Thursday to Sunday.
At the turn of July to August, Terchová, a village in the Malá Fatra where the legendary Juraj Jánošík was born, hosts an international folklore festival dedicated to the hero and to the local music, which is inscribed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
JulyOn the second weekend of July, from Thursday to Sunday.
On the second weekend of July, the town of Detva in central Slovakia, at the foot of the Poľana massif, hosts one of the country’s three largest folklore festivals, featuring folk music and dance in an open-air amphitheater and an afternoon dedicated to Slovaks living abroad.
JulyOn the second weekend of July, from Friday to Sunday.
For three days in mid-July, the historic center of Kežmarok, at the foot of the High Tatras, becomes a large open-air workshop: artisans from Slovakia and other countries work live at dozens of traditional crafts, with folk music and dance on the stages.
JulyIn the first half of July, lasting three or four days, concluding on Saturday.
Slovakia’s largest music festival takes over the former Trenčín airport in July: dozens of stages with rock, pop, electronic music, jazz and classical, plus theatre, literature, film and talks.
