After a successful premiere, RunCzech will extend the EuroHeroes project which was launched this spring to two other cities in the Czech Republic in 2019.
EuroHeroes is the initiative that RunCzech launched in 2018 in cooperation and with support from European Athletics. The initiative aims not only to support and celebrate European distance running at an elite level but to also find new sporting heroes who can resonate with the general public.
In order to put the focus on European distance running, four races in the RunCzech Series will be inviting European-only fields to their races in 2019. All four races can also boast a five-star certification rating from European Athletics Running for All - a cornerstone of European Athletics’ running strategy.
“All the RunCzech races are five-star quality road races as awarded by European Athletics’ Running for All platform, for which RunCzech should be very proud. It is very important that European athletes get more opportunities to race at the top level in road races across Europe and EuroHeroes is a fantastic initiative to encourage and promote our road race stars on the continent,” said European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen.
As well as the Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon on 18 May and the Mattoni Ceske Budejovice Half Marathon on 1 June which both participated in the EuroHeroes project this year, the Mattoni Olomouc Half Marathon on 15 June and the Mattoni Usti nad Labem Half Marathon on 21 September will also follow suit.
One of the highlights of the RunCzech Series in 2018 was Eva Vrabcova-Nyvltova’s home victory in the Karlovy Vary Half Marathon which she used as a springboard to winning bronze in the marathon at the Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships. RunCzech President Carlo Capalbo is hoping for similar moments in 2019.
“We believed that, as part of the EuroHeroes project in Karlovy Vary or Ceske Budejovice, we would discover new heroes who would inspire others to take up sport and an active lifestyle. For the first time in its six year history the race was won by the Czech runner – Eva Vrabcova-Nyvltova, and it was very touching,” he said.
The Czech Republic will be the focal point of the European distance running fraternity again in September as Prague, with support from RunCzech and MYLAPS, will be hosting the second edition of the European Running Business Conference from 6-8 September. You can register for the conference here.
The European Athletics Quality Road Race standards act as an assurance for road runners throughout Europe. They distinguish between races that respect the standards and those that haven’t sought certification or assessment. They form the foundation of Running for All, a strong recognisable brand for running activities throughout Europe.
More information on Running for All:
Website: european-running4all.org
Twitter: @runningforall
Contact: [email protected]
More information on the European Running Business Conference:
Registration page: https://registration.mylaps.com/business-conference
Contact: [email protected]