Prague International Marathon - Race Reviews

A course with a challenge for 42K. The transitions from paved road to cobblestone and train tracks, it's constant. The course is a little bit repetitive passing thru the same zones 2 sometimes 3 times. But overall a very nice race in a very nice city.

This organisation is simply just for profit making, they do not even bother about running. I registered for the 2020 Prague marathon which apparently was cancelled for Covid-19. They refused a refund despite multiple emails, only options were to run next year (?) or get a voucher to transfer to someone else! Guess what? Second year cancellation (valid reasons for covid) and still they refuse any chance for a refund despite 2 years of cancellations. Apparently someone needs to run their race when it happens, sometimes in the future, even whenever. They have the nerve even to advertise for digital (virtual) runs! It is all about money for them apparently! Just avoid this profit making company not respecting runners and their efforts and spread this information to your fellows runners..

Prague Marathon is an IAAF Gold Road Race & one of the most enjoyable in Europe. Held on the first Sunday of May, it is well-organised & has a generous cut-off time of 7hrs. The Marathon Expo is the biggest sports fair in the Czech Republic & spread across two exhibition halls. My race pack collection was smooth but the Sports Expo was at the other side of the Vltava River at Promyslový palác, Holeaovice. The Start and Finish of the Marathon were at the historic Old Town Square in Staromestra. The First Aid Station HQ was in front of the Astronomical Clock, and the Baggage Deposit was right above the underground Mustek Metro Station. Temperature at the start was 9°C & reached 19°C at noon. The flag-off was punctual at 9am. The course was mostly flat, along the Vltava River, offering a scenic tour of the main sights of picturesque Prague. Runners were given a sightseeing view of many monuments & places of interests, like Laterna Magika Praha, National Theatre, Dancing House, Vyaehrad. There were 10 river crossings. Three Bridges were crossed twice namely, LibeHský most, Mánesov most & Palackého most. And Four Bridges were crossed once, of which the most beautiful was Karlov most, or the Charles Bridge, with a view of the Prague Castle. The Jirásek most, Most Legií & echov Bridge were crossed once. A third of the race took place on quaint cobbled streets & beside tram tracks. Distance markers were regularly placed & refreshments were ample with oranges, bananas & sponges. Some stations had salt & sugar cubes. Portable toilets, first aid stations & Birell music tents appeared every 5km. Spectator support was friendly & mostly on the side of the Old Town Square, less on the opposite side of the Vltava, but volunteers were helpful & enthusiastic. It was a most memorable marathon that showcased the beauty of Prague. Public transport was free for runners on the marathon weekend & thankfully the weather was perfect this year.

Very well organised marathon. Expo was excellent. Prague is a beautiful town but not really ideal for marathon as it is hilly and many roads in the city center have cobblestones. To handle that the course runs along the river which is fine as long as it is around the city center but a bit boring further away. Crowd support was good along the start and finish area but not much elsewhere. I did enjoy the marathon. Happy I ran it but I will proabably not come back to run it again.

My wife and I ran this in 2018, and it was a wonderful experience. First and foremost Prague is an amazing destination. It is a clean, friendly, and walkable city. In fact we walked our legs off for 3 days before the marathon. Run Prague if for no other reason than an excuse to visit before everyone discovers it. (Though it is a bit late already). The marathon is also very good. Well organized, moderate sized, plenty of room on course. Great start line access, and typically ideal temperature. Cobbles are a challenge for some more than others, and you need to watch the tram tracks. Clearly the organizers favored flat and fast over the potentially hilly but more scenic routes they could've chosen in Prague. For that reason plan to see the city yourself on foot. The course is mainly on or near the river and is about as flat as any I have run. The refreshments were ample except the very first water station was a bit far out. My wife didn't like the 2 out and back loops and the repetition of the final 7k loop, but I did as I knew exactly what to expect at the finish and how hard to push. Also loved oranges, bananas, and sponges at every station. The expo was also easy to access and had a nice selection of vendors, and the tech shirt plus running vest made nice swag along with a great finisher medal. Also every one under about 35 seems to speak brilliant English so communication is never an issue. So how can the organizers improve? English program option, earlier start, get ride of Km 26-30 for something more scenic. Move the finisher area into old town square. I know it might be crowded but I'm sure it would be better than the long post marathon walk in the wrong direction(from our hotel). Overall a great marathon experience I would highly recommend- along with several days to enjoy Prague.

The Prague marathon is a great route taking in some incredible views. The refreshment stations were ideally located at the perfect times and well organized. My only complaint was not being informed about the lovely free jacket at the expo but the organisers posted one to me in London after I contacted them so this was a really nice gesture! Fantastic medal too :) Only issue was the heat on the day at 22 degrees C which definitely set me back but the course is great with no horrible hills, so a PB might be possible on a cooler day

The route is most enjoyable, the timing (weather-wise) good, size not too small and not too large, crowding none in my category (75+ - end of the pack) - satisfied overall. My complaints are the reporting of results (for me, at 75, I am classified as 65+ by the result sheet with no age information and that obviously does not satisfy me because I would like to know about times of runners closer to my age - and to my complaints, about a year old, organizers have not changed anything), and the truly outstandingly ugly medal. One should also be prepared for cobblestones, which don't seem to do much good for my aging joints and muscles.

I have experience with marathons in Tokyo, Berlin, Hong Kong. Prague Marathon - a wonderful event. In such a busy touristy place - hold marathon gold label - it's awesome. High organization, volunteers are friendly and welcoming. Distance almost equal. I experienced unforgettable emotions ran in Prague last week. It's better than Berlin.

This is a great place to run because of Prague itself. The course starts in the heart of the Old Town, and goes through some of the main attractions. Organization was brilliant, imho - water, energy drinks, sponges; a loud applause goes to volunteers! Public was OK - crowdy and supportive in the Old Town part, engaged and interested on other parts. I would highly recommend this marathon because of the location and for its constant progress towards a truly world-class event.

The Prague International Marathon is one of the most enjoyable marathons on the European circuit. Prague is well versed in hosting major running events with the Prague Half Marathon also taking place in March every year. The Czech Republic seems to embrace running, with plenty of marathon promotional material clearly on display at Prague International Airport. The course is what sets Prague apart. It is beautiful, taking place right in the heart of the city and within the historic Old Town area in particular. It also criss-crosses several of the bridges along the Vltava River, allowing runners to really see the city whilst chalking off the miles. The course is relatively flat, although a vast majority of the route takes place on the old cobbled streets, which greatly increases the impact, on the knees especially. The finish takes place in the famous Old Town Square, which conveniently, is where the start is also located. Crowds in and around the square were relatively large and the atmosphere was good. Due to the course being so closely aligned to the river, it is quite exposed and can therefore allow the weather to have an influence. This was the case this year, with quite a strong headwind affecting runners, in the later stages of the race especially. The weather was chilly at the start with temperatures hovering around 8ÚC / 46ÚF, with a mixture of sunshine and light patchy cloud. As a result, a number of runners wore either a long-sleeved shirt or a light extra layer under their main garment. The organisation is pretty good. Perhaps not on the same scale as the outstanding organisation of the Vienna City Marathon, but efficient nonetheless. The registration expo is large, spread across two or three exhibition halls in a suburb to the north of the river. There are lots of display stands, representing other marathons from around the world, and plenty of race merchandise on sale courtesy of Adidas being the official merchandise supplier. The one criticism would be that a number of the staff spoke very little or no English, which was somewhat surprising given the international nature of this event. Meanwhile, the finishers medal is a beauty and the finishers diplomas are available to download online the next day. Prague is a beautiful city and the people are polite and friendly. These aspects come across within the Prague International Marathon, which showcases Prague very well. The city and the marathon appear to be indelibly bound together, which is not always the case with marathons in other European cities.

The course was ideal for mecoming off knee surgery, the flat course was great. Cobblestones were a bit of worry, but since I had to run slowly anyway.... You can't beat Prague's scenery and the frequent river crossings, bridge crossings notwithstanding, were fun. I loved the Old Town Square start and finish. The organization has room for improvement. There was no acknowledgment that I, indeed, had ever signed up. I even e-mailed the question to the address provided. And, a map to the expo, with directions on which trolley to take, would have been wonderful. Does anyone know the name of the music played over the loudspeakers at the start? I was too much in my own world to notice it, but my wife loved it and would like to know what it was. Please write if you know the name of the music. All in all, an excellent marathon.

This was only my second marathon, but what a fantastic experience! First of all, the city is simply gorgeous and the course offers a wonderful tour of it. I did not find it a difficult course, but some attention has to be given to the cobblestones and the tram tracks. They are not everywhere, only in some sections of the city. No big deal. The weather was perfect, and I liked the 9 o'clock start. The organization was outstanding, from the expo the day before to all of the services offered to the runners the day of the race, nothing was forgotten. The crowd was very international, very supportive, making it fun and lively - you really felt that you were a star in the city. I BQed without even expecting it (this was supposed to be a training run for me) but I believe that the city itself made me run faster than I had expected and got me to give my best that day. I would really love to run that marathon again in the future. Do yourself a favor and visit Prague as a race destination, as well as a great vacation place. Thank you to the Volkswagen Prague Marathon Organization and to all of the people of Prague!

The course is looped in such a way as to make one run the final 10K along the same path as the first 10K, which could be disheartening, but I didn't feel so at all. The scenery is beautiful, including multiple passages over Pragues' bridges, crossing back and forth over the river a few times. The number of participants may grow in the coming years. I found the race crowd to be ideal: not so many runners as to crowd the street and render passing people difficult, and just enough runners to make it a hearty collective experience. The volunteers are friendly and helpful. In the 2010 edition the race, refreshments focused on healthy food: mostly fruit, which I thoroughly appreciated. I was warned about the cobblestone segments being hard on the ankles, but I found the cobblestones to be rather flat and it wasn't an issue for me. Spectator crowd was good, too. Never crowding into the street and nevertheless cheering well. I recommend this race. If, like me, you're coming in from abroad, there's so much to visit in this city. Take the time to check out the Castle and the old city. After the marathon, take a boat trip: it's easy on your legs and you will see many of the sights you crossed while running.

Pre-Race: I didn't feel communication from the race organization was great. I had sent a few emails requesting information or clarification and all went unanswered. That was frustrating. That said, the expo itself was easy to get to (by streetcar) and packet pick-up was a breeze. Race Day: Trying to find gear-check was nearly impossible. No volunteers or info booth could be found to ask a question of. Once I figured out where it was, trying to get there among the throngs of people was actually impossible. So I abandoned that attempt. The lines for the porta-johns about 30 minutes prior to the race were so long that that attempt also had to be abandoned. Getting into the corral was insanity. The Race: All that said, once we got going, things went very smoothly. There were parts that were very congested (e.g., why would you have the relay hand-off in a constricted bridge underpass?). The cobblestones (perhaps 10% of the course?) weren't as bad as I'd feared. The number of water/drink stations was excellent, as were the volunteers helping. Also, given the temps, I appreciated that they had sponges. The course is pretty flat, except for the bridge underpasses. If you can't tolerate running a race that's not an out-and-back or point-to-point, then this race isn't for you. A good majority of the course was repeated. Post-Race: Lesson to be learned: don't get your medal engraved right after a race. My friend offered to stand in line to have it done. Well, they engraved the clock time, not my real time. Nevertheless, I'm glad that I ran the race. There are many scenic parts and it's a nice way to see the city.

Expo: I found it a little hard to find. After getting off of the metro, a few signs would have been nice. Once I found it I was very impressed. Having only run halves before, it seemed huge to me! Picking up my race pack was totally smooth. The T-shirt was lovely; I'll use it while training without a doubt. Race day: Free public transportation on race day made getting to the start pleasant. The atmosphere around the start line was great - really got the adrenaline pumping!! The start was a little chaotic - no real organization - but once you cross the start line, the congestion totally eases. The course: Given that Prague is famous for its cobbles and hills, I think they've done an excellent job with the course. It's fairly flat while still getting you in around the major sights. Crowd support was excellent in the center of the town but, of course, as we went farther out of the city, it was quieter. Refreshments were perfect: Water, sports drink, bananas, oranges, salt and sugar every 5K. The weather suddenly turned hot for race day, so in between the 5K refreshment points there was extra water and sponges. I was very impressed, as the weather had been cool and rainy all week. So all in all, I thought it was a very well organized, scenic and, above all, FUN race! If there weren't so many other races that I'm dying to try, I'd be back next year without hesitation!!

Everything was perfect; we only missed a crowd along the course. I understand why there is no one cheering when you're running along the outskirts of town, but even at 41K you were all alone. There was only a crowd for the last 500 meters.

I ran Prague in 2005. Interesting story - 3 weeks before the race, I was diagnosed with pneumonia and thus ended my training and (I thought) my entrance into the race. I still went to Prague to visit, and ended up getting so excited after seeing the race course, the setup, the expo, and the other runners that I decided to run/walk the marathon after all. I had brought my running shoes but nothing else, so I bought shorts and a shirt and I was off. Finished in a time I'd rather not divulge, but I enjoyed it immensely. Lots of music, an interesting course along the river and in the old town, a bit boring on the out and back but you do get to see the elite runners. Nice medal, too. I didn't mind the cobblestones or the tram tracks - those are the things that make running a marathon in a city so interesting! I'd love to do Prague again without the pneumonia and hope I get the chance!

I tend to love every marathon experience I've ever had. In this case, however, I found it petty to require a cash deposit for the chip, even though most people had paid by credit card. That's the first marathon where I've had to do that. We even had to stand in a line in order to pay the deposit. I was told to go to an ATM to get the money (I didn't even know if my US ATM card would work). The rest of the registration was pretty routine. The t-shirt was good. The spectators were fairly plentiful. Very few addressed me by name as I ran, though, even though I displayed it in plain view.

Fantastic city and fantastic organization - from landing at the airport (marathon info points), to the very nice goody bags, to the loads of water station during run, to the great course. After crossing the finish line, the text message is sent to your mobile giving your run time! Detailed results (time every 10K) are emailed to you, with a link to pictures.

A marathon in Prague could mean running all through the historic old town, all on tram lines and cobblestones, or out and back along the somewhat boring roads in and out of town. The Prague International Marathon tries to do a bit of both, and mostly succeeds. Negatives: A choice of pasta sauce (one without meat) would have been good at the pasta party. More volunteers to help pour and hand out water at the water stations would have been good, and would have prevented having to arrive and wait for the water to be poured. Not a lot of support away from the city center. Not a lot at the expo. Positives: Lovely city. Friendly crowd. Mostly flat, although I could have done without the underpasses. Four-thousand runners is a nice number. It took a few minutes to get over the start line, but then I was able to run at my own pace for most of the race.

It was my third marathon. I came 8th. I have to say that the organization for this marathon is brilliant: the stand at the airport, the pasta party and exhibition, the start on the old town square, the nice t-shirt, the party after the race on Sunday.... I'll do it again if I can next year.

Prague's organization is the best I've ever encountered. Extra drinks and feeding stations were added last-minute due to the extreme heat, meaning that towards the end you could drink every 2K. The course is very flat - unfortunately, in keeping this course flat, the organizers are forced to run the marathon along a series of out-and-back loops, which can be very disheartening, especially with 5 or 6K to go. As well as seeing all of the sites of Prague the route takes you through some of the more industrial and less salubrious areas. In some ways this is quite refreshing because you'll see the real Prague as well as the touristy side of the city. There were bands of varying quality in 7 or 8 locations, which helped lift spirits. The crowds were congregated only in the city center and around the main attractions, the best of which would need to be crossing the Charles Bridge which was closed to the public, offering a unique experience for runners. In general I would recommend this marathon; however it's not particularly easy on the mind due to the loops... the alcohol-free beer around the course for runners is a quirky idea although I didn't see a single person trying any!

Just would like to share here with you: I ran the Prague Marathon and it is a really great race in a unique city. Running through Prague, you will feel its magic and the spirit of running festivities as well. The organization was perfect, and while the expo could be bigger, it was interesting and worked well. From the start on the Old Town Square, to the ton of friendly spectators, to the music festival, and even to the after-race party with complementary beer - everything here made me happy. And then they gave a nice medal (with a possibility to engrave your name and time on it) - just wonderful. Some part of the course was going a little bit outside, but I have heard they are changing it for 2007 to be more in the city. Probably will go again. And here is my advice: you should try it as well. You will never forget its atmosphere.

If you are someone who is thinking about running this race, you should know that it's a good marathon and well worth running. I mean, come on people, we are talking about Prague here. The city of Kafka. Some people have complained about cobblestones at the start and finish, but then again, why are you running the Prague Marathon? I don't think many people run this race to throw down a PR; they do it so that can say to friends, "Oh yeah, went to Prague to run a marathon. Oh, you've never been? You really must go.... Nice place, that Prague." As for the rest of the course, they ran us out of town and then back in on an out-and-back, which I don't mind because you get to see the leaders run by you and think to yourself... if only I work a bit harder. To people complaining about not enough "crowd support"... get over it, or only stick to the biggies like Boston and New York. Do you really expect the entire town to turn out and cheer all day long for a few thousand runners? Them's my thoughts... good marathon, not the best I've run, but well worth it.

Agree with some of what has been said by others, but I really enjoyed the Prague Experience (4:07:57), and have to say the Cobblestones had no effect on my performance. The heat actually got to me a little, so had to back off from my 4 hour target. Overall the expo was very weak, so much more could be done with this. Absolutely agree with Simon as to merchandise, with so many 'tourist' runners, they missed a Big opportunity to sell race merchandise. Yes the dual carriageways were boring, but, although they must have seemed like 35K, I don't think it was that bad. Crowd support was minimal, but the buzz up the finishing straight towards the Old Town was fantastic. I would come back. Prague is beautiful, and the beer excellent post-race. I have a full report on my Blog at irishrunaholic.blogspot.com if you want a deeper impression of the race.

Everything was perfect except the water. They used a mineral water which was very heavy in minerals, which I'm not at all used to. I think it casued me to throw up during the race and weighted heavily on my stomach for the 2-4 kilometeres before. I wish they would use a more glaciar type mineral water rather than one from the underground springs variety next time. If you run it, I suggest training while drinking this type of mineral water to get used to it.

Overall a scenic marathon. The first 5K is all throughout the town of Prague. Mostly on cobblestone or tram tracks. There are 2 long stretches (right by the 1/2 marathon mark and the last from 28K-38K). The two long back-to-back stretches are on nicely paved roads (thank goodness!) They've improved race support by strategically placing volunteers all throughout the course and having rock bands play in the more far-end parts of the course. They gave the following at aid stations: Mattoni water, Isostar energy drink, oranges, bananas, salt, sugar cubes, sponges/water. I didn't notice many tourists along the course near the end (and I finished over 5 hours). Overall a really nice race. I hated the 2 small steps 60m from the finish line... The engraving after the race cost some money (like 130 crowns?) Also, the chip they use is the one where you wrap around your ankle. Race Expo was a bit small from the others I've attended. Adidas had a big promo wheryeou have to run a certain speed on the treadmill for 10 minutes and u get discounts on their store or a discounted ipod. Though I know this is an exaggeration, but it felt like 1/2 the course was on cobblestone!

Let me start with the positives: 1. Prague is a beautiful city and well worth a visit anyway. 2. The first and last KM are brilliant, as they are run in the old town with great support. 3. The music on the course is well-appreciated. However, 35 KM of the course are run on a dual carriageway outside the city, and it's boring and repetitive with no crowd support. If the Prague Marathon is to compete with the other marathons in the area, which are also run at the same time of the year (i.e. Vienna). It needs to promote itself better by actually having merchandise at the expo to sell and getting the locals to support the race.

This was my second marathon, and my first with a time goal (4:00, finished in 3:55), and what a great place to do it! Quite a flat course considering how hilly the city actually is. Sightseeing would be hard to improve on for a city race, but that pretty much goes without saying. Running across the Charles Bridge! Looking up at the Castle and Vysehrad! Starting and finishing in Old Town Square! It's just a gorgeous city. The one thing missing from the course is a big vista, but that would add a pretty serious hill. I walked up to Letna for a beer with a view the next day, not as intense as the Castle or Petrin. The cobbles didn't bother me as much as I thought they would. The long out of town leg was hard, though I agree that it was inspiring to see some of the lead runners on their way back. But what a long way back. Organization was great, water stations excellent (no fizzy water this time, thank goodness!), spectators and music good but after Berlin I have high standards. Same goes for the massage - only one tent, there was simply no way I could stand still and wait that long. Finally... if a beer after a long run sounds good to you, there is quite simply nowhere on earth you can get a better one!

I believe that this was the 11th running of this event and I am left feeling that there are still basic lessons for the organizers to learn (e.g., get the start structured and you will achieve fairer results). Although the start section was numbered, the numbers did not always tally with predicted times. And it wasn't possible to get to front sections anyway unless you were there early. I hope that the organizers dont take a 'like it or lump it' attitude just because they ride on the back of a great city. But let's not be too harsh. Their website was excellent. Race entry was simplicity itself. The venue quite remarkable. And the mix of overseas runners fascinating. Yes, as everyone has mentioned, there are cobbled sections, and the tram lines add to the interest. So I don't have any problem with the out-of-town sections... I did my sightseeing the day before! and who wants to run 26 miles on cobbles? You can't have it both ways. And as for the long out-and-back sections, what a time for admiring those elite, lead runners who you dont normally see in full flight. And what a time to recognize the efforts of those who are way behind you and to encourage them. Having run London 5 weeks earlier it would be easy to make lots of negative contrasts but Prague is Prague and London is London. I'd gladly run either of them again if God continues to bless me with marathon fitness. They still haven't got the drink stations set up in a clear way (and who wants fizzy water anyway?!) and the T-shirt was a disappointment. However, the medal was good, and the engraving service immediately after the finish was novel. The pasta party had all the right ingredients but deserved a bigger venue and more convenient times. But as I say, the points for and against just about even out. At the end of the day, I knew I'd had a super day of running... and that is what I went for.

Prague is a nice marathon. The city is a great place to be and is alone worth a visit. It is also a very nice atmosphere during the whole event. Lots of runners in the city. Easy contact everywhere. The organization was good. Start number pick up was good, directions and area before the start and after the finish were very good. Since it was very warm, the organization provided for extra water posts. The course brings you to nice Prague scenery. However, less scenic parts are also included. The cobblestones in the old city are difficult to run, especially when returning to the old city over Charles Bridge. There are not many spectators along the course; however, since you encounter other runners for large parts, you won't feel alone.

Great race! The course was flat and fast except for the cobblestones near the start and finish. Very organized with plenty of water and fruit stations. My only complaint about the organization was near the finish, pedestrians were wandering across the course. The spectators were good, but as the course left town so did the spectators. Overall enjoyable race and a must vist destination. A great choice for a European marathon.

First marathon for a number of years and I enjoyed it. I have read the other comments and agree with most. The crowd support does lapse when you leave the city onto what could best be described as a dual carriageway, and then only returns as you reenter the city, about 10K from the finish. The course is flat, although the cobblestones in the city are interesting underfoot! Also the weather was 'changable,'one minute sunny but cool, then dark clouds move in, temperature drops and you get a heavy shower. My biggest criticism is on behalf of my friends the wheelchair athletes. Admittedly there were only a couple of participants but that is perhaps not surprising as they were not catered to. There were ineffective ramps on curbs to the extent that at one point the crowd had to assist an athlete and his chariot over an obstacle or he would have been unable to continue. However the people of Prague are so friendly and their city so beautiful they fully compensate for the few blemishes I bring to your attention. Prague will definitely be on my revisit list.

The start and first 5K are right in the center of the city, which is a beautiful beginning. The majority of the run outside the city is featureless and back along the same road which is rather boring. The volunteers are enthusiastic and try their best but being in the just-under-5=hours group, I found that some water stops were struggling to get enough cups on the table and others had no energy drink. Sliced oranges, bananas were available but watch out for lots of peel on the roads. Coming in for the last 5k or so the cobbles and shoppers crossing the street combine for an interesting finish. This was my second marathon, first was London which was always going to be hard to beat for atmosphere and organization and as expected Prague didn't come close.

The course has some very scenic sections at the beginning and end - through Old Town, across the Charles Bridge, etc. Unfortunately, much of the race is run outside town and there is not much to see. This also results in a lack of specators. The difficult cobblestones in town are offset by smooth pavement outside town, so the race can be fairly fast. The lack of crowds included the city center, and the feeling was that the city wanted you to 'hurry up and get the race over with so that we can get back to servicing the tourists'. The expo and post-race activities were marginal, as were the water stops. Overall, I felt the runners were treated as a 'side show', whereas at other marathons in both larger and smaller cities (Chicago, New York, Boston, Vienna, Echternach, Honolulu, Berlin) we were the 'main event'.

My first marathon. Beautiful setting for a marathon, and the old town square was the perfect starting (and finishing) point. The first few miles running through the streets of Prague were great. The course was okay - even running along the highway there was greenery, so not so bad. A shame to run so far out and then back along the same route though. The cobbled streets were quaint on the way out, but on the way back to the finish they were painful. Being not very quick (finished in 5 hours), the music had packed up and gone by the time I was on the return leg. The crowds had gone home and the atmosphere - at a time when you needed some extra motivation - was sadly lacking. The drink stops were good - plenty of sponges - and the race volunteers were excellent throughout. Queues for the toilets at the start were ridiculous, although I believe that is standard for all marathons. All in all, an enjoyable experience for a first marathon, although upon reflection, one with better crowd support might have suited my needs better. Prague is well worth the visit.

Prague was my first 'serious' marathon ever and my first in 18 years. Prague is a very beautiful and interesting destination and to be able to incorporate it into an enjoyable destination makes it a perfect trip. The initial marathon course is very special. You start in picturesque Old Town Square and go for about 5km through the historic areas of Stare and Nove Mesto. You then cross the Charles Bridge into Mala Strana and then head south to the suburbs on what I can best describe as a small interstate highway. You then do a loop through a suburban area and then head back on the highway the same way to the finish at the starting point in Old Town Square. The start is a bit disorganized, as there is a queueing system in theory but not in practice. Just get in the chute early and you're fine. As you might imagine, the parts on the highway are not so interesting visually, but there are advantages. From what I can gather, most European marathons space their aid stations every 5km. In this marathon, because you are going out and back the aid stations are more frequent than that during the time you are on the highway. In 2003 this was very important, as the weather was extremely warm and sunny. In addition, for a visitor like myself it was nice to identify milestones to look for on the way back. The layout of the course makes it difficult for spectators to see you one the course multiple times beyond the first 5k unless they have wheels or want to get on a train. However, there were many people who had friends bike with them for almost the whole race once it left central Prague. There is little spectator support beyond 10km all the way to the 20km and again from 28km to 38km. This is tough. There is music support through something called the Staropramen Music Festival but there is no such support where there are no spectators. There is a critical mass of spectators only in central Prague, and a ton of spectators only about 500m from the finish in. Aid stations served water and a sports drink called Isostar, which I had no problem with. The only difficulty with drinks occurs because there is no delineation between water and Isostar on the cup itself. They also provide cut bananas and oranges, as well as sponges at all aid stations. The expo was small and by and large a non-event. You receive a marathon shirt when you pick up your number and another shirt, along with a very nice medal, at the finish. Volunteer support is excellent throughout. There are other races on the same day, a 10k and a relay, along with a family race. These races do not interfere with the marathon but they add to the spectacle. There also was a pasta party and an after-race party in Letna Park, a distance from the finish area, that I did not attend. Overall, this was a very positive experience that I would recommend to anyone.