Košice Peace Marathon
The Lowdown
The Košice Peace Marathon (Slovak: Medzinárodný maratón mieru) is the oldest marathon in continental Europe and the third-oldest in the world, first run in 1924 and continuously held every year since 1941. Founded by sports enthusiast Vojtech Bukovský after inspiration from the 1924 Paris Olympics, the race has grown into a World Athletics Silver Label Road Race and AIMS-certified event. The flat, fast, largely traffic-free course runs two loops through Košice's historic city center, with a total elevation gain of only about 74 meters and a mere 16.35 m difference between the lowest and highest points on the route, making it attractive to both elite runners chasing fast times and first-time marathoners. The race weekend also includes the Volvo Half Marathon, a four-person Relay Magna Marathon, handbike, and inline skating events, drawing thousands of participants from Slovakia and abroad each October.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
Medium-sized race
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Good crowd energy
Košice historic city center (Old Town)
St. Elisabeth Cathedral
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Košice, Košice Region, Slovakia
SK
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
Eligibility
- Minimum age 18 for Marathon and Handbike
- Minimum age 16 for Half Marathon
- Minimum age 15 for Relay and Inline
Required Documents
- Photo ID
Entry Methods
- Online registration via kosicemarathon.com with electronic payment
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Review the official propozície (rules) on kosicemarathon.com before registering; entry fee tier is set by payment date, not registration date
First run in 1924, the Košice Peace Marathon is the oldest marathon in continental Europe and the third-oldest in the world after Boston (1897) and Yonkers (1907); it has been held continuously every year since 1941.
The 2025 edition course records were set by Moses Kemei (Kenya) at 2:06:47 (men) and Rebecca Tanui (Kenya) at 2:21:08 (women); women have competed in the race since 1980.
Košice was European Capital of Culture in 2013 and was named Best European City of Sport in 2016.
The race is a World Athletics Silver Label Road Race and holds AIMS full-member certification with a 5-Star Quality designation.
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