About Festival

The 3^rd Running Festival of the Economic Forum, 7-9 September 2012
Krynica-Zdroj, Muszyna

Bigger, faster, better

More than 4000 runners, it is above 50% more than in 2011, joined one of the biggest running events in Poland ? the 3^rd Running Festival in Krynica-Zdroj. It was already the third year when runners competed in the beginning of September in Beskid Sadecki Mountains in more than 20 distances, with the total length exceeding 250 kilometres, whose total prize pool reached 450 thousand zlotys.

The number of more than 4000 runners has been a spectacular success considering that it has been just the 3^rd edition of our event. We are especially glad of the fact that the persons participating in the Festival return here every year, we can see familiar faces on Krynica?s promenade more and more frequently. It is the best proof for us that we have filled a gap in the calendar of running events in our country. ? said the initiator and the organizer of the Running Festival of the Economic Forum, Zygmunt Berdychowski.

The highest number of runners, more than 1200, took part in ?10K Tauron Run? from Krynica-Zdroj to Muszyna. The route of that run descends all the way long and gives a great chance for beating one?s personal best. The winner of the run, after a fierce competition with the Kenyan, Martin Mula, became Radosław Kłeczek with the time 28:43. Yet, in the subsequent run, ?Koral Marathon?, the Kenyans secured victory for themselves by taking the first four positions. The winner was Vincent Kipchirchir with the time of 2:24:12, which a good result for so difficult and mountainous route.

During the 7 Valleys Run, it is a 100 kilometre ultra marathon following the routes of Beskid Sadecki, the leadership in the first kilometres was assumed by a Hungarian, Csaba Nemeth, who was challenged all the time with the time difference of 3 -4 minutes by one of the best ultra marathoners, Marcin Świerc. Finally, the Hungarian won, achieving the remarkable result of 8:51:10 and beating the record of the route by more than 44 minutes.

The runners competed also in Krynica in the run called ? Exchange Mile?, whose finalists were selected in exciting elimination runs. The participants in running competitions on the top of Jaworzyna had the opportunity of ?testing? the mountain routes, where the World Championship in Mountain Running will take place during the Running Festival next year. The youngest runners competed in ?Promenade Runs for Children? , including a Mini Marathon for 420 meters and in the ?Fancy Dress Run? organized for the first time this year.

The Festival included already for the third time a competition for ?The Fastest Family in Poland? ? won by Bogdana, Maciej, Marcin and Tomasz Ciepłak from Rybnik and ?The Fastest Company in Poland? ? won by the team of Katowice Housing Cooperative.

The competition in the league of Running Festival has also ended in Krynica. It included more than 30 races organized from January to September in entire Poland. The next edition of the Running Festival of the Economic Forum begins already on the 7^th of October in Rzeszow, where the runners will compete in a half marathon, a 5 kilometre run, a family run for 1 km and relay races. Registration is possible through the website: www.festiwalbiegowy.pl

After the end of the running struggle, the participants of the Festival could take part in many accompanying events: concerts, a cabaret performance, competitions for children and a sports equipment fair. A special guest of the Festival was the best Polish marathoner ? Henryk Szost. The runners could also receive for free a special Runner?s Discount Card, which makes participation in various running events in Poland easier.

The 3^rd Festival has also had an exceptional number of partners, including: Małopolskie Voivodeship, PZU SA, Orlen Oil, TAURON Polska Energia, Warsaw Stock Exchange and KGHM Polska Miedź, among others.

The next, 4^th Running Festival of the Economic Forum is scheduled from the 6^th to the 8^th of September 2013. One of most important events of the Festival is expected to be the World Championship in Mountain Running in Anglo-Saxon style, with participation of the representatives of more than 50 countries from all continents. More than 500 male and female runners will compete in three distances on the routes located on Jaworzyna Krynicka Mountain. Similarly to the previous year, the Festival will also include the Polish Masters Championship in the distance of 10 km and Polish Championship in Nordic Walking. Moreover, the agenda of Festival will also involve such races as: Night Run or Parkowa Mountain Run, among other things. A special novelty is that the prize pool has increased this year by adding a second car. The first one will be traditionally drawn among runners completing the Koral Marathon while the second among the runners completing Lifetime Ten.