KOSICE PEACE MARATHON
  Junior relay-race  
 

The oldest marathon in Europe is a true source of inspiration. Each year it has brought something exceptional, original, and unique with it. If we leaf through the annals of the Kosice Peace Marathon , a number of legends cannot be overlooked. Today young people follow in their footsteps, and their efforts is rewarded in the final of the Junior relay-race 42 X 1 km, always held at the same time as the races. A project, which has been planned for the years 2006-2011, has become very popular amd so the the organizers decided to continue in the next years. In the previous years the project has been dedicated to:

2006 – Juan Carlos Zabala - Argentinian runner, he won in Kosice in 1931, olympic winner from Los Angeles 1932.

2007 – Désireé Leriche - winner from year 1937, a French runner, who arrived to Kosice from Paris only thanks to a charitable bequest from his friends. He died in concentration camp during World War 2.

2008 – Pavel Kantorek - one of the most succesfull runners in the history of marathon in Kosice, a three times winner. Personally present on KPM in 2008.

2009 – Waldemar Cierpinski - two times olympic winner (Montreal, Moscow), he ran the first and the last marathon in his career in Kosice. Personally present on KPM in 2009.

2010 – Christa Vahlensiecková - the most succesfull women in the history of marathon in Kosice, five times winner. Personally present on KPM 2010.

2011 – Abebe Bikila - legendary Ethiopian runner, two times olympic winner (Rome, Tokyo). Winner of Kosice Peace Marathon in 1961.

So the youth in motion over a five year period reminds the wider public of the lives, destinies, and victories of the legends of Kosice and the world marathon scene.