World Cup Preview 2022 Part 7: Krkonošský Half-Marathon

Early August brings the third Silver Label race of the season, Krkonošský Half-Marathon in the Hradec Králové region of the Czech Republic.

The small town of Janské Lázně is no stranger to the international mountain running scene. Prior to welcoming the World Cup in 2021, it hosted the International Mountain Running Youth Cup in 2016. Every time, the trails through the forest on the flanks of Černá hora, the Black Mountain, have provided fast, exciting racing.

The Krkonošský Half-Marathon route is a real rollercoaster, 21km and 1,220m+ of mountain trails, starting and finishing in Collonade Square in Janské Lázně. Runners begin by climbing Černá hora, topping out just short of 1,300m, before a long loop takes them out to the neighbouring ski resort of Pec pod Sněžkou. Having fought their way through the forest and back to the top of the first climb, all those hard-won metres and more are lost on the final plunge back to the finish in the centre of town.

This is definitely not the place to come to set a half marathon PB, but we still saw some lightning fast times last year. Both men's and women's races saw Kenyan athletes coming out on top in tight battles with an impressively deep field of Czech athletes. Geoffrey Ndungu finished in 1:32:30, leading home his Run2gether teammate Timothy Kirui, with Marek Chrascina just 13 seconds further back in third. Joyce Njeru came in in 1:50:02, her margin over second place Barbora Macurová a narrow one at just 25 seconds. Matyášová Pavla Schorná completed the podium.

Fingers crossed that 2022 continues the trend of fast paces and close races!

People have been coming to Janské Lázně to bathe in the hot springs since the 14th century but, while it remains popular as a spa destination, in recent years it has also become a hub of outdoor recreation. While in summer it plays host to mountain runners, in winter the slopes of Černá hora are a big draw for snow sports enthusiasts.

Just to the north of Janské Lázně is Sněžka, the highest mountain in the Czech Republic. It lies within the Krkonoše National Park which, along the with neighbouring Polish national park of the same lane, makes up a UNESCO cross-boarder Biosphere Reserve. The park attracts 1.5 million visitors every year and, with 112km of walking paths, is well worth a visit for anyone looking to loosen of their heavy legs post-race.

By car Janské Lázně is 2 hours from Prague and 3 hours from Dresden.