Held since 2002, the Cracovia Marathon is the most important running event in Kraków and the largest spring run over the legendary distance in Poland. It is exactly 42.195 km and attracts runners from all over the world to the foot of the Wawel Castle. The event is the most international one among Polish marathons, with the highest turnout of foreign participants in the country. So far, competitors from 70 countries have competed in the Cracovia Marathon.
The event is held under the theme “running through history”. Since 2014, the start and finish line of the marathon have been located on the Main Square, one of the greatest highlights of Kraków. Participants run past Kraków's greatest monuments, such as the Cloth Hall, the Wawel Royal Castle, and Skałka Church. They also pass modern landmarks such as the TAURON Arena Krakow, the ICE Kraków Congress Center and the Father Bernatek Footbridge. In 2005, the runners appeared in Nowa Huta for the first time, and they returned there in 2018, after a five-year gap.
The weekend of the Cracovia Marathon is a true celebration of sports. The Mini Cracovia Marathon (4.2 km) commemorating Piotr Gladki takes place on Saturday and is dedicated to the memory of the winner of the 4th edition of the Cracovia Marathon who was the first (and so far only) Pole to win the Cracovia Marathon. Two weeks later he tragically died in a traffic accident. Cracovia Inline Skating Marathon is a competition that has accompanied the marathon since 2006. The full-length marathon route goes around Błonia Park. It must be completed in a maximum of 3 hours.
A 10-kilometre Night Run has also been organized since 2014. The event takes place on the evening preceding the Cracovia Marathon. As of 2018, its participants start and finish at the Main Square. They have a time limit of 1.5 hours to cover the distance. In 2023, the event was held under the name European Games Night Run, heralding the celebration of sports that was to take place in Kraków and the Małopolska region. The participants unanimously agree that the view of the Old Town at night from a runner's perspective is a unique experience.
Athletes with disabilities have also been competing in the Cracovia Marathon since the event began. Among them are wheelchair athletes. Before the runners take to the route, competitors in the categories of handbike, rim push and active wheelchair also take the legendary distance.
Since 2002, marathons have been organised regularly. Due to the Covid pandemic, the Cracovia Marathon could not take place in 2020-2021. The event returned, after a break of nearly three years, on April 24, 2022. A year later, more than 5,000 runners from 45 countries took part in the 20th anniversary edition. The most persistent runners, a group of 35 people who completed all 20 editions of the event, were invited on stage and given special thanks.
The Cracovia Marathon is one of the oldest running events in Poland. It is one of the runs of the Crown of Polish Marathons, which included: Debno Marathon, Wroclaw Marathon, Warsaw Marathon and Poznań Marathon. The title has been awarded since 2007. Its originator was Wiesław Maczek, founder of the Cracovia Marathon. Naturally, the role of organiser of the Crown of Polish Marathons was taken over by the Sports Infrastructure Management Board in Kraków. Until now, to earn the title of crown winner, one had to complete the five oldest runs in Poland within 24 months, counting from the date of the first marathon completed. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wrocław Marathon did not return, so the completion of the other four marathons is now required for the Crown of Polish Marathons award.
In 2022, the Cracovia Marathon joined the city's “Kraków in a good climate” campaign. During the marathon and accompanying events, solutions were introduced to take better care of the environment and create good habits for a lifetime. Plastic and paper in the race packs have been kept to a minimum: plastic packaging has been abandoned, and participants' T-shirts have been made from recycled materials. Cups, plates and cutlery made of eco-friendly plastics were introduced. Drinking water from hydrants of the City of Cracow Waterworks, a partner of the event, is served along the marathon route at most refreshment points. More activities in the spirit of #runningconsciously, including those inspired from the bottom up by the running community, will be successively implemented during Kraków's running events.
All previous editions of Cracovia Marathon have attracted more than 60,000 participants! Organising such a big undertaking is a huge challenge, which the City of Kraków successfully undertakes every year.