A UNYP student participates in the upcoming Volkswagen Prague Marathon
By Barbora Netolická
At
9 a.m. on Sunday, May 13, more than 8,000 runners will converge on Old Town
Square for the Volkswagen Prague Marathon, a 42-kilometer run around Prague
city center. Among
the huge crowd will be Katarína Zubová, a third-year Communication student from
UNYP, wearing number F1723.
“I
think I will not make it for the whole marathon,” Zubová says. “But I want to
have the experience and know that I tried.”
Zubová
loves sport, yet she is a first-timer in
the marathon. She was a professional swimmer for almost 10 years, and now she
is also a skilled runner. Yet she has been training for her new goal – running
a marathon – only for a couple months.
The
record times for finishing the Volkswagen Prague Marathon are 2:05:39
(men) and 2:22:34 (women), both achieved by Kenyan runners. For
slower runners, the race will extend over 7 hours.
Zubová is hoping to finish in
5 hours, but
there is skepticism in her voice. “I counted an approximate time that it would
take me to finish 42 km if I run all the time.” she says. “But expecting an
amateur runner to run for 5 hours nonstop is quite naïve.
“I
do not want to end up in a hospital, so I set my limit: till the first
vomiting.” Zubová expects that to come around the 30th kilometer.
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| With a half-marathon, half of her dream will come true |
Even
though Zubová`s parents are not trying to stop her, they do not approve. In
fact, they gave their permission and support only for a half-marathon (21km).
Understandably, they are worried about their daughter’s health. “I will see how
I feel in the middle, but I would love to at least try to make the whole track,
no matter what other people think,” Zubová says confidently.
As
for her motivations, Zubová says simply, “I felt a need for a change and a
short-term goal.”
She is also looking forward
to meeting professional celebrity runners. For example, she will have a chance
to see Patrick Makau, 26, a Kenyan and the current holder of the world record in the
marathon – 2:03:38, set in Berlin in 2011. For non-runners hoping to meet
Makau, he is scheduled to be training in Stromovka Park on the Wednesday before
the race. This will be his second visit
to Prague; he ran the Prague Marathon in November 2011.
Zubova
made a good choice of a marathon. First, the track seems very pleasant: it
starts in Old Town Square, makes a circle along the river from Libeň to Podolí and
finishes back in Old Town Square. Second, the Volkswagen Prague Marathon is one of two Prague International Marathons (PIM) awarded the
highest mark of quality – a Gold Label from the IAAF (International Athletic
Federation). That allows it to compete with big European marathons like the
Roma Marathon and Berlin Marathon. PIM is one of just a few organizations
worldwide that has managed to receive two Gold Labels for its races.
Third,
race organizers works hard to ensure the comfort of the runners. There are
refreshment points every 5 kilometers, and all runners receive a free start
bag, deposit bag, changing rooms, and an SMS with finish times in 7 languages.
Every runner that completes the course will get a medal at the finishing line.
Other special offers by the
marathon include a free massage before and after the race, and
one free entry for family members.
“I
was not thinking about who to take yet, but I will probably go for my dad,”
says Zubova. “I think the massage will be too crowded, so I have my own booked
already. After the marathon, my family will get me to the car and take me directly
to the wellness center,” she adds with a laugh.
For dog-lovers there is
always the Pedigree Dog Walk, scheduled for May 12. It will take place at
Výstaviště in Holešovice, on a 4.5-km course through Stromovka Park. For every
registered participant, 1 kg of dog food will be sent to dog shelters. And of
course, all participants will receive a proper number – even the hairy ones.
Anyone
can join the Prague Marathon; there is no need to be an accomplished runner.
People can register as an individual, or for
those in need of motivated partners, there are PIM running teams that welcome
new members.
But what about the beginning?
Certainly, the hardest thing in any kind of running is getting started.
According to Lucie Porcálová, a professional workout coach who is also running
in the Volkswagen Marathon, beginners must start slow and build up stamina.
 |
| Volkswagen Marathon 2011 |
“It never gets easy, but it
can become a habit, or even a dependence,” says Porcálová. “But sport is just
like drugs. Once you get used to it, you need to have it.”
Zubová herself admits that
training is not always fun. She describes the need to develop the muscles
around the lungs and stomach to improve breathing capacities. Even though she
has been running intensively for years, she is worried about cramps. “Once you
get a cramp, you are done,” she says.
If you are tempted, but still
not sure, you can try volunteering at marathon events. About 2,500 volunteers
contribute to PIM races every year. They help out at the refreshment points, on
the start and finish lines, and preparing
the track.
If Zubová does not finish the
marathon, it won’t bother her. “Baby steps,” she says with a laugh. “If I run
through a half-marathon, half of my dream will come true. Then only a little
step will remain to fulfill the whole dream.
“My parents hope this will be
my first and my last marathon,” Zubová adds. “But we will see.”
Basic information about
the marathon
Start:
9:00, Old Town Square
Time
limit: 7 hours
Fees: 2200 CZK/70 EU
Registration
Deadline: 8 May
Men’s
event record (2010): Eliud Kiptanui/KENYA/2:05:39
Women’s
event record (2011): Lydia Cheromei/KENYA/2:22:34
Other upcoming marathons in
the Czech Republic
June 23: Volkswagen Olomouc
Half-Marathon through Olomouc center
September 16: Usti Nad
Labem Marathon, a unique course that leads through the famous chemical factory
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