Dear running friends!
This Saturday, 10 January, we'll start the first running event of the new year together with the Bratislava Marathon team! 🎉 The 2026 ČSOB Winter Series continues with the popular Three Kings Edition. 👑
After the holidays it's the perfect time to test your fitness – get your trainers and your favourite running outfit ready. We're also preparing a raffle with fantastic prizes from our event partners. The main prize is a voucher for a Garmin Forerunner 570 sports watch! ⌚
Read the organisational information for the event (instructions for the virtual version are further below) so that nothing surprises you on race day.
We're looking forward to seeing you!
Organisational information for Saturday's event:
➡️ Race base: Water Museum (Vodárenské múzeum), Devínska cesta 5364/1, 841 04 Bratislava (Karlova Ves)
➡️ Event programme – Saturday 10 January 2026:
• 08:00 – 10:00 – registration and participant check-in (Water Museum)
• 09:45 – children's warm-up before the start (Water Garden grounds)
• 10:00 – start of the children's races (A – B – C) – run in the Water Garden grounds
• 10:00 – changing rooms and bag storage open – Water Museum
• 10:30 – BILLA children's races awards ceremony
• 10:55 – lining up in the corridors – pre-start information – 3 starts for both 10 km and 5 km
• 11:00 – start of the 10 km
• 11:10 – start of the 5 km
• 12:20 – 5 km and 10 km awards ceremony
• 12:30 – raffle for prizes from our event partners
➡️ Start times:
• children's races from 10:00 (NOTE! The start is earlier than in last year's Winter Series!)
• 10 km from 11:00
• 5 km from 11:10
➡️ Check-in (bib pick-up):
• Friday from 12:00 to 19:00 – Eurovea 2, inside the shopping centre on the ground floor (0) – at the entrance near the Eurovea Tower skyscraper
• Saturday from 08:00 to 10:00 – at the event base
We kindly ask runners from Bratislava to pick up their bib on Friday if possible!
You can also collect bibs for your friends. All you need is their forwarded registration confirmation email.
➡️ Universal bib for runners with a full-series entry: If you bought an entry for the whole series, you received a universal bib at the St Nicholas Edition that you'll also use at the next rounds of the Winter Series.
This means you don't have to attend check-in for the Three Kings, Valentine's and IWD Editions. Just come with your undamaged universal bib from the St Nicholas Edition.
If your universal bib gets damaged or lost, contact us well before the start of the next edition and we'll replace it.
Before the start, please note:
We expect about 1,500 runners at the start. We know the running community is great and considerate, but we still ask you to be extra considerate of each other. This is a preparation race, so enjoy it to the full on Saturday – with a smile on your face and the joy of running!
Please follow these rules:
• Children's races: Please don't step onto the course during the children's races so that the youngest participants can enjoy their run to the full.
• Warm-up: Use the cycle path or the riverside promenade to warm up before your start.
• Safety on the course: Take extra care, especially after the start and when approaching the finish.
• 5 km course: We ask 5 km runners to keep to the right-hand side of the road. Before the finish at the Lafranconi bridge, the routes of both distances merge – please let faster 10 km runners overtake safely on the left.
Thank you for being considerate, and we wish you a great running experience!
➡️ Start corridors:
Because of the high number of entries, the race will traditionally start in three waves about one minute apart:
• Wave 1: 5 km under 27 min, 10 km under 49 min
• Wave 2: 5 km 27:01 – 32 min, 10 km 49:01 – 57 min
• Wave 3: 5 km over 32 min, 10 km over 57:01 min
❗Choosing a corridor is voluntary, but please line up according to your real ability.❗
➡️ The start and finish are in the Water Garden grounds. Maps for the 5 km and 10 km are published HERE – at www.bratislavamarathon.sk under “Race day – Venue map”. The children will run in the Water Garden grounds.
➡️ Changing rooms, bag storage, toilets: Changing rooms and bag storage will be at the event base near check-in in the Water Museum. They open on Saturday at 10:00. Toilets will be available in the Water Museum, with portable toilets outside.
➡️ Refreshments on the course and at the finish, medal: There will be a water station at about 5 km on the 10 km course.
At the finish every runner will receive a finisher's medal, Mattoni and hot tea (we'll keep making fresh tea – if it runs out for a moment, more will be ready shortly).
When picking up their bib, children will receive a hat from our event partner BILLA Slovakia. If they run in it, they'll get a pack of tasty cereals at the finish. If you registered your child for the whole series, come to check-in for the hat.
➡️ Photos: Event photos are provided by the professional photo service GetPica. After the event, participants who agreed to photography when registering will receive a link to their personal photos at the email address given in the registration. Don't cover your bib with another layer of clothing so your photos can be matched to you. If you like the photos, you can buy them individually or as a discounted set.
If you're not sure whether you agreed to receive photos when registering, keep your bib – it has a unique code that gives you access to your photos at www.getpica.com.
➡️ Marathon shop: As usual, our shop will be open at registration on Friday. You'll find accessories in the ČSOB Winter Series design as well as products from our partners, which you can already find in our e-shop shop.becool.sk. On Saturday there will be a limited selection from the shop at registration.
➡️ Our event partner Samsung will be there with a stand presenting its latest products. On Friday, stop by the BENU stand at registration, where you can have your blood pressure and blood sugar checked by professionals or spin the wheel of fortune.
➡️ Awards ceremony, raffle:
• children: at about 10:30 in the start area
• 5 km and 10 km: at about 12:20
• We'll draw the raffle after the awards for the main categories. You must be present in person at the draw. If you don't come forward, we'll draw another lucky winner.
➡️ How to get to the start:
The best way is to come on foot or by public transport. You'll find the best connections at www.imhd.sk. The nearest bus/tram stop is Riviéra.
If you come by car, you can use public car parks in the wider area, for example near shopping centres. We recommend parking under the Lanfranconi bridge (about 1.4 km on foot), although the number of spaces there is limited. Please note that parking may be charged in several places.
Note: The car park in the Water Museum grounds is not open to the public.
VIRTUAL VERSION:
➡️ When can I run my chosen distance?
You can run your 5 km or 10 km (children: the distance for their age) at any time from Thursday 8 January 2026 to Sunday 11 January 2026.
➡️ Rules for adults (5 km and 10 km):
Measure your time and distance with a running watch or a mobile app. Then upload a screenshot or link from the app as proof of your time to the system – using the link in the email.
Your result is the so-called “elapsed time” – the total time from the start of your run to the end, including any breaks you take (ideally run the distance without stopping, or if you need a break on the course, don't stop your watch or app).
➡️ Rules for children:
Children's virtual races are non-competitive. After the run, parents upload the time to the results system. You'll receive the upload link before the date of the Winter Series round. Enter the time in the format hh:mm:ss (e.g. 00:01:52).
There will be no ranking by time in the children's races; children will be listed by bib number or alphabetically. Children can download their certificate next to their name in the results.
➡️ When do I have to upload my result?
Any time after your run, but no later than midnight on Monday. After midnight (Tuesday morning) the system will no longer let you upload a result. Don't leave it until the last minute!
➡️ What should I watch out for?
We count the time from the start of your run to the end. So if you take a break during the run, it will count towards your total time.
You can run your chosen distance anywhere, but the elevation must not be negative overall – you can't run more downhill than uphill.
Treadmill runs are not allowed!
➡️ How will I receive my medal?
We'll send a finisher's medal to every participant who properly records their result in the system (adults and children) at the address given in the registration form.
We're glad you decided to run with us! Enjoy your run!
