Dear running friends,
this Saturday, 7 March, the winners of the 2026 ČSOB Winter Series will be decided!
We're dedicating the final round to International Women's Day, so once again this year, together with our event partner BILLA Slovakia, we've prepared a nice surprise at the finish for the fairer part of the field (no offence, gentlemen 😉).
🔆 The weather is on our side! The forecast promises a sunny day with ideal running conditions – don't forget to smile for the photographers! 📸☀️
We recommend lighter clothing or fewer layers. According to the current forecast it will be about 12 °C at the start, and it may feel even warmer in the sun. 🏃♂️
🎁 A raffle to finish! After the 5 km and 10 km awards, we'll draw lucky winners who will take home great prizes from our event partners – for example a Renault Clio for a week from Renault Slovakia, a Garmin Forerunner 570 from Garmin Slovakia or a romantic dinner for two at the U Taliana restaurant.
The winners will be drawn from participants in the main disciplines, so it's definitely worth staying until the end! 😊
We're looking forward to seeing you! 🏃♀️🏅
Organisational information for Saturday's event:
➡️ Race venue: Eurovea (shopping centre), Pribinova street
➡️ Event programme – Saturday 7 March 2026:
• 08:00 – 10:00 – registration and participant check-in (under the food court at the end of Eurovea 2)
• 09:45 – children's warm-up before the start (riverside by the M. R. Štefánik statue)
• 10:00 – changing rooms and bag storage open
• 10:00 – start of the BILLA children's races (A – B – C)
• 10:30 – BILLA children's races awards ceremony
• 10:55 – lining up in the corridors – pre-start information (the race starts in 3 waves)
• 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 – prize raffle
➡️ Start times:
• children's races from 10:00
• 10 km from 11:00
• 5 km from 11:10
➡️ Check-in (bib pick-up):
• Eurovea 2, inside the shopping centre on the ground floor (0) – at the entrance near the skyscraper
• Friday from 12:00 to 19:00
• Saturday from 08:00 to 10:00
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.
➡️ 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 under the M. R. Štefánik statue by the riverside. Children will run along the promenade towards the Old Bridge, turn and run back to the finish.
Maps for the 5 km and 10 km are published at www.bratislavamarathon.sk under “Race day – Venue map”.
➡️ Changing rooms and bag storage: Changing rooms will be inside Eurovea 2 (at the opposite end of the building from check-in), next to Decathlon, roughly opposite McDonald's. They open on Saturday at 10:00.
Bag storage will be available from 10:00 at the registration point at the end of Eurovea 2.
➡️ Refreshments on the course and at the finish: 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, water and a Cool drink. Children will get water, an apple and a sweet treat from BILLA Slovakia at the finish.
➡️ 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 the latest products from its range. On Friday, don't forget to 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. This time skin-care specialists will also be on hand to give advice.
➡️ Awards ceremony:
• children: after the children's races, at about 10:30
• 5 km and 10 km: at about 12:20
➡️ Raffle: 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:
• Bus: 29, 50, 70, 90 (Malá scéna or Nové SND stop)
• Tram: 3 (Šafárikovo námestie stop)
• Trolleybus: 40 (Nové SND stop) – runs from the main railway station if you arrive by train.
Parking is available at Eurovea (the first 5 hours are free at weekends). Please note that the number of parking spaces is limited. You can also park in the surrounding streets.
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 5 March 2026 to Sunday 8 March 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 you'll receive from the Haku registration system.
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!
