The start lists are closed and filled to the last spot. The organizers planned for 10,000 people to take part in this year’s Gdynia race, and that limit has now been reached.
This is an absolute attendance record for the event. Never before have so many runners taken part in the Gdynia Half Marathon. The ambitious plan for 10,000 people to start in this year’s PKO Gdynia Half Marathon was announced from the beginning as one of the ways to celebrate the city’s 100th anniversary. The race was included on the list of official events marking the jubilee.
For us, this is an honour and a source of pride, but also a great satisfaction that the organizers of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of Gdynia being granted city rights decided to include the half marathon among the events marking this anniversary. For residents and sports guests taking part in these celebrations, it is a great way to celebrate together and in the spirit of fair play competition.
Michał Drelich, Director of the PKO Gdynia Half Marathon
The oldest registered participant of the PKO Gdynia Half Marathon is 79 years old, and more than 30 percent of the runners are women. One third of the registered runners are residents of the Tricity area, while the others are visitors from other parts of Poland and from abroad. The largest groups of international runners will represent Ukraine, Germany, Belarus, and the United Kingdom.
Without a doubt, one of the biggest attractions drawing people to this year’s PKO Gdynia Half Marathon is the unique medal that every finisher will receive. It weighs 300 grams, which makes a huge impression when compared with the average weight of medals at Polish races, usually around 100 to 130 grams. The medal has a diameter of 10 centimetres, which is 30 to 40 percent more than most running medals. Its thickness, measuring 9 millimetres, also adds a lot to its solid form. On the edges, there is an engraved inscription, City of the Sea and Dreams, along with the dates 1926–2026, referring to Gdynia’s 100th “birthday.”
On the start lists, among thousands of running fans, there were also true stars of athletics. The leading Polish long-distance runners, Aleksandra Lisowska and Izabela Paszkiewicz, have announced their participation in the race. Adam Nowicki and Mateusz Kaczor are also preparing to compete. They have already announced that they plan to attack the Polish record.
The main goal is to win, and we will see what result will be needed for that. Of course, one of my goals is to hold Polish records at as many distances as possible, including the half marathon. I believe my preparation is going very well, and I feel that I can achieve a lot. I prepare for every race at 100 percent, no matter if I am fighting for a personal best, a Polish record, or a win. The pressure is always similar for me, because before every race I set very high expectations for myself and expect the maximum from myself.
Aleksandra Lisowska, Poland representative and 2022 European Marathon Champion
The runners will not compete only for the Polish record. This year, the PKO Gdynia Half Marathon will also host the 35th Polish Athletics Championships. The Polish Athletic Association will award medals in Gdynia not only to the fastest professional athletes, but for the first time in history also to the best amateur runners in individual age categories. All this will take place in an evening setting, with the finish line located in the middle of Gdynia City Beach.
I am convinced that the PKO Gdynia Half Marathon, held as the Polish Championships, is yet another excellent reason to stand on the start line of this unique event. The setting of this race gives it a truly special atmosphere, and running with a view of the Bay of Gdańsk is a dream come true for many people.
Marek Plawgo, Vice President of the Polish Athletic Association
The race setting is indeed expected to make a special impression. The finish line will be built on the City Beach, right next to the Baltic shoreline. This is a reference to the now legendary course, with the final straight along the Seaside Boulevard and a finish on the sand.
Runners do not need to worry, though. Special boards will be placed on the beach, and carpet will be laid on top of them. The unique atmosphere will be created by lights, music, the announcer, and the best spectators in the world. In fact, the spectators will not be only at the finish line. Special cheering points will be set up along the whole course.
Maciej Stroiński, Press Spokesman of the PKO Gdynia Half Marathon
The first attraction will be waiting for the runners shortly after the start. Fire trucks will be placed on Władysława IV Street, flashing blue lights, and maybe even, if needed, cooling the runners with water from a hose. A few kilometres later, a group of drummers will help keep a good running rhythm.
The drumming rhythms will still be in the runners’ ears when they reach the turnaround point on Janka Wiśniewskiego Street. There, a DJ will be playing music. Two more DJs will add energy with their music on Sportowa and Stryjska streets. An amazing attraction that cannot be missed will be on Jana z Kolna Street. It will be an LED show that, after dark, will hypnotise with a wave of colours. Whoever reaches the 15th kilometre will meet dancing girls, a cheerleader group. They know better than anyone how to cheer people on.
It is worth keeping on running to feel the swinging atmosphere created by a saxophonist and DJ duo. A real surprise has been planned between the 19th and 20th kilometre. It will be an orchestra that is already practising a repertoire full of energy. The last few hundred metres will be pure fire, both literally and figuratively. First, a rapper with rhymes about sport and Gdynia, then a fire show, a spectacular performance by three artists with dynamic choreography and pyrotechnic effects, creating a wow effect and a perfect introduction to the strong finale of the event at the finish line. There, every finisher will be welcomed by a laser show.
The organizers say there will be no shortage of attractions along the route of this year’s PKO Gdynia Half Marathon. There will be, among other things, an IRONMAN Poland zone, where people will not only be able to cheer for the runners, but also get a bit tired themselves.
