Prague, Czech Republic · May
Pacing the Prague Marathon
Flat, with cobbled sections
A flat loop through the old city, starting and finishing on Old Town Square, with river embankment stretches that are fast and cobbled sections that are not.
Official site: dates and entry
Dates, ballots and entry rules change every year and are not listed here. Check the official site.
How to pace it
The elevation profile is close to flat, with roughly 50 to 130 metres of total climb depending on whose measurement you use. None of it is steep enough to plan a pace change around.
The cobbles are the real feature. Old Town sections and the Charles Bridge crossings are uneven underfoot, and they cost both rhythm and a little pace. They are also where the footing is worst in the wet.
The embankment stretches along the Vltava are the fastest part of the course, straight and smooth. If you are going to be slightly ahead of target anywhere, this is a more sensible place than the cobbles.
The start on Old Town Square funnels a large field into narrow streets almost immediately, so the first split will be slow and crowded. Treat that as the cost of the course rather than a deficit to chase back, because there is not much room to overtake cleanly until the route reaches the river.
Worth knowing
- Cobbles reward a shorter, quicker stride than you would use on tarmac.
- Wet cobbles are genuinely slippery. Adjust rather than fight for pace.
- May in Prague can be warm by the later stages even when the start is cool.
What the common targets ask for
| Finish | Per km | Per mile |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00:00 | 4:16 | 6:52 |
| 3:30:00 | 4:59 | 8:01 |
| 4:00:00 | 5:41 | 9:09 |
| 4:30:00 | 6:24 | 10:18 |