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Marathon registration is due to open soon, with the ninth edition of the event expected to attract a record number of participants. The entry fee for marathon runners who will take to the streets of Łódź on April 7th 2019 is only PLN 79 if paid by November 30th 2018.

DOZ Łódź Marathon 2019 will see some important organisational changes. There will be no half marathon, while Saturday’s 5K run will be replaced by Sunday’s 10K run, to be held parallel to the marathon. As in the previous run, the marathon distance can also be covered in segments by six-person Ekiden relay teams. Traditionally, on the Saturday before the DOZ Łódź Marathon and the 10K run, the Kids Run competition for children and teenagers will be held. As in prior years, the programme of the event will include the Expo fair and a family health picnic.

Changes in the running format is not the only novelty.

The execution of the event has been entrusted to people associated with the Łódź sports community, who have been successfully staging similar events for years, including the Piotrkowska Street Run and the Three Kings Run.

“We are glad that we have been recognised for our work and will now be responsible for the creation and building the image of DOZ Łódź Marathon. We have one single goal for the coming year – to increase attendance,” says Jacek Chmiel, the new director of the event.

“It is a great challenge for us to organise such a large event. We are confident we can persuade more runners to participate and that the proposed format of the event will meet their expectations,” added Robert Blesiński, responsible for PR and promotion of the 9th DOZ Łódź Marathon.

Work on the route of the marathon is under way. The organisers will make sure that it is again fast and attractive for runners. The participants running the distance of 42.195 km (individually and in relay teams) will hit the streets of Łódź on April 7th 2019, at 9am sharp, together with the 10K runners. The finishing line for all of them will be in Atlas Arena.

The organisers encourage participants to take part in joint training sessions to prepare for the April event. The training will be held twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, free of charge at Park na Zdrowiu. The first training session, scheduled for November 28th at 9am, will be coached by Joanna Chmiel, a long-distance running specialist, former Polish champion and winner of marathons in Las Vegas in 1998 and 2000. Participants will be divided into three groups – beginners, intermediates, and advanced runners.

All those who want to prepare for the DOZ Łódź Marathon in April are also invited to take part in the DOZ Łódź Marathon Cup, a series of five monthly running events with distances ranging from 5 km to 25 km to be held after two years’ break. The races will be located in Arturówek and the Łagiewnicki Forest. Points will be awarded after each run. At the end of the series, those who win the most points will receive commemorative cups.

The DOZ Łódź Marathon Cup calendar:

5K run – November 18th 2018

10K run – December 16th 2018

15K run – January 20th 2019

20K run – February 17th 2019

25K run – March 17th 2019

Seeking to attract more participants, the organisers of the 9th DOZ Łódź Marathon decided to increase the number of theme categories (uniformed professions, lawyers, teachers, doctors, spouses) to run the marathon. The winners in each category will receive commemorative cups.

“It is one of our ideas for improving attendance. We have used this format in other running events we organise and we can see that it has brought a positive effect,” explains Jacek Chmiel, Director of the DOZ Łódź Marathon.

The slogan of the 9th DOZ Łódź Marathon is “The POWER of running.” On the route, participants will be powered by over 50 cheer points (school, company and music cheer points) responsible for a loud and attractive setting and lively support.

As always, a highlight of the event will be the ‘I Run – I Help’ charity initiative as part of which all participants of the DOZ Łódź Marathon will be able to make voluntary donations already at entry registration. All money contributed by runners will be applied to fund the construction of an exercise zone for older adults in front of the Active and Healthy Senior Centre at ul. Szpitalna 6 in Łódź. As in prior years, the ‘I Run – I Help’ project is held under the patronage of the DOZ I Care for My Health Foundation, whose mission is to help seniors stay healthy and physically active.

Other attractions for participants of the DOZ Łódź Marathon will be announced by the end of this year. Discounts on hotels, special offers in Łódź restaurants, free public transport or free entrance to museums are the incentives designed to encourage runners planning their races for next year. Low entry fees are another incentive.

DOZ Łódź Marathon (marathon distance) entry fees

Deadline 1 – payments made by November 30th 2018: PLN 79

Deadline 2 – payments made between December 1st and December 31st 2018: PLN 89

Deadline 3 – payments made between January 1st and February 28th 2019: PLN 100

Deadline 4 – payments made between March 1st and April 1st 2019: PLN 120

Deadline 5 – payments made on April 5th and April 6th 2019 at the marathon office: PLN 150.

For the ninth time in a row the title sponsor of the DOZ Łódź Marathon is DOZ S.A.

“We have been involved with DOZ Łódź Marathon since its inception confident that the event has huge growth potential and can compete with other large running events in Poland and abroad. We are glad that the event is constantly expanding and gaining more fans. DOZ Łódź Marathon fits perfectly with DOZ S.A.’s mission of caring for people’s health. With the marathon and accompanying events we promote health and encourage people to be physically active and live a healthy life,” emphasises Maciej Słomiński, marketing director at DOZ S.A.

DOZ Łódź Marathon has again received support from the Host City of Łódź. The involvement of local authorities is not limited to financial assistance but it extends to helping with the preparation of the route, organising the event and providing security measures.

Media enquiries:

Robert Blesiński

@: rblesinski@blersport.nazwa.pl