Text By Alison Hope

Running is great. Not only is it an effective way of keeping fit, staying in shape and coping with stress, it is just so accessible. Unless you take your running seriously, and are striving towards beating your personal best, there is really no need to shell out on specialist running gear; an old t-shirt and a pair of shorts will do the job. The only investment that you need to make is a decent pair of running shoes (and a properly-fitting sports bra for the ladies), and you’re ready to go...

Running is so easy to fit into a busy schedule, whether you choose to set yourself up for the day with an early morning run at sunrise, or prefer to wind down after a hectic day with a gentle jog in the evening, if you are determined to feel the benefits of regular running, you’ll be able to squeeze it into your day one way or another. And if you find yourself away from home on a business trip, don’t worry – simply pack your running shoes, and go exploring. Hotel staff should be able to point you in the direction of safe and scenic routes to explore.

Poland has no shortage of beautiful places to go running - from costal paths along the Baltic coast in the north, to challenging off-road tracks in the mountainous regions of the south, as well as scenic trails along the side of lakes and through forests. Even if you find yourself in a city, you shouldn’t have to look too hard to find an interesting urban route or park where you can enjoy a gentle jog – or something more strenuous – at the same time as exploring new surroundings.

Every year, thousands upon thousands of runners who apply for a place in the world-famous London, Boston and New York marathons fail to secure a place, however if you are determined to take part in a marathon, and test yourself on 26.2 mile (42 km) route, why not sign up for a marathon in Poland? Most major Polish cities host a marathon, or at least a half marathon, and unlike some of the more over-subscribed races in the world, you should be able to secure a place quite easily.

Marcin Piechowicz is an avid long distance runner from Wrocław; he has completed marathons across Poland, as well as in other parts of Europe, including Berlin, Frankfurt and Vienna. He agrees that there is no shortage of races for a runner in search of a marathon. “The running calendar in Poland is really quite rich. You could run a marathon almost every weekend if you wanted to – you could even run three in one week if you wanted to, which is something that I did last year” he says. He also explains that many marathons in Poland are organised and financially by regional governments, rather than solely by sponsors, as in many other countries. This keeps the cost of participating low, and makes taking part accessible to everyone.

Marcin explains that he meets runners from all over the world at marathons and races in Poland “Lots of runners come from all over the world to run marathons and half marathons in Poland. Even at some of the smaller, lesser-known events, you will always find runners from other parts of Europe” he explains. If a limited knowledge of Polish is putting you off signing up, you’ll be relieved to discover that most race websites offer the registration process in English, and information packs are also usually issued in English. “All of the major races provide information in English, and sometimes also German, French, Czech and Russian in order to cater for international participants” advises Marcin.

When asked which marathon he would recommend to a runner coming from outside of Poland, Marcin is quite certain of his favourite. “Wrocław, without a doubt. It is a beautiful city and the organisers make a specially effort to show off its best sides. It is also a good track to run on. I am not being biased because I live there – it really is one of the best marathons in Europe. Toruń is also a good course, and well organised”.

Wherever you decide you run, and whatever time you complete the course, as soon as you’ve collected your medal and posed for photographs at the finish line, you can relax for a couple of days – enjoying massages to help your muscles to recover, and of course rewarding yourself with plenty of tasty Polish cuisine. After all, you’ve earned it!

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