International street run Komárno – Komárom

The Komárno - Komárom International Street Run is a run traditionally held between the Slovak Komárno and Hungarian Komárom between April and May.

International street run Komárno – Komárom
DateApril
LocationSlovakia Komárno, Slovakia Hungary Komárom, Hungary
Event typeRoad
Distance10 km
Established1975 (49 years ago) (1975)

History edit

On March 30, 1945, the Red Army liberated the territory of north Hungary and Slovakia from the towns of Komárno and Komárom, ending World War II. World War II on their territory.

At the end of 1974, based on the idea of three athletes (Dezső Bangha, Gyula Herczeg and István Jóny), a report appeared that the following year, April 4, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the liberation of Hungary and Czechoslovakia, a running competition between Komárno and Komárom was being considered. The ideas were organized by Endre Rubin, President of the Athletics Department of MTK-VM, and the District Committee of the Czechoslovak Association of Physical Education in Komárno, on the Czechoslovak side. The first run took place in 1975. 65 Hungarian and 18 Czechoslovak runners took part in the start of the 8,200-meter-long track at Lenin's Stadium in Komárom.[1]

From the following year, the competition was also included in the calendar of competitions of the European Athletic Association. Starting and finishing stations alternated every year, in the first year the competitors started from the north side and came to the finish line from the south side, while in 1976 they started in Komárom and the race ended in Komárno. This tradition was maintained in the following years. The competition was organized by an international organizing committee set up for this purpose. The committee consisted of the heads of local authorities, sports associations.

In 1977, in addition to Hungarian and Czechoslovak athletes, Romanian, Yugoslav, East German and for the first time ever West German athletes from behind the Iron Curtain also took part.

The 1980 competition was the first to announce a special competition for women at a distance of 4,000 meters. As early as 1982, winners were announced in male adult individuals and teams, in female adults and young people, and in the male youth categories.

Almost a thousand runners have already been registered for the tenth anniversary of 1984. Although the magic line was not exceeded in the following year, from 1986 until the regime change, more than a thousand starters came to the starting line every year.

 
Engraved names of the winners in front of the sports hall in Komárno.

After the change of regime, the idea of liberation by the Red Army was abandoned, but the run continued during the Komárno Days, this time officially on the occasion of the revolutionary battles for the Komárno fortress in 1849. Participation is smaller and without major athletes.[2]

Track edit

The running track is flat and leads over the bridge of the border river Danube, between Komárno (Slovakia) and Komárom (Hungary). The start and finish vary between Hungary and Slovakia. The length of the track is approximately 10 km.[3]

List of winners[4][5][6][7] edit

Men Women
1975   Peter Sucháň (TCH)
1976   Jozef Machálek (TCH)
1977   András Pancsal (HUN)
1978   Andrea Sajkowski (POL)
1979   László Kispál (HUN)
1980   Valerij Sopon (SOV)
1981   Peter Jörg (GDR)
1982   Hugh Jones (GBR)
1983   Ľubomír Tesáček (TCH)
1984   Hugh Jones (GBR)
1985   Zoltán Kadlót (HUN)
1986   Martin Vábel (TCH)
1987   Ivan Uvizl (TCH)
1988   Zoltán Kadlót (HUN)
1989   Ľubomír Tesáček (TCH)
1990   Imre Benkovics (HUN)
1991   Imre Benkovics (HUN)
1992   Tamás Janovecz (HUN)
1993   Béla Vágó (HUN)
1994   Robert Štefko (SVK)
1995   Miroslav Vanko (SVK)
1996   Tibor Molnár (HUN)
1997   Sergiu Dascal (ROU)
1998   János Szemán (HUN)
1999   Imre Benkovics (HUN)
2000   Imre Benkovics (HUN)
2001   Zsolt Antal Stepán (HUN)
2002   Zsolt Benedek (HUN)
2003   Mircea Florin Bognánl (ROU)
2004   Norbert Kőműves (HUN)
2005   Imrich Magyar (SVK)
2006   Imrich Magyar (SVK)
2007   Gabriel Švajda (SVK)
2008   Attila Emmer (HUN)
2009   Gabriel Švajda (SVK)
2010   Gabriel Švajda (SVK)
2011   Zsigmend Doni (HUN)
2012   Gabriel Mácso (SVK)
2013   Gabriel Švajda (SVK)
2014   Dávid Balázsi (HUN)
2015   Gabriel Švajda (SVK)
2016   Tommi Hytönen (HUN)   Dorottya Varga (HUN)
2017   László Gregor (HUN)   Zita Kácser (HUN)
2018   Rop Abel Kibet (KEN)   Hellen Jepkosgei Kimatai (KEN)
2019   Evans Kipngetich Tanui (KEN)   Jane Ngima Mbogo (KEN)
2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19
2021 Cancelled due to COVID-19
2022   Gergő Szarka (SVK)   Zita File (HUN)
2023   Albert Kipkorir Tonui (KEN)   Zita File (HUN)

References edit

  1. ^ "Futás egy országon át - A Komárom - Komárno futóversenyek története". Jókai Mór Városi Könyvtár Komárom (in Hungarian). 2020-09-07. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  2. ^ "Bridgestone 44. Medzinárodný pouličný beh Komárno – Komárom". Ahoj Komárno (in Slovak). 2018-03-23. Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  3. ^ "Medzinárodný pouličný beh Komárom – Komárno". beh.sk.
  4. ^ "Versenyek" (in Hungarian). DarkTiming.
  5. ^ "Medzinárodný pouličný beh Komárom - Komárno". Beh.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 2021-08-25.
  6. ^ Brankom (2021-08-08), Slovenčina: Tabuľa s vyrytými menami víťazov behu Komárno Komárom pred športovou halou Komárne., retrieved 2021-08-25
  7. ^ "45. Medzinárodný pouličný beh Komárno - Komárom - Štartovacia čiara - Termínovka". Štartovacia čiara (in Slovak). Retrieved 2021-09-19.