Running in Hungary - All Races 2024 [Running Calendar]

In Hungary, especially its capital Budapest invites with great running events to sporting top performances.

Although Hungary only has a population of around ten million, the country is above average in terms of sporting success. Many decades ago, it was Hungary's soccer players who were responsible for great triumphs, but now it is other sports that dominate.

For example, Hungary won eight gold medals at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. In 2021, 6 Olympic victories were celebrated. The strongest sports included fencing, canoe racing, swimming and also athletics.

The biggest running events in Hungary

Two coveted running events in the fall are the Budapest Half Marathon and the Budapest Marathon. The half marathon is usually held at the beginning of September, and the marathon follows one month later. There are 10,000 individual runners and nearly 2,000 relay teams competing in the half marathon. Athletes from about 80 different countries are registered among the starters, which once again underlines the popularity of the half marathon. The highlights of the course include the Andrassy Alley, the Chain Bridge, the Buda Castle and the Parliament Building.

At least as beautiful as the half marathon is the marathon run a few weeks later. 6,000 runners compete in the marathon. This puts the Budapest Marathon on par with the Vienna City Marathon - Austria's largest marathon. In addition, the event has 1,500 relay teams and several runners in the other running events. In total, almost 30,000 people will register for the Budapest Marathon. The race will start directly from Heroes' Square.

Recommendations in Hungary

The Balaton Supermarathon is very popular among ultra runners. This is a 4-day stage race with a course length of almost 200 kilometers. For trail runners, a trip to Ultra Trail Hungary might also be worthwhile. The longest run is over 100 kilometers long and has more than 4,000 meters of elevation gain.

All Running Races in Hungary (sorted by date) can be found in the following overview: