JThe 10th Powerade Zúzmara Half Marathon and Running Festival will take place on Sunday, January 18. The event, which starts at the Budakalászi Sports Hall, offers the most exciting outdoor sports experience of the winter: participants can run across Lake Omsk and the Danube bank, crossing one of the most beautiful bridges in the country, the Megyeri Bridge.
THE Budapest Sports Office (BSI) has no rest after last year's record year with more than 150,000 participants, and the momentum of the running community will not be broken in 2026. The starting gun is fired, and BSI immediately drives the adrenaline to the peak with a special winter test of strength. The 10th Powerade Zúzmara Half Marathon and Running Festival has proven over the past decade that running is not a seasonal sport: the snowy landscape, the frost-covered trees and the fresh, cold air create an atmosphere that is worth putting on your running shoes even in winter. This is also confirmed by the registration numbers for the anniversary event, which According to preliminary data, they are 20 percent higher than last year.
The special feature of the race lies in the route management. The renovated location, which was proven before last year, the Omsk Lake and its surroundings provide an ideal environment for the season opener this year as well. Runners run on 99 percent of good quality cycle paths, while they can experience the fascinating encounter of closeness to nature and industrial architecture. After the silence of the Danube-bank section, the run over the Megyeri Bridge gives the event a unique atmosphere.
– There is no fairy tale, this is a real winter challenge. There may be snowfall, there may be minus temperatures, but our experience shows that runners are looking for this special experience. This winter will be the frostiest and snowiest in the 10-year history of the event. After the floodplain forest, running over the Megyeri Bridge over the wonderful winter Danube is a truly unique experience in Hungarian running. – he said Arpad Kocsis, managing director of the Budapest Sports Office.
True to the BSI philosophy, the anniversary festival welcomes everyone, from beginners to professionals:
- The entry level: THE Zúzmara 3.4 km (Start: 9:00) is an ideal choice for families, beginners, or those who would just like to get a taste of the winter racing atmosphere.
- The winter adventure: THE Zúzmara 10 km (Start: 13:45) is a more serious challenge, a perfect transition between short and long distances.
- The classic: THE Zúzmara Half Marathon (Start: 10:00) with a distance of 21.1 kilometers, it is the perfect preparation station for spring marathons.
- For the determined: THE Zúzmara 21+10 km Combined distance (Starts: 10:00 and 13:45) is for those who would like to maximize the experience and collect two medals in one day.
The first big running event of the year and the biggest winter event is moving the entire country: runners from 490 settlements are arriving in Budakalász, and the majority of the field this time consists of participants not from the capital, but from the countryside. Although the most popular distance is still the classic half marathon, many people also took part in the 10-kilometer distance. The activity of women in this race is also outstanding: 49 percent of the total field is female, and they are already in the majority in the shorter distances (10 km and 3.4 km).
Those who cross the finish line will receive a unique finisher's medal, a lasting memento of this frosty but heartwarming day. The organizers will provide energy replenishment at three refreshment stations, so participants only have to focus on the run and the magic of the winter landscape.
