Month: April 2026

Poznan half-marathon

2026 is officially the year of the record-breaker. Following massive turnouts at the Warsaw Half Marathon  and the Grenke Chess Open , Poznań kept the momentum alive. The 18th edition of the Poznań Half Marathon set its own milestone with a record 13,500 participants finishing the race. 

If you’re hunting for speed in Poland, Poznań is a top contender. Compared to Warsaw, the route is flatter and built for pace. The local support was great, with many spectators, providing even more “cheer power” than I experienced in the capital.

The Highlights:

  • The Stadium Loop: A major highlight occurs at kilometer 16, where the course takes you directly inside the ENEA Stadium. It’s an incredible atmosphere that gives you a huge mental boost for the final 5 km push.
  • Logistics: The organization was top-tier, featuring pacers at 5-minute intervals, free public transport for runners, instant SMS results and enough hydration points on the route
  • The Weather: We had near-perfect running conditions, with temperatures holding steady between 12-14°C during the race. 

My Race: 1:53:33 (Top 40%)

At the start. Good luck overtaking people in such crowd!

The scale of the record crowd brought one major challenge: early congestion. It took me 18 minutes just to reach the start line from the 1:50-1:59 block. Despite starting in the “right” place between the 1:50 and 1:55 pacers, the first 4km were a battle for space, making it very difficult to overtake.

During race, all is good. As you can see space was a problem only at the beginning

I found my rhythm as the crowds thinned. I hit 10km in 54:34 and reached the stadium at 15km in 1:21:26. While I was about 3 seconds slower than my recent time in Warsaw, I finished strong, running the final 1.1km at a sub-5:00/km pace. I crossed the line in 1:53:33, placing in the top 40% of the field.

Enjoying the run inside Lech Poznan’s stadium!

My friend Bogdan also put in a gutsy performance. Despite a lingering injury forcing him to dial back in the second half, he clocked a solid 1:47:02. Once he’s fully recovered, he’ll be back to his 1:40 form in no time.

As usual many thanks to Stefan Oprina, our coach who is helping us obtaining better results!

From 1:59 to 1:53: The Injury “Blessing”

I’ve been asked how I dropped from a 1:59+ last year to a 1:53 today. Ironically, it started with a sprained ankle in December. My orthopedist, a fellow runner, limited me to 4km treadmill sessions followed by 10 minutes of cycling.

I stuck with the bike routine even after I healed, eventually increasing it to 20 minutes after every run. That extra aerobic base, combined with the Nike Vaporfly 4, made a massive difference in my endurance. It goes to show that sometimes a hardship can lead to a breakthrough in your training.

A strong finish in Poznan

Final Verdict

I highly recommend the PKO Poznań Half Marathon. It’s flat, fast, and the atmosphere is electric. Just be ready for a crowded start and make sure to enjoy that stadium loop at km 16!

Inside the World’s Largest Open Chess Tournament

The GRENKE Chess Festival is easily my favorite event on the calendar, and returning for my third time this year only confirms it. With 3,658 participants in 2026, it has solidified its spot as the world’s largest open tournament. Beyond the scale, what keeps me coming back is the impeccable organization and a vibe you simply won’t find anywhere else.

Comparing this to the 2024 edition, a few changes stood out. I stayed at Motel One through an organizer-provided discount, which was a great call the hotel is just a three-minute walk from the playing hall. I was also pleased to see the introduction was done in both German and English this year, one of my past suggestions to the organizers! Another suggestion is receiving pairings via WhatsApp/SMS, maybe from another edition.

The festival now features six different tournaments: three classical and three Freestyle Chess (Chess960). In Freestyle, pieces on the back rank are randomized, making it impossible to rely on opening preparation. The organizers are pushing this format hard, and the prizes for Freestyle are significantly higher. Each category is based on rating: A for 2000+ Elo, B for under 2000, and C for under 1600. I played in the Classical B Open, which was massive, over 1,500 people in my section alone!

The schedule was grueling: two rounds a day (at 10 AM and 4 PM) with a 90-minute + 30-second increment time control. That’s eight hours of chess a day! I started with a bang, winning my first three games, especially impressive since my second and third opponents were over 100 Elo points stronger than me. However, the intensity caught up in rounds 4 and 5, where I lost to two 1900+ players. I was winning round 5 until a late-game blunder cost me the point. I finished with a solid 4.5/9, and considering 8 of my 9 opponents were rated at least 100 points above me, I was thrilled to gain 15 Elo points.

With a performance rating of 1863, this was my best result since the pandemic. But more importantly, it was a much-needed break. For five days, the rest of the world disappeared, and it was just me and the board.

One funny highlight: the Schwarzwaldhalle venue borders the Karlsruhe Zoo. At one point, people visiting the zoo went from watching animals in cages to peering through the windows at a huge hall where 2,500 people were locked in deep thought over chessboards!