Rome-Ostia half-marathon

For those passionate about running, Rome hosts two major half-marathons each year. The first is the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon, held at the beginning of March, and the second is the Wizz Air Rome Half Marathon, which takes place in October. These races offer distinct experiences: Rome-Ostia takes runners from the city to the sea along a highway, while the Wizz Air Rome route winds through the city’s iconic tourist attractions.

This year marked the 50th edition of the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon. The race was first organized in 1974 by a group of young Romans with a passion for exploring the sea. Over the years, it has grown into a major international running event, attracting around 12,000 participants, with 38% being international runners in 2025.

Over five decades, the average age of participants has increased from 30 to 50 years, reflecting a shift in society’s approach to running and fitness. Notably, the first edition had only six female runners, whereas today, one in three participants is a woman—a remarkable sign of progress in gender participation.

At the start of Roma-Ostia Half Marathon

Rome-Ostia is a race I truly enjoyed. The wide streets ensure a smooth run, with no pedestrians crossing your path. After an initial section with a few turns, the rest of the race follows a straight-line route toward the sea. The finish line, set against the backdrop of the coast, is spectacular. The race is well-organized, with plenty of volunteers and excellent medical assistance. It’s clear that the organizers have perfected the event over the years.

If you’re planning to run the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon in the future, here are a few key things to keep in mind:

Baggage drop-off: You must leave your bag before 7:45 AM so it can be transported to the finish line in Ostia. Some runners missed this deadline and had to run with their backpacks.
Course conditions: The entire race is on asphalt, with two key climbs—one at km 6 and a longer incline between km 10 and 12. Be sure to conserve energy for the second climb.
Water stations: There are only three hydration points, so make sure to use them wisely.
Return to Rome: After the race, you can take a bus or train back to Rome, but expect long queues. If you’re in a hurry, consider taking a taxi instead.

My race was almost in jeopardy due to a pulled hamstring injury I sustained in January while training on a treadmill. My recovery attempts weren’t successful until I started physiotherapy, which finally helped me get back on track. To protect my leg, I ran cautiously at 6’30” per km at the start. However, in the second half, I picked up the pace so my teammates wouldn’t have to wait too long for me. In the end, I finished in 2:11:29, far better than my 2:25 pre-race estimate.

This year, four of us from “Trupa lui Fane” participated in the race: Lucian, Andrei, Bogdan, and myself. Andrei and Lucian are serious runners with good performances. With a time of 1:16:44 Andrei was in top 100 of 10500 finishers. Lucian also had a good race finishing in 1:23:11. Bogdan started fast but struggled on the hills, finishing in 1:46:46, a solid result, especially at the start of the racing season. He has time to improve in upcoming events.

One of the best parts of Rome-Ostia is its breathtaking seaside finish. Crossing the line under the spring sun, with waves crashing nearby, is an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a scenic, well-organized, and historic event. Here’s to many more anniversaries of the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon!

PS. History section. The Rome Ostia half-marathon finishes just two kilometers south of the place where the legendary poet and film director Pier Paolo Pasolini was killed 50 years ago. His voice, bold and unyielding, stood against the tide of extremism – until extremism took his life. In today’s world, where radicalism and division rise once more, his story is one we cannot afford to forget.

A song by Fabrizio de Andre dedicated to Pier Paolo Pasolini

Short history of half-marathons

When registering for the 50th edition of the Roma-Ostia Half-Marathon, I became curious about the history of this race distance. I had always assumed the half-marathon was a more recent creation, but I wanted to learn more.

To understand the history of the half-marathon, we must first explore the origins of its full-distance counterpart: the marathon. The marathon’s roots trace back to the famous legend of Pheidippides, a Greek messenger who reportedly ran around 40 kilometers from Marathon to Athens to deliver news of a military victory. Legend says he collapsed and died from exhaustion after delivering his message.

Interestingly, there were no marathons or long-distance races exceeding 5 kilometers in the ancient Olympic Games. The marathon as we know it today began with the inaugural modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. That first race was in fact from Marathon to Athens as in the legend. For the first editions of the Olympiad, the marathon distance varied between 39-42 kilometers. The first Olympic marathons were races full of challenges, with the 1904 St. Louis Marathon being the probably the most strange running race of all times.

Spectators at Olympic Stadium in Athens waiting for the winner of the first Olympic Marathon

The marathon distance of 42,195 meters (26.2 miles) was officially established during the 1908 London Olympic Games. The race was originally planned to be 26 miles long, but at the request of Queen Alexandra, the starting point was moved to Windsor Castle’s lawn so the royal children could watch the start from the nursery. This adjustment added 352 meters, creating the now-standard distance.

London Olympic Marathon 1908 – the first race of 42195 meters

As the marathon gained popularity, races began appearing outside the Olympics. The Boston Marathon, for instance, was first held in 1897, inspired by the Athens Olympics. In the UK, the Polytechnic Marathon was established to train athletes for the Games, while in the continental Europe, the Kosice Peace Marathon, which began in 1924, is the oldest continuously running marathon on the continent.

While the marathon’s history is well-documented, the half-marathon’s origins are more ambiguous. The longest distance ran inside stadium at official competitions was 10 kilometers. There was a big gap between 10k and marathon and this is how appeared the need for an intermediary distance. Why they chose half-marathon instead of 20 kilometers or 15 miles? Because the marathon distance was standardized by mid of last century and meant the same thing everywhere in the world.

Wikipedia mentions as the first race the Route du Vin Half Marathon which started in 1961. But they also say that it was not the exact 21097 meters (13.1 miles) until 1990s. Given this situation other sources mentions the Freckleton half-marathon as the the first race to match this exact distance in 1965. There are also other events that claim to be the first half-marathon. For sure the first half was run in the 1960s. Regardless, the half-marathon emerged roughly 70 years after the marathon.

One reason for this unclear history is that the half-marathon remained relatively unpopular until it became part of the World Athletics Road Running Championships in 1992. This addition helped elevate its profile, making any half-marathon with more than 50 editions, like the Roma-Ostia, a truly special event.

The popularity of the half-marathon has skyrocketed in recent years. In 2019, more than 2 million participants ran half-marathons globally, double the number of marathon runners. Many major half-marathons now sell out months in advance, reflecting their appeal to both seasoned runners and beginners alike.

Social media and the internet have undoubtedly played a significant role in this surge. Seeing friends share their running experiences online has inspired others to try it themselves, discovering that long-distance running is achievable with consistent effort. The half-marathon, in particular, strikes a perfect balance, challenging yet accessible, making it the ideal entry point for many aspiring runners.

Half-marathon has a history of only around 60 years but the best times of this race are still ahead. You can contribute to this history too!

Athens Olympic Stadium where history of long distance races begins – and I was in Arcadia

Milano 21 half-marathon

Running becomes increasing popular in Europe. Milano has two important half-marathons, Stramilano in March and Milano21 in November. Both are flat, fast courses and are considered among the best routes in Italy. This year, Milano21 saw over 6,000 finishers, a 33% increase compared to the previous edition.

For years, Italy wasn’t a top destination for foreign runners due to a law requiring all participants in long-distance races to present a medical certificate. This rule was introduced after studies showed that improperly trained runners had a higher risk of heart attacks during long-distance events. However, since last year, foreign runners are no longer required to provide a medical certificate. Unfortunately, they aren’t included in the official rankings, which seems unfair, given they run under the same conditions as everyone else.

The race organization was solid, offering everything needed for a good half-marathon experience. However, the atmosphere was quite relaxed, with relatively few spectators lining the streets. On race day, temperatures ranged between 3°C and 5°C, cold but manageable for running.

Galeria Vittorio Emanuele, Dom of Milan, Szorza Castle are on the route of Milano 21

The Milano21 route showcases some of Milan’s most iconic landmarks, including Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Duomo, and Sforza Castle. While the course design highlights the city’s attractions, about three kilometers are on cobblestones, which can be challenging, especially if wet. Personally, I prefer running on flat asphalt rather than uneven cobblestones. If you want to visit the attractions you have time to do that before of after the race.

The race’s start and finish were conveniently located near a shopping mall, allowing runners to store their belongings securely. My colleague Bobo and I stayed at a hotel just one kilometer from the starting line, making it easy to arrive on time. Although the November morning was colder than expected, we had ample space and time to warm up.

I started the race too fast, keeping pace with the 1:55 pacers for the first five kilometers. My optimism got the better of me, and I paid the price in the second half of the race. This time, I experimented with a new strategy, using three Maurten gels at kilometers 6, 12, and 18, and drinking water at kilometers 5 and 10. While the gels helped reduce discomfort, they weren’t miracle workers. Towards the end, I slowed down and finished in 2:04:30.

The race itself was quite fast; I finished around 5000th out of 6000 runners. As mentioned earlier, I wasn’t included in the official rankings, but the organizers provided a list of all finishers’ times, so you can calculate your position if you’re curious. Although my time wasn’t exceptional, I was relieved to complete the race without any health issues. This autumn, I discovered I have lactose intolerance and took steps to avoid complications during the race, which paid off.

My colleague Bobo had an excellent performance after setting a personal best in Valencia. He completed the race in 1:44:15, a great result for him. A funny moment occurred during the race when a tram turned onto the course, and the police briefly stopped runners to let it pass. Similarly, a police car crossed paths with the runners, adding an unexpected twist to the race!

Milano21 was my final race of 2024, marking a personal milestone of completing six half-marathons in one year. From an organizational perspective, if you’re considering running a European race, here’s my ranking from best to worst: Valencia, Cardiff, Milan, Lisbon, Helsinki, and Prague. Keep in mind that the growing popularity of these events means you need to register months in advance. Even Milano21 was sold out before race day.

For now I am back to running on the treadmill until spring when I’ll run in Rome and Berlin. Traveling for races is such a rewarding experience, it not only boosts physical fitness but also significantly improves mental well-being. Running and visiting Milano was fun!

Valencia half-marathon

This year edition of Valencia half-marathon was a real success. It was a perfect organization, the best from all the races I ever ran. During the race a new world record was established by Yomif Kejelcha from Ethiopia with 57:30. The weather and environment were perfect for running.

There are countless positive aspects to highlight about this event. I recommend that every major marathon organizer send a representative to run in Valencia and take notes. For runners, the course is flat with ample space for warm-ups, and it never felt overcrowded. Organizers provided water in bottles, gels, and isotonic drinks along the route. If you’re aiming for a personal best, Valencia is the place to be, the true city of running.

I traveled from Bucharest to Valencia with my colleague Bobo, and we stayed in a hotel conveniently located near the start and finish lines. We warmed up before the race began and started together.

My race was going well until the 15-kilometer mark. I clocked 10 km in 55:40 and 15 km in 1:23:17, maintaining a pace of 5:33/km. For context, I passed 15 km in Cardiff in 1:25:56. Unfortunately, I experienced stomach issues that slowed me down significantly, forcing me to walk the last kilometer, which took me a frustrating 10 minutes. My official finish time was 2:07:47- not ideal, but I persevered, received my medal, and added another super half-marathon to my list.
Over 24,000 participants finished the race, and the support along the route was phenomenal. I had heard before the event that they were aiming to break the world record and bring it back to Valencia, and I could feel the positive energy during the race. Light rain helped keep us cool as we ran.
Bobo had an outstanding race, running a negative split and gradually increasing his pace. He achieved his personal best of 1:42:05. Congratulations to him on a fantastic performance!

Bobo achieved a personal best in Valencia

Bobo’s achievement wasn’t a surprise; he dedicated a lot of time to training this year. I logged 1,200 km, while he ran a third more and incorporated various exercises. In running, results stem from hard work. There’s no substitute for proper training.

My T-shirt for this race was from “Trupa lui Fane”, a gift from Stefan just before leaving Bucharest. Runners from Trupa lui Fane have recently excelled, with four finishing under three hours at the Bucharest Marathon and winning multiple medals at the Balkan Championships. Bobo’s progress is another testament to the effectiveness of Stefan’s coaching. I also want to thank Stefan for training me remotely in the last years!

Valencia half-marathon is part of Superhalfs. You need to finish all six half-marathons to get the special medal. This was my 5th race with only Berlin left to finish the circuit. In Valencia the first Romanian to ever finish Superhalfs was Cosmin Gabinat. We congratulate him for this achievement! Here you can find a list with all Romanians participating in Superhalfs , 111 people registered at the end of 2024. Given the statistics, the next Romanians to finish Superhalfs circuit will be in Berlin.

Despite my challenges and results, I had an amazing time in Valencia and highly recommend this race to anyone looking to achieve great results!

Cardiff half-marathon

Cardiff half-marathon is part of Superhalfs which makes it one of the most attractive races in England. Initially my thought was to run there because it’s one of the 6 half-marathons you need to finish to complete the Superhalfs series. I didn’t know much about Cardiff or the race before going there; hence, this half marathon was a pleasant surprise for me.

By the time I wanted to register for the event in Cardiff, the registration was already closed. Generally, such races sell out more than six months before the event date, so you need to plan your participation well ahead of time. For example, by October 10, 2024, the Cardiff Half Marathon for 2025 was sold out. According to the organizers, all spots were sold within 12 hours of the registration opening.

If you are late and still want to run there, you can get help from a sports travel agency. Such agencies guarantee your participation and accommodation for a fee. They may also organize training sessions and a pasta party for their clients. This time, I went with Interair, a German sports travel agency, and I was happy with their services; everything was great.

On October 6th, it was a good time to run in Cardiff, with temperatures around 12 degrees Celsius and light drizzle at the start. There was enough space to warm up before the race. The runners were organized in waves, as is normal for a half marathon with 28,000 participants.

The start is at Cardiff Castle, and the route winds through the city, including the bay area, before returning to the center and the castle. The first part of the race is either descending or flat; from kilometer 15, it starts to ascend, with some hills around kilometer 18, and towards the end, there is a significant difference in altitude.

I started with a pace of around 5:40 per kilometer and maintained that until kilometer 10 when the two-hour pacers went ahead of me. I made an effort to keep them in sight for as long as I could. By the 18th kilometer, I was confident that I could finish in under two hours. Then the small hills came, and I thought there was no way I would finish in less than two hours. Fortunately, with a final burst of energy, I finished in 1:59:58!

During the race, I used two GU gels and drank water twice, at kilometers 10 and 15. Water stations were available every 5 kilometers and also at kilometer 18.

One must remember that in England, races are marked in miles—13.1 miles as opposed to 21.1 kilometers in the rest of Europe. In this context, it’s useful to have an accurate GPS watch or to keep pace with the pacers if achieving a specific time is important to you.

As you can see, I’ve run many races in Europe, and I have never seen so many supporters encouraging runners as I did in Cardiff. The respect for runners is high in the UK compared to elsewhere. There were thousands of people spread over the half marathon distance, showing support for the runners. This can significantly boost one’s motivation to finish the race. I believe this played an important role in my success in finishing under two hours for the first time this year.

The other pleasant surprise was the city of Cardiff. The capital of Wales has a beautiful, typical British castle worth visiting. You can explore the bay area, the old market, and the city center. There is a village museum outside the city and a cathedral, but I did not have time to see them. There are nice restaurants and many people partying during the weekend.

The weekend after Cardiff, I traveled to Bucharest to watch the Bucharest Marathon and encourage my colleagues from “Trupa Lui Fane”. They achieved great results, with four of them finishing the marathon in less than three hours! That reflects a lot of hard work and training. There were also good results in the 10K, half marathon, and relay races. Many thanks to our coach, Stefan Oprina, who has been training me remotely for the last four years!

With colleagues and coach after their race in Bucharest

Cardiff was a great experience, and I encourage you to try it; it will be fun!

Chess – now and then

This post is split into two parts. The first part talks about my chess activity, and the second part is about the world of chess on the eve of a special celebration. The two parts are independent, and the second one is more interesting.

Part I

Recently, I played in two chess tournaments in Krakow. They were both of classical chess time controls, which lasted 3-5 hours per game.
First was the 35 edition of the International Chess Championship of Malopolska. I played in the B group of this tournament, for players rated between 1750 and 2000. The venue was Galaxy Hotel on the shores of the Vistula River. Many foreigners participating in this tournament were kids from Ukraine from Lviv Chess Academy. They had T-shirts with their club name on them. They played well; of the international players, the Ukrainians were the only ones who gained ELO points. There were also two players from Romania I did not know who also played in the Grenke tournament. We chatted during those days in Krakow; they were also impressed by the Grenke tournament. We all agreed that the chess level played in Krakow was much better than in Karlsruhe at the same rating. If you want to win games, go to Grenke; if you want to play good chess, come to Krakow. My result could have been better, but my games were exciting and fun, even when losing. That made me want to play one more time.

International Chess Championship of Malopolska

The second tournament was the 12th edition of the Cracow International Chess Championship. I played the B group of players again, rated below 2200 ELO. The group consisted of 185 players from 27 countries. I was the only Romanian this time. The venue for this tournament was Hotel Premier in Krakow, situated outside of the city center but easy to reach by car or bus. The special guests of the tournament were the Botez sisters, who streamed their games online. They have a well-known Youtube channel with 1.6 million subscribers. They were born and lived in Canada, but their parents are Romanian. Also, more than 15k people were watching their games live during the tournament. They finished with 5.5 points from 9 rounds each, while my result was 5 points from 9. I will share one of their rounds below to show how difficult playing an official chess game is. Their coach’s commentary is instructive.

Live streaming from BotezLive channel

I’ve discovered a powerful connection between sleep and chess results. The nights I slept well, I ended up with 5.5 points out of 6 games, while when I did not sleep well, I got 0 out of 5 games. It is not that I was biased. I tried to play better in each game. In one of the games, I had a winning position but made a mistake and lost.

With these tournaments, my results for the 25 classical games I played in 3 tournaments this year are 13 points, a little over 50%. I won 11 games, made 4 draws, and lost 10 times.
This concludes my chess games this year, as I don’t have enough vacation days left. I will focus only on running, with three half-marathons planned for autumn, the first of which is Cardiff.

Part II

On July 20, 2024, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) celebrates 100 years of existence. On that day, in 1924, 14 countries, including Romania and Poland, signed a document establishing FIDE in Paris. This part of the article is a small tribute to chess history.
If you want to understand the rest of this post, please watch the documentary below. No chess knowledge is required, only a sense of humor. Stephen Fry went to Thessaloniki in 1988 and made a movie about the 28th Chess Olympiad. The chess Olympiad is played every two years and is a team event; it is the most crucial chess team event.

This was the last Olympiad before the fall of Iron Curtain in 1989. Many things have happened since. Yet, in the chess world time flows differently. Grandmaster Anand, 55 years old, who played at that event for India is rated 11th player in the world today, 36 years later.

In July 2024, in Krakow, the World Senior Team Chess Championship was held for players over 50 and 65. This tournament was played in Galaxy Hotel, the same venue as my first tournament in Part I. In chess, there are only two categories for veterans: 50+ and 65+. I’ve counted 20 to 30 players from the Thessaloniki Olympiad playing in Krakow 36 years later. Team England 65+ featured two players from Stephen Fry’s documentary: John Nunn and Jonathan Mestel. However, the rest of the players in the documentary continue to be close to chess; Jonathan Speelman plays in many chess tournaments each year, and Nigel Short plays in a chess tournament this year.

What happened with the members of the USSR Olympic team who won in Thessaloniki? Kasparov retired from chess 20 years ago and moved to politics, being one of the most important Russian opposition leaders. Karpov also stopped playing chess about five years ago. Artur Yusupov retired for many years. Beliavsky plays for Slovenia and is an active player. Ivanchuk, at 55, is the 100th player in the world, is still very active, and plays for Ukraine. Jan Ehlvest plays for the United States at the World Senior Team Chess Championship in Krakow.

World Senior Team Chess Championship in Krakow

John Nunn and Jonathan Mestel played for the England team for the first time at the 22nd Chess Olympiad in 1976 in Haifa. That was almost 50 years ago. Nunn played on the primary team of England until 1994 and later moved to the senior teams. England won the World Chess Championship in Krakow in the 65+ category. They did not win in 1988 but continued and won in 2024. This is indeed true in a different context. As you can see in chess, playing strong for a very long time is possible.

England’s team won the World Chess Championship for seniors 65+ in 2024

Another English player has even more impressive results in time. Michael Adams played for the first time for the England team at the Chess Olympiad in 1990. He has played in the main team ever since and is expected to play even this year. At 53, rated 2672, Michael Adams is the 55th player in the world and the third player in England. However, as he is over 50, he also played in Krakow’s senior championship 50+ section.

Unlike other sports, the world of chess has changed slowly over time. These people are in their seventies, still going strong, and very sharp mentally. Studies have shown a much lower risk of mental diseases for people who play chess.

Chess is an individual game and such the history of FIDE is made of many such individual histories and dramas. It offers many lessons of life for people willing to pay attention.

Across the world, many events celebrate the anniversary of chess. In Bucharest, a special event was held at the Triumphal Arch to mark the 100th anniversary of FIDE. In Krakow, a chess photography exposition was opened. In London, in Trafalgar Square, on July 7th, more than 23000 people gathered to play chess in a special yearly event.

World Chess Torch at the Triumphal Arch in Bucharest

FIDE motto, “Gens Una Sumus,” translates to “We are one family.” FIDE has 201 state members in 2024. Another chess Olympiad, the 45th edition, will begin in September in Budapest. Chess has a history of over 1500 years but has never been as popular as it is today.

Summer traditions from Krakow

Krakow is the most popular tourist destination in Poland. Summer in Krakow is gorgeous, with perfect weather and some fun traditions. If you are in the city in June when these events occur, you should not miss them.

The Great Dragon Weekend

Parade of Dragons 2024

One of Kraków’s most unique and enjoyable annual events, the Great Dragon Weekend, is organized by Groteska Theatre and inspired by the city’s most famous legend. The Dragon story is about the foundation of Krakow. In 2024, on June 9th, the 24th edition of the show was organized.

Children created dragons in a parade. Kids have a lot of imagination

Over two days of colorful pageantry, large-scale puppetry, and family fun, the weekend consists of two main events: Saturday night’s light and sound spectacular, in which giant dragons float down the Wisła, followed by Sunday afternoon’s parade of colorful beasts created by children. It was a diverse parade, with lots of dragons designed by kids. I attended both events this year for the first time since I have been in Krakow. I found two video clips on YouTube covering both events and shared them here.

Wianki

Wianki is not a Krakow tradition but a Warsaw custom that came to Krakow in the mid-19th century. In its modern form, as a cyclical mass event, Krakow’s Wianki has existed since 1992, when the Krakow City Hall took patronage over this event. In Poland, summer starts at the summer solstice on June 22nd. The summer solstice, known as Kupala Night, is a crucial moment of the year in Slavic tradition when all of nature – and the humans who are part of it – fully bloom. Ancient rituals and customs were intended to provide participants with purification, fertility, and happiness. Kupala Night is associated with several activities and rituals, such as collecting herbs and flowers and decorating people, animals, and houses with them, entering water, bathing, pouring water on it, sending wreaths on water, lighting bonfires, dancing, singing, jumping through fire.

Wianki in Krakow

In Polish, wianki means wreath. The wreath was an obligatory attribute of games. It was made before the holiday from wild herbs and flowers. The ceremonial use of the merchant wreath is also associated with a magical understanding of its shape.

Lajkonik

The Lajkonik is a man dressed as a warrior from the East. He rides a prancing white hobbyhorse through the city streets and, with his mace, deals out good luck blows.

There are some theories about the origin of this tradition. The most reliable is that in 1287, Mongol armies arrived close to the city. They decided to spend the night by the Vistula, close to the village of Zwierzyniec, and to attack the town in the morning. They were discovered there by raftsmen, who overpowered the sleeping army, thus saving the city from ruin and plunder. They soon changed into Mongol costumes and rode into the town on the horses they had seized as trophies. They scared the whole city with fear, yet more quickly, the townsfolk came to rejoice.

This show has been happening in Krakow for over 700 years, a long tradition. Every year, it is celebrated on Thursday, one week after Corpus Christi. It is a parade of people costumed in Mongols or Polish clothes from the Middle Ages accompanied by bands playing traditional music.

Fascinating traditions take place in Krakow in June. If you’re here, be sure not to miss them.

PS. All the videos above I found on Youtube, they are not made by me.

Helsinki

From the cities where I ran this year, it was my first time in Helsinki. To my surprise, Helsinki is not a classical European city with an old center and historic buildings. Initially, I thought that Suomenlinna Island offered military protection to the city of Helsinki until I learned that the fortress on the island had been developed before the city.

Before becoming the capital of Finland in 1812, Helsinki had 3000 inhabitants at the beginning of the XIX century. The country gained its independence from Russia in 1917.

Helsinki has monuments reminding people of its time as a Russian gubernia. Compared with the rest of Europe, Finland was occupied before 1917. It had no influence later, while in the former communist countries (part of the European Union today), the Soviet occupation happened after World War II. Finland had the Winter War with the Soviet Union, so keeping these monuments is surprising.

The Helsinki Cathedral is a Lutheran church built in 1852 during the Russian leadership. It is built in the shape of a Greek cross, and the pediment rests on six Corinthian pillars. In front of the church is the statue of Alexander II, the Russian Tsar.

At the same time, another symbol of Helsinki is the Uspenski Cathedral, a Christian Orthodox cathedral built in 1868. It is the largest Greek Orthodox church in Northern Europe.

For me, the most impressive church in the city is Temppeliaukio Church, or Church of the Rock, which dates from 1969. The interior was excavated and built directly out of solid rock, and natural light enters through the skylight surrounding the center copper dome. I liked this combination of modern architecture and rocks, reminiscence of the ancient Christian churches.

Compared to other significant European cities, Helsinki has few cars and people on the streets. It has low pollution and an excellent life index. In the harbor, a typical Scandinavian marketplace has served customers since 1889. Here, you can find a lot of food, mostly fish but also sweets and beverages, and many shops with traditional products on sale.

Of course, there are many blocks and buildings like in any European city, but I couldn’t find any relevant or interesting images to post here.

The next stop is on Somenlinna islands, once a solid military fortress and now a place for tourists. Suomenlinna is now one of Helsinki’s most popular tourist attractions and a popular picnicking spot for the city’s inhabitants. The island is reachable on a 15-minute boat trip from Helsinki, and you can use a regular tram or bus ticket to travel. The island has many houses and museums on the island’s history, as well as a military museum. I would say that the entire island is a museum of life in the XIX century. From here you have lovely views of the sea and Helsinki.

In the above picture, you can see a ferry going from Helsinki to Tallinn. The trip takes about two hours. During weekends, the ferry is full of people traveling from Helsinki to Tallinn to buy cheaper alcohol. In Finland, beer costs around 8 EUR in restaurants and 3-4 EUR in supermarkets.

Helsinki has many parks. One of them is Sibelius Park, a memorial to the great Finnish composer. In the center of the park is a Sibelius monument, reminding of the organ pipes. It consists of more than 600 hollow steel pipes welded together in a wave-like pattern. The park is closed and in restoration until the end of 2024.

Helsinki is different from other cities due to its many islands, lakes, and trees, which make it look like a vast area of wild nature. The city is beautiful, and late spring and summer are perfect times to visit it.

Lakes and trees are a common view in Helsinki

Based on the above, I recommend Helsinki as a lovely city to visit during a two-to-three-day city break.

Prague half-marathon

In 2024, Prague set a record for participants, with over 13,500 people at the finish. The previous editions had about 10,000 finishers, so there was a significant increase this year. More importantly, 57% of the participants were foreigners. The fact that the race is part of the SuperHalfs helps increase the number of participants.

On April 6th, the day of the race, it was hot in Prague. The temperatures reached 28 Celsius, and the sun was shining. These are not the best conditions for running a long distance.

The race route goes along the Vltava River and crosses five bridges between both sides of Prague. It continues in the old center through Venceslas Square and next to the famous astronomical clock. I am not a big fan of running on cobblestone. I prefer running on asphalt and visiting tourist attractions slowly and not during a run. The finish was in the same place as the start in Bubenské nábř. area.

During hot weather, it is essential to choose carefully how you dress

My race went okay in these circumstances, as I know how to run safely in hot weather. If you want to survive a race in hot weather, you need to do a few things: stop and drink water or isotonic at every hydration point, wear a cap, wear a tank top (not a T-shirt), keep the pace in the safe zone, have a couple of gels with you.

I finished at 2:14 without any incident. It was my third-worst time ever, but that did not matter as I checked my third super half race and did not focus on time.

I am very serious about the weather problem while running. In Prague, 102 people fell on the street during the race for different reasons. Of these runners, 36 went to hospital. The authorities declared a trauma plan (a local form of a disaster plan). There was a campaign hospital called Golem at the finish line in a huge tent with air conditioning and ambulances driving people there and into the hospital. I lost the count of fallen runners I saw during this race. It was much worse than in Lisbon. In fact, the sound I heard most during the race was the sound of ambulances. The medical help was very well organized. As a kid in the 80s, I remember watching a Czech serial called “Sanitka” ( The Ambulance) on TV. It was like seeing scenes from those series in Prague that Saturday.

Muj cas

There are many news articles about the problems at the Prague half-marathon, all in the Czech language. I found this post by a Cardiologist, Hanka Štefaničová, who, as a participant, described what happened during the race very well.

What I learned. At the end of the race, there was a problem. The runners who finished had to go on a tight corridor guardrail by fences for 200 meters to get the medals, and then they would get water, bananas, and other refreshments from the organizers. A few volunteers handled medals to racers at the end of these fences. But too many people finished simultaneously, and the queue of racers waiting because of this bottleneck was very long. Imagine the situation: you run under the sun for more than 2 hours, then you have to stop under the sun for 10 minutes or more to wait for the medal. If you get no water, you will collapse.

After getting the medals, some runners understood the gap, took water bottles, and gave them to the people in the queue. I drank 2 such bottles until I got the medal. That saved the other runners and me while waiting in the queue. I know those were ad-hoc volunteers because they all had finishers’ medals on their chests. They were not organizers. At the time, I took the medal and was happy to get the baggage and talk to Bogdan after the race. It didn’t cross my mind to stay and become one of the ad-hoc volunteers to give water to people waiting in the queue. In my mind, I was a participant who finished the race and not an organizer. Sometimes, you need to get out of your role, become human, and do what it takes to help others, even if no one has asked you or is not expecting you to do that.

With Bogdan, after the race. He had a good race in these circumstances, finishing in 1:50

Some statistics are relevant to what happened. For races with many runners, I look at the time of the runner who finished precisely in the middle of all the runners. If the race has 10k finishers, I look at the time of the runner who finished exactly at 5k at the finish. The table below clearly shows how external factors influence race results.

City	Date	Finishers	Middle time
Warsaw	18.03.2024	13422	1:55:20
Lisbon	18.03.2024	13247	2:02:40
Prague	06.04.2024	13557	2:03:40

There are considerable differences in time when the weather is hot. The route in Warsaw is more difficult than the other 2. I can say that as I ran all 3 half-marathons (Warsaw in 2022).

I have some suggestions for the organizers. For example, they could give runners bottles of water instead of glasses. The volunteers were overwhelmed and did not have enough time to pour water into glasses to give to runners. At the finish, they could have more people to handle medals. Also, if possible, provide water to people once they finish and don’t let them wait under the sun. Set the check time posts in the farthest areas of the route, where people need to turn around. This is a simple mechanism to avoid cheating.

Despite the problems mentioned above, the organizers did a good job overall. A positive note for the area to leave and pick up baggage: it was the best organized I have ever witnessed. The rest of the nice things are expected for major half-marathons: SMS with your result, pictures after the race, refreshments during and after the race.

As for my plans, I traveled by plane four out of five consecutive weekends in March and April for events covered in this blog. It is time to rest and train before my next half-marathon in Helsinki in May.

Trupa lui Fane’s motto: “Together we are stronger!”

Grenke chess tournament 2024

Five years ago, when I played in the Grenke chess tournament, I said to myself that if I had the chance, I would like to return to play this tournament in Karlsruhe. Years passed, and the Grenke Open was canceled until this year because of COVID-19 and some other reasons. This year, it was announced on short notice that the event would happen again. It is impressive what the organizers managed to do in less than two months!

The atmosphere of thousands of people playing chess simultaneously differentiates Grenke Chess Festival from other tournaments worldwide. These people range from the best players to absolute beginners, mainly from Germany and other countries.

At the start of the previous edition of the tournament, there were about 2000 players, but this year, after five years of pause, around 2600 players joined, making Grenke the biggest chess tournament in the world. This happened because the popularity of chess has been rising since the Queen Gambit series.

The festival consists of 4 different tournaments. The classic tournament had only 6 players, among the best in the world. The Open A tournament is open for players with an ELO rating above 2000. The B open is for players below 2000, and the C open is for beginners with less than 1600 ELO FIDE. All the open tournaments were 9 rounds played for 5 days: one round on Thursday, March 28th, and then 2 rounds daily for the next 4 days.

According to some statistics, were 935 players in the A-open, 1177 in the B-open, and 500 in the C-open. One interesting fact is that if the number of rounds is smaller than log2(n) -1, where n is the number of participants, you can end up with more than one player having a maximum number of points at the end of the tournament, which makes it hard to establish a winner. For example, in tournament B, log2 (1177) – 1 > 9 (number of rounds), but fortunately, there was just one winner with 8.5 out of 9.

I played the B open with an ELO rating of 1857. I scored 5.5 out of 9 games: 5 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses. Two of my losses were against players above 1900, including the last winner of the B tournament. The third lost game was against a lower-rated player in a completely won material and positional position. I guess I just relaxed too soon and blundered one piece and the game. I ended up at position 244 from 1177, which was better than my initial ranking of 303. As a result, I lost 3 ELO rating points. For comparison, 5 years ago, I was rated 1874 and made 6 points out of 9, losing 9 rating points and finishing 109 out of 797 players. The overall result was better last time, but the rating performance was better this time. This is possible when you play against people with higher ratings.

Overall, I am happy with my result because I don’t spend time preparing for chess.. Five years ago, I was more serious about training and playing than I am now. You can’t make progress in chess if you don’t work on it.

Some sensation from the tournament was the draw obtained in round 2 by a junior Romanian FIDE master against the 9th player in the world, Arjun Erigaisi ( also the rating favorite of A-open). The winner of the classic chess tournament was Magnus Carlsen, the best player in the world. The winner of the A-open was Hans Moke Niemann, known in the chess world for the trial against Magnus Carlsen.

Some recommendations for people interested in participating in future editions. The playing venue is great, the space and the conditions are perfect. They have wooden boards and pieces for everyone ( they needed more than 1300 boards and pieces this time). The tables are big, the chairs are good, you have enough space during the game. The only downside is the noise. You can’t be silent in an ample open space with more than 1500 simultaneously. This was not a problem for me, but I saw some players wearing earplugs. This recommendation is good for people who can’t focus because of noise. Don’t come to Grenke if this is your first tournament. The reason is that 4 days with double rounds means intensively playing chess for 7-8 hours each day. It may be like running a marathon by an untrained person.

Excellent conditions to play chess in Karlsruhe

I also have some recommendations for the organizers: Send SMS/WhatsApp messages to players with the pairings for the next round. Make some announcements in English, not only in German.

The chess world has changed a lot in the last five years. Now, all the top tournaments have live coverage on YouTube, with Grandmasters covering the games. Recently, players of different strengths have come to play in tournaments with tools, stream their games online, and have someone else comment live on them. For me, this is useful as I can learn more from the games of a 2000 ELO-rated player (close to my level) than I can learn from 2700+ players.

I would happily return to this tournament because of the unique positive vibe and energy.

As in this article, I compared this edition with the one five years ago and chose to end with a song on this theme.