FROM MISKOLC TO KOŠICE – RELAY MARATHON CHALLENGE

The 10-person relay team of UM faculty and staff is already preparing for the Miskolc-Košice ultramarathon on Saturday. On 22 April, the first runners will set off at 7 am from the Town Hall Square, covering a total of 117 kilometres to Košice.

“The team of University of Miskolc faculty and staff was formed almost 10 years ago, when we started at the Szarvasűzőkön”, said Dr. Zita Horváth, speaking about the university’s local relay marathon. The Miskolc-Kosice ultramarathon is the kind of sporting event where they can once again show themselves and, not least, the university. “There are sporty, cool university colleagues who are willing to appear on behalf of the university in such a serious and prestigious race. Beyond being a sporting activity. it's a team-building exercise and we hope not to bring shame to our university,” she said.

Dr Mária Lubinszki, Associate Professor at the Institute for Teacher Training, stressed one of the important messages of the team and the competition. “I'm a sports psychologist, it's my professional duty to find balance in everyday life. I often don't find it myself, so this training for the Kosice-Miskolc ultramarathon, for example, saved my spring. It was in the back of my mind, I didn't feel like running, but the team appeared in front of my eyes, which was a huge motivator," she said.

“I participated in various relay races and university teams 20-25 years ago, and I joined such events when I could,” Dr Péter Szűcs, Vice-Rector, told us. “This time I chose the section between Abaújszántó and Vizsoly. Not by chance. Abaújszántó is very close to my heart, I was born there, I lived there until I was 10 years old, so now I feel a bit nostalgic to run more than 13 kilometres through the countryside where I spent my childhood,” he said.

The route of the race is mostly on cycle paths and low-traffic roads, with one dirt road on the Slovak and one on the Hungarian side.

The route of the Kosice-Miskolc Ultramarathon: Miskolc – Sajóvámos – Szikszó – Hernádkércs – Abaújszántó – Vizsoly – Gönc – Kéked – Nižná Myšla  – Sídlisko Krásna – Košice.