race rules in Polish
Night Marathon of the Bydgoszcz Canal since 2007
21st edition
RACE RULES
According to PZLA guidelines, participants representing Russia and Belarus are excluded from participating in the ‘Bydgoszcz Canal Night Marathon since 2007’. This exclusion applies to nationality, not citizenship!
Below are only the most important points of the rules. It is necessary to read the entire text below!
● Participation in the competition is voluntary and each participant competes at their own risk and regardless of the weather conditions on the route. In the event of injury or material loss, participants will not pursue claims against the organiser.
● During verification at the competition office, no authorisations to collect a package on someone else's behalf WILL BE ACCEPTED! This means that the package can only be collected in person upon presentation of a photo ID!
● Starting before the official start time will result in classification as DNS (did not start). The above does not apply to the masters category, membership of which is determined solely by the organiser.
● The competition takes place in a city park with varied terrain (gravel, asphalt). You should expect uneven surfaces, stones, pine cones, and other obstacles. In addition, the competition takes place after dusk and at night, which further increases the risk of dangerous situations!
● The competition route crosses the road in one place and runs parallel to the road lane in one section. When crossing the road and running up and down the road lane, it is essential to follow the instructions of the organiser's staff and/or follow the temporary traffic organisation signs!
● Having your own lighting in the form of a headlamp or other similar accessories IS MANDATORY! The route will be lit by park lamps, but the organiser is not responsible for any failures of this lighting, which does not belong to the organiser!
● Nordic Walking competitors, cyclists, roller skaters, scooter riders, etc. are not permitted to participate, e.G. as pacemakers on the marathon route during the competition. The organiser does not akcept the participiom of competitors with dog or other animalistą!
1. OBJECTIVE
To continua the trafiono of the olet continuously held night marathon in Poland,
To maintain the cult status of the event, i.e. to gather regular participants at the start line who symbolise the values of sport, especially marathon running,
Promotion of the City of Bydgoszcz in Poland, Europe and worldwide,
Promoting the sporting and recreational values of Planty Park in Bydgoszcz, located along the unique hydrotechnical monument that is the Old Bydgoszcz Canal, the oldest fully completed waterway in Poland, which connected the river basins of Western and Eastern Europe,
Enabling runners to compete in a unique setting - at night,
Promoting physical culture and sport - the opportunity to cover a shorter distance than a marathon,
Popularising long-distance running.
2. ORGANISER
Gwiazda Sports Club, Bydgoszcz, founded in 1920
3. DATE AND PLACE
13 June 2026 (Saturday) - race start at 9:00 p.m.,
14 June 2026 (Sunday) – timekeeping ends at 3:00 a.m.,
Competition office – KS Gwiazda, Bydgoszcz, stadium. Parking at the event venue.
4. ROUTE
The route runs along gravel and asphalt park paths around the Old Bydgoszcz Canal and includes one 5,225 m loop + one 400 m run-up. Part of the route runs on the tartan track of the Gwiazda Sports Club stadium. The route is lit by park lamps.
Terrain. START/FINISH - 53 m above sea level, then - 48 m above sea level, at the turning point (on Wrocławska Street) - 45 m above sea level. This means that we run ‘downhill’ to the turning point and then ‘uphill’ to the start.
Start and finish at the KS Gwiazda stadium.
5. DISTANCE, TIME MEASUREMENT, LIMIT, MEDICAL CARE
The competition will be held over five distances. Completing the race over a distance other than the one declared is permitted and will not result in disqualification from the competition.
Such a change in distance (SHORTENING/INCREASING) must be reported IMMEDIATELY after making such a decision at the time measurement point.
Competitors who complete the competition at a distance shorter than a half marathon or after the time limit has expired will not be classified in the results. Only the abbreviation DNF (did not finish) will appear next to their name. The time limit does not apply to the masters category, membership of which is determined solely by the organiser.
Distances:
Half marathon (4 loops + one lap in the stadium at the end of the race after 4 loops),
5 loops – 26.125 km,
6 loops – 31.350 km,
7 loops – 36.575 km,
Marathon (8 loops + one lap around the stadium at the end of the race after 8 loops).
Timekeeping – electronic using chips attached to personalised race numbers.
During the race, all competitors must have their start numbers attached to the front of their race shirt or to the front of the right leg of their shorts. Covering the start number in part or in whole is not permitted and will result in disqualification.
The start number (personalised on request) is the property of the participant after the race.
The time limit for all distances is 6 hours, and in the masters category the limit is unlimited. Membership in the masters category is determined solely by the organiser.
Medical care will be provided for the duration of the race until 3:00 a.m. on 14 June 2026. The TELEPHONE NUMBER FOR THE MEDICAL RESCUER will be printed on the race number.
Competitors who finish a lap after the time limit (not belonging to the masters category) or start a lap with no chance of finishing the race within the time limit are required to stop running.
6. PARTICIPATION
The race is open to persons who will be at least 18 years of age by 13 June 2026 (born before 13 June 2008) and who have registered and paid the entry fee by the deadline and have been verified at the race office.
7. INSURANCE
The organiser has civil liability insurance. Individual accident insurance during the competition requires a separate policy purchased individually by the participant on their own.
8. REGISTRATION, VERIFICATION
Registrations will only be accepted from time-sport.pl, the provider of electronic registration, payment and timekeeping services.
On 22 May 2026 at 11:59 p.m., the start list and PAYMENTS will be closed.
By submitting the form, the applicant consents to the processing of their personal data for the purposes of the organiser and consents to the use of their image recorded in the form of a photograph or video recording. The applicant grants the organiser a licence to use the recorded image in all fields of use, including in particular the reproduction of the recorded image, the posting and publication of the recorded image on websites, in the press, on posters and billboards, broadcasting the recorded image on television and radio,
By submitting the online application form or signing the paper ‘Application Form’ at the competition office, the applicant accepts these rules and regulations.
All participants taking part in the race must be verified at the Competition Office. Verification is only possible in person – on the basis of a photo ID and a QR code (on a phone or printout).
QR codes will be sent by email and SMS 48 hours before the competition office opens.
Competition Office address: KS Gwiazda stadium in Bydgoszcz.
Mandatory verification of competitors and distribution of packages at the competition office on 13 June 2026 (Saturday). You must have a QR code and photo ID
between 4:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. !!!
9. ENTRY FEE
The entry fee for the race, regardless of the declared distance, is:
PLN 110 – payable by 30 November 2025
PLN 140 – payable by 28 February 2026
PLN 160 – payable by 22 May 2026.
The entry fee must be paid exclusively via the PayU electronic payment system, available during registration.
The following rule applies: I REGISTER AND PAY
Each participant is required to pay the entry fee IMMEDIATELY after registering for the race. Otherwise, their registration will be cancelled. In this case, they will need to register again.
It will also be possible to run with a chipped race number without a race pack. Registration and fee of PLN 80 (cash) on the day of the race.
Payments made after 22 May 2026 will not be binding on the organiser in any way and will not be refundable.
Once paid, the fee is non-refundable, but may be transferred to another race participant. However, this is only possible until the registration deadline, i.e. 22 May 2026.
10. AWARDS
Participants who complete the race and have paid for their starter pack will receive a medal, which will be the same for all distances, i.e. a marathon medal.
Each participant who has registered and paid by 22 May 2026 is guaranteed a starter pack at the race office - a commemorative race number and a medal at the finish line. Additional gadgets (e.g. a T-shirt) will depend on the organiser's financial capabilities.
An ambulance will be present during the race. To call it, call and give the exact location of the incident. The telephone number for the paramedics in the ambulance will be printed on the race number. The race route will be monitored by a mobile paramedic.
The organiser will provide drinks and food along the route and will also allow participants to display their own nutritional supplements.
The organiser provides free accommodation at KS ‘Gwiazda’ at 45 Bronikowskiego Street, from 4 p.m. on 13 June 2026 (Saturday) until 12 p.m. on 14 June 2026 (Sunday). The room is a table tennis hall. A sleeping mat and blanket are recommended.
The organiser provides a deposit for belongings. Items can only be handed in and collected upon presentation of the start number. The organiser is not responsible for items not deposited.
Changing rooms, washbasins, toilets and showers will be available at the KS ‘Gwiazda’ stadium.
11. CLASSIFICATIONS
There will be two classifications during the race:
1. OPEN classification, which will determine the winners of the competition,
2. A separate classification will include competitors from Ukraine, containing the distance covered, surname, first name, town, club and year of birth, without the time achieved.
In the OPEN classification, competitors who complete the marathon will be classified first, followed by further classification according to the distance covered.
The female and male competitors in the OPEN classification for first place in the marathon will receive material/cash prizes. Prizes for women and men for second and third place in the OPEN classification will depend on the event budget and are not guaranteed.
12. INFORMATION AND CONTACT
Information, results, photo gallery and coverage of the event will be available on the POLSKIE Maratony.PL website.
Contact the organisers:
POLSKIE Maratony.PL – poczta@polskiemaratony.pl – Marathon Director,
KLUB SPORTOWY „Gwiazda” – biuro@ksgwiazda.pl
13. FINAL PROVISIONS
Completing the online registration form or the ‘Application Form’ in paper form at the competition office means that the competitor has assessed the nature, scope and degree of risk associated with participating in the marathon or shorter distance and has voluntarily decided to take that risk by participating in the marathon or shorter distance solely on their own responsibility.
Completing the online registration form or the paper ‘Application Form’ at the competition office means that the competitor fully agrees with the provisions of these regulations and undertakes to comply with them.
The organiser reserves the right to change the regulations, which it is obliged to inform competitors of at any time from the announcement of registration via a message on the POLSKIE Maratony.PL portal and on the competition's Facebook profile, or to inform competitors before the race.
The interpretation of these regulations is the responsibility of the Director of the ‘Bydgoszcz Canal Night Marathon since 2007’.
Andrzej Derfert, Director of the ‘Bydgoszcz Canal Night Marathon since 2007’.
Bydgoszcz, September 2025.
