About the run

Take the challenge, join 400 other runners and overcome your weaknesses during an almost 50 kilometer long winter mountain race. It will be as cold and tough as it should be!
We would like to invite you to participate in the 10th edition of the Karkonosze Winter Ultramarathon!
The race will take place on February 24, 2024. The 48 kilometer route leads through the ridge of the Karkonosze Mountains. You have a chance to see the mountains in the most beautiful winter scenery.

The runners will start from Szklarska Poręba and they will need to ascend Szrenica in extreme, winter conditions, pass through Śnieżne Kotły and Przełęcz Karkonoska all the way to the peak of Śnieżka and further towards The Okraj Pass. The race finishes at the main pedestrian street in tourist city of Karpacz.

Due to the possible occurrence of severe winter conditions, the time limit for the whole route totals 10,5 hours. Time limits for individual sections are provided in the competition rules. The route plan provides for four refreshment stations located every 10-15 kilometers. The limits may be shortened/extended before the run, depending on the prevailing weather conditions. Any such changes will be communicated to runners by means of messages contained in the News tab on the official Web site or our Facebook profile. You take on the first risk by deciding to participate in the Run, as the weather in the Karkonosze Mountains is totally unpredictable and it is impossible to assess how difficult it will be to cover the route in March.

The Karkonosze Winter Ultramarathon was named after Tomek Kowalski who himself was an ultramarathon runner, zealous athlete, and alpinist. Mountains became an inherent part of Tomek. He trained, climbed, and stayed there forever.
We wish for Tomek to be always remembered. His efforts and determination in the pursuit of his dreams show others that everything is possible. Where there’s a will there’s a way!
Tomek loved challenges; they fuelled his life and gave him the motivation to achieve great things. We decided to organize a run as difficult and demanding as the goals he set for himself. After every feat, Tomek would say “we did a great, inconceivable and totally irrelevant job” and we wish the same for you!

The challenge is outstanding and not everyone will be given a chance to take it. Winter in the mountains makes no compromises. Due to the season of the year, the Karkonosze Winter Ultramarathon does not constitute an ordinary long distance run. Also, it is not for everyone. Race participants must have experience in long-lasting mountain runs and knowledge about winter mountain conditions. Each runner taking part in the race should know their body, have confidence in their abilities, and be prepared for a fight in harsh conditions.

It is very difficult to foresee the weather conditions prevailing in the Karkonosze Mountains in February – the winter can be unpredictable. The weather may be very severe. Imagine the combination of – low temperature, snow, wind, fog – these are only some atmospheric phenomena you may encounter. Prepare for a long-lasting fight with discomfort and cold. You might have to face deep snow or face-lashing and visibility-blocking wind. These are only some of the pleasures you may experience. The above conditions require not only great physical condition and appropriate equipment but also a great, fighting spirit.

We organized several refreshment and control stations that will be located more or less every 10 kilometers. The relatively small distance will allow each participant who has lost strength to make a stop at the station. We strongly advise you against stopping between the stations ? remember that even short halts in places without any shelters increase the risk of hypothermia and weakens motivation to continue with the race.
If the above information did not discourage you but rather boosted your adventurous spirit, it means that you are in the right place!