PGE Energia Ciepła 16th Three Mounds’ Run
The International Open Kraków Fell Running Championship is an event which the first edition was organized in 2007. Participants have to overcome a 13-kilometer route between the three Kraków mounds – Krakus, Kościuszko and Piłsudski.
Almost 1/4 of the race leads the participants along unpaved roads and paths. The difference in altitude reaches 160 m. Due to the diversity of terrain, the race has been classified as “Anglo-Saxon” in the international classification, in which the route leads once up and down, as opposed to the “Alpine” races, where the route is mostly only climbing.
Along the entire route, the participants can see that Krakow offers not only monuments and modern infrastructure but also charming landscapes and nature. Interestingly, it is the only mountain race in Poland that leads through the centre of a large city.
In 2019, in the 13th edition of the Three Mounds' Run, Tomasz Grycko and Katarzyna Broniatowska defended the titles of the Interntional Open Krakow Fell Running Championship, won a year earlier. This is the first such situation in the history of the event, which started in 2007. The attendance record was improved once again - 2971 people finished the race out of 2978 who started.
The 14th Three Mounds’ Run did not take place in 2020, but on October 3, 2021 and was the first running event organized in the traditional formula by the Sports Infrastructure Management Board in Krakow after an almost two-year break caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The titles of the Interntional Open Krakow Fell Running Championship were won by Patryk Stypułkowski and Lilia Fiskowicz. The Olympic athlete from Rio de Janeiro, representing Moldova, the winner of the 17th edition of the Cracovia Marathon, with a time of 46 minutes and 59 seconds, improved her own route record by 13 seconds, which she set by winning in 2016.
On October 2, 2022, in the 15th anniversary edition of the Three Mounds’ Run, the titles of International Krakow Fell Running Champions were won by the winner of the spring 19th Cracovia Kenyan David Kiprono Metto and Ukrainian Viktoria Kaluzhna. Among women, the European marathon champion from Munich, bronze medalist in the same competition in the team, Tokyo Olympian Aleksandra Lisowska finished second. 2710 people from 16 countries took part in the race, and 2705 of them checked in at the finish line. On the occasion of the 15th edition of the event, awards were also given to the runners who finished 15th among men and women - Magdalena Ortyl and Dawid Sewioł. Also honored on stage were participants of all previous editions of the Three Mounds’ Run - Andrzej Lachowski (10th overall in the 15th Three Mounds’ Run), Marcin Tomczyk, Jaroslaw Kuć, Konrad Grycko, Boguslaw Kalicinski and Edward Wiorek. Meanwhile, all competitors received symbolic donuts and were able to taste a special anniversary cake.
PGE Energia Ciepła 16th Three Mounds’ Run was held on September 24, 2023.