Articles
UPCES Student Runs in the Prague Half-Marathon
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UPCES students are known for bringing diverse talents to Prague and integrating them within the city culture. With so much going on each week in Prague, it's easy to find ways to connect personal interests, talents, and skills with the activities going on in the local community.
Even still, there's nothing easy about running in a half-marathon, a task which requires natural athleticism and countless hours of training, not to mention a very strong determination.
Taylor Jones (pictured at right), an UPCES student from Hobart & William Smith Colleges, did just that when he decided to run in the Prague Half-Marathan this month. The Prague Half Marathon is an annual running event which takes place each Spring. The race holds IAAF Gold Label status, making it the foremost race of its type. Participants run on the streets in the historical core of Prague, along the Vltava river and across 5 bridges.
Taylor came up with the idea to look into a half-marathon after seeing marathon posters around the gym he goes to near the UPCES building. Since he had never run a half-marathon before, Taylor decided it would be an amazing experience to complete his first one in Prague. Taylor also plays for his college soccer team and felt it would be a good motivation to stay in shape for the upcoming season.
We had a few questions for Taylor about this impressive accomplishment:
How did you sign up for the event?
"I searched it around the beginning of March, and the race had actually sold out back in January. Yet the website allowed me to put my down my e-mail address in case any numbers opened up. Luckily, about 2 weeks before the race Hervis released the final 200 starting numbers to those who lined up in front of the Hervis store in Novy Smichov shopping center. I made sure to get there early and I was able to get a number."
What was the most interesting occurrence during the race?
"One cool thing that happened was that the President of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Klaus, fired the start gun so I was able to get a glimpse of him. Overall it was a very smooth race so nothing crazy really happened. It felt great to be a part of the spectacle! There were incredible amounts of volunteers and spectators cheering us on along the entire course, so it really motivated me to keep going!"
Would you recommend long-distance running in Prague to others?
"I would recommend this to anyone who is thinking about it as it has certainly been one of the most memorable experiences I have had over here."
What part of the route was most enjoyable or interesting?
"This one is easy, the end! The finish line was very cool, with thousands of spectators watching us and a massive set up of tents, activities, signs, volunteers holding the flags of every country represented by participants, and a big blue carpet across the last 100 yards or so. I actually was practically sprinting the last 1000 meters or so as I had some energy left and the atmosphere was just electric!"
