Marathon history

Cesky Krumlov River Marathon in numbers that do not change:

Mass start: 11:00
Course length for hard-shell boats: 36 km
Course length for rafts and P5 boats: 25 km
Course length for the Youth Marathon: 11 km
Flow in the Vltava River: approx. 20 m3/s
Number of weirs: 9 or 7
Refreshment stations: 1

…and those that change:

23. edition

Held on: October 11, 2025

Daytime temperature: 10 degrees, cloudy

Number of categories: 28 and 6 youth categories

Number of boats at the start: 791 boats (457 from Vyssi Brod a 245 from Rozmberk nad Vltavou a 89 from Na Piskarne)
That makes 1473 competitors.

International participation:
paddlers from 28 countries:
AUS, AUT, BEL, BIH, BIZ, CRO, CZE, DEN, EST, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, IRL, ITA, KGZ, LAT, LTU, NED, NZL, POL, RSA, SIN, SLO, SRB, SVK, UKR, USA

Fastest from Rozmberk nad Vltavou

• C5 – C9 – SK Vltava Cesky Krumlov – Karolína Paloudová, Filip Novák, Vojtěch Zapletal, Jakub Brabec, Daniel Bartoška, Matouš Jahoda, Jakub Kasper
  01:55:16.96
• SUP M – Filip Kubina – Lokomotiva Nymburk
  01:58:41.20

Fastest starters from Vyssi Brod:

• K2 M – Enno Roggenbrodt, Andreas Betzin – KSK team Köln
  01:59:31.29
• K1 MVTE – Petr Grossmann – LOKO Plzeň
  02:16:42.16

22. edition

Held on: October 12, 2024

Daytime temperature: 15 degrees, partly cloudy
Number of categories: 27 and 6 youth categories
Number of boats at the start: 830 boats
(466 from Vyssi Brod a 272 from Rozmberk nad Vltavou a 92 from Na Piskarne)
That makes 1486 competitors.
International participation:
paddlers from 29 countries:
AUT, AUS, BEL, BIH, CAN, CRO, CZE, DEN, ESP, EST, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, IRI, IRL, ITA, LAT, LTU, NED, POL, RSA, SLO, SRB, SUI, SVK, TUR, UKR, USA

Fastest starters from Vyssi Brod:

• K2 M
  Nico Paufler, Cyrille Carré
  Kajak Klub Rosenheim
  2:02:55 (winners)

Fastest from Rozmberk nad Vltavou

• SUP M
  Samuel Peška
  KVS Praha
  1:57:10.00
• P5 M
  Martin Procházka, František Kysela, Jiří Irain, Luděk Lerner, Petra Hajzlerová
  WC Servis
  1:56:45

21. edition

Held on: October 14, 2023

Daytime temperature: 20 degrees, sunny

Number of categories: 26 and 6 youth categories

Number of boats at the start: 784 boats (447 from Vyssi Brod a 250 from Rozmberk nad Vltavou a 87 from Na Piskarne)
That makes 1506 competitors.

International participation:
paddlers from 28 countries:
AUT, AUS, BEL, BIH, CRO, CZE, CHE, DEN, EST, ESP, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, ITA, IRL, ISR, LAT, NED, POL, RSA, SIN, SLO, SVK, SRB, TUR, UKR, USA

Fastest from Rozmberk nad Vltavou

• SUP M – Samuel Peška KVS Praha/4SP Team 1:57:53
• SUP Mega – Szabolcs Nagy, Szabolcs Fodor, Attila Hubik, Péter Szigeti SUP Race Hungary SE 1:58:53
• P5 M – František Kysela, Martin Procházka, Jiřá Irain, Petra Hajzlerová, Luděk Lerner WC Servis Team 1:58:54

Fastest starters from Vyssi Brod:

• K2 M – Nico Paufler, Niklas Heuser Kajak Klub Rosenheim 2:03:14 (winners)
• K1 M – Tomáš Pavlík USK Praha 2:17:25

20. edition

Held on: October 14, 2022

Number of categories: 26 and 6 youth categories

Number of registered boats: 682 boats (1172 competitors)

Number of boats at the finish: 655 boats (369 from Vyssi Brod a 194 from Rozmberk nad Vltavou a 92 from Na Piskarne)
That makes 1120 competitors!

International participation:
paddlers from 24 countries:
AUT, AUS, BEL, BIH, CRO, CZE, DEN, EST, ESP, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, ITA, IRL, LAT, LIT, NED, POL, RSA, SLO, SVK, UKR, USA

Winners:

• P5 M – WC Servis – František Kysela, Martin Želva Procházka, Luděk Lerner, Jiří Kopčem Irain a Petra Hajzlerová
  in a time of 01:56:19.28
• SUP M – SUP Nymburk – Filip Kubina in a time of 1:56:06.21
• fastest starters from Vyssi Brod: K2 M – USK Praha – Jakub Zavřel, Tomáš Ježek
  in a time of 02:05:14.25

19. edition

Held on: October 9, 2021

Held on: October 9, 2021
Number of categories: 26 and 6 youth categories
Number of boats at the start: 530 boats (289 from Vyssi Brod a 159 from Rozmberk nad Vltavou a 82 from Na Piskarne)
Reached the finish: 540 boats
That makes 1189 competitors!

International participation:
paddlers from 20 countries:
AUT, AUS, BEL, BIH, CRO, CZE, DEN, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, ITA, LAT, LIT, POL, RSA, RUS, SLO, SVK, USA

Winners:

• P5 M – WC Servis Team – František Kysela, Martin Procházka, Luděk Lerner, Jiří Irain a Petra Hajzlerová
  in a time of 01:55:08.73
• fastest starters from Vyssi Brod: K2 M – USK Praha – Jakub Zavřel, Petr Mojžíšek
  in a time of 02:04:36.51

18. edition

Scheduled for: October 10, 2020

• The marathon was cancelled due to government measures related to COVID-19.
• On the day the race was supposed to take place, several dozen boats paddled the course as training.

17. edition

Held on: October 12, 2019

Number of categories: 26 and 6 youth categories
Number of boats at the start: 737 boats (392 from Vyssi Brod a 256 from Rozmberk nad Vltavou a 89 from Na Piskarne)
Reached the finish: 716 boats
That makes 1499 competitors!

International participation:
paddlers from 24 countries:
AUT, AUS, BEL, BIH, CRO, CZE, DEN, ESP, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, ITA, IRL, LAT, LIT, NED, POL, RSA, RUS, SRB, SLO, SVK, USA

Winners:

• K2 M – JAKUB ZAVŘEL, PETR MOJŽÍŠEK (CZE) in a time of 2:01:06
• the fastest starter from Rozmberk nad Vltavou was SUP M – MARTIN NOVÁK in a time of 1:54:53

16. edition

Held on: October 13, 2018

Number of categories: 26 and 6 youth categories
Number of boats at the start: 708 boats
421 from Vyssi Brod, 212 from Rozmberk nad Vltavou a 75 from Na Piskarne
Reached the finish: 685 boats
That makes 1335 competitors!

International participation:
paddlers from 24 countries:
AUT, AUS, BEL, BIH, CRO, CZE, DEN, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, ITA, IRL, LTU, LUX, NED, NOR, POL, RSA, RUS, SIN, SLO, SVK, USA

Winners:

•  K2 M – KAMIL MRŮZEK, KAREL SLEPICA (CZE) in a time of 2:04:43
• the fastest crew starting from Rozmberk nad Vltavou was the men's P5 boat
  KV VIKING in a time of 1:56:23

15. edition

Held on: October 14, 2017

Number of categories: 26 and 6 youth categories
Number of boats at the start: 558 boats (292 from Vyssi Brod a 192 from Rozmberk nad Vltavou a 74 from Na Piskarne)
Reached the finish: 539 boats
That makes 1176 competitors!

International participation:
paddlers from 23 countries:
AUS, AUT, BEL, BIH, BLR, CRO, DEN, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, IRL, ITA, LAT, LTU, NED, POL, RSA, RUS, SLO, SRB, SVK, USA

Winners:

• K2 M – TOMÁŠ JEŽEK, JAKUB ZAVŘEL (CZE) in a time of 2:05:31
• the fastest crew starting from Rozmberk nad Vltavou was the men's P5 boat – WC SERVIS in a time of 1:54:08

14. edition

Held on: October 8, 2016

Number of categories: 25 and 6 youth categories
Number of boats at the start: 514 boats (312 from Vyssi Brod, 133 from Rozmberk nad Vltavou a 69 from Na Piskarne)
Reached the finish: 501 boats
That makes 1023 competitors!

International participation:
paddlers from 21 countries:
AUS, AUT, BEL, CAN, CRO, DEN, ESP, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, IRL, ITA, LTU, NED, POL, ROU, RUS, SLO, SRB, SVK

Winners:

• K2 M – PASCAL LUCKER, ANDREAS HEILINGER (GER, NED) in a time of 2:00:06
• the fastest crew starting from Rozmberk nad Vltavou was the men's P5 boat – WC SERVIS in a time of 1:54:27

13. edition

Held on: October 10, 2015

•  part of the international series 2015 CLASSIC CANOE MARATHON WORLD SERIES

Number of categories: 24 and 6 youth categories
Number of boats at the start: 541 boats (333 from Vyssi Brod a 157 from Rozmberk nad Vltavou a 51 from Na Piskarne)
Reached the finish: 529 boats
That makes over 1,131 competitors!

International participation:
paddlers from 21 countries:
AUS, AUT, BEL, CAN, CRO, DEN, ESP, GBR, GER, HUN, IRL, ITA, LAT, LTU, NED, NZL, POL, RSA, SLO, SUI, SVK

Winners:

• K2 M – KAREL SLEPICA, TOMÁŠ SLOVÁK (CZE) in a time of 2:03:23,78
• the fastest crew starting from Rozmberk nad Vltavou was the men's P5 boat – WC SERVIS in a time of 1:57:38,60

12. edition

Held on: October 11, 2014

• part of the international series 2014 CLASSIC CANOE MARATHON WORLD SERIES

Number of categories: 23 and 6 youth categories
Number of boats at the start: 460 boats (297 from Vyssi Brod a 127 from Rozmberk nad Vltavou a 36 from Na Piskarne)
Reached the finish: 438 boats
That makes over 1,000 competitors!
55 rescuers and firefighters at the 9 marathon weirs
114 rescue-service interventions at the weirs
International participation:
paddlers from 17 countries:
AUS, AUT, BEL, CRO, DEN, ESP, GBR, GER, HUN, IRL, ITA, LAT, LTU, NED, RSA, SLO, SVK

Winners:

• K2 M – KAREL SLEPICA, TOMÁŠ SLOVÁK (CZE) in a time of 1:58:43.73
• the fastest crew starting from Rozmberk nad Vltavou was the men's P5 boat – WC SERVIS in a time of 2:03:13.69

Weather conditions:
18 °C, skoro jasno

11. edition

Held on: October 12, 2013

• part of the international series 2013 CLASSIC CANOE MARATHON WORLD SERIES
• Czech Championship in the SUP (paddleboard) category
• was held under the patronage of the Minister for Regional Development, Ing. Kamil Jankovsky

Number of categories: 22 and 6 youth categories
Number of registered boats: 497
Number of boats at the start: 438 boats (292 + 1 runner from Vyssi Brod and 113 from Rozmberk nad Vltavou and 33 from Na Piskarne)
Reached the finish: 438 boats
That makes 978 competitors!
International participation:
paddlers from 15 countries:
AUS, AUT, BEL, CRO, DEN, GER, HUN, IRL, ITA, LAT, LTU, NED, RUS, SUI, SVK

Winners:

• K2 M – KAMIL MRŮZEK, MICHAEL ODVÁRKO  (CZE) in a time of 2:00:02
• the fastest crew starting from Rozmberk nad Vltavou was the men's P5 boat – Dubínkův gang in a time of 2:06:49

Weather conditions: It was cold at the start in Vyssi Brod and Rozmberk nad Vltavou. The sun did not smile on the competitors much this time, but it finally appeared at the finish.

10. edition

Held on: October 13, 2012

• part of the international series 2012 CLASSIC CANOE MARATHON WORLD SERIES
• Czech Championship in the SUP (paddleboard) category
• was held under the patronage of the Governor of the South Bohemian Region, Mgr. Jiri Zimola, and Minister Ing. Kamil Jankovsky

Number of categories: 21 and 5 youth categories
Number of registered boats: 517 (340 from Vyssi Brod a 144 from Rozmberk nad Vltavou and 33 from Na Piskarne)
Number of boats at the start: 449 boats.
Reached the finish: 441 boats
That makes 1016 competitors!
International participation:
paddlers from 19 countries:
AUS, AUT, CRO, DEN, ESP, GBR, GER, HUN, IRL, ITA, LAT, LTU, NED, NZL, RUS, SLO, SUI, SVK, USA

Winners:

• K2 M – TOMÁŠ JEŽEK, PETR MOJŽÍŠEK (CZE) in a time of 2:03:15
• the fastest crew starting from Rozmberk nad Vltavou was the men's P5 boat – Dubínkův gang in a time of 2:04:44

Weather conditions: It was cold and foggy at the start in Vyssi Brod and Rozmberk nad Vltavou. Fortunately, as has become customary, the sun came out during the race and shone for the rest of the event.

9. edition

Held on: October 8, 2011

• part of the international series 2011 CLASSIC CANOE MARATHON WORLD SERIES
• Czech Marathon Championship in the P5W and P5M categories
• Open Czech Championship in the SUP (paddleboard) category
• was held under the patronage of the Governor of the South Bohemian Region, Mgr. Jiri Zimola.

Number of categories: 23 and 5 youth categories
Number of registered boats: 475 (321 kayaks and canoes, 89 rafts and P5 boats, 24 SUP, 4 C9 and 37 Youth Marathon boats)
Number of boats at the start: 436 (292 kayaks and canoes, 88 rafts and P5 boats, 1 dragon boat + 19 SUP 1 DRAGON BOAT and 36 in the Youth Marathon) ..
That makes approx. 900-1000 competitors!
Reached the finish: 427 boats
International participation:
paddlers from 15 countries:
AUT, CRO, DEN, ESP, EST, GER, HUN, IRL, ITA, LAT, LTU, NED, NZL, SUI, SVK

Winners:

• K2 M – MICHAEL ODVÁRKO, JAKUB ADAM (CZE) in a record time of 1:58:07
• the fastest crew starting from Rozmberk nad Vltavou was the men's P5 boat – Dubínkův gang in a time of 2:04:12

Weather conditions: Before the start in Vyssi Brod and Rozmberk nad Vltavou it was raining and very cold. Around 11:00 the weather calmed down enough for the race to start without rain. A few showers appeared during the race. At the finish, competitors were met with occasional rain and cold again. After the awards ceremony it started raining heavily.

8. edition

Held on: October 9, 2010

• part of the international series EUROPEAN CANOE&KAYAK MARATHON TOUR 2010
• Czech Marathon Championship in the R4W, R4M, P5W and P5M categories
• was held under the patronage of the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Ing. Miloslav Vlcek, and the Governor of the South Bohemian Region, Mgr. Jiri Zimola.

Number of categories: 21 and 5 youth categories
Number of registered boats: 416 (302 kayaks and canoes, 88 rafts and P5 boats and 26 Youth Marathon boats)
Number of boats at the start: 389 (285 kayaks and canoes, 75 rafts and P5 boats + 1 DRAGON BOAT a 28 in the Youth Marathon) ..
That makes approx. 900-1000 competitors!
Reached the finish: 386 boats (357 + one intact dragon boat + 28 youth boats)
International participation:
paddlers from 15 countries:
AUS, AUT, BEL, CRO, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, IRL, ITA, POL, RUS, SLO, SVK)

Winners:

• K2 M – MICHAEL ODVÁRKO, JAN SOUČEK (CZE/SVK) in a time of 2:03:00
• the fastest crew starting from Rozmberk nad Vltavou was the men's P5 boat – Dubínkův gang in a time of 2:12:50

Weather conditions: It was cold and foggy at the start in Vyssi Brod and Rozmberk nad Vltavou. Fortunately, as has become customary, the sun came out during the race and shone for the rest of the event.

7. edition

Held on: October 10, 2009

• part of the international series EUROPEAN CANOE&KAYAK MARATHON TOUR 2009
• Czech Marathon Championship in the R4W, R4M, P5W and P5M categories
• was held under the patronage of the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Ing. Miloslav Vlcek, and the Governor of the South Bohemian Region, Mgr. Jiri Zimola.

Number of categories: 22 and 5 youth categories
Number of registered boats: a record number, 450 (340 kayaks and canoes, 80 rafts and P5 boats and 26 Youth Marathon boats)
Number of boats at the start: 409 (308 kayaks and canoes, 78 rafts and P5 boats + 1 DRAGON BOAT and 22 in the Youth Marathon) …That makes 926 competitors in total! (including 17 dragon-boat paddlers..)
Reached the finish: 393 boats (371 + one intact dragon boat + 21 youth boats)
International participation:
paddlers from 11 countries:
AUT, CRO, GBR, GER, HUN, IRL, ITA, LTU, POL, SLO, SVK

Winners:

• K2 M – Petr Jambor, Marian Lachkovič (CZE/SVK) in a time of 2:05:26
• the fastest crew starting from Rozmberk nad Vltavou was the men's P5 boat – Dubínkův gang in a time of 2:20:42
• for the first time in KVM history, a dragon boat started – DRAGON BOAT FORESKINS MARTHON EXPRESS  (OUTDOOR CLUB HANACE České Budějovice)    It reached the finish as the 3rd crew starting from Rozmberk nad Vltavou and 23rd overall, in a time of 2:22:24.

At the 9 weirs and at the finish, 52 rescuers intervened more than 200 times in total.

Weather conditions: At the start in Vyssi Brod and Rozmberk nad Vltavou it was damp, cold and foggy, with a little rain for a while. Fortunately, as has become customary, the sun came out during the race and shone for the rest of the event. The evening was warm, and just after the winners ceremony it started to rain, but by then we did not mind at all because we headed to the party in the Eggenberg brewery restaurant. We were simply lucky with the weather.

6. edition

Held on: October 11, 2008

• was again part of the international series EUROPEAN CANOE&KAYAK MARATHON TOUR 2008
• Czech Marathon Championship in the R4W, R4M, P5W and P5M categories
• was held under the patronage of the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Ing. Miloslav Vlcek

Number of categories: 22 (of which 7 are shared with the European Tour)
Number of registered boats: 291 (222kayaks and canoes, 69 rafts and P5 boats)
Number of boats at the start: 273 (210 kayaks and canoes, 63 rafts and P5 boats) …cca 800 competitors
Reached the finish: 265
International participation:
paddlers from 10 countries:
AUT, CRO, DEN, FRA, GBR, GER, HUN, IRL, ITA, SVK

Winners:

• K2 M – Rudy Gerard, Quentin Bonnetain (FRA) in a time of 2:02:34
• the fastest crew starting from Rozmberk nad Vltavou was again, for the third time, the men's P5 boat WD PROSTĚJOV (Zbyněk Netopil, Jan Mašek, Michal Hric, Jaroslav Pospíšil and Stanislav Ježek) in a time of 2:22:36

Weather conditions: There was thick fog at both starts, the kind you could almost cut with a knife, and it lingered lazily over the river until noon. The Alfa Helicopter aircraft could not accompany the competitors from the start this time; it stayed on the ground at Hosin airport and arrived at the finish with the first competitors. From the Herbertov sluice onward the sun began to appear, and Cesky Krumlov was getting ready for a warm autumn afternoon. And that is exactly what happened. It was possible to walk around in a short-sleeved T-shirt, 22°C. The weather held until sunset, and after the winners ceremony we moved the party indoors to the Eggenberg brewery.

5. edition

Held on: October 13, 2007

• byl part of the international series
• EUROPEAN CANOE&KAYAK MARATHON TOUR 2007

Number of categories: 21 (6 of them are shared with the European Tour)
Number of registered boats: 262
Number of boats at the start: 251 (cca 600 competitors)
Reached the finish: 238
International participation:
paddlers from 10 countries:
10 AUT, CRO, DEN, FRA, GER, HUN, IRL, ITA, NZL, SVK

First at the finish:

• K2M – Kamil Mrůzek, Tomáš Ježek (Dukla Brandýs, USK Praha) in a time of 2:02:01,93
• the fastest crew starting from Rozmberk nad Vltavou was the men's P5 boat WD PROSTĚJOV (M.Hric, Z.Netopil, D.Mrůzek, J.Pospíšil, J.Neset) – time 2:19:15,33

Weather conditions: a typical cloudy October day, not particularly warm, with real cold in the evening.

4. edition

Held on: October 14, 2006

Number of categories: 19 announced, 18 filled
Number of registered boats: 195 kayaks, canoes, P5 boats and rafts
Number of boats at the start: 183 boats, approx. 550 competitors
International participation:
paddlers from 7 European countries:
AUT, DEN, FRA, GER, HUN, SVK, SWE
Reached the finish: 182 boats (only one C2 mix crew did not finish)

Winners:

• Fastest kayaks and canoes starting from Vyssi Brod (36 km): K2 crew – Max HOFF and Stephan STIEFENHÖFER (GER – ECST Raumheim) – 2:06:01,39
• Fastest P5 and raft crews starting from Rozmberk nad Vltavou (26 km): P5 crew WD PROSTĚJOV, with the Hric brothers, Jaroslav Pospíšil, Jakub Vlček and Zbyněk Netopil – 2:06:10,96

Weather conditions: The weather could not have been better: a sunny and very warm autumn day when we could run along the banks of the Vltava River in short sleeves. The air temperature at the finish was 19°C.

3. edition

Held on: October 15, 2005

Number of categories: 14
Number of registered boats: 125 boats
Number of boats at the start: 111 boats
Reached the finish: 109
Overall winner:

• P5 boat Prosport Olomouc (Herzán, Mašek, Ježek, Bozděch) – in a time of 2:11:08

Weather conditions: In the morning there was dense fog, which disappeared as the marathon started. Then the sun shone all day and the temperature climbed to 19°C in places.

2. edition

Held on: October 16, 2004

Number of categories: 14
Number of registered boats: 136 boats
Number of boats at the start: 132 boats
Reached the finish: 122 boats
Overall winner:

• Kamil Mrůzek – K1sen – in a time of 2:10:52

Weather conditions: Rainy and inhospitable autumn weather all day.

1. edition

Held on: October 27, 2003

Number of categories: 12
Number of boats at the start: 86 boats
Overall winner:

• Kamil Mrůzek – K1sen – in a time of 2:13:06

Weather conditions: At the start in Vyssi Brod it was -9°C, with a dusting of snow, and the temperature did not climb above freezing even at the finish in Cesky Krumlov.