# Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon

Plan Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon's route, elevation, aid stations and start access, with four course intervals and sourced historical weather.

## Race facts

- Location: Karlovy Vary, Czechia, CZ
- Primary distance: Half Marathon
- Organizer: RunCzech
- Reviewed: 2026-10-02T16:32:27.040861+00:00

## Why this race belongs on a competitive runner's shortlist

An 18:00 half marathon through Karlovy Vary's spa architecture, alongside the Teplá and past hotels Thermal and Pupp. The closed, World Athletics-certified course combines a spa-center opening and ending with a western river/arena loop. The late spa loop rises again, so the near-finish pass around 16 km is too early for a finishing kick. It suits runners wanting a spa-town half marathon with a competitive field. The 2027 date is confirmed; the currently linked route is the official 2026 reference. Elevation is a modeled estimate from the disclosed GPX method, not a verified 2027 total. The course includes nábřeží Osvobození and Mlýnské nábřeží.

## Course overview

A spa-center out-and-back, a western loop around the Ohře and racecourse, then a shorter repeat spa-center loop back to the original finish. The start is nábřeží Osvobození and the finish is nábřeží Osvobození. The route takes in nábřeží Osvobození, Mlýnské nábřeží, Grandhotel Pupp / Mariánskolázeňská, Západní, Závodní, Studentská / KV Arena, Moskevská, spa-center return. Official 2026 graphic shows rises in the first 3 km and again around 16 to 20 km, separated by a much flatter middle western section.

## 0 to 5 km

The 0 to 5 km interval includes nábřeží Osvobození, Mlýnské nábřeží, Grandhotel Pupp, Mariánskolázeňská. Official profile rises during the first 3 km before descending toward 5 km; external 2025 GPX altitude range for 0 to 5 km is 374.9 to 387.3 m. 2026 map places an early water point near Pupp around 2 km and a full refreshment point on Divadelní náměstí roughly 4.5 to 5 km; Mattoni at every station, full points add Gatorade, fruit, salt and sugar. Do not attack the opening spa-valley rise; use the first turnaround to settle rather than accelerate.

## 5 to 10 km

The 5 to 10 km interval includes Hotel Thermal, Západní, Ohře, Závodní. The official profile drops then stays low over the western section; external GPX spans roughly 373.6 to 382.2 m in 5 to 10 km. 2026 map: water point on Západní around 8 km and full refreshment near Závodní around 9.5 to 10 km. Full points offer Mattoni, Gatorade, bananas/oranges, salt, sugar. Use the flatter western section for an even rhythm and take the Závodní fuel before the far loop.

## 10 to 15 km

The 10 to 15 km interval includes Doubský most, Studentská, KV Arena, Moskevská. The official graphic remains mostly flat from 10 to 13 km with small rises approaching 15; external GPX spans 372.3 to 380.2 m. 2026 map: water near KV Arena/Studentská around 13 km and full refreshment on Moskevská just after 15 km; if ending this interval at 15, treat that table as the next immediate opportunity. Avoid spending energy at the bridge/arena turns; keep a reserve before returning to the spa climb.

## 15 to 21.0975 km

The 15 to 21.0975 km interval includes Moskevská, Zahradní, Grandhotel Pupp, Divadelní náměstí, nábřeží Osvobození. Official chart rises again around 16 to 20 km then descends toward the line; external GPX spans 372.4 to 389.6 m in this segment. Full refreshment just after 15 km on Moskevská, water near Pupp around 18 km and full refreshment at Divadelní náměstí around 19 km; finish has additional refreshments. Passing near the finish around 16 km still leaves the spa loop. Keep the last climb controlled and press only once returning toward the line.

## Elevation checkpoints and how to read them

Total ascent is 136.7 m. Calculated from 527 altitude-bearing points in the public Finishers-hosted 2025 GPX: sum(max(0, ele[i]-ele[i-1]))=136.697516 m, rounded 136.7; descent 136.968665. No smoothing or elevation replacement. Third-party GPX-derived estimate, not organizer published; route shape checked against 2026 official map but 2027 route not yet confirmed. Official 2026 profile places main rises on initial spa loop 0 to 3 km and repeated spa loop 16 to 20 km.

## Aid stations and race-day logistics

Drink-station spacing is approximate. 2026 map: Pupp~2 km, Divadelní náměstí~4.5 to 5 km, Západní~8 km, Závodní~9.5 to 10 km, KV Arena/Studentská~13 km, Moskevská just after 15 km, Pupp~18 km, Divadelní náměstí~19 km; finish: Mattoni water at all; cup-symbol/full stations add Gatorade, bananas, oranges, salt, sugar. Map-derived positions are approximate and differ from generic six-station text. The start is nábřeží Osvobození. 2027 race starts 18:00.2026 technical/bag area was upper parking lot of Hotel Thermal, adjacent to the riverside start; map provides the pedestrian relationship. 2026 corrals opened 17:30, allocated by predicted time and registration order; only bib holders admitted. 2026 transit plan kept Tržnice as a key bus terminus while many spa stops, including I.P.Pavlova/LázněIII, were unavailable; current 2027 disruption plan remains pending. 2026 upper parking of Hotel Thermal,17:00 to 22:00 for half; entry requires bib. Reconfirm 2027 hours.

## Practical pacing plan

Hold a sustainable effort. Do not attack the opening spa-valley rise; use the first turnaround to settle rather than accelerate. Check effort at nábřeží Osvobození. Use the flatter western section for an even rhythm and take the Závodní fuel before the far loop. Avoid spending energy at the bridge/arena turns; keep a reserve before returning to the spa climb. Passing near the finish around 16 km still leaves the spa loop. Keep the last climb controlled and press only once returning toward the line. Push only while effort and form remain controlled. Use Divadelní náměstí as the closing landmark. Adjust pace for wind, rain and temperature on race day; the monthly historical sample is not a race-morning forecast.

## Historical weather pattern

May history for Karlovy Vary, Czechia gives a typical daily temperature range of 36.8 to 73.3 degrees Fahrenheit, daily maximum sustained winds of 5.7 to 14.2 mph, and at least 1 mm of rain on 44.2 percent of days. Historical conditions can change, so check the race-week forecast before travel and again on race morning.

## Edition history

- [2027, Half Marathon](https://www.runczech.com/en/events/mattoni-running-festival-karlovy-vary-2027-2/races/mattoni-half-marathon-karlovy-vary)

## Sources

1. [2027 race details](https://www.runczech.com/en/events/mattoni-running-festival-karlovy-vary-2027-2/races/mattoni-half-marathon-karlovy-vary)
2. [2026 official half-marathon map](https://www.runczech.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/KV_HM_map_2026_HALF.pdf)
3. [2026 information for runners](https://www.runczech.com/cs/akce/mattoni-running-festival-karlovy-vary-2026/informace-pro-bezce)
4. [Public half-marathon route with altitude coordinates](https://www.finishers.com/en/trace/f65f40b6-7813-4af7-ab3e-3296516c1be6)
5. [Public downloadable GPX; raw altitude calculation](https://storage.googleapis.com/kavval-files/events/86uC6/tracks/2025/null/export%20%281%291759481009229.gpx)
6. [2026 traffic and transit changes](https://www.runczech.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/KV_TrafficI_nfo_web_2026.pdf)
7. [Karlovy Vary, Czechia historical daily ERA5 archive, 2016 to 2025](https://archive-api.open-meteo.com/v1/archive?latitude=50.2327&longitude=12.8712&start_date=2016-01-01&end_date=2025-12-31&daily=temperature_2m_max,temperature_2m_min,precipitation_sum,wind_speed_10m_max&temperature_unit=fahrenheit&wind_speed_unit=mph&timezone=UTC&models=era5)

Canonical URL: https://www.yigri.com/races/mattoni-karlovy-vary-half-marathon-karlovy-half