CITY TRAIL: two days, four runs
On the weekend of December 11-12, the CITY TRAIL team organized four runs – on Saturday in Lublin and Olsztyn, on Sunday – in Gdansk and Lodz. The Olsztyn and Tri-City runs were the third of the season and brought the overall standings to a conclusion. The last CITY TRAIL runs with Nationale-Nederlanden in 2021 are scheduled for Saturday, December 18 in Poznań and Sunday, December 19 in Szczecin.
Lublin
The winner of the main 5km run at Lublin’s Zemborzycki Reservoir was Damian Swierdzewski:
When I made the decision to compete in CITY TRAIL, I set my sights on improving the course record. Just like a month ago it was close, but the conditions – difficult pavement – did not make it easier, so this time I also fell a little short. However, I am not laying down my arms – I will definitely appear in January, because I care about the general classification. February and March runs I will most likely skip. I am preparing for the spring marathon, my goal is to break the limit of 2 hours 20 minutes, so in March – a month before the marathon I will not risk injury, and it is not difficult to get one in cross-country.
Result Damian Swierdzewski is 16:35 (the record of the Lublin route is 16:28). The second place, with a time of 16:56, was won by Przemyslaw Szymanowski. Third place went to Rafał Gontarczyk, Who passed the finish line in a time of 17:29.
CITY TRAIL Lublin (photo. CITY TRAIL)
The winner of the competition was Dominika Lukasiewicz, leader of the general classification. Her result was 19:42.
In previous editions at this time of year I ran slower, so I’m happy with the progression, but I know I still have a reserve. Today without spikes there would be no running. The conditions were demanding. A strong pace to the very end was taken care of by my rivals. I’m glad that I have someone to pull with, because such a direct fight on the route with other girls is the greatest motivation for effort.
The second to finish the competition was Magdalena Sekuła (19:48), and third place was won by Beata Klimek (19:51).
CITY TRAIL Lublin (photo. CITY TRAIL)
263 adults and 51 children took part in the competition. The next run in the CITY TRAIL series is scheduled for January 8. Lublin edition of the event is supported by City of Lublin.
Olsztyn
On Lake Długie in Olsztyn, 247 people passed the finish line of the cross-country five. 90 young athletes took part in the CITY TRAIL Junior competition.
CITY TRAIL Olsztyn (photo. Kacper Kirklewski)
Winner of the run – Martyna Budziłek – was the best for the third time and thus became the first triumpher of this nationwide series in the 2020/2021 season:
Today’s run was fully controlled. The plan was to – run with the rival and accelerate in the last kilometer. And exactly this scenario came true. The route was not conducive to fast running, but on the forest paths one did not feel its hardships as much as on the last long run 700m before the finish line. I forgot my spikes, so I had to manage in shoes. Now preparation for the indoor season awaits me. Although I have already won the cycle, I will still want to take part in CITY TRAIL. I have such a quiet plan… I dream of a course record. I realize that Ola Lisowska has topped it, but with good conditions I think it is not impossible. 6. place at the Polish Cross-Country Running Championships satisfies me, but certainly in the future I will be able to afford much more.
Result Martyna Budziłek is 19:21. As the second to finish the competition Magdalena Trzeciak (19:36), and third place was won by Anna Ostromecka (20:55).
Triumph among men was Wojciech Kopeć:
I took off just 6 days after the Valencia marathon. The recovery process went very decently, today despite the difficult conditions on the route managed to run relatively fast. My experience and adaptation of my body allows me to start often and quite successfully. And it is possible, first of all, thanks to health. Currently I no longer have lung problems, which were my affliction for a long time. Despite everything, I train at half speed. Running marathons at a weekly volume of 80-90km does not show my full potential. Recently, I had a discussion with one good running friend about whether I can still afford a life record in the marathon. I think it is still possible. If the training comes out normally, it’s time to attack the barrier of 2 hours 20 minutes, and then go after the blow.
The winner’s score was 16:21. Second place, with a time of 16:45, was won by Pawel Najmowicz. Third place took Wiktor Kujawa, Who passed the finish line in a time of 17:13.
Amateur cross-country runners in Olsztyn are in for a two-month break – the next – the fourth run of the 2021/2022 season – is scheduled for February 12.
Łódź
More than 350 participants – 252 adults and 105 children – showed up at Baden-Powell Park in Lodz, Poland. The victory was achieved Grzegorz Petrusiewicz:
A month ago I did not have the opportunity to start in CITY TRAIL, but I intend to complete the cycle, so I will definitely appear at the next races. Today the key was to prepare the right footwear – I ran in spikes and thanks to that I had no problems.
Result Grzegorz Petrusiewicz is 17:07. Second place, with a time of 17:31, was won by Maksymilian Zawiślak. Third place took Jedrzej Hasiura, who passed the finish line in a time of 17:52.
CITY TRAIL Lodz (photo. Sebastian Nowakowski)
The winner of the competition was – second a month ago – żelika Niklewicz. Her score was 21:11:
Today’s winter weather, although beautiful to the eye, did not make the task easier, because in places it was slippery and maintaining a strong pace was difficult. Nonetheless, I’m happy with the win and I’m counting on my next starts to be better and better, because I plan to appear at all the runs in the ongoing season.
As the second to finish the competition Iwona Wicha (21:14), and third place was won by Justyna Chudzik-Warzecha (22:32).
The next competition in the CITY TRAIL series is scheduled for January 9. The local co-organizer of the run is the company InesSport.
Tricity
Sunday’s competition took place in the Gdansk part of the Tri-City Landscape Park. The best on the 5-kilometer route turned out to be Monika Dubiella i Wojciech Serkowski, Thus, they both secured the win in the general classification. Monika Dubiella:
I am happy to have won the whole cycle. Today I ran very well, which I can not say about the disposition from three weeks ago during the Polish Championships. Despite the fact that I took a good 9. place and high 5. In the U-23 category I do not count the start in the national championship as successful. It was not my day. From the beginning I was running hard. Today, on the other hand, I entered the competition with a free mind, no burdens and the run was a pleasure. I ran in spikes, it was quite slippery, but I definitely prefer the Gdansk route to the one in Gdynia, where a month ago I had to give everything to win. I will probably show up at either of the last two CITY TRAIL runs.
Result Monika Dubiella is 20:17. As the second finished the competition Weronika Mikolajewska (20:50), and the third place was won by Marta Lagownik (20:55).
CITY TRAIL Tri-City (fot. Krzysztof Lewit)
The fastest runner of the Tricity CITY TRAIL – Wojciech Serkowski also referred after the competition to the recently held Polish championships:
Today I ran very freely, completely without pressure. I rested after the Polish championships, in which I took 13th. place. I am not satisfied, because after last year’s 5. position I was counting on a medal and I subordinated the whole run tactically to this goal. I ran bravely, holding the lead from the beginning. I ran for a long time behind the later winner Darek Boratyński, but the penultimate run proved decisive and it was on this run that I fell off my strength. It was not my day, but I was only interested in the podium. Today, according to the coach’s instructions, I was to run with the group and speed up in the last five hundred meters. No one, however, was quartering for the lead, and somehow I emerged as the leader quite naturally. I ran at my own pace until at one point I stopped hearing the breaths and steps of. Perhaps I will appear on the last, fifth CITY TRAIL run in March.
The result of the winner is 17:19. Second place, with a time of 17:40, was won by Łukasz Kujawski. Third place went to Grzegorz Kujawski, Who passed the finish line in a time of 17:48.
333 people passed the finish line of the main run. 83 young athletes took part in the CITY TRAIL Junior competition. The fourth run of the season is scheduled for February 13. The Tricity edition of the competition is supported by the City of Gdansk.
CITY TRAIL Tri-City (photo. Krzysztof Lewit)
