Last weekends event in Poland enjoyed busy fields and swift winning times

Nearly 15,000 runners took to the streets of Warsaw for the 18th Edition of the Warsaw Half Marathon last weekend, Paul Bramley reports.

The Nationale-Nederlanden Warsaw Half Marathon has gone from strength to strength in recent years and now offers itself as a genuine half marathon of choice, for those looking to take in some running tourism.

Warsaw is a modern city with a wonderful historic past that is celebrated on every corner. From historic squares and wonderful architecture, to traditional Polish cuisine, Warsaw offers something for everyone once the running is complete.

The half marathon gets underway on the Poniatowski Bridge with the PGt Narodowy National Stadium providing a stunning backdrop for the starting area, with ample space for pre-race preparation. A good level of organisation is key to an event of this size and the facilities on offer around the starting area are testament to the work undertaken by the organisers.

Assembling for an 11am start, this years event was blessed with near-perfect running weather, typical of the time of year in Poland, with a temperature of around 8C and a light breeze. The sun made an appearance just as the starting gun went off to help warm up the early few miles.

With a course that heads over the Vistula River you very quickly reach the heart of the capital taking in the streets of the Old and New Town towards Zoliborz.

With plenty to see in this historic city, the route captures some of the key sites of Warsaw as the miles tick by, as the route takes you along the Gdynia Coast towards the Gdanski Bridge with a finish in Praga at the Warszawa Stadion station.

A very flat course, with only slight undulations, the event is very well supported by the local residents along the entirety of the course. With only a slight section of dual carriageway a la Great North run where you need to dig deep and only have the pounding feet of other runners for company.

An easy budget-friendly airline hop from the UK, with affordable accommodation, makes it a great destination for an early spring marathon and the intimate nature of the event means you avoid the crush of the bigger European city events.

With an ever expanding list of elite entries, this event will only grow in the coming years and is sure to feature in the calendar of a number of professional runners. This years male winner was Belgiums Dorian Boulvin in an impressive 61:58, with the womens race taken in 69:32 by Germanys Fabienne Königstein.

This is an important year for the team behind the Warsaw event as they look ahead to the September edition of the Warsaw Marathon. Celebrating 100 years since the first marathon was ran in Warsaw, there are a number of events on ofter in the Polish capital this year as they celebrate this key landmark.

To see the full range of events on offer please visit nnpolmaratonwarszavski.com