The first day of the Energa Gdańsk Marathon 2026 is behind us! Saturday, April 18th, proved that running in the "City of Freedom" is a sport for absolutely everyone – from one-year-olds to triathletes seeking fitness in a fast five-kilometer race. The Polsat Plus Arena Gdańsk stadium became the heart of the sporting excitement, which will continue until tomorrow's finale of the royal distance.
Junior Day: Not just results, but also healthy habits
From 4:30 PM, the stadium was taken over by the youngest runners. Hundreds of children and young people (ages 3-15) participated in the 200-, 500-, and 1000-meter races. Although their faces showed immense concentration and ambition, the result was secondary in these races.
The idea was to instill good health habits in children from a young age and show them that sport is fun. Natalia Czaniecka, whose 9-year-old twins have been accompanying their parents to competitions for years: "The kids see it, soak it up, and start to get the hang of it themselves. This makes the logistics a lot easier for us because we don't have to convince them to do anything—they just follow our example and get started.". The young runner built his athletic confidence today by running to the same professional finish line as the adults.
Czaniecka Piątka: From pasta production to sports personal bests
The evening belonged to the participants of the Czaniecka Piątka (Czaniecka Five). This race allows you to experience the atmosphere of a great marathon in a nutshell. The starting line included the "positive freaks" from Czaniecki Makaron, led by its owners, for whom sport and business are interconnected.
Patryk Czaniecki, who recently "broke" 3:15 in the marathon in Barcelona, this time chose the 5 km distance to wisely dose the load before triathlon starts. – Sport is incredibly mentally stimulating, which translates into more peaceful work. During training, you can think about many things, work through problems in your head, and then return to the office with a fresh perspective. – he emphasizes.
For the Czaniecki family, participating in the Gdańsk race was a natural choice. As pasta producers (using 300,000 eggs a day!), they know best that without good carb loading, results are impossible. – Pasta is the best meal before a race. We perfectly matched our industry to our passions. – adds Natalia Czaniecka with a smile.
A route full of symbols and history
Saturday's runs were the perfect way to warm up the atmosphere. As the event director notes, Adam Greczyło, this year's marathon is not only a sport, but also a history lesson: – Each element refers to outstanding Gdańsk citizens, and their values are linked to zones on the route.
The atmosphere at Polsat Plus Arena, the joint warm-up with Zdrofit and the finish inside the "amber" stadium made Czaniecka Piątka the most beautiful moment of the season for many.
The fastest juniors and 5km runners
Today we celebrated the health of our juniors and their speed in the 5k. Among the children, the fastest runners were Julia Wlazło (:39) and Leon Kotłowski (:41) in the 200m, Maciej Jaros (1:51) and Nadia Wasiluk (1:59) in the 500m, and Jakub Kurowski (3:35) and Helena Nowicka (4:09) in the 1000m. The Czaniecka Five culminated in a competitive finish, with Mateusz Jankowski (16:03) the fastest man and Agnieszka Kujach (18:10) the fastest woman.
The Czanieck Five
Men
- Mateusz Jankowski (Elblag) – 16:03
- Kamil Szymanek (Saw) – 16:17
- Bartosz Banach (Gdansk) – 16:27
Women
- Agnieszka Kujach (Gdansk) – 18:08
- Natalia Krupińska (Gdansk) – 18:09
- Julia Messiah (Gdynia) – 18:35
What lies ahead?
Tomorrow, at 9:00 a.m. sharp, Gdańsk will become the arena for a royal-distance battle. Will the marathon runners follow in the footsteps of the Czaniecki company owners and set new personal bests? We'll find out soon!
Results available live on the website.
Photo: Przemek Świderski
