This was the 44th annual Bieg Piastów (Piast Race) event and it featured a series of competitions including the 42 km and 25 km classic and the 30 km freestyle. Both competitive athletes and amateurs took part.
Poland’s Dominik Bury, a member of the national cross-country skiing team, won the weekend’s longest race, the 42 km classic, clocking in at 2 hours, 7 minutes, and 17 seconds, ahead of Germany’s Jakob Walther (2:07.18) and the Czech Republic’s Jonas Bestak (2:07.20).
Poland’s Dominik Bury wins the weekend’s longest race, the 42 km classic, in front of cheering crowds on Saturday.
Dominik Bury (centre) poses with his victory trophy at the finishing line, alongside second-placed German Jakob Walther (left) and third-placed Czech Jonas Bestak (right).
Meanwhile, Germany’s Walther, a 20-year-old working his way up in the sport, a day later won the 25 km classic event, with a time of 1:13.40, ahead of the Czech Republic’s Tomáš Veber (1:15.20) and Poland’s Jan Antolec (1:15.21).
Polish cross-country skiing darling Justyna Kowalczyk, a double Olympic champion and a two-time world champion, was the second-fastest woman (1:25.39) in that race, finishing behind former Czech Olympian Zuzana Kocumová (1:25.06).
Up-and-coming under-20 Polish skier Marcelina Wojtyła was the third-fastest woman in the 25 km classic, which attracted more than 2,000 competitors.
The weekend’s third big race, the 30 km freestyle, ended with a clean sweep for Czech skiers. The country’s Petr Knop triumphed, with a time of 1:22.23.
Bieg Piastów has been held annually at Jakuszyce since 1976, when a total of 531 skiers competed.
Since 2008 the event has been held under the auspices of the Worldloppet Ski Federation, which brings together the world's largest cross-country ski marathons, including Sweden's Vasaloppet, Austria's Dolomitenlauf, Italy's Marcialonga, Germany's Koenig Ludwig Lauf, the United States' American Birkebeiner, Australia's Kangaroo Hoppet, and New Zealand’s Merino Muster.
Public broadcaster Polish Radio has been a long-standing media partner of the Bieg Piastów event.
Cross-country skiers Dominik Bury (top right) and Jadwiga Gryngiewicz (top left) collect special prizes for the fastest Polish man and woman in the 42 km classic from public broadcaster Polish Radio. Photo: Piotr Piorun/Polskie Radio
This year’s highlights also included a visit by Polish presidential contender Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, who congratulated the winners of Sunday’s 25 km race, mingled with the crowds and had a chat with the race’s originator and former long-time director, Julian Gozdowski.
Julian Gozdowski. Photo: Piotr Piorun/Polish Radio
(gs/pk)
Source: Polish Radio