On the last weekend of September – parallel to the 47th Nationale-Nederlanden Warsaw Marathon – the premiere edition of the Race Director Programme will take place.
Key representatives from major running events across Europe will gather in the Polish capital to share their knowledge, best practices, and inspire participants with new ideas for growth.
This is the first international, hands-on workshop in Poland dedicated entirely to race directors and organizers of mass sporting events. During two intensive days, participants will learn from outstanding experts who manage some of Europe’s largest races. The Programme is designed for those who want to take their events “from ordinary to extraordinary” – whether they are leading a local run or an established international brand.
Speakers include, among others:
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Lorenzo Benfenati – Maratona di Roma (Italy)
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Sotiris Kyrianakos – Athens Marathon. The Authentic (Greece)
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Yoshi Groen – Bijlmer Run / Run4Art (Netherlands)
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Fabien Rassek – Head of Sales, Finishers.com (France)
The sessions will be hosted by Prof. Grzegorz Mazurek, Rector of Kozminski University – the top business school in Central and Eastern Europe.
Participants will take part in strategic sessions, marketing workshops, operational exercises, and backstage visits to the largest marathon in Poland. The workshop will be truly unique – to ensure quality and effectiveness, only 20 spots are available!
“We look up to the world’s best organizers, who constantly expand their race programmes with new elements. We want Warsaw to become such a model as well – a place where industry leaders come together to exchange experience, raise standards, and improve efficiency. That’s why we are making a milestone step – combining running with a professional forum for leaders,” says Marek Tronina, President of the Warsaw Marathon Foundation.
The idea of the Programme stems from years of experience of the organizers, who combine their passion for sport with a professional approach to managing large-scale projects and business.
The Race Director Programme is poised to become a recurring platform for knowledge sharing in the industry, and Warsaw – a hub where the best come to inspire and set higher standards across Europe. The workshops will be held in English.
Details:
📅 Date: 26–27 September 2025
📍 Venue: Warsaw, Hotel Presidential + Warsaw Marathon technical zones
👥 Capacity: 20 participants (first come, first served)
🌍 Language: English
📝 Registration: https://rejestracja.maratonwarszawski.com
📄 Full programme: https://nnmaratonwarszawski.com/rdp/
👉 If you are a race organizer looking for growth and inspiration – this event is for you!
