TEAM UP! Everyone – the mass equivalent of professional team competition – is an offer for running fans from all over Europe.
The 2023 edition of the marathon event in the Polish capital was unique for several reasons. One of the reasons was TEAM UP! Everyone – a teams contest different than before, exceptionally motivating for runners and fans.
Warsaw Marathon gathers a growing number of participants from all over Poland, as well as from other European countries. Marathoners need an event that will show the most attractive sides of long-distance running. It will emphasize the emotions surrounding great races – no less than in team games or in Formula 1.
The new shape of the teams ranking
Team classification has been present at many marathons in Poland and around the world for years. Often, however, its potential was not fully realised. The individual ranking – that was the place for records, valuable prizes and high emotions – as a result, only individual competitors used to strive for the best times. The team spirit of struggle and cooperation, well known from many sports disciplines, was not properly reflected in street running.
In 2023, the “Warsaw Marathon” Foundation opened two projects devised to change that landscape. TEAM UP! Europe is a competition of professional, specially invited marathon teams (prize pool: EUR 60,000). TEAM UP! Everyone is the equivalent addressed to amateurs from all over Europe. The only conditions for the team to start are the age of 18 and acceptance of the simple rules of the competition.
– For years, we have been looking for ways that will attract new runners, and at the same time enable the use of the key phenomenon in sport, which is the “team spirit”: the feeling of fighting and cooperation as a team – says Marek Tronina, director of the “Warsaw Marathon” Foundation. – We also want to increasingly highlight the outstanding potential of Warsaw – a modern, European city that cares about excellent conditions for sports and fitness. We want to show what world-class races can look like.
TEAM UP! – and create your team. Anyone can fight like pros
The prizes in the professional team competition are impressive – it’s €20,000 (for the winning team), followed by €12,000, €9,000, €6,000, and €5,000. But that’s not the end. At least sixth place in the TEAM UP! Europe is reserved for the best team of amateur runners. Prize No. 6 (€4,000) or higher (if the best amateurs score better than one of the professional teams) will go to the fastest team in TEAM UP! Everyone. The division of prizes between team members is always decided by the captain (or, in the case of professionals, the manager).
The new contest heralds some previously unknown marathon emotions. The best amateurs will no longer just run for pure fun, but to join the running elite in the symbolic and practical sense. And we will all be watching a race with no scripted outcomes. A competition where each team member must give their best in the last kilometres, because the result of the entire crew may depend on each second.
Transparent rules
Anyone can be the creator and captain of a marathon team. The regulations only require the fulfilment of a few conditions. Adult participants must form teams with representatives of both genders (at least one woman and at least one man). There is no requirement for any sports licenses, while those teams who are interested in entering the top six still have to meet the European citizenship requirement, just like the professionals from TEAM UP! Europe (each participant must have a European Athletics member country passport).
New course and new opportunities – Warsaw is special for runners!
It is worth noting that the competition takes place on a new, very fast route. The 45th Nationale-Nederlanden Warsaw Marathon featured a new loop that combines special visual attractions and a new, flat profile – from the point of view of the fastest athletes, as well as from the perspective of amateurs who want to experience an attractive adventure, Warsaw offers extremely friendly conditions this year.
Another novelty was the start and finish in the immediate city center – right outside the Palace of Culture and Science. Such placing makes it easier for many people to reach the start, but also shows special venues for the country and city history to competitors, their fans and tourists. The organizers traditionally invite runners at the last weekend of September. The event is accompanied by an Expo exhibition with industry special events, as well as accompanying runs – Nice to Fit You Warsaw 10k, Bridgestone Marathon Relay and Nationale-Nederlanden Mini Marathon (children’s runs on September 23).
