Marathon Museum opened in Košice

This idea was strongly supported by the city itself, which allocated a part of a building in the pedestrian zone – next to the city’s most iconic landmarks – for this purpose.

After several months of intense work and extensive reconstruction the new museum, named MarathonPoint, was ceremonially opened on 6 May 2025. Following similar institutions in Athens and Berlin, this is likely only the third museum in the world dedicated solely to the marathon.

The exhibition is divided into several sections showcasing the history and present of these iconic races in a variety of ways.

The centerpiece is a one-third-size bronze model of the famous marathon runner statue, originally unveiled in Košice back in 1960. Among the most notable artifacts are also: the oldest preserved medal from 1926, documents and badges from the 1924 Olympic Games – where the idea to establish a marathon in Košice was born, fully functional stopwatches from 1930 and a bust of Olympic champion Abebe Bikila, who triumphed in Košice in 1961.

The richest part of the exhibition is the digital Marathonpedia. Through five touchscreens visitors can access a database containing more than one million characters. This allows searches of names, performances, and details of every runner who has ever crossed the finish line in Košice. There is an extensive presentation of past winners and many global sports stars who visited this marathon. In the richly developed timeline visitors can discover details from each edition of the race, browse an engaging film archive, explore a wide range of statistical overviews and read short articles about many curiosities related to this marathon.

These historical artifacts and data are complemented by modern art installations that use elements of media art. The creators employed cutting-edge technologies to create a captivating fusion of image, data flow, and sound – resulting in a presentation that at times evokes a mystical atmosphere.

After an inspiring tour visitors can relax and chat in the Marathon Café, an integral part of MarathonPoint, open daily from 08:00 to 20:00.