International Peace Marathon in Košice

Overview of postal and philatelic materials published for the International Peace Marathon in Košice and related sport events.

CONTENTS:

» International Peace Marathon in Košice – a brief history

» International Peace Marathon in Košice – philatelic materials

» » CZECHOSLOVAKIA

» » » Postage stamps and related materials

» » » Special postmarks

» » » Private (non-postal) cachets

» » » Postcards

» » » Non-postal labels

» » SLOVAKIA

» » » Postage stamps and related materials

» » » Special postmarks

» » » Postage meter impressions (OVS and DEKVS)

» » » Private (non-postal) cachets

» 6th World Half Marathon Championships in Košice – philatelic materials

» » SLOVAKIA

» » » Postage stamps and related materials

» » » Special postmarks

» Sources (references)

International Peace Marathon in Košice – a brief history

It was 1896 when the modern Olympic Games were revived in Athens. The highlight of the Games was the race from the town of Marathon to Athens, held on 10 April. In Greece, this race was highly revered, as confirmed by the victory of Greek runner Spyridon Louis, one of the eighteen competitors at the start. At that time, the marathon distance had not yet been standardised.

The decisive distance proved to be 42.195 km (26 miles and 385 yards). It was first run at the London Olympic Games on 24 July 1908 by the Italian runner Dorando Pietri. However, he was disqualified for receiving inadmissible assistance from another person, specifically from officials just before the finish on the Olympic stadium track. American runner John Joseph Hayes was declared the winner. This memorable race gave the world a fixed marathon distance, established by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in 1924 and unchanged at the Olympic Games since then.

The International Peace Marathon (MMM) in Košice, also known as the Košice Marathon, is the oldest marathon in Europe and the third oldest in the world, after the Boston and Yonkers Marathons, among those still held today. The idea for the Košice Marathon arose in the mind of Vojtech Bukovský in 1924, while he was in the stands of the Colombes Stadium in Paris, where the Olympic Games were taking place.

As early as 31 August 1924, the Košice Athletic Club organised a trial 30 km run, together with cycling races, athletics competitions and women’s handball. It was a preparation for a race measuring 42 kilometres and 195 metres. The first marathon, called Slovenský maraton (at that time, the word “maraton” was still written without the Slovak diacritic), was held on 28 October 1924. Since then, it has been held annually, except in 1938 and 1940. A women’s category was added in 1980.

The marathon course is flat. Today, two laps are run through the historic and wider city centre, on asphalt and paved roads entirely closed to traffic. In the past, the course was as follows:

» 1924: Turňa – Košice

» 1925: Košice – Šebastovce – Košice, with the start and finish in the Anička recreational area

» 1926–1950: Košice – Seňa – Košice

» 1951: Košice – Lemešany – Košice

» 1952: Prešov – Košice

» 1953–1988: Košice – Seňa – Košice

» 1989: city circuit starting on Čermeľská Road and finishing at the Lokomotíva Stadium

» 1990–1996: city circuit with both start and finish at Marathon Peace Square

» Since 1997: city circuit starting and finishing in front of the Hilton Hotel, formerly the Slovan Hotel, on Hlavná Street

Throughout the long history of the International Peace Marathon, many prominent male and female runners have stood on the starting line and achieved notable sporting successes; several even won the Olympic marathon. Some can be documented directly through philatelic materials.

In 1931, Argentine runner Juan Carlos Zabala won the race. A year later, he won the marathon at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Another prominent participant was the legendary Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila, who won the International Peace Marathon in 1961. This is commemorated by a 2011 special postmark bearing the text: “50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LEGENDARY VICTORY OF ABEBE BIKILA”.

As well as his other achievements, Abebe Bikila was a two-time Olympic marathon champion in Rome in 1960 and Tokyo in 1964, making this postmark thematically suitable for Olympic Games collectors too. And not only that: in 1970, during his treatment in England following a devastating road accident that left him almost completely paralysed and from whose consequences he later died, Abebe Bikila competed in archery and table tennis at the Stoke Mandeville Games in London. These sporting competitions for people with physical disabilities became the forerunners of the Paralympic Games. He also competed in both sports at the 1971 games for athletes with disabilities in Norway and won a dog-sled competition.

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International Peace Marathon in Košice - philatelic materials

The International Peace Marathon in Košice has a rich history not only in sport but also in philately and collecting. Many special postmarks have been used at Košice 1 Post Office, several commemorative postcards have been issued, and the Czechoslovak and Slovak Post even issued commemorative postage stamps in 1956 and 1980, and in 2014 respectively.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

Postage stamps and related material

On 9 August 1956, the Czechoslovak Post issued the International Peace Marathon Košice 1956 commemorative postage stamp with a face value of 80 h.

Artwork: Anna Podzemná-Suchardová; engraver: Jiří Švengsbír; print run: 3,315,000 copies; perforation: RZ 11 ¾ : 11 ¼; printing format: 2 × 50 stamps; sheet: 5 x 10 stamps; printing technique: rotary intaglio combined with recess printing.

Catalogue number: Pof. 901.

Pictorial motif: A group of five runners.

Inscription: MEDZINÁRODNÝ MARATÓN MIERU / KOŠICE 1956

A first day cover (FDC) was issued with the stamp.

On 29 January 1980, the Czechoslovak Post issued the 50th International Peace Marathon in Košice commemorative postage stamp with a face value of 50 h.

Artwork: Igor Rumanský; engraver: Jan Mráček; print run: 6,235,000 copies; perforation: RZ 11 3 : 11 1; printing format: 2 × 50 stamps; sheet: 5 x 10 stamps; printing technique: rotary intaglio combined with recess printing; paper: fl1.

Pof. 2422.

Pictorial motif: A group of runners, with a symbolic dove of peace carrying a sprig in its beak in the background.

Inscription: MEDZINÁRODNÝ / MARATÓN / MIERU / KOŠICE 1924 1980

A first day cover (FDC) and a commemorative sheet were issued with the stamp.

This stamp has one well-known, distinctive plate flaw (DCH 33/2: a horizontal dash above the first letter E in the name of the country) and one distinctive plate variety (DO 40/1: blue colour is missing behind the head of the third runner). Both are sought after; their use on a postal item without a philatelic theme is rare.

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Special postmarks

The first special postmark for the International Peace Marathon in Košice was used in 1937; another followed immediately after the Second World War in 1945. Thereafter, another was used each year, with the exception of 1968, until 1992. An interesting exception was 1952, when two special postmarks were used: one at the start in Prešov and another at the finish in Košice.

The overview of postmarks shows the gradual change of the event name from the original "Slovenský maraton", through "Slovenský maraton - Maraton slobody", "Medzinárodný maratón slobody" and "Medzinárodný maratón", to the present name "Medzinárodný maratón mieru", first used in 1951.

The earliest postmarks had no pictorial motif; later ones repeatedly used modified motifs of a runner. The final Czechoslovak special postmarks depicted the MMM logo and symbols of peace.

In 1977, 1981 and 1982, the special postmark was used for two days: 1 October 1977 and 2 October 1977, 3 October 1981 and 4 October 1981, and 2 October 1982 and 3 October 1982.

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Private (non-postal) cachets

For postal promotion of the event, the organisers and associated organisations commissioned various promotional cachets for envelopes and other occasional postal stationery. The most valuable items intended for postal use are those properly sent through the post, correctly franked, bearing the appropriate special postmark, and preserved in corresponding quality.

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Commemorative picture postcards and postcards

Several black-and-white and colour picture postcards and promotional postcards were issued to promote the event. The most valuable are those properly sent through the post, correctly franked, bearing the appropriate special postmark, and preserved in corresponding quality.

Swede Evert Nyberg won the bronze medal in the 5,000 metres at the 1946 European Athletics Championships. He also took part in three Summer Olympic Games: in 1948 he competed in the 5,000 metres, and in the marathon in 1956 and 1960, achieving his best result, eighth place, in 1956.

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Ordinary postcards

The International Peace Marathon memorial with its sculpture of a marathon runner holding a laurel branch became one of the symbols of Košice. Its view therefore began to appear on ordinary postcards of Košice, either independently or as part of so-called multi-view postcards.

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Non-postal labels

In 1959, a non-postal sheetlet of four labels was issued, featuring motifs and the logo of the International Peace Marathon with the text MEDZINÁRODNÝ MARATÓN MIERU / PAMÄTNÝ ARŠÍK / KOŠICE, 11. OKTÓBRA 1959.

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SLOVAKIA

Postage stamps and related material

On 5 October 2014, Slovak Post issued the 90 Years of the International Peace Marathon in Košice commemorative postage stamp with a face value of €0.45. Artwork: Peter Uchnár; print run: 540,000 copies; printing format: 2 × 54; sheet: 6 x 9 stamps; printing technique: offset; printer: Poštovní tiskárna cenin Praha, a. s.; Pof. 571.
Pictorial motif: Runners in the streets of Košice.
Inscription: 90 ROKOV / MEDZINÁRODNÝ / MARATÓN / MIERU / KOŠICE

A first day cover (FDC) and an official commemorative sheet of Slovak Post were issued with the stamp.

On 4 October 2024, Slovak Post issued the 100th Anniversary of the International Peace Marathon in Košice commemorative postage stamp with a face value of €1.90. Artwork: Mykola Kovalenko; print run: 250,000 copies; printing format: 2 × 50; sheet: 10 x 5 stamps; printing technique: screen printing; printer: Tiskárna Hradištko, s.r.o., Czech Republic; Pof. 829.
Pictorial motif: A runner with a laurel branch.
Inscription: 100 ROKOV / MEDZINÁRODNÝ MARATÓN MIERU / KOŠICE

A first day cover (FDC) was issued with the stamp.

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Special postmarks

Slovak Post has continuously continued the annual use of special postmarks for the International Peace Marathon in Košice. The first special postmark in 1993 was even identical to the one used in 1992.

All postmarks until 2016 depicted the official logo of the International Peace Marathon: the three letters MMM and a dove of peace, from 2001 incorporating the year of the first edition, 1924. In addition, most postmarks featured either one runner or a group of runners; some depict the sculpture of the marathon winner in Košice.

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Postage meter impressions (OVS and DEKVS)

So far, no postage meter impressions directly dedicated to the International Peace Marathon are known. However, there are at least two blue DEKVS impressions of the Košice Self-Governing Region, licence numbers 82197 and 90945, which refer to it indirectly by including the address Námestie Maratónu mieru.

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Private (non-postal) cachets

For postal promotion of the event, the organisers and "associated" organisations commissioned various promotional cachets for envelopes and other occasional postal stationery. The most valuable items intended for postal use are those properly sent through the post, correctly franked, bearing the appropriate special postmark, and preserved in corresponding quality.

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6th World Half Marathon Championships in Košice - philatelic materials

The 6th World Half Marathon Championships, held in Košice in 1997 as part of the International Peace Marathon, can also be associated with the MMM. Slovak Post issued a commemorative postage stamp for these championships, and a special postmark was used.

SLOVAKIA

Postage stamps and related material

On 17 September 1997, Slovak Post issued the 6th World Half Marathon Championships - Košice 1997 commemorative postage stamp with a face value of 9 Sk. Artwork: Igor Piačka; engraver: Bohumil Šneider; print run: 1,670,000 copies; printing format: 2 × 50; sheet: 10 x 5 stamps; printing technique: rotary intaglio combined with recess printing; printer: Poštovní tiskárna cenin Praha, a. s.; Pof. 131.
Pictorial motif: Two runners at the finish, with landmarks of Košice in the background.
Inscription: KOŠICE 1997 / IAAF / 6. MAJSTROVSTVÁ SVETA V POLMARATÓNE

A first day cover (FDC) and an official presentation sheet of Slovak Post were issued with the stamp.

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Special postmarks

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Sources used (references)

[MMM] International Peace Marathon (official website)

[Filaso] Filaso … or philatelists for themselves (Czech Republic)

[POFIS] POFIS – Postal Philatelic Service

[Wikipedia] International Peace Marathon (Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia)

[SlovenskaFilatelia] M. Vančo: Kauza poštovej známky k "100. výročiu Medzinárodného maratónu mieru v Košiciach" (The case of the postage stamp for the "100th Anniversary of the International Peace Marathon in Košice"), Slovenská filatelie 2024/4, str. 20 - 22.

[Aukro] Aukro.cz - Philately

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