Registration opens on Wednesday, August 1st for the chance to participate in the Budapest Urban Games, a popular one-day event taking place on September 1st. Major Budapest landmarks host activities every year, involving teams and individual contestants. You can join an elevated running race along the scenic Citadel promenade or participate in streetball championships and five-a-side football games on focal Klauzál tér. The biggest attraction is the cross-Danube swim, for which participants jump into the river on the Pest side of Liberty Bridge and emerge a few minutes later on the Buda embankment. Register to take part or just visit the many attractions to enjoy the show.
Registration on August 1st is on a first-come-first-served basis – so be sure to book early for the Budapest Urban Games, whichintroduced the first officially organised cross-Danube swimming contest in Hungary’s capital last year. Water levels and weather permitting, daredevils plunge into the river on the Pest side of Liberty Bridge and battle the currents all the way to the opposite bank on the Buda side, where swimmers emerge in front of the Budapest University of Technology.
To plunge into this aquatic endeavour, participants should be over 18 years of age with considerable swimming experience and are required to present a valid medical certificate – this is also available on-site and costs 9,000 forints. Each contestant pays a deposit of 5,000 forints to join the competition. Swimming caps with the Budapest Urban Games logo will be also distributed. The first three swimmers reaching the Buda side will be awarded with a special medal and a gift package offered by the event sponsors.
If you prefer competing on land, a running race kicks off the same day, offering athletes a chance to tackle a panoramic path around Citadel, over five kilometres or ten. The route covers sylvan Gellért Hill settings and involves asphalt, gravel and grassy surfaces, but you can also expect a few sets of stairs. Refreshment stations are set up along the route, where water and sports drinks are offered to contestants.
For this activity, registration will be also open on the spot, but in limited numbers. Participation is subject to paying a deposit of 5,000 forints. Each contestant receives a T-shirt with the Budapest Urban Games logo, while winners are awarded a cup and other gifts. To warm up for the big day, training sessions are open to anyone to join at the main Citadel parking lot on August 5th and 13th at 6pm, and on August 25th at 10am.
Meanwhile, Klauzál tér will be the place for team sports. This less-frequented part of historic Jewish District will host five-a-side football games and streetball championships between 10am and 6pm. For streetball, training sessions and preliminary matches will take place in Bikás Park on August 4th, then at Boráros tér on August 11th and finally in District V’s Olimpia Park on August 18th, starting for each location at 5pm. To join these contests, each team pays a deposit of 10,000 forints.
Registration for the events is valid once confirmation is received by the organisers. For more information (in Hungarian only), visit the Budapest Urban Games website and Facebook page.
