Academic Championship of the Czech Republic in Cross-Country Skiing 2025

The Vysočina Arena in Nové Město na Moravě welcomed 76 athletes from 13 universities for this year’s Academic Championship of the Czech Republic in Cross-Country Skiing. All participants were accommodated directly at the competition venue, providing a significant advantage for ski testing and preparation ahead of the races. The courses were in top condition, thanks to the meticulous work of the Nové Město sports club organizers, and the beautiful weather only added to the experience. Every race day was sunny, with temperatures remaining below freezing.

Day 1: Mixed Relay
The competition kicked off with the mixed relay event (man, woman, man) over distances of 6 km and 3 km, using the freestyle technique. A total of 19 teams lined up at the start. MUNI took an early lead after the first leg, handing off in front of TUL and ČVUT. During the second leg, TUL moved into first place, and the order—TUL, MUNI, ČVUT—remained unchanged through to the finish.

Day 2: Individual Classic Races
The second day featured the 5 km women’s and 10 km men’s races, both using the classic technique. Twenty-one women competed, with Anežka Honsová (TUL) delivering the fastest performance. Marcela Hloušková (UP Olomouc) claimed second place, while Markéta Štefanová (TUL) secured third.

In the men’s event, Tomáš Lukeš (TUL) captured the academic champion title, finishing ahead of Ondřej Pilař and Marek Juřík, both representing MUNI. A total of 38 men took part in the race.

Day 3: Distance Freestyle Races
The final day saw the longest events of the championship—10 km for women and 20 km for men—both contested using the freestyle technique with a mass start. Sixteen women and 43 men lined up for their respective races. The women tackled a 3 × 3.3 km circuit, with Marcela Hloušková (UP Olomouc) taking the victory ahead of Iva Vránová (VŠE) and Nela Žilinská (UJEP). The men completed six laps of the same 3.3 km course. Ondřej Pilař (MUNI) paced himself perfectly, securing the win by 21.7 seconds over his teammate Jakub Augsten (MUNI). The battle for third place was incredibly close, with Jakub Pešina (TUL) finishing just 0.2 seconds behind Augsten.

Beyond medals and diplomas, all competitors were awarded valuable prizes from event sponsors.

The championship maintained a high level of competition, further elevated by the participation of students who had competed at the World Winter Games in Turin—Jakub Augsten (MUNI), Marek Juřík (MUNI), and Martin Svoboda (UK).

The success of this year’s Academic Championship was made possible by the outstanding facilities at the Vysočina Arena, the perfectly groomed trails, the seamless collaboration of organizers from MUNI, TUL, and VUT, and, of course, the favorable weather conditions.

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to this fantastic event!

RNDr. Eva Slonková