XVI Półmaraton Szakala Dookoła Lasu Łagiewnickiego

Szakale Bałut is a Łódź running club series centered on races within Łagiewnicki Forest, a large woodland area inside the city. Its Autumn Jackal Festival takes place in autumn, offering runners four main distance choices. This allows the same weekend to suit those seeking a shorter forest run, a challenging half marathon, or a significantly longer outing. The main event is the Półmaraton Szakala “Dookoła Lasu Łagiewnickiego,” a half marathon circumnavigating the forest, regarded by runners as a local classic. The course is not a flat city-road run. The half marathon route incorporates forest paths and multiple ascents, providing a surprisingly rugged character for a race within Łódź. The Ultra Szakala extends to approximately 53 km, venturing beyond the primary forest into adjacent landscape parks and more untamed terrain. The event also employs staggered starts, with women and “szlem” runners beginning separately from two men’s waves, contributing to a more organized club-race atmosphere compared to a single mass start.