The Benešovská osmička is the 8 km main race of the Benešovský Běžecký Festival, an annual running day in Benešov, an old Czech town approximately 45 kilometres from Prague. The festival’s motto is “Anyone can run,” and the programme supports this with children’s races, a family relay, a charity run and walk, a 4 km Minimaraton, the 8 km race, and a three-runner relay.
Everything starts and finishes on Masarykovo náměstí, Benešov’s main square. The Benešovská osmička sends runners through the town centre for six laps of a 1,333-metre course, while the relay teams split the same distance into three 2.66 km legs. The day is designed for families and mixed abilities: juniors race 150 to 975 metres, families run 3 x 325 metres, and the non-competitive charity option is 1.333 km for people who want to run or walk.