Projekt418 information

DETAILED #PROJEKT418 RACE REGULATIONS

RACE DATES: April 22–25, 2027
RACE START: Friday, April 23, 2027, at 7:00 AM
DISTANCE: 418 km – two laps around Lake Balaton
RACE CENTRE: Balatonfüred
PATRON OF THE EVENT: Ágnes Forsthoffer, Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary

COURSE RECORDS

Women’s course record (2026): Linda Boros – 60 hours 33 minutes
Men’s / Overall course record (2025): Tibor Erős – 46 hours 10 minutes

TIME LIMIT
In honour of the first-ever finisher, Krisztián Takács “Csipi”, the time limit for completing the double loop is 61 hours and 27 minutes.

RACE PACK COLLECTION
A completed liability waiver is required in order to collect your race pack.
You can collect your race pack before the race at the Race Centre in Balatonfüred, either on Thursday or Friday, before the start. The exact race pack collection schedule will be published before the event.

SECTIONS AND CUT-OFF TIMES
The sections and cut-off times for the 2027 NN Ultrabalaton double-loop individual ultrarunning race are available HERE.

RACE CATEGORIES

• Individual Women
• Individual Men

AWARDS
At the end of the first lap, every runner who finishes within the time limit will receive a unique finisher’s medal and a personalised finisher’s ribbon.

At the end of the second lap, every runner who finishes within the time limit will receive a unique finisher’s medal, a personalised finisher’s ribbon and a Finisher T-shirt.

Runners who reach the finish area after the time limit will receive a RESPECT commemorative medal.

REGISTRATION
Registration for the individual events of the 21st NN Ultrabalaton will open on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at 7:00 PM.

If you have been granted a starting place, you must first register for the individual race day and register your cycling pacers as well.

A personal StafétApp profile is required for registration. Further information is available by clicking HERE.

You can modify your personal details at any time. Please make sure your name is entered in accordance with Hungarian naming conventions: SURNAME first, GIVEN NAME second.

#PROJEKT418 ENTRY FEES
As you are participating on the individual race day, your entry fee is the same as that of individual runners. Your second lap is free of charge. 🙂

The amounts below are per person (HUF/person). The dates indicate both the registration and payment deadlines, so please make sure to take these into account when making your payment.

Payment deadline: January 15, 2027

Category	Entry fee
Individual #Projekt418 participant	139 EURO
Individual #Projekt418 cycling pacer	39 EURO

The amounts are understood in gross and per person.

Any registrations that have not been paid by January 16, 2027, WILL BE CANCELLED!

THE ORGANISER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO BRING FORWARD THE PAYMENT DEADLINE BEFORE THE FINAL DEADLINE, EVEN DURING THE LAST PRICING PERIOD. REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF ANY SUCH CHANGE BY EMAIL.

PAYMENT METHODS
Entry fees can be paid in the following ways:

• SimplePay online payment
• Bank transfer (in HUF) to the Organiser’s bank account:Account holder: Balatonman Triatlon Kft.Bank: K&HAccount number: 10401055-50526549-56551033
• In person at our race office, in cash only.Address: 1134 Budapest, Tüzér utca 9–11.Office opening hours:
  • Monday / Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
  • Wednesday: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
  • Thursday / Friday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

When paying the entry fee in cash at our office, individual participants may choose one gift item from previous years’ merchandise, subject to availability.

Please note that we cannot guarantee a full range of sizes for T-shirts, and our remaining stock of previous years’ headlamps and soft cups is also limited. This offer is therefore available only while stocks last. Thank you for your understanding!

IMPORTANT PAYMENT INFORMATION

• We are unable to accept postal money orders.
• If an entry fee payment is initiated via postal money order, the bank will immediately return the payment.
• The entry fee must be transferred in a single payment.
• Invoices can only be issued to the name and address provided during registration. We are unable to split invoices.
• Payments received separately will be refunded to the sender, minus any applicable bank charges.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE ENTRY FEE?

• The right to participate in the race.
• A finisher’s medal, which will be larger in 2027 than the medal awarded to relay team participants. Awarded for completing the first lap within the time limit.
• A personalised finisher’s ribbon bearing your name, awarded for completing the first lap within the time limit.
• A unique #Projekt418 finisher’s medal and ribbon, awarded for completing the second lap within the time limit.
• A RESPECT commemorative medal for individual runners who finish outside the time limit. This medal can only be collected before the finish area closes at 1:27 AM on Monday, April 27, exactly five hours after the double-loop time limit expires.
• A Finisher T-shirt, awarded for completing the second lap within the time limit.
• A unique pink support vehicle sticker, which must be displayed on the windscreen of the support car.
• Race pack.
• Chip timing.
• An individual tracking device, which must be worn throughout both laps.
• Refreshments for individual ultrarunners at the green-numbered runner stations during the first lap. During the second lap, you can use all refreshment stations that are open on relay race day.
• Dreher 24 non-alcoholic beer at the finish.
• Medical supervision throughout the race.
• Gyermelyi Pasta Party. Participation is available to the first 1,000 participants arriving on Thursday.

RACE PACK CONTENTS

• Individual race bib, personalised with your name (wearing it is mandatory).
• NN UB fabric T-shirt.
• Wristband. Wearing it during the race is optional for runners, but mandatory for cycling pacers. The wristband must be presented to access the additional services available to cycling pacers at designated major stations.

CHOOSING YOUR INDIVIDUAL RACE BIB NUMBER
You must choose your race bib number when submitting your individual registration. If you have a favourite number that could give you extra motivation during the race, we recommend registering as soon as possible!

Please note that some numbers have already been assigned to specific runners. For example, number 18 is reserved for Gilles Pallaruel, while János Bogár has been assigned number 1.

Participants in the #Projekt418 category will receive a special pink race bib, ensuring that they are easily recognisable and receive the special attention they need along the course.

RACE T-SHIRT SIZE CHART

(The image is for illustrative purposes only. The colour and design are still top secret! 🙂)

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR YOUR CYCLING ESCORT

Cycling around Lake Balaton at your own pace is already a significant challenge. Doing so as a cycling escort, while keeping up with the pace of the runner you are supporting, is an extraordinary achievement.

We would like to provide additional support for those pacers who may spend up to 31 hours in the saddle:

• A unique race number, which identifies them at the refreshment stations and allows them to collect refreshments from inside the station tents.
• Access to all products at every refreshment station, just like the runner they are supporting.
• Hot meals at five designated stations, just like the ultrarunners.
• A different medal ribbon from those awarded to other cycling participants.

For this race category, registration of at least two cycling pacers is mandatory. They must be registered by the individual runner through the individual registration platform when submitting their own entry.

A maximum of four cycling pacers can be registered for each individual #Projekt418 entry.

ADDITIONAL #PROJEKT418 RULES

Due to the extreme nature of this challenge, the Organiser has introduced strict rules for all participants. Their primary purpose is to ensure the safety and physical well-being of every runner.

QUALIFYING RACES AND ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

One of the entry requirements is that you must have completed three races of more than 200 kilometres within the past five years, at least one of which must have been completed within 29 hours.

By November 1, 2026, please send a motivational letter to hello@ultrabalaton.hu. In your letter, you must also specify the charitable cause you would like to support through fundraising.

Why do you want to complete this race? Where have you come from, and where are you heading? Who are you, really?

On November 20, 2026, at 7:00 PM, the Organising Team will notify all applicants who have been selected to participate in the 2027 event.

TIMING FOR #PROJEKT418 PARTICIPANTS

For individual runners taking part in the double loop, using the intermediate timing points is optional. You are only required to register your chip at the finish area at the end of the first and second laps.

Each participant will receive a personal tracking device, allowing spectators and supporters to follow their progress online.

IMPORTANT! No time compensation will be applied for waiting at railway crossings. However, safety personnel will be on duty at the crossings until the end of the relay race day.

Throughout the 418 km course, the Organiser may manually record individual runners’ passage at several checkpoints that have not been announced in advance.

At the end of the race, the recorded times of individual participants will be reviewed. If a runner’s time on any section differs significantly (by more than 25%) from their own average performance, and a rule violation is confirmed, the runner will be disqualified and removed from the results.

TIME LIMIT
Individual participants have 61 hours and 27 minutes from the start to complete the full 418 km double loop.

During the first lap, cut-off times will be checked at five checkpoints. Runners must start their second lap no later than 31 hours after their individual race start, meaning by 2:00 PM on Saturday.

During the second lap, cut-off times will again be checked at the same five checkpoints. These checkpoints will be announced in advance.

In addition to the cut-off times for the second lap, we have also indicated the maximum time participants may spend on the course. This has been calculated based on the finish area remaining open for an additional five hours.

Once this maximum time has been exceeded, the participant may not continue the race. They must stop running and get into their support vehicle. Their race will be considered over.

Sleeping and taking longer breaks during the race are permitted. However, all rest time counts towards the total race time and will not be deducted or compensated for.

SELF-SUPPORTED RACE
Participants may collect refreshments at the official stations during the race. However, due to the exceptional difficulty of this race category, every participant must have their own individual nutrition plan and support crew.

CHARITABLE CAUSE
Each participant must nominate a charitable cause and organise a fundraising campaign in its support.

The selected charitable cause must be a registered Hungarian organisation.

CYCLING AND CAR SUPPORT
Each participant must register at least two cycling pacers, who must also agree to comply with the special race regulations.

During the second lap, the presence of a cycling pacer is mandatory. The pacer must remain close to the runner and within their line of sight.

Each participant must also have a support car. The name and telephone number of the driver, as well as the vehicle’s registration number, must be submitted to the Organising Team.

RAILWAY CROSSINGS
After the course closure on Saturday, the relay race day, there will be no safety personnel stationed at railway crossings. Nevertheless, crossing the railway tracks when the red signal is active remains strictly prohibited!

MANDATORY WITHDRAWAL RULE
Participants acknowledge and accept that, during the second lap, the Organiser will establish five checkpoints with specific cut-off times, marked as RESPECT medal cut-off times. If a participant exceeds any of these time limits, they will not be allowed to continue the race under any circumstances, even at their own risk.

Participants also acknowledge and accept that medical personnel provided by the Organiser will monitor #Projekt418 runners after the relay race course closure. These medical personnel are authorised to assess the condition of each runner and withdraw them from the race even before the official time limit expires, if they consider it necessary.

TIMING CHIP DEPOSIT
When collecting their race packs, individual participants will receive their timing chips in exchange for a 5,000 HUF deposit.

Please note that we cannot accept banknotes with a denomination higher than 5,000 HUF for the deposit.

Any timing chips not returned at the finish area can be returned and the deposit refunded until May 8, 2027.

TECHNICAL BRIEFING
On the evening before the race, starting at 5:00 PM, a technical briefing will be held in the main event tent, before the pasta party.

The briefing is exclusively for individual runners, double-loop individual runners, and teams of two, three, four, five and six participants.

The briefing will be held in both Hungarian and English. Participants will have the opportunity to ask the Organisers any questions they may have.

START TIME
Individual runners and double-loop participants will start together on Friday, April 23, 2027, at 7:00 AM.

Their cycling pacers will also start together immediately after the runners.

REFRESHMENTS

This is a self-supported race, during which participants may collect refreshments at the official stations.

During the first lap, more than 45 refreshment stations will be available along the course to help you replace the fluids and calories lost during the race.

REFRESHMENTS AT BIOTECHUSA STATIONS

The following products will be available at BioTechUSA refreshment stations in the first lap:

• Theodora mineral water
• BioTechUSA isotonic sports drink
• Pepsi cola
• Tomatoes
• Bananas
• Salted pretzels
• Sweet oat biscuits
• Milka chocolate
• Olives
• Trappist cheese
• Bread with butter and jam
• Salt
• Canned pineapple or peaches
• Dried plums
• Cranberries
• Peanuts
• Pickles
• Lemon

During the second lap, on relay race day, the following products will be available at refreshment stations during their opening hours:

• Theodora mineral water
• BioTechUSA isotonic sports drink
• Dextrose
• Raisins
• Bananas
• Salted pretzels

GYERMELYI PASTA PARTY
We recommend arriving at the Race Centre early on Thursday, as starting at 4:00 PM, we will welcome the first 1,000 participants to the Gyermelyi Pasta Party.

To take part in the pasta party, you must wear the wristband included in your race pack.

#RUNGREEN
In 2027, the event will once again be organised with an environmentally conscious approach.

There will be no disposable plastic cups at the refreshment stations. You can collect refreshments using your own cup, soft cup, bottle or an NN UB soft cup rented at the Race Centre.

All waste generated during the race and collected at the stations will be sorted and handed over for recycling.

HOT MEAL STATIONS AND DROP-OFF OF PERSONAL REFRESHMENTS

Individual runners and their cycling pacers will be provided with hot meals and instant soup at five designated stations during the first lap only.

You can send your own refreshments and change of clothes to these stations in advance. These items must be delivered to the Race Centre by 8:00 PM on Thursday evening, before the race.

The five designated stations are:

• 39.5 km: Badacsonyörs, Varga Winery
• 73 km: Keszthely
• 89 km: West of Balatonmáriafürdő
• 133.9 km: West of Balatonföldvár
• 175.7 km: Balatonkenese

A microwave will also be available at every hot meal station so that you can heat your food.

RUN THROUGH THE WINE CELLARS
At kilometre 39.5, the course passes through the wine cellar area of Varga Winery. Access to this section is via a staircase.

Please be aware that the temperature here is expected to be lower and the humidity higher than outside.

FINISH AREA OPENING HOURS

After the first lap: The finish area will open once the first individual runner arrives, but no later than 1:00 AM on Saturday, the day following the Friday start.

After the second lap: The finish area will open 30 minutes before the first double-loop participant is expected to finish. It will close no later than 1:27 AM on Monday, five hours after the double-loop time limit expires.

AWARD CEREMONY
Completing this race requires an extraordinary level of physical and mental endurance. Therefore, we will present a special award to participants who finish within the official time limit!

MEDICAL SUPERVISION
The field will be accompanied by a medical team, including ambulances and medical motorcycles. Their telephone numbers can be found on your race bib.

We kindly ask you to pay close attention to fellow runners who may need assistance during the race!

If the medical team determines that a participant is not fit to continue, they are authorised to remove their race bib and disqualify them from the race.

RACE REGULATIONS
The full race regulations are available by clicking HERE.

PHOTOS
Photos taken at the start and finish areas during the first lap will be available for free download after the race on the NN Insurance website.

Please bear in mind that, due to the large number of participants, we cannot guarantee that every runner will have a photo taken. So it might be a good idea to have an enthusiastic photographer among your support crew, too!

Professional photographers from Futófotó will also take pictures of you at several points along the course. These photos will be searchable by race bib number on futofoto.hu.

FINALLY, OUR RUNNING ETHICS
During the NN Ultrabalaton, we are guests of Lake Balaton and the communities surrounding it. We want to leave the lake and its surroundings at least as clean as we found them, but this also requires your attention and cooperation!

The towns and villages along the course welcome us warmly every year. Our event is famous for its fantastic atmosphere, but we kindly ask you to respect the peace and quiet of local residents and everyone who is not taking part in the race.

Help your fellow runners if they get into difficulty, even if it means losing time yourself.

We are runners. We do not discriminate based on skin colour, religion, gender or age. It does not matter where we come from or how fast we run. What unites us is our love of sport and our mutual respect for one another and for the distance we have undertaken.

The volunteers at the stations will do their very best to encourage and support you throughout the race.

Yes, this is a competition, but please always keep the principles of fair play in mind! Win or lose, do so with integrity and your head held high, respecting both the written and unwritten rules. Do it for no one but yourself.

That is what makes the experience unforgettable, and what makes you an inseparable part of what we call NN ULTRABALATON.

The Organiser reserves the right to make changes to the programme and race regulations.