In 2025, Hungary’s most popular community sports event, the NN Ultrabalaton, will kick off for the 19th time. This single-loop race around Lake Balaton is also Central Europe’s most popular running event, open to participants to complete either individually or in teams, whether by running or cycling.
The founders envisioned an ultra-distance race of over 200 kilometers when they launched it in 2007, with just 200 participants. Since then, more and more teams have joined every year, and by 2024, the number of entrants had exceeded 25,000. You can catch a glimpse of the atmosphere in the following video.
The growing popularity of the NN Ultrabalaton is evident from the fact that in 2016, it sold out in 54 days, in 2017 in 54 hours, and in 2018, it took only 37 minutes to reach capacity. Thanks to the trust of our runners, in 2022, the race sold out within 2 minutes, and within an hour, an additional 700 teams joined the waiting list. Neither the pandemic nor the economic crisis limited its popularity, and in 2024, the event broke another record, with more than 25,000 participants eagerly awaiting the starting shot. During last year’s race weekend, runners covered over 840,000 kilometers, circling the Earth over twenty-one times at the equator!
In the early years, the race began along the shores of Lake Belső in Tihany. In 2013, we changed this tradition, moving to Balatonaliga. In 2019, we shifted the race center to Balatonfüred for greater safety, though the course direction (towards the west) remained the same.
Participants have a 27-hour window to complete the race in larger teams, and 31 hours individually. In 2020, ultra runners began the race a day earlier, on Friday morning. The biggest change in 2020 was our move to eliminate plastic cups, making it the greenest running festival in Europe. That year, Covid also inspired the Private Ultrabalaton, allowing individual participation even during the pandemic. This activity remains so popular that it is now held several times a year. Prioritizing safety, in 2022 we directed runners onto a safer bike path along the northern shore, avoiding hillside roads with traffic. This adjustment set the race distance at 211 kilometers.
For 2025, we will reinstate the participant limit for large teams, and with more than 50 relay and refreshment points at the Saturday team race, congestion at these sites should be minimized for smoother competition. Our supporters play a vital role in creating the “NN UB” experience by helping decorate relay points and keeping them running!
Inspired by Krisztián Takács Csipi’s impressive double-loop run in 2024, in 2025 we are introducing the #Project422 category, allowing a limited number of qualified individuals to attempt a double loop.
ABOUT OUR ULTRA RUNNERS
We see every runner who tackles this challenging distance solo as a true hero and do everything we can to support them in achieving their goals. The current individual course record is held by Norbert Mihalik, who completed the loop in 16 hours, 27 minutes, and 54 seconds in 2023, surpassing Tamás Bódis’s record. The women’s record is held by Lilla Cseke, with a time of 20 hours, 15 minutes, and 15 seconds, set in 2022. A unique highlight of the 2022 race was Erős Tibor’s second-place finish in 16 hours and 50 minutes—the second-fastest time ever, a record in itself that could have won in any other year. Dr. Szilvia Lubics is the only woman to top the all-time rankings, and no one has yet achieved a double win in the overall rankings. In 2024, Krisztián Takács Csipi became the first to complete a double loop in the history of the NN UB, covering 422 kilometers in 61 hours and 27 minutes! His run raised 12,381,000 HUF for the Suhanj! Foundation, setting a heartwarming record in domestic fundraising.
Over the past 15 years, nearly 800 ultra runners have completed the distance within the time limit at least once, and we are always thrilled to welcome any of them back! An iconic figure of the race is Gilles Pallaruelo, the only runner to compete individually every year (except in 2020) and complete the course. Among Hungarian participants, Attila Tóth holds the record with 16 individual finishes within the time limit!
ABOUT OUR TEAMS
Most participants take on this long day of the year as a team. Planning, organizing, and travel time are bonding experiences in themselves. The NN UB strengthens friendships, encourages collaboration among strangers, and stands out as an unrivaled team-building experience.
Over 211 kilometers, every runner faces personal limits and gets to know themselves better. At the end of the race, individual efforts combine, and teams cross the finish line with a lifetime of memories.
Today, the NN Ultrabalaton is an institution. It is a challenging feat, a huge celebration, and a massive community experience. A running fiesta and pilgrimage where everyone, by their own standards, is put to the test.