Róbert Štefko - 7 times winner

May 28, 1968

Róbert Štefko is one of the most prominent figures in Czechoslovak and Czech distance running, especially in terms of success on the international stage. Judging by his personal records, he is the absolute record holder in Czech running history. He was particularly fond of the Běchovice–Prague race — and let’s add: he ran it exceptionally well. In fact, better than anyone else.

Róbert Štefko with his athlete and the 120th Běchovice winner Jiří Homoláč

With seven victories, Róbert holds the record for the most wins in the entire 128-year history of this legendary race. With two additional silver medals, he also leads the all-time medal count. His consistency is remarkable: he claimed his seven titles over an incredible span of 17 years (1991–2008) — something rarely seen among elite runners.

In 2016, at the age of 48, Róbert returned once again to the start line at the famous milestone marking the 13th kilometer. Despite saying he hadn’t trained much at the time, he ran an excellent 32:55, earning 13th place in the Czech Championship field against strong competition.

Róbert’s personal best at Běchovice is 29:21, and he has broken the 30-minute barrier five times — a feat no other runner in the race’s history has achieved.

He also delivered outstanding marathon performances worldwide:

• 6th place in London (1998)

• 7th place in New York (1997)

• 3rd place in Prague (2004)

He finished 4th at the European Championships in the 10 km, and 10th in the World Cross Country Championships. He also represented his country at the Olympic Games three times.

His personal bests still stand as benchmarks in Czech distance running:

• 10 km: 27:42

• Half marathon: 1:00:29

• Marathon: 2:09:53

These times remain nearly untouchable for today’s Czech endurance athletes.

After ending his professional career, Róbert turned to coaching, where he continues to share his wealth of experience with the next generation of runners.