How to conquer the Beskydy Seven (and not lose your mind)

If we at outdoorweb.cz want to recommend gear for races like the famous Beskydy Seven, it’s only fair to try it ourselves. Or rather – on our own legs. These days, any average shop can afford various ambassadors – meaning professional runners – whom they sponsor to sing the praises of products they often need to get rid of. We did it differently.

The lot fell to our colleague Petr. A runner with eight years of hobby running behind him, around 800 kilometres a year, and this year he also ran the Prague Marathon. Basically the ideal candidate: experienced enough to manage it, but still naive enough to be talked into it.

Preparation? More improvisation than a training plan

No ultramarathon camps, no coach, no special diets. Just a few months of regular running on the flats around Moravské Budějovice, where the biggest hill is the slip road onto the bypass.

And to make it not too easy, in spring he was in an MRI scanner because of his back, and his Achilles was in such a state that the first steps in the morning often resembled a ballet performance – anyone who knows Achilles pain needs no further explanation.

Luckily, physiotherapy, regular exercises and a bit of stubbornness helped. In July and August he managed a couple of test runs in the Beskydy – one 36 km, the other 50 km. That gives you an idea of what’s coming. And at the same time, the illusory feeling that the whole thing will be fine.

D-Day: 29 August 2025, 23:00 – and off into the night

Instead of going to sleep, Petr stood among three thousand runners and, with humility, lined up right at the back. “So I don’t hold anyone up,” he said. A few hours later, he was holding back at most his own legs.

The first five hours were soaked through – persistent rain, drenched shoes, slippery stones. But UNDER ARMOUR shorts and T-shirt held up, LA SPORTIVA Prodigio shoes bit into the terrain, and the favourite OSPREY Duro pack served as a reliable companion. At night, the FENIX HM51R headtorch also came into play – because when you’re running along a mountain ridge in the rain, light is your best mate (right after caffeine).

And that came in handy.

SPONSER caffeine gels LIQUID ENERGY PLUS came out within the first hours – not only for energy, but also because in rain and darkness it’s better if your brain stays at least a bit awake.

We mustn’t forget the poles either, without which, in Petr’s words, completing the Beskydy Seven is absolutely out of the question, unrealistic, impossible, unfeasible, utopian and completely off. He did meet a few runners like that on the course, though. In his kit he had the LEKI Khumbu Pro FX.One TA model, but most more experienced runners are currently equipped with Ultratrail FX One, Neotrail FX One or Evotrail FX One models.

Hills that hurt, and a knee that ran itself out

The first three hills went smoothly – Petr knew them. Then came Lysá hora. He’d never been there, but in the end it turned out you can survive that too. After 50 kilometres, his knee started to ache. Logically that would mean trouble, but Petr did it his way: “You can run the pain out.” And surprisingly, he did.

The section between kilometres 60 and 90 was, in his words, “the longest of my life”, but no drama. Just the monotonous rhythm of steps, occasionally interrupted by a saying every racer knows:

“Why am I doing this?”
“Because you paid for it.”

Navigation bonus: a free kilometre

All race long, Petr assumed you couldn’t get lost – after all, there are so many people around. But as he moved up the field, there were fewer runners, until he was running completely alone for a while. And that’s exactly when he, of course, took the wrong turn. Classic. The bonus extra kilometre pleased his watch, but his knees less so.

The finish, euphoria, and a beer that stayed full

The last ten kilometres he ran on adrenaline and sheer stubbornness alone. After 17 hours and 36 minutes, he crossed the finish line – 241st place out of 3000 participants.

Goal to finish? Done.
Goal under 20 hours? Done.
Goal not to collapse? Done, though only just.

At the finish, the longed-for beer was waiting. First sip of euphoria – and then his stomach announced:

“After twenty gels and bars and other ‘treats’ at the aid stations, I never want anything sweet and calorific again.”

What do we take away from it?

That the Beskydy Seven isn’t a race for superheroes. It’s a race for ordinary people with a strong mind and good shoes.

The most important thing isn’t fitness, but discipline, refuelling, and the ability to run or walk even when you’d rather cry than move.

And when you’ve got the right kit – lightweight UNDER ARMOUR clothing, a reliable OSPREY pack, LEKI poles, POC socks, SAXX boxers, a FENIX headtorch and LA SPORTIVA shoes – you can do it too. Petr didn’t pull the SILVINI rain jacket out of his pack this time, but as he says himself:

“If I hadn’t had it, it would definitely have poured even more.”

So?

If you’re heading for your first B7, or you simply want to find out where the limits of your legs (and common sense) lie, go on and give it a try. Just don’t forget: the most important things are your head, carbohydrates and a good mood.

And if you’re missing any kit, you know where to find it. 😉

Petr’s kit for the Beskydy Seven:

• UNDER ARMOUR T-shirt Tech SS Tee 2.0
• UNDER ARMOUR shorts Vanish Woven 6in Shorts
• LA SPORTIVA shoes Prodigio
• POC socks Cadence Road Socks
• KILPI calf sleeves Press
• SAXX boxers Multi-Sport Mesh
• OSPREY pack Duro 6
• LEKI poles Khumbu Pro FX.One TA
• CAMELBAK waist belt Ultra Belt
• 2x OSPREY soft flasks Hydraulics 500 ml
• FENIX headtorch HM51R + spare FENIX battery RCR123A
• BONTRAGER heart rate chest strap ANT+/BLE Heart Rate Belt KIt
• Bars and gels tested in advance from SPONSER, GU.

What stayed in the pack:

• SILVINI rain jacket Savio
• KILPI arm sleeves Unno Arms
• POC glasses Elicit Toric
• POC gilet Pro Thermal Vest
• Spare YATE headtorch Naos
• YATE waterproof phone case Gardi 21 x 10 cm
• 360° emergency blanket Emergency Blanket