Hot-air balloon race

The Jaroslav Hašek Challenge Cup

Every year balloons rise above Kejžlice airfield and drift wherever the wind takes them. The one who flies the farthest wins.

Winners of the VI. edition · 20/02/2026 Miloš Kovář & Petr Sádlo
182.9 km longest flight
8 h 9 min airborne
15 balloons at the start

Flight map

Where they landed in 2025

V. edition · 01/02/2025 · 18 balloons launched from Kejžlice

Start in Kejžlice Medal places Other balloons Airfield
Map showing the landing sites of the balloons in 2025 PrahaPlzeňKarlovy VaryKladnoRakovníkPříbramBenešovTáborKutná HoraPelhřimovJihlavaRokycany Start Kejžlice 1234567891011121314151617

Base map: Natural Earth, Mapzen Terrain Tiles (SRTM). For illustration only, not for navigation.

1.
David Línek & Ladislav Kouba Balloon Kubíček 4500 m³ · OK 0990
195.0 km as the crow flies
8 h 42 min airborne
16:42 landing time 49.44140 N, 12.70999 E
Full results 2025 Show / hide
Full results 2025
RankCrewBalloonRegistrationLandingAirborneLanding siteDistance
1.David Línek & Ladislav Kouba 4500 m³OK 099016:428 h 42 min49.44140 N, 12.70999 E195.013 km
2.Petr Kubíček & Tomáš Hora 3400 m³OK 778217:009 h 0 min49.52424 N, 12.71671 E193.790 km
3.Stefanie Liller & Kolja Packard 3700 m³OK 468516:518 h 51 min49.55564 N, 12.80916 E186.960 km
4.Ondřej Beneš & Tomáš Köppl 4500 m³OK 695316:488 h 48 min49.53327 N, 12.81868 E186.387 km
5.Evžen Rajzl & Ing. Evžen Rajzl 7000 m³OK 717716:498 h 49 min49.46581 N, 12.85530 E184.293 km
6.Christian „Wuzi“ Wagner 890 m³OE-SIW16:438 h 43 min49.51336 N, 12.91245 E179.760 km
7.Miloš Kovář & Jaromíra Kovářová 4500 m³OK 160816:048 h 4 min49.36580 N, 12.99872 E175.398 km
8.Petr Vítek & Ondřej Veškrna 3400 m³OK 707216:088 h 8 min49.28818 N, 13.11571 E168.682 km
9.Martin Činčala & Radka Činčalová 3000 m³OK 405015:317 h 31 min49.32771 N, 13.13147 E166.670 km
10.Pavel Dillinger & Dominika Dillingerová 3000 m³OK 641314:436 h 43 min49.28722 N, 13.49529 E141.929 km
11.Petr Pártl & Jan Soukup 3400 m³OK 738714:446 h 44 min49.15549 N, 13.71838 E131.167 km
12.Marek Vondrák & Zdeněk Vondrák 3400 m³OK 001514:276 h 27 min49.20927 N, 13.81241 E122.609 km
13.Jan Bartoň & Zbyněk Možíš 3700 m³OK 201212:564 h 56 min49.24560 N, 13.89132 E115.828 km
14.Tomáš Pirner & Petr Květenský 4500 m³OK 711713:225 h 22 min49.24058 N, 14.08749 E102.771 km
15.Vladimír Lacina & Libor Lacina 3000 m³OK 500611:433 h 43 min49.27332 N, 14.61769 E66.844 km
16.Zbyněk Daňhel & Jiřina Daňhelová 2200 m³OK 102111:153 h 15 min49.28679 N, 14.69618 E61.256 km
17.Martin Motyka & Hana Vávrová 2600 m³OK 767310:452 h 45 min49.38445 N, 15.08867 E32.297 km
–Pavel Kostrhun & Jindra Lančarič Disqualified Přistání v 17:044200 m³OK 262617:049 h 4 min49.53129 N, 12.69009 E195.659 km
–Petr Klička & Ladislav Kouba Did not start Nemoc4200 m³OK 6007
–Jan Kostrhun Did not start Nemoc2000 m³OK 0809
–Moritz Friess Did not start Nemoc4000 m³D-OTMF

Challenge cup holders

All editions

Photo gallery

From the launch, the sky and the landing

Videos

The race on video

  • V. ročník O pohár Jaroslava Haška 2025

    edition 2025 · kenarfas

In the press

What the media write about us

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About the race

Where the wind takes us

The race for the Jaroslav Hašek challenge cup takes place every year at Kejžlice airfield. The crews start together and the one that lands farthest from the start wins. The cup then travels with the winners until the next edition.

The VII. edition takes place on 27–31 January 2027, with reserve dates on 17–21 February 2027. Crews can apply through this website.

Balloons at the mass start from Kejžlice airfield
From where Letiště Kejžlice LP 17 km from the centre of Czechia
Where it is N 49°35′31″
E 15°24′05″
The winner is the longest flight
For the winner

Challenge cup, a diploma of lead and steel and a barrel of beer.

When we do not fly

Lipnice and Švejk – the castle, the U České koruny inn, breweries.

Rules

Start from 8:00, crews of two, landing by 17:00 in Czechia. The crew that flies the farthest wins.