Even the most determined members of the construction industry completed the 20th Ultrabalaton

In 2026, Hungary’s most popular community sporting event, the NN Ultrabalaton, took place for the 20th time. This single-lap race around the country’s largest lake is also Central Europe’s longest running race, which participants can complete individually, as a relay, on foot or by bike. The ultra-running race, covering over 200 kilometres, was conceived in 2007 and has since gained unexpected popularity: the total number of participants back then was 200, whereas in 2025 the number of starters exceeded 28,000. SZABADICS GROUP took on the challenge for the third time this year, and our newspaper spoke to Roland, the operational director, about it.

24 hours spent together

“For us, Ultrabalaton is primarily about team-building,” said the director, explaining the basis of their motivation. The 24 hours we spend together at this time create a wealth of new memories: the shared challenges and the hearty laughter forge a bond that we take home with us into our everyday lives. As for the sporting aspect, we are proud that we manage to exceed our own expectations every year.

This year, too, we shaved half an hour off our planned time, so I can safely say that everyone performed beyond their capabilities.

Individual performance, shared success

As our colleagues live in different parts of the country, most of the preparation was done individually. However, he continued, we made the most of every opportunity to train together: whenever we were in a particular city for a conference or a corporate event, we made a point of setting aside time for group runs to get in the right frame of mind for the race.

We faced several serious obstacles whilst circumnavigating Lake Balaton. Unfortunately, one of our runners was injured during the very first stage, but the team reacted immediately: our support cyclist didn’t hesitate to „jump off his bike” and take over for several tough kilometres. Later on, we divided the remaining stages flexibly amongst ourselves.

Our most memorable experience, however, was when we unexpectedly spotted our colleagues standing by the side of the road. As a surprise, they had organised a whole cheering squad for us and accompanied us for several stages, cheering us on. This unexpected outpouring of love and support gave us a huge boost of energy for the second half of the race.

A strong support network is essential for a race of this length

Although the runners are the focus of attention, support from behind the scenes is essential for success. We are extremely grateful to our driver, who, in addition to pulling off logistical feats, ensured that everyone arrived at the changeover points safely and on time.

Special thanks are also due to the Magyar Építők team. They completed a sort of „mini Ultrabalaton” alongside us, as they worked tirelessly to capture our struggle in professional photos and videos. They truly represent the cream of the crop in their field, and it was fantastic working with them again.

There’s no stopping us

We’re not taking much time to rest; we’re already gearing up for the next challenge, because although our legs are still feeling the strain, the team will be putting on a show at the Premature Baby Run this weekend.

At the same time, we’re already working flat out to prepare for the most important sporting event of the year for us, the SZABADICS RIDE, where we can once again demonstrate the strength of our community.