The Race
Nocna Ściema starts at 02:00 on the night the clocks go back. About an hour later the clock reads 02:00 again, and the organisers publish the difference between the start and finish clock readings. Every result is therefore one hour shorter than the elapsed time.
A limit of 4 hours 9 minutes 26 seconds applies in the rules, the sum of the men's and women's world marathon records when entry opened. The results cannot be used as personal bests, qualifying times or course records, and a runner who wants a true time should read the elapsed value from a watch.
| Next Race Date | Sunday 25 October 2026, 02:00 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Loop: six laps of about 7.03 km from and to the ZOS Bałtyk stadium |
| Registration | Open entry by donation to the organiser's association; limited bibs |
| Ballot opens | Not applicable |
| Start | ZOS Bałtyk stadium, corner of ul. Andersa and ul. Stawisińskiego, 02:00 |
| Finish | ZOS Bałtyk stadium |
| Total finishers | Not published |
| Average race day temperature | Not confirmed |
| Cutoff time | 4 hours 9 minutes 26 seconds in the rules |
| Free race-day transport | None confirmed |
| Course certification | PZLA certificate claimed by the organiser; not confirmed |
History
Nocna Ściema began in 2011 and its 16th edition falls in October 2026. The name plays on the Polish word for a bluff, and the idea is simple: the race starts at 02:00 on the night the clocks go back from summer to winter time. An hour later the clock reads 02:00 again, and the organisers count the finishing time as the difference between the start and finish clock readings. A runner who needs 3 hours 30 minutes on the course gets 2:30 on the results sheet.
The organiser is the Koszalin association Sport, rekreacja i wolontariat SFX, which also runs the Rozbiegany Koszalin running site. The fourth edition in 2014 drew more than twice the roughly 400 runners of two years earlier, and 139 of them finished the marathon and 585 the half marathon. By 2025 more than 1,100 people had registered across the distances, and about 12 volunteer fire units and close to 100 volunteers staffed the race.
The route has changed. The 2011 to 2015 layout used a hilly loop through the stadium, and from 2016 to 2019 the organisers settled on a lap of about 7 km, run three times for the half marathon and six times for the marathon. A 2020 change replaced the steep ul. Sybiraków with ul. Wojska Polskiego, removed a turnaround near the 6 km mark and reduced the climbing. The organiser describes the current course as certified by the Polish Athletics Association for 2024 to 2028.
The time limit has tightened. It once stood above six hours; in 2025 the organisers set it at 4 hours 9 minutes 26 seconds, the sum of the men's and women's world marathon records when registration opened, and paid a bonus to anyone who beat the world-record times on the adjusted clock. One runner did so in 2025. The marathon bests on the organiser's page, 2:04:19 for women and 1:32:51 for men, both from 2016, are clock differences and not elapsed times.
The course
The marathon is six laps of a city circuit of about 7.03 km, starting and finishing at the ZOS Bałtyk stadium, at the corner of ul. Andersa and ul. Stawisińskiego. The organiser reports a surface of about 93.5% asphalt and 6.5% tartan and other surfaces, along lit main streets, and the route passes through the stadium on each lap, where a scoreboard shows the split.
Each lap leaves the stadium south-east along Gnieźnieńska and runs east on ul. 4 Marca to ul. Wojska Polskiego, about 1.9 km from the stadium and 3.5 km into the lap. It then turns back along Wojska Polskiego and climbs north to ul. Zwycięstwa, the high point at 41 m near lap km 5.3, before running down Piaskowa to the stadium.
The profile spans 15 m, from 26 m at the stadium to 41 m at km 5.3. The lap climbs about 14 m from the stadium to the Zwycięstwa high point over the first 5.3 km, most of it between km 3 and km 5, and then falls about 14 m over the last 1.7 km. No rise or fall reaches 15 m on its own, but the same ground comes six times. The elevation tile is coarse at this scale, so the exact figures are indicative.
The organiser certifies the current course with a PZLA certificate for 2024 to 2028, measured by car, GPS, footpod, wheel and steel tape. The official map is an image on the organiser's site; check it before relying on the street names above.
Kilometre by kilometre
Lap km 0 to 1: out of the stadium. The lap begins at the stadium at 26 to 27 m and heads south-east to Gnieźnieńska, rising about 6 m in the first kilometre. The field is at its thickest here and the street is lit, so settle into a pace you can hold six times.
Lap km 1 to 3.5: the eastern leg. The route runs east along ul. 4 Marca at 31 to 33 m, reaches ul. Wojska Polskiego at lap km 3, and turns at its eastern end, about 1.9 km from the stadium, at 33 m. The organiser's route description names the anti-aircraft museum exhibits along ul. Wojska Polskiego.
Lap km 3.5 to 5.3: the climb. The ground rises from about 33 m to the lap's high point of 41 m on ul. Zwycięstwa near km 5.3. It is short and never steep, but it comes six times, and it is the part of the lap that costs the most.
Lap km 5.3 to 7.03: the run back. The route falls about 14 m down Piaskowa and the streets to the stadium over the last 1.7 km, and the stadium comes into view near the end of each lap. The scoreboard shows the split as you pass.
Six laps. Lap ends fall at about 6.5, 13.6, 20.7, 27.7, 34.8 and 41.8 km. Count laps carefully in the dark: the finish and the start share a line, and the last lap ends the same way as the five before. Timing is by chip, and the clock convention changes the meaning of every split, so use your own watch for pacing.
Two circuits of the 7 km lap in the dark. The clocks have not changed yet, so the first hour runs on summer time. Hold back on the climb to Zwycięstwa.
The change to winter time falls about an hour after the start. Watches that adjust automatically can show 02:00 for a second time.
The same lap, the same climb, fewer runners on the road. The 4 hour 9 minute limit makes this the stretch where the pace is checked.
The last circuit ends where it began, at the stadium.
Course Map
Six laps of the same circuit from the ZOS Bałtyk stadium. Tap a marker for details, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.
No temperature, humidity or wind figure for a late-October night in Koszalin has been published, so none is given here. The start is at 02:00 and runners are on the road until about 06:00, so check the short-range forecast the week before and carry clothing that can be added or removed at the stadium.
The course returns to the stadium every 7 km, so a runner can plan a clothing change or a drink there on any lap. Whether the organiser permits personal items at the aid point is not stated. Dry clothing for the wait before the awards is sensible after a night finish. The kit includes a running or cotton shirt, a cotton bag and a multifunctional scarf.
The rules describe the route as lit city streets, but lighting along the whole lap is not documented, so a head torch and reflective kit are a personal choice.
Entry
Entry is by voluntary donation to the organiser's association, SFX, and bibs are limited. In the most recent rules the donation was PLN 140 for the Silver tier or PLN 180 for the Gold tier (the Silver donation plus PLN 60) until 19 October, and a suggested PLN 160 Silver from 20 to 25 October. Payment is by bank transfer or in cash at the race office.
A bib number is reserved for at least three days and assigned after participation is confirmed. Changes of bib number or distance were allowed until 30 September. On-site registration at the race office on 24 and 25 October, 20:00 to 01:00, is possible only while places remain. In 2025 the organiser reported 1,111 registrations by 14 October and 30 bibs left by 23 October, and online registration closed two days before the race. The total cap has not been published.
The kit includes a running or cotton shirt (the runner's choice), a cotton bag and a multifunctional scarf. Every finisher gets a commemorative metal medal, 100 mm across and 6 mm thick, that lights up. Collection needs photo identification and a personal signature, and proxy collection is not accepted.
The marathon prize structure is a PLN 1,000 bonus shared among runners who beat the combined world-record times, and trophies for the top three women and men. There are no age-group classes in the marathon and no team classification. Because the fee is a donation, the usual refund logic may not apply; read the rules before paying. There is no ballot, qualifying standard or charity place on record.
Fast runner standards
Nocna Ściema has no qualifying times or guaranteed-entry standard.
See the organiser's site →Race Weekend
Race office
There is no expo. The race office is in the sports hall of the Koszalin University of Technology on ul. Racławicka, about 300 m from the stadium. It opened from 20:00 to 01:30 on race night in the most recent programme and stops issuing bibs 30 minutes before the 02:00 start, so arriving late risks queues.
Photo identification and a personal signature are required, and proxy collection, couriers and authorisations are not accepted. The same rule applies to children's numbers. A children's office opened earlier, from 18:00 to 19:30.
Parking is free on ul. Racławicka from 16:00 on Saturday until 09:00 on Sunday, beside the race office. The stadium car park on ul. Stawisińskiego is closed to runners for safety reasons, and a car park by the Kaufland on ul. Stawisińskiego, about 400 m from the office, was suggested in 2025.
Getting to the start
There is no morning: the start is at 02:00 on Sunday, so race day is a Saturday evening and night. In the most recent programme the children's races ran at the stadium from 20:00 to 21:30, the main race office was open from 20:00 to 01:30, and a warm-up and laser show began near the start at about 01:30. The 7 km, half marathon and marathon start together at 02:00. Summer time ends at 03:00 and becomes 02:00 winter time.
Awards are collected in person, so runners wait inside the building after the finish. The 7 km awards begin from 02:00 winter time, the half marathon awards from 03:00 and 04:00, and the marathon open awards from 05:00, with the event expected to end at about 05:10. Changing rooms are available.
Aid appears roughly every 7 km, which matches the lap, with water, bananas and sugar, and medical support is on the course. Police and city-guard patrols were on the route in 2025. Where public transport and taxis stand between 03:00 and 06:00 is not published, so choose a hotel within walking distance. Toilets, baggage storage and shower provision have not been published either.
Nutrition on course
The organiser provides nutrition roughly every 7 km, which fits the lap length. The items listed are water, bananas and sugar, and medical support is provided during the run. Sports-drink and gel provision, cup type and the position of the point on the lap have not been published.
The route passes through the stadium once per lap, so a runner who wants own gels, drinks or a change of clothing can plan to collect them there every 7 km, if the organiser allows personal supplies at that point. Ask before race night. A 02:00 start also shifts the normal meal schedule by hours, which is left to the runner.
Spectating
The stadium is the place to watch. The route passes through it at the end of every lap, so a supporter at ZOS Bałtyk sees a runner six times, including the finish, with a scoreboard split every 7 km.
A runner on a 4 hour elapsed pace completes a lap in about 40 minutes, so passes fall at roughly 02:40, 03:20 and 04:00 summer time, then an hour earlier on the winter clock for the rest. Add a few minutes at the start. The race office and the awards are in the sports hall about 300 m away. Hot drinks and indoor shelter on the night have not been published.
- Stay at the ZOS Bałtyk stadium for the start, each lap end and the finish.
- No transport is needed, and the sports hall is about 300 m away.
- Walk about 1.9 km east to ul. Wojska Polskiego, the east end of the lap at about lap km 3.5.
- See the field twice a lap on the way out and back, then return on foot or by taxi.
Post-race food
The organiser's programme mentions no post-race food service, and the race finishes between about 04:00 and 06:00. No restaurant or late-night option in Koszalin has been published for that hour.
Browser Koszalin, a neo-Gothic brewery building founded in 1868 with a mini-brewery in the cellars, stands about 600 m from the railway station. It is a place to check for opening hours rather than a meal at dawn.
Where to Stay
The start and finish are the same place, and the race ends at dawn on a Sunday, so the practical rule is to sleep within walking distance of the stadium.
Śródmieście, near the stadium
Hotel Gromada, at ul. Zwycięstwa 20-24, is about 0.95 km from the stadium, and City Hotel at ul. Wenedów 3a is about 1.1 km. Both are a short walk from the start and the sports hall, which matters when the finish is between 04:00 and 06:00. Ask each for a late check-out on Sunday.
Szczecińska and Święty Wojciech
Hotel Marton, at ul. Szczecińska 12, is about 1.6 km from the stadium, and Hotel Monika at ul. Świętego Wojciecha 45 is about 2 km. A taxi is the easier way home at that hour.
Mścice, out of town
Hotel Verde at ul. Koszalińska 1 in Mścice is about 5.9 km away. It suits a runner with a car and a plan for the return, and it is the longest transfer here.
No survey of October rates, noise or night-time transport has been published. A Saturday-night booking with a late Sunday check-out covers the race, and the extra hour from the clock change helps.
Recommended hotels
Formerly Hotel Arka, with a restaurant, casino and sauna. The nearest of the five to the stadium and on the street the lap climbs to the high point. Ask about a late check-out.
In the centre, a short walk from the stadium.
A walk of about 20 minutes to the stadium, or a short taxi.
A smaller hotel on the edge of the centre. Plan a taxi for the finish.
Outside the town. Choose it only with a car or a booked taxi.
Booking timeline
Entry is the tighter constraint. In 2025 the organiser had 30 bibs left a few days before the race and online registration closed two days before it, so enter first and book a room straight after.
No data exist on Koszalin hotel occupancy or rate changes for the race weekend. A Saturday-night booking covers the race, and a late Sunday check-out is the useful extra, so ask for it at booking.
Rail is the practical way in. From Warsaw the journey takes about 5 hours, from Gdańsk about 2.5 to 3 hours and from Szczecin about 2 to 2.5 hours, and domestic tickets go on sale up to 30 days before travel. Night services after a 04:00 to 06:00 finish have not been published, so plan the departure for Sunday afternoon or later.
See & Do
Distances are from the ZOS Bałtyk stadium, in a straight line, kilometres first.
Muzeum Obrony Przeciwlotniczej
A museum of anti-aircraft weapons, uniforms and military vehicles at ul. Wojska Polskiego 70, beside the east end of the lap. Opening times vary by season, so check before visiting.
Park Książąt Pomorskich
A city park with a pond and an amphitheatre between ul. Zwycięstwa and ul. Młyńska. It holds the outdoor sculpture Płonące Ptaki by Władysław Hasior (1978), which is free to see.
Katedra Niepokalanego Poczęcia NMP
A 14th-century Gothic cathedral at ul. Bolesława Chrobrego 7, with a tall tower and stained glass. Entry is paid.
Park Wodny Koszalin
An aquapark with pools, slides and saunas at ul. Rekreacyjna 14. The saunas and warm water suit tired legs. Check opening hours.
After the Race
The race finishes at dawn on a Sunday, so the first day for travel is Sunday afternoon or Monday. Kołobrzeg and Słupsk are under an hour by train, Szczecin and Gdańsk take longer. Timetables are not checked for the date, so confirm them when you book.
A Baltic resort with a lighthouse, a promenade, a fishing harbour and a collegiate basilica. The sea is the recovery asset in late October.
A town with the Pomeranian Dukes' castle, the Museum of Central Pomerania and boulevards along the Słupia.
A larger city at the Odra with the Wały Chrobrego terrace and the Pomeranian Dukes' Castle. A standard fare starts at PLN 47.
Długi Targ, St Mary's Basilica and the Motława embankment, with a night in a city that has its own marathon page on this site.