Kenyans Almost Break Record at Birell Prague Race

Once again, the all-time 10km lists underwent major revision at the Birell Prague 10km, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on Saturday. In the women’s race, both winner Sheila Chepkirui (Kenyan )and runner-up Dorcas Kimeli(Kenyan), who finished just half a step behind, were credited with 29:57 performances to become just the second and third women to cover the distance in under 30 minutes. Only their Kenyan compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei, who set the 29:43 world record on this same course in 2017, has run faster. In the men’s race, Geoffrey Koech fought off Mathew Kimeli in the waning stages to reach the finish line in a world-leading 27:02, equalling the legendary Haile Gebrselassie as the fourth fastest man ever. Kimeli clocked 27:07, to move up to No. 7 all-time. The women were off to a blazing start, with Chepkirui, Kimeli, and Norah Jeruto, better known as a standout steeplechase, reaching the midway point in 14:46, a pending world record, with Fancy Chemutai another second back. That group was soon winnowed down to just Chepkirui and Kimeli who fought it out until the closing meters when Chepkirui finally prevailed by about half a second.

Eurostat: Czechs Spend 140 Euro on Average for a Holiday

EU residents spent 377 euro for a vacation in 2017 on average, while the residents of the Czech Republic ranked last, with a 140-euro average allotted for their holidays, according to data released by Eurostat on Tuesday. Czechs spent around €72 for domestic trips and €430 for holidays abroad. All trips included, they spent an average of €34 per night. Slovaks appear much less cost-conscious, with an average expenditure of €249 per trip (€138 in Slovakia and €454 for outbound trips), or an average of €62 per night – nearly twice as much as Czechs. The biggest spenders in Europe in terms of vacations are the residents of Luxembourg, with a 769-euro average for a holiday in 2017, followed by those of Austria (641 euro) and those of Malta (633 euro). On the opposite end, there are those from Hungary (161 euro for a vacation in 2017), Latvia (155 euro), Bulgaria (153 euro). The Eurostat data also show that in only eight of the 28 EU member states more than half of the total expenses on tourism were made in domestic destinations. Romania is a leader in this chapter (where 79 percent of the 2.245 billion euro of the total...

Czech Republic Best CEE Country for Foreigners

The Czech Republic ranks among the best countries in the world for foreign residents, according to a new survey carried out by international foreign resident community InterNations. Overall, the Czech Republic ranks 10th out of 64 destinations. It ranks second in the world for working abroad, as well as among the best countries for families (fourth) and quality of life (seventh). Almost all respondents (96 per cent) rate the opportunity to travel highly, while 95 per cent are impressed with the transportation infrastructure in the country. However, it’s not all good news for the Czech Republic: the country ranks just 56th globally for ease of settling in. Foreign residents in the Czech Republic are particularly unimpressed with the friendliness of the locals: just two in five (40 per cent) rate the general friendliness of the population positively. The language barrier is one issue that gets identified as a problem  Although 56 per cent of respondents agree that it is easy to live in the country without knowing the local language, just 13 per cent agree that learning it is easy. In fact, fewer than one in ten (nine per cent) can speak it very well.

Most Livable Cities In The World: Prague Ranked 69th

Vienna has held off Melbourne to retain the top spot on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index for 2019, further strengthening its reputation as the world’s most pleasant city, while the ‘gilets jaunes’ protests hurt Paris’ score. Melbourne, Australia took the second-place spot, following close behind Vienna’s score. Vienna had taken the top spot from Melbourne last year after seven consecutive years at No. 1. Sydney, Australia; Osaka, Japan; and Calgary, Canada make up the remaining top five on the annual Global Liveability Index of 140 cities around the world. Not one U.S. city landed in the top 10 this year. Honolulu scored the highest among U.S. cities, ranking 22nd. Atlanta trailed at 33rd, followed by Pittsburgh at 34th and Seattle at 36th. The EIU’s index ranks cities by five headline criteria. Stability and culture & environment are the two most important categories, weighted equally at 25% of the total. Healthcare and infrastructure are also matched at 20%, with education coming in last with a 10% weighting. Damascus in war-torn Syria remained the worst-ranked city, below Lagos in Nigeria and the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, which swapped places. The world’s most liveable cities 2019 1. Vienna, Austria 2. Melbourne, Australia...

Electric Scooter Sharing Comes to Prague

Simply Clever and electric: ŠKODA AUTO DigiLab launches an eScooter sharing service, BeRider, in Prague. BeRider is now beginning its pilot phase. The BeRider scooters’ electric drive system is powered by two lithium-ion batteries. Fitted with LED headlights as well as front and rear brake discs, BeRider enables users to make headway safely and efficiently in urban traffic. Being lightweight, the electric scooter is handy and easy to manoeuvre. Its large wheels and sturdy suspension guarantee a safe and comfortable ride. As is typical for an electric vehicle, it boasts powerful acceleration and can reach a top speed of 66 km/h. With a range of up to 70 km, the zero-emission electric scooters are ideal for short to mid-range distances. Jarmila Plachá, Head of ŠKODA AUTO DigiLab, said, “Our BeRider service excellently complements the range of inner-city mobility options available in Prague. Whether for travelling to work or a sightseeing tour, BeRider electric scooters are practical, eco-friendly and user-friendly. At the same time, we are incorporating our digital expertise: every BeRider scooter is equipped with sensors that transfer data in real-time. Due to this level of transparency, we are able to improve our customers’ experience when they use scooters.” The...

September 20-22: WebExpo Conference in Prague

WebExpo is Central Europe’s largest conference covering deep tech & practical topics for designers, developers, product managers, and marketers. It will take place on September 20-22 in Prague gathering 70 experts, 7 hands-on workshops and hosting 1700 participants from different parts of Europe. Learn more in the program It will feature a wide range of experts in Web Development, UX Designs, AI & ML and Online Marketing from around the world and the Czech Republic.   Here are some of the most interesting talks: (UX) Bringing personality back to the web – Vitaly Friedman, co-founder of Smashing Magazine will shed some light on the strategy of how to bring personality back to web design, and how we can make our experiences more humane while also having a higher ROI.  (UX) How to win the hearts of your new users – Inna Kerzman, User-centered Growth Expert specialized in customer retention, learned at Fiverr.com that new users’ behavior varies significantly from recurring users’. Knowing this, she will show strategies and practical tools that will help you design a better experience to make your new users more valuable and loyal. Code in the dark: This is not a talk but it is really...

E-Carsharing Company GreenGo to Launch in Prague

Hungarian electric carsharing company GreenGo is set to expand abroad for the first time, setting up an operation in Prague. Three years ago, GreenGo was the first company to introduce a fleet composed solely of environmentally friendly EVs in Central and Eastern Europe with its launch in Budapest. The company grew quickly, expanding its fleet from an initial 45 vehicles to 300 by 2019, and says it is still maintaining steady growth, despite other major service providers joining the Budapest market. People in Prague can already meet GreenGoʼs Volkswagen eUP cars as they are currently conducting test drives around the city. “After securing GreenGo’s Budapest operations, we wanted to expand to a Central European city that offers great business opportunities, has a high affinity for the culture of carsharing, shares some similarities with Budapest in terms of size, and is close to our hometown,” GreenGoʼs managing partner, Bálint Michaletzky comments. Q4 launch The company will be officially launching its EV fleet service in Prague during Q4 2019. The company says that more details on the service will be available following the test period. Czech operations will be headed by Šimon Čapek. “Drawing upon decades of management experience in European and...

This Weekend: Foodparade Festival

Prague 3 to Ban Plastics at All Outdoor Events

Kino Evald – Watch Films in an Intimate Atmosphere

Cinema club Evald is a small, classy cinema – it is in the Prague city center, has a stable program with four movies running each day, including mainstream selections, at least movies suitable for a small screen, as well as art movies and films from different countries. The generous front door invites you to the more private underground area, which is cozy with the carpets and classy with the cloakroom, especially handy during winter. In summer, the cool underground environment is relieving and rewarding. No drinks are offered in this cinema, but you can get started before the film in the local restaurant, which is just at the end of the same corridor, and of course, also discuss there later on the impact of the film you have just seen. I really like this cinema, there are not many of this type in Prague these days. Author: Irena Schlosser. You can find the original article here Spotted by Locals Prague is a blog (and iPhone & Android app) by locals who live & love their city.

This Saturday: Summer Street Food

The aim of the festival is to introduce the latest trends in the “street food” gastronomy and give you an opportunity to taste various dishes from all around the world and introduce you to different cultures & tastes. You can taste Asian specialties, fish, burgers, Sri Lanka traditional dishes, African delicacies, edible insects, filled potatoes, donuts, waffles, macarons, ice cream, desserts. Admission fee: CZK50, disabled and children younger 12 years old for free. More info here

Prague’s Náplavka Revitalization Completed