Karlův běh, a ski race named after the first King of Bohemia – Charles IV. It is the second oldest individual race on narrow boards in Bohemia. The idea of organizing a long distance ski run in Boží Dar, which was supposed to be similar to the Swedish Vasaloppett, came at the end of the 1960s by local cross-country skiing fans – Jan Praveček and Jiří Čáslavský. They managed to assert a non-political name after the most famous Czech monarch. It is also in the logo of the race, although in the first years the symbol of the race was a snowman on skis with a royal crown. In honor of the founders, the Saturday free style race is held as the Jan Praveček Memorial and the Sunday race in classic style as the Jiří Čáslavský Memorial.

At the start of the first year of the race in 1969 there were 35 racers who took a 25 km long track from Boží Dar to Plešivec and back. The women turned earlier and their track was 15 km long – the first woman to win the Karlův běh was Jitka Koňatová, today Peřina, and the first man Egon Hofmann. The won the salami and bottle of the most famous herbal liquere Becherovka.

The tracks were trampled in the first years, later the organizers of Ski Club Karlovy Vary bought one of the first snowmobiles in Bohemia. A record number of 1 464 participants took part in the Karlův běh in 1987. The post-revolution record holds the year 2018 with 876 competitors. It will be the 49th year.