Debrecen4U October 27, 2025

Sport, community, tradition: the Tócókör was inaugurated with a harvest running carnival in Józsa

The Tócókör running track in Debrecen-Józsa has been completed. The one-kilometer track, built on the banks of Tócó, was inaugurated on Saturday with a harvest carnival. The 35th harvest festival was held in the district, as part of which a rabbit meat cooking competition was announced and twenty tree seedlings were planted.

Young and old, individually or in groups—many people tried out the Tócókör running track built on the Tócó bank on Saturday. The event also announced a running festival, and the kilometers covered by the applicants were added up. “I really liked it, it was very beautiful. I ran about four kilometers,” said Lili Hegedűs, one of the participants in the event.

The city received a HUF 50 million grant under the Active Hungary program to build the one-kilometer-long running track with a synthetic surface, and the local government contributed almost twice as much to the construction costs. “We restored the Tócó bed to its original state, brought in the water, and now we have managed to build this running track, which will help us to be able to come out after everyday work, if we have the time and energy, to do sports and exercise. There is a huge demand for this in Józsa; people like to live healthy lives,” said Deputy Mayor Ákos Balázs.

Speaking about the developments, Member of Parliament Lajos Kósa highlighted that an overpass is being built on Road 354 so that people from Józsa can enter Debrecen not only via Böszörményi Road, but also via Domokos Márton Road. The road connecting the bypass with Road 35 is also being planned.“We are already planning to double-lane the Road 35 up all the way to the cemetery. We will widen the entire road section and renew the critical intersections, for example, the Szordasi Road junction, where it is not easy to get out in the morning,” said Lajos Kósa, Member of Parliament.

During the day, special dishes simmered in the cauldrons, which were evaluated by a professional jury.” If we are using cumin and rosemary and taking the dish in a Middle Eastern direction, then we should choose dairy products that are typical there, not coconut milk, but yogurt and kefir,” said master chef Róbert Bede.

This was the 22nd rabbit cooking competition in Debrecen-Józsa; the program took place as part of a campaign to popularize rabbit meat. “The goal of our campaign is to introduce young people to rabbit meat. Our message is that ‘influencer grandparents’ pass on to young people how delicious and tasty the product is,” emphasized Róbert Juráskó, president of the Rabbit Product Council.

Sustainability also played a central role at the event, which is why tree planting was also part of the program: twenty maple trees were planted on the banks of the Tócó.

Source and photo credit:debrecen.hu