It was first held in 1921 for men only and became a regular annual fixture form 1924 onwards.
Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak is the most successful athlete in the men's division, as a six-time champion and twice runner-up.
Katarzyna Kowalska is the most successful athlete in the women's division, and overall, having won seven individual titles and finished runner-up on three occasions.
The distance of the women's race increased to 1.8 km in 1968, eventually reached 4 km five years later (matching the distance contested at the 1973 IAAF World Cross Country Championships).
Only a single 5 km race was held from 2015 to 2018, then the international long and short format restored in 2019.