Recurrent ponded infiltration (RPI) was applied to two undisturbed samples (5.4-cm diameter, 9-cm height) of coarse sandy loam (Korkusova Hut', CR). The water distribution within the samples during RPI was monitored using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); the soil internal structure was visualized by X-ray computed tomography (CT). Preferential flow and a decrease of the steady state infiltration rate between two successive infiltrations of RPI are typical for the soil studied. During the MRI-monitored experiment these phenomena were pronounced only in one sample, which facilitated their linking to specific features in the MRI results; the flow rate decrease was related to a reduction of the MRI-detected water content and a change of the spectrum of T1 (a characteristic related to the water surface-to-volume ratio). The MRI methods employed could detect water in low-density regions and thereby captured potential preferential pathways; however, one-dimensional (1-D) MRI demonstrated that some results may be affected by fast flow.