Inspiring running festival at the "Get active" junior marathon

Around 1,500 children and young people provided numerous emotional moments at the “Get active” junior marathon on Mirabellplatz and in the Kurgarten. The outstanding atmosphere along the entire route, where around 8,000 spectators rewarded the young runners with well-deserved applause, completed an outstanding running festival for children and young people at the Salzburg Marathon.

Immediately afterwards, around 300 runners sent out a strong message of peaceful coexistence, integration of all kinds and especially inclusion at the "Get active" integration run in a great atmosphere. At the start was a group of around 20 Salzburg participants at the Special Olympics in Graz, Schladming and Ramsau 2017.

Extraordinary running festival

1,493 registered children and young people enjoyed an extraordinary running experience in great, spring-like weather in the city of Mozart. In eight different classes, the field of participants ran either two laps over the total distance of 1,780 meters (U18, U16, U14 and U12) or one lap over the distance of 890 meters (U10 and U8). The route, which starts and finishes directly in front of Mirabell Palace, leads along Rainerstrasse, Auerspergerstrasse and Schwarzstrasse before leading through the Kurgarten back to the home straight at Mirabellplatz. The U6 completed a 450-meter lap through the Kurgarten. Especially in the Salzburg Marathon City in the Kurgarten and along the start and finish straight at Mirabellplatz up to Auerspergstrasse, thousands of spectators lined the route in several rows and caused goosebumps with their applause and encouragement.

The youngsters who run with their childish and youthful enthusiasm, enthusiasm for running and fighting spirit have really earned the encouragement. The young participants embodied exactly what is in the foreground at the "Get active" junior marathon: the joy of running and moving together. The aim of the "Get active" junior marathon is to motivate as many children and young people as possible to exercise more year after year. Therefore, the Salzburg Marathon, in cooperation with the President of the State School Board, Prof.-Mag. Johannes Plötzeneder, Technical Inspector Prof.-Mag. Robert Tschaut and numerous Salzburg teachers supported various initiatives in schools throughout the province of Salzburg and enabled participation free of charge if you register in advance. For many children and young people, the appearance at the "Get active" junior marathon was their first running experience.

Great sporting achievements

The "Get active" junior marathon in 2017 was not only a complete success from an emotional and atmospheric point of view. The sporting achievements were also amazing. In the U8 age group, Loris Pichler from the Franziskanerinnen elementary school (3:38 minutes) achieved the best time ahead of Paul Kolbinger from Salzburg and Konstantin Hofmaier (SV Seekirchen). Rihanna Lalaeva from Abtenau won the girls' race in a time of 4:15 minutes ahead of Italy's Alina Huskic and Salzburg's Carmen Stöckl. In the race for boys in the U10 age group, Nikolas Burns (ÖTB Salzburg Athletics) won in a time of 3:25 minutes ahead of Levi Hofmann (WSV Bad Hofgastein) and Quirin Wudy from Traunstein. Among the girls, Melina Bernhofer from the Eugendorf elementary school was the fastest with a time of 3:37 minutes, ahead of Tamaya Baumann (Union Salzburger LA) and Brita Kolator from Salzburg. These two age groups completed a distance of 890 meters.

In the U12 age group, Samuel Prommeger from Grossarl set the fastest time over the distance of 1,780 meters in 6:26 minutes. Manuel Lassacher (Union Salzburg LA) and Florian Harucksteiner from the Eugendorf elementary school followed him across the finish line in second and third place. The fastest girl, Amelie Spitz from TSV Teisendorf, was only beaten by Promegger in a time of 6:28 minutes. She won the girls' race with a huge lead over Nora Birgmann (TrumerTriTeam) and Sophie Haas (Union LA Eugendorf).

In the U14 age group, Florian Hauthaler (SV Wals Grünau) crossed the finish line first in a time of 5:56 minutes ahead of Lenny Krien (Union Salzburg LA) and Tristan Rakulj from WRG Salzburg. Mara Münsch (SCW Munich Triathlon) won the girls' race in a time of 6:00 minutes ahead of Anna Thaumüller WSV Königssee and Verena Tschernutter (TRI Team Hallein).

The fastest runner of the day was the Slovenian Pino Sekac (Ad Mass), who clearly delivered the best performance in the joint race of the U16 age groups in 5:26 minutes. The winner of the U16 age group, Kimberley Marshall from WRG Salzburg, also achieved a better performance than the winner of the U18 age group in a time of 6:09 minutes. In this, Christian Weiß from Salzburg reached the finish line first in a time of 5:36 minutes, the fastest girl was Helena Dutka (Union Salzburg LA) in a time of 6:13 minutes.

In the U6 age group, the focus was on having fun together, which is why there was no timekeeping. After the race, the organizer raffled non-cash prizes on the Salzburg Marathon stage in the Kurgarten.

"One Mile for a Smile" - the "Get active" integration run

The "Get active" integration run was an impressive conclusion to the second day of the "Get active days" of the 14th Salzburg Marathon. Around 300 participants sent out a strong message of peaceful coexistence with this run over the distance of 1,780 meters and demonstrated successful integration of all kinds and inclusion. At the head of the field of participants, which also included a few prominent Salzburg residents such as Martina Berthold, State Councilor for Sport, was a group of around 20 Salzburg participants at the Special Olympics 2017 in Graz, Schladming and Ramsau. Lebenshilfe Salzburg, which is celebrating its 50th year, also took part in the “Get active” integration run with a group of wheelchair users.

The charity run as part of the Salzburg Marathon featured a new charity concept this year. Eight charity organizations - Caritas & Archdiocese, Verein Jojo, panairobi, Wayna Warma, SoriNaTu, Rainbows, DEBRA Austria and Stiftung Mozarteum Salzburg - presented themselves and their charity projects on the running stage of the Salzburg Marathon. Through the direct sale of the start numbers for the "Get active" integration run, higher donations could be achieved. Because the participants were free to choose the amount of the entry fee and freely define the donation amount in an unbureaucratic, direct and effective way.

No matter which project, whether in Germany or abroad: the donations collected during the "Get active" integration run benefit sick, disabled or socially disadvantaged children - according to the motto "One Mile for a Smile".

"Sports Day" in the spa gardens

Even before the start of the "Get active" junior marathon, the atmosphere in the spa gardens was great. For the third time in a row, the Salzburg Marathon organized the “Day of Sports” together with the LSO and the Salzburg sports associations and clubs. 15 associations and clubs took this opportunity to present and amazed the audience with grandiose programs and performances on the Salzburg Marathon stage in the Kurgarten. Thousands of people enthusiastically took advantage of the offer. While the children and young people were able to try out the various sports directly, their parents were able to find out all about the sports on offer in Salzburg.

Enjoyable start to the CUP&CINO breakfast run and Bio Austria CityWalk

The second day of the "Get active days" of the 14th Salzburg Marathon started in the morning with the CUP&CINO breakfast run. Almost one hundred participants completed an easy run in small groups through the old town of Salzburg, accompanied by expert guides who provided their accompanying runners with interesting facts about the city of Mozart in several languages. The runners got to know the most beautiful places in the city of Mozart while sightseeing and, after a leisurely run, met for a delicious breakfast together in the CUP&CINO Coffee House on Max-Ott-Platz, which was included in the entry fee. The warm rays of sunshine over the city of Salzburg made it possible to sit together sociable on the garden terrace and improved the already great atmosphere among the participants.

Later in the morning, almost a hundred active participants also started the Bio Austria CityWalk. The approximately seven-kilometer route led the walkers from the Kurgarten over the Müllner Steg to the Mönchsberg. There they not only enjoyed the spring-like weather during a wonderful hike, but also one of the most beautiful views of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Salzburg's old town. After crossing the Mönchsberg, the route led through the middle of Salzburg's old town back to the finish line in the Kurgarten.

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