Joint letter to the Graz Marathon

Joint letter to the organizer of the Graz Marathon

The organizers of the Vienna City Marathon (VCM), the Salzburg Marathon and the Austrian Women's Run have decided to write the following joint letter. It was with great amazement that we read the Graz Marathon newsletter and took note of the article on ORF online on Easter Monday.

“As a family business, we are all currently struggling with the economic consequences of our cancellations. We are also in mutual exchange and look for common solutions that are economically possible and can be understood by the participants.

All signatories to this letter were confronted with the ban on their event at short notice and at an inconvenient time. We were traveling at maximum speed, so to speak, and had to slam on the brakes. A large part of the preparations and preliminary work has already been carried out. The complete repayment of all entry fees or the 100%ige transfer of starting places to the coming year would therefore mean the end of our events.

But now we ask ourselves the question:

Why is the Graz Marathon communicating in the current situation, six months before its own event, how it would deal with entry fees in the event of a cancellation?

The Vienna City Marathon, the Austrian Women's Run and the Salzburg Marathon are in mutual exchange and have closed the online registrations before the respective cancellation in order not to expose themselves to accusations of earning entry fees for an event whose implementation is in question. The organizer of the Wachau Marathon, which is scheduled to take place on September 27, 2020, is also exemplary. The registration option has been closed to await further developments.

Actually, we would have thought that experienced organizers would be aware of the consequences of their actions, that they would consider the broader social environment and that they would support the solidarity that is currently emerging in the Austrian running scene. Unfortunately we were disappointed.

With the Graz Marathon newsletter, SAFETY is signaled to the entire running scene, which might decide to start in Graz. While we spring running organizers are struggling with enormous economic consequences, the Graz Marathon already suggests six months before the event:

'You can go ahead and register in Graz, because your entry fee is safe. You will either get it back or you can start next year.

Although also the Regulations of the Graz Marathon speak another language.

We would never have imagined that a major Austrian organiser would single-handedly put on such a 'marketing show'. Because even the Graz Marathon cannot offer any security in these times. The fact that only a small number of registrations have been received six months before the planned date of the event is easy to recognise with a little industry experience. Offering runners who have already registered the prospect of a 100% transfer or refund of the entry fee is cheap in both senses of the word. True to the motto: See what is possible in Graz that is not possible elsewhere.

The quote in an article on ORF.at (Title: "Coronavirus - After cancellations: single status for the Graz marathon"):

'As an alternative date for the Vienna Marathon, we have now also been jointly awarded the Austrian Marathon Championships via the ÖLV (...)'

After consultation with the Austrian Athletics Association (ÖLV), however, it turns out that the date of the Graz marathon is not seen as favorable for several reasons and these championships have not yet been awarded.

That too is just a marketing show.”

Best regards

Signer:
Vienna City Marathon | www.vienna-marathon.com
Salzburg Marathon | www.salzburg-marathon.at
Austrian Women's Run | www.oesterreichischer-frauenlauf.at