TIRANA, Oct 14 /ATA/ – Tirana is ready to host more than 3000 amateur and professional runners from 43 different countries around the world participating in the seventh edition of Tirana Marathon, due on October 22, the biggest event of its kind in the Albanian capital.
Tirana Mayor Erion Veliaj chaired a meeting with the Marathon organizers and volunteers to coordinate the latest details to ensure successful and smooth conduct of the sport event.
Mayor Veliaj said that Tiran Marathon, just like it has been the case in the previous editions of the event, is designed to be a sports festival not only for the racing runners, but also for the Tirana citizens, especially this year when Tirana has been declared the European City of Sport 2023.
“We have hosted several previous editions, yet the expectations go high each year. We need to demonstrate incredibly serious performance, especially taking notice that runners from 43 countries around the world are expected to take part in the event. As many as 3000 runners have registered to date, with participants from Albania, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Columbia etc. We will also be hosting friends from the Czech Republic, who might come back to win a medal after defeat in football. A number of runners have confirmed participation from Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland and Israel, who will be arriving and participating in the marathon despite the critical situation in their country. We will also welcome sport admirers and enthusiasts from Italy, Kenya, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, The Netherlands, and Norway etc. So 600 out of 3000 participants are foreign nationals,” Veliaj said.
Tirana Veliaj also focused on the Tirana Marathon prizes, saying the winner will be granted a prize of 5000 euros, whereas the second and third place winners will receive 3000 and 2000 euros respectively.
The increasing number of participants over the years is a good indicator that this competition has become desirable for the citizens of Tirana and beyond. This event, which is now becoming a tradition, is organized with the approval of two new itineraries from the World Athletics Federation, giving the reliability of an international activity and with the support of the Albanian Athletic Federation.
The race will feature 3 categories; Half Marathon (21, 0975 km), Tirana 10K and “We too” this is a category that aims to be more motivating than competitive.
The new itineraries, certified by the IAAF – International Association of Athletics Federations, include the city’s most attractive areas, so that the race is not only challenging but also fun. In addition to a sports event for the competitors, this may be considered a festive day for the city, with a series of artistic and cultural activities due to be held as part of this sports event.
/u.sh/
