6. Mirage Sports Day
Hortobágy National Park (HUN), 4 July 2009
The grassland of the puszta in the Hortobágy National Park is as flat as lángos, the Hungarian deep-fried flatbread, and it stretches to the horizon.
During the hot and dry summers, mirages occur in the Great Hungarian Plain, and you may be fooled by these optical phenomena and see images of things that are elsewhere. It can't be guaranteed that you see a délibáb but the blazing hot sun at the start at 2pm will at least cause some hallucinations. This race is for sure a unique experience.
Hortobágy is the largest of Hungary's national parks, listed as a World Heritage Site and full of wildlife. During the event, however, you will probably see more herdsmen in traditional costumes and lots of roaming animals like horses, long-horn grey cattle, buffaloes, and long-wool Racka sheep with spiral-shaped horns.
You can choose between three distances: 7.8km, 13.7km and 21.5km. All races are held on trails through the puszta.
The 21.5km race consists of two laps (7.8km and 13.7km). You can run both laps or just the first or the second. Those who want to run 13.7km will join the 21.5km runners when they pass the start/finish area after completing their first lap.
This year, the start will not be at the nine-arched stone bridge but at the Máta stud farm 2km further north.
Country: Hungary
Venue (Map): Máta Stud, Hortobágy National Park
Date: 4 July 2009 (Saturday)
Race distance: 7.8km (first lap), 13.7km (second lap), 21.5km
Start time: 14.00 (7.8km and 21.5km); 13.7km runners join the field of the 21.5km runners between 14.27 and 14.45pm
Start and finish: Mátai Ménes (Máta stud farm)
Entries: on the day
Entry fees (7.8km): 2500 HUF (ca. 9.25 EUR)
Entry fees (13.7km): 3500 HUF (ca. 13 EUR)
Entry fees (21.5km): 5000 HUF (ca. 18.50 EUR)
Timing: Champion Chip: rental of the chip is included in the entry fees but you need to pay a deposit of 1000 HUF; you pay 500 HUF less entry fees if you use your own chip
Race centre: open on the day from 11.30
You get: T-Shirt, chip for timing, finisher pack, prize raffle
Prizes: first 3 M/F (7.8/13.7/21.5km)
Number of finishers 2008: 1174 (224 (6km) + 234 (12km) + 716 (21km))
Event Website (in Hungarian): futanet.hu
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