Half Marathon of Statehood 2009

This event, held on the eve of the Slovene Statehood Day which is on 25 June, commemorates the country's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

Entrants choose between a quarter marathon and a half marathon. The races start and finish in the northern outskirts of Celje, Slovenia's third largest town, at the sports hall Dvorana Zlatorog, built in 2003 and home of the handball club Celje Pivovarna Laško, winner of the European Champions League in 2004. You run on an undulating out-and-back course on asphalt roads to the lake Šmartinsko jezero, 5.3km further north. The turning point is in the village of Runtole. Quarter marathoners run to the lake once, half marathoners twice.

Last year, Dinjar Dražen from Croatia won on a very hot day in 1:13:02, Ida Šurbek from Slovenia led the women home in 1:25:47.

Country: Slovenia

Venue (Map): Celje (53km from Maribor, 78km from Ljubljana, 114km from Zagreb, 122km from Graz)

Date: 24 June 2009 (Wednesday)

Start time: 18.00; 16.00 (children)

Race distance: 10.6km; 21.1km; 350m to 1050m (children)

Start and finish: at the sports hall Dvorana Zlatorog, Opekarniška cesta 15, Celje

Entries: advance entries until 19 June by post, fax or phone (see event website: 'Prijave in informacije' in the left menu), payment by bank transfer; late entries on the day (?)

Entry fees (10.6km): 9/18 EUR (advance entries/late entries)

Entry fees (21.1km): 14/18 EUR (advance entries/late entries)

Entry fees (children): none

You get: T-Shirt, warm meal; medal to all half marathon finishers

Prizes (21km): First 6 men, first 3 women; cups to the first 3 M/F; medals in the categories

Prizes (10.6km): cups; medals in the categories

Number of finishers 2008: 98 (10.6km), 48 (21.1km)

Event website (in Slovene): www.drustvo-maratoncev-celje.si/drzavnost/drzavnost.htm

No guarantee is made as to the accuracy or thoroughness of the information on this page.