15th International Stinatz Half Marathon
Held on a Saturday evening in mid-August, the half marathon in Stinatz in Austria's low-lying Burgenland province has a very international feel.
Last year, a quarter of the 232 half marathon finishers came from other countries than Austria. Many athletes from nearby Hungary took part in the event, and again Hungarians were the top runners.
Zsolt Koszár celebrated victory in 1:08:37, Anikó Kálovics was first woman in a time of 1:16:18.
Interestingly, neither German nor Hungarian is the most widely spoken language in Stinatz. More than half of the 1,400 inhabitants belong to the Burgenland's Croatian minority whose ancestors settled in the region in the 16th century.
The half marathon consists of five laps through the village. The route is traffic-free and very mildly undulating. Each lap features one turning point.
The event includes an 8.4k race (two laps), a 4.2k run (one lap), children's races, as well as a nordic walking competition.
Country: Austria
Venue (Map): Stinatz (72km from Graz, 132km from Vienna, 209km from Zagreb, 241km from Ljubljana, 275km from Budapest)
Date: 14 August 2010 (Saturday)
Race distance: 21.1km; 8.4km ("Ortslauf" and nordic walking); 4.2km ("Hobbylauf"); children 300m/1km/2km
Start time: 18.30-18.45 (children); 19.15 (4.2/8.4/21km)
Start and finish: Hauptplatz (main square) in Stinatz
Entries: online until 6 Aug 2010; payment by bank transfer; late entries until 1 hour before the start
Entry fees (21km): 18/19/24 EUR (until 21 July/until 6 August/late entries)
Entry fees (8.4km run): 9/14 EUR (until 6 June/late entries)
Entry fees (8.4km nordic walking, 4.2km run): 7/12 EUR
Entry fees (1km, 2km): 6/11 EUR
Timing: ChampionChip - use your own chip or rent a chip for 3 EUR (30 EUR deposit)
Race centre: Volksbank Stinatz (on the day 16.00-18.15)
You get: T-Shirt and medal to half marathon runners; free massage, child care, prize raffle
Prizes: prize money to the first 3 M/F in the half marathon (200-140-70 EUR); trophies to the first 3 in each category
Showers and changing facilities: Mehrzweckhalle Stinatz
Presentation: 20.00 (children); 22.00 (21km)
Number of finishers 2009: 232 (21km), 108 (8.4km), 45 (4.2km), 75 children
Event website (in German): www.austriasites.com/lc-tiger/docs/lc-tiger.htm