7th Mirage Run 2010

Hortobágy National Park (Hungary), Saturday 10 July 2010

The grassland of the puszta in the Hortobágy National Park in Eastern Hungary is as flat as a pancake, 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 3pm 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 livestock and wildlife. Along the route, you will probably see long-horn grey cattle, buffaloes, long-wool Racka sheep with spiral-shaped horns, horses, and herdsmen in traditional costumes.

The event offers three distances: 7.8, 13.7 and 21.5 kilometres.

Most popular of these is the 21.5k race, which consists of two different loops (7.8k and 13.7k). The 7.8k finishes after the first loop. Participants in the 13.7k race run the second loop. They start later, joining the field of the 21.5k runners whenever they like.

In 2009, more than 1000 runners took part in the event. The winners of the 21.5k were Zsombor Deák of Romania (1:18:28) and Hungary's Angelika Darázs (1:34:59).

Country: Hungary

Venue (Map): Máta Stud, Hortobágy National Park (180km east of Budapest)

Date: 10 July 2010 (Saturday)

Race distance: 21.5km (two laps), 7.8km (first lap), 13.7km (second lap)

Start time: 15.00 (21.5km/7.8km); 13.7km runners join the field for the second lap

Start and finish: Mátai Ménes (Máta stud farm)

Entries: by post (until 2 July), online (until 8 July); late entries on the day from 12.00 until 15 minutes before the start

Entry fees (21.5km): 4500/5000/5500 HUF* (until 20 June/8 July/10 July)

Entry fees (13.7km): 2500/3000/3500 HUF* (until 20 June/4 July/10 July)

Entry fees (7.8km): 1200/1800/2500 HUF* (until 20 June/4 July/10 July)

<Exchange rate: 1000 HUF = ca. 3.75 EUR (March 2010)>

*Timing: ChampionChip - 1000 HUF deposit (fully refundable), no chip rental fee; entry fees are reduced by 500 HUF if you use your own chip

Race centre: at the start (on the day from 12.00)

You get: T-Shirt, goody bag, timing chip rental, prize raffle; the goulash party is not included in the entry fees

Prizes: first 3 M/F (in all races)

Changing facilities: in tents

Number of finishers 2009: 725 (21km), 153 (13.7km), 195 (7.8km)

Event Website (in Hungarian): futanet.hu

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