19th Half Marathon of Statehood

This summer evening running event is staged in Celje, Slovenia's third largest city with about 40,000 inhabitants, and easy to reach by train as it's on the railway line from Ljubljana to Maribor.

Held every year on 24 June on the eve of the Slovene Statehood Day, the event commemorates Slovenia's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia in 1991.

Entrants choose between the 10.6k race (one lap) and the half marathon (two laps).

The start and the finish are at the sports hall Dvorana Zlatorog on the northern edge of town, built in 2003 and home to one of Europe's top handball clubs, "RK Celje".

The race follows a rural undulating out-and-back course to the lake Šmartinsko jezero. The turning point is in the village of Runtole.

In 2009, the half marathon winners were Marjan Rozmarič (1:18:33) and Ida Šurbek (1:20:44).

Country: Slovenia

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

Date: 24 June 2010 (Thursday)

Race distance: 10.6km, 21.1km, children 350/700/1050m

Start time: 16.00 (children); 18.00 (10.6km, 21km)

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

Entries: online (entry form), or by post, fax or phone until 20 June; payment by bank transfer; late entries on the day

Entry fees (10.6km): 10/18 EUR (until 20 June/late entries)

Entry fees (21km): 15/18 EUR

Entry fees (children): no entry fees

You get: T-Shirt and a warm meal; medal to half marathon finishers; T-shirt and drinks to all children

Prizes (10.6km): trophies to the first 3 M/F; medals to the first 3 in each category

Prizes (21km): Prize money or practical prizes to the first 6M/3F; trophies to the first 3 M/F; medals to the first 3 in each category

Number of finishers 2009: 106 (10.6km), 84 (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.