Preview: Graz Mur Half Marathon 2010

Graz (Austria), Sunday 28 March 2010

This is the major spring running event in Graz, Austria's second largest city with a population of around 250,000. Last year, more than 800 runners took part in the half marathon and the 10k race along the River Mur, which bisects the city.

Graz is well worth a visit for its beautiful old town and Castle Hill in the city centre. Start and finish of the races, however, is about 2.5 kilometres further south at a small football stadium in an industrial part of Graz, close to the prison and the slaughterhouse.

The race travels along both banks of the River Mur, at first upstream through the city centre to the northern edge of Graz, and then downstream to the southern outskirts.

You run on traffic-free roads, cycle paths and footpaths. Some sections are on hard dirt trails. Apart from two narrow bridges and a few underpasses the route is flat and fast.

Many runners will find it very inconvenient that you can't get your race bib on the day of the event, despite the late start at 11am. You will have to pick it up in a suburban shopping centre on Friday or Saturday before the race.

In 2009, the half marathon winners were Günter Pumhösl (1:14:13) and Slovenia's marathon champion Daneja Grandovec (1:23:43)

Country: Austria

Venue (Map): Graz (Zagreb 187km, Vienna 194km, Ljubljana 194km)

Date: 28 March 2010 (Sunday)

Distance: 10km, 21.1km

Start time: 11.00

Start and finish: football stadium of Steirischer Fussballverband, Herrgottwiesgasse 134, Graz

Entries: online until 22 March; late entries on 26 and 27 March; no entries on the day!

Entry fees (21km):  20/25/30 EUR (until 1 March/22 March/late entries)

Entry fees (10km): 13/17/21 EUR

Timing: SMC: 3 EUR chip rental fee, 20 EUR deposit (!)

Race centre: Hervis sports shop in the Citypark shopping centre, Lazarettgürtel 55, 8025 Graz (Friday 26 March 14.00-18.00, Saturday 27 March 12.00-17.00)

You get: medal and a present

Prizes (21km): first 3 M/F in each category

Prizes (10km): first 3 M/F overall

Presentation: 14.30

Number of finishers 2009: 630 (21km), 199 (10km), 110 children

Event Website (in German): www.grazer.at

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