Rimi Vilnius Marathon

Credit : Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon The 11th of September was a sunny and warm day in Vilnius, capital city of Lithuania. Though it was chilly in the morning, the temperature was supposed to reach about 24 degrees Celsius at noon. Probably a little too hot for those fast-paced runners, who were aiming for their personal best in the Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon. On the other hand, very few go for their personal best to the hilly Boston; many choose the more evenly balanced Berlin. The same applies to Vilnius – most come here not for the records, but for that very special feeling. Having taken place for the 13th time, the Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon had exploded in terms of popularity during the last few years attracting around 15,000 participants. However, its origins could be traced back to a small group of running professionals and enthusiasts back in 1990s – shortly after Lithuania had declared independence. The first mass running events in Vilnius took place starting from 2001 and soon the autumn running tradition caught on. The first official Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon took place in year 2004, where couple of hundred professional and non-professional runners participated. Soon it gained international prominence attracting high profile runners from foreign countries, who were setting new course records. It was Richard Rotich from Kenya, who finished the course in 2 hours 21 minutes and 15 seconds in 2007. The record stands true to this date. The winner of this year’s Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon among men was American runner Christopher Zablocki, who managed to finish the course in 2 hours 25 minutes and 55 seconds. The fastest woman of the marathon was Lithuanian Loreta Petkeviciene. She finished the course in 3 hours 2 minutes and 31 seconds. The course record in women category was set two years ago by Lithuanian Olympic athlete Vaida Zusinaite, who accomplished the run in 2 hours 43 minutes and 13 seconds. Credit : Vilnius Maratonas Leaving the records aside, there is so much more about the Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon that attracts thousands of participants. First and foremost, it is Vilnius Historic Center that is recognized for its unique architectural dynamism and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Covering the area of approximately 360 hectares, the Old Town of Vilnius is the largest historic city center in Central and Eastern Europe. Old part of Vilnius is known for its vast diversity of buildings including structures in Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical styles and influences. Standing on the start line in the morning of 11th of September, one should have found himself in a very special place. Take a look at one side and you see the startlingly white Cathedral, Bell Tower and Gediminas’ Castle Tower atop the hill. Gaze at the other side to enjoy the view of the long straight Gediminas avenue, main street of Vilnius. Carefully glance around you to spot narrow entrances into the cozy streets of the Old Town. The clock shows 9:00, the start of the marathon is announced and several thousand runners embark on the streets of Lithuanian capital. The first few kilometers of the course extend by the side of river Neris – runners can enjoy the view of bridges, city center buildings and Opera House on their left and of recently built high rise office buildings on their right. Next, the course brings them to Vingis park, which is like a small forest in the middle of the city, covering 162 hectares of green area. Here they have to accomplish the first significant climb. Once the runners emerge from the park, they turn on Gediminas’ avenue to pass by the Lithuanian Parliament and the Government buildings. A few more kilometers on the main city avenue, and the course finally takes them to the narrow streets of Old Town. Credit : Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon Should you find yourself running within the large group, overtaking maneuvers in the Old Town could be a complicated task. Furthermore, the steepest climb of all the course awaits you on the Subacius hill. Nonetheless, such treasures like St. Anne’s Church and panoramic views of Old Town and new business quarter of Vilnius should make up for your efforts in full. The list of runners taking part in the Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon is also extraordinary. This year you could have been running shoulder to shoulder with Lithuanian Olympic stars Diana Lobacevske and Remigijus Kancys (of course, if you were fast enough). There was also one of the best ultra-long distance runners in the world Gediminas Grinius running the half-marathon course, who even managed to share some tips with fellow runners during the race. Dear reader, if you have read thus far, you already know that there are more than enough reasons to come to Vilnius. Now, it is time for the decision – make a reservation on you schedule for the 10th of September, 2017, plan your journey and prepare to enjoy the unforgettable running experience in the 14th Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon. Credit : Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon

Credit : Vilnius Maratonas Vilnius welcomes those taking part in the Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon in the first month of autumn. The event is already catching up with the world’s greatest marathons because of the weather in the capital city at this time of year, which makes it perfect for covering long distances. The marathon route also stretches along the most beautiful streets in the Old Town of Vilnius. The event attracted just a few hundred runners in its early days, but the number has risen to several thousand in just over a decade. This growth has brought the Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon and its organisers to the forefront of promoting a running culture. It was hosted for the twelfth time on 13 September and boasted a record number of participants, with 16,000 runners from 49 countries around the world making it the nation’s largest running event. The main routes for the Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon cross the most beautiful sites in the Old Town. Vilnius is a city on seven hills, making the landscape truly inspiring and presenting an up-and-down route that will certainly test whether participants are well-prepared for the marathon. The runners start at the foot of the castle-topped hill in the heart of the city, near Cathedral Square, and progress along the streets of Vilnius. Credit : Vilnius Maratonas Vilnius Historic Centre has been recognised for its unique nature at a global level and appears on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city’s Old Town, which covers 359.5 hectares, is the largest in Eastern Europe. Between the 14th and 18th centuries, the city influenced architectural development throughout the region and is a well-preserved example of the street network and urban structure that characterised medieval times. The rich diversity of buildings in the cityscape includes many structures in Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical styles that have survived in good condition. The streets and buildings carry the influences of Lithuanians, Jews, Poles, Russians, Germans, Belarusians, Karaites and Tartars. At the start of the marathon, runners turn towards the river that flows through the city centre and then head to Vingis Park. This is the main park in Vilnius and is loved by residents, with 162 hectares of green area. Žvėrynas, one of the most prestigious Vilnius districts along which the route lies, is said by researchers of ethnic culture to have something special about it because of the spirit that emanates from the river Neris, and should therefore be the easiest section for runners. From Žvėrynas, the route heads to the city’s main street, which is the location of the key centres of state power – the buildings of the Seimas and the Government. The Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon is traditionally supported by Vilnius City Municipality. Every year, the mayor has the honour of announcing the start of the marathon and half-marathon. After the main street, runners turn towards the narrower streets of the Old Town and are led to the Town Hall, the main place for festivals since historical times. According to old sources, the defeated army of Napoleon Bonaparte retreated past this building in 1812. In Užupis, runners are welcomed by St. Anne’s Church, a key site in Vilnius and a Gothic masterpiece. According to legend, Napoleon wanted to take this church to Montmartre in Paris on the palm of his hand. Teklu Getu Metaferia of Ethiopia succeeded in this year’s marathon at his second attempt: “I liked it very much in Vilnius. The route was interesting and full of challenges,” he said. Credit : Vilnius Maratonas Vilnius has more than 500,000 residents, and the number who have caught the “running bug” keep growing. Fans come to the Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon with banners to spur the runners on and meet them at the finishing line, and there are several hundred volunteers at the event. Children are also catered for, with 200-metre races, shirts, medals and other awards. The organisers arrange plenty of music, with 17 groups and a DJ playing music on the route this year. The opening of the marathon was announced with a thunderous beating of drums by a joint Lithuanian, Latvian and French group, and the organisers traditionally invite drummers from abroad to the event. To capture the runners’ positivity, they are recorded by video cameras located at timing posts on the route marking 5, 10, 15 and 20 kilometres, and at the start and finishing lines. After the event, participants can find the footage recorded at these locations, and all photos are also posted at vilniusmarathon.sportfoto.com. Each runner can find his or her photos using their first name, surname or participant number. Each year, the running community, sponsors and fans of the event are invited by organisers to join social initiatives and donate some of their participation fee to charity. There is also the chance to make donations during the event. Credit : Vilnius Maratonas About the Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon: The 13th Danske Bank Vilnius Marathon will take place on 11 September 2016. Route: Vilnius Old Town. Distance: 2 laps. Other main routes: half-marathon, 10 km, 4.2 km, relay race 4 × 10 km. Runners from Europe were satisfied with weather conditions on marathon day, with a temperature of 10 ºC and no rain making it normal for the Lithuanian autumn. Guests from warmer countries found it a bit cool, so those planning to visit Vilnius next year are advised to take into account our climate.

Evaldas Martinka is the Director of International Vilnius marathon. Hello, on September 12th, you’ll be organizing the Vilnius Marathon. Can you tell us where it is located? As yearly, start and finish of Vilnius marathon will be in main square of Vilnius, near the Cathedral. The course will extend in central part of the city, which most of it is by the biggest river in Vilnius – Neris. §staticmap(1384) How old is the marathon and why was it created in the first place? Roots of this race reaches year of 2001 when the first run took place in central streets of the city. International Vilnius marathon started when authorities of city and private structures of business started to maintain traditions of running, to encourage healthy way of living and on purpose to organise an international running feast and to enroll Vilnius into a respectable list of worlds’ cities which organise marathons. Credit : Vilnius Marathon What kind of route have you set up for the runners? How would you describe it? Participants of mini marathon will go for a spin round the symbol of the city – hill of Gediminas castle, and participants of marathon and half-marathon will mostly run by the river Neris and bridges over it. We can name this marathon “the green one” – Vilnius itself is a rather green city and runners will be able to feel not only greenness, but also a dew flowing from water. How many runners do you expect on Sunday morning? What type of runners do you plan to attract? We hope, that in distance of marathon and half-marathon will get off to a good start about 1000 participant from about 25-30 countries. In marathon of year 2010 most able Lithuanian marathon runners, also willing to participant in European championships in Barcelona, promises to participate. Every year we attain professionals and people who like healthy way of living so we can not exclude any type of runners. Participants from other countries are as well two types – professionals and other enthusiasts of running. Do you organize other races during the Week-End? If so, on what distances? Yes, as well as last year, the program of Vilnius marathon will continue for two days. The day before the main run, mass races of schoolchildren will take place in the Cathedral square and in Sereikiškis park. During the main run, participants will have an opportunity to choose from three distances: marathon, half-marathon and mini marathon (2,3 km). We will also arrange a show of high jump using format “city square” together with best jumpers of Lithuania. At that time of the year, what kind of weather can we expect? Within last year it is hard to forecast weather. The race took place when it was very cold and sleet (in 2008) and when the weather was perfect for marathon (sunny, about 15 degrees above 0, in 2009). We are optimistic and we hope the during the marathon we will feel lithuanian summer. Credit : UnorthodoxY Have you planned festivities around the marathon? Yes, our aim – not only the sporting aspect of this race, but also a feast for the city.Vilnius marathon will be included into program of main cultural events in the city “Vilniaus Dienos” (in english – “Days of Vilnius” ), according to vice-mayor of Vilnius Mr.G. Babravičius – Vilnius marathon has an opportunity to become the brightest jewel of “Days of Vilnius” crown. This will include fairs of sporting tackles, educational actions organised by Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania, projects of charity, competitions of fishing, and, of course, a necessary attribute of such event – “Pasta Party”. All activities will be held in the historical centre of the city in a very compact territory. The marathon finished, what advice would you give a runner who has never been to Vilnius before? A good restaurant, a fancy sightseeing? Vilnius is a versatile city. The old town of Vilnius – one of the biggest and the oldest in Europe. Museums, theaters, churches of various historical periods – for a runner who is interested in history and architecture. Lovers of nightlife will find a lot of night clubs and other places where to amuse. During your first visit we would recommend to go to old town of Vilnius and a trip to Trakai 20km from Vilnius where you will see an unique 14 century castle in an island of Galves lake. What is more – Vilnius is a rather cheap city. Credit : schlaeger In a single sentence, what would you tell the readers of ahotu Marathons to make them register for the Vilnius Maratonas? It is a cosy, compact and very “green” race in a friendly and autumnally romantic Vilnius, which is counting its seventh century and in Lithuania, which has just entered it second historical millennium. Thank you Evaldas