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Zeljko Konosic is a former runner and racewalker. His best success is 5th place on national championship in halfmarathon, and I has been a national champion in racewalking( 10K, 20K) ten times. But marathon is still his greatest love. He is also president of Croatian Pearls Association which promotes Croatian natural and cultural heritage by organizing sport events. |
Hello, on September 20th 2009, you’ll be organizing the Ston marathon. Can you tell us where it is located?
The race will be held in Ston, which is a medieval town located in South Dalmatia, Croatia, about 50 minutes north from Dubrovnik.
How old is the race and why was it created in the first place?
The marathon was held for the first time last year. We wanted to organize some special, adventure marathon and Ston with its beautiful nature and cultural heritage was the perfect place for it.
What kind of route have you set up for the runners? How would you describe it?
The start and finish lines will be placed in the center of the medieval town of Ston.
The runners will start towards Mali Ston and turn back towards the most interesting part of the race; ascent and a descent along the Ston wall.
The race course will continue through the serpentine road along the sea coast. In the future, this course will follow an old road which was built by Napoleon army 200 years ago. But it is currently under reconstruction. It will be a tourist attraction.
How many runners do you expect on Saturday morning? What type of runners do you plan to attract?
We expect 200 runners, however being our second year we do not expect to reach that number. This race is really for runners who are not after the masses and would enjoy some solitude in a challenging event. We predict that this will attract experienced marathon runners who are looking for something different and challenging.
Do you organize other races during the Week-End? If so, on what distances?
In addition to the marathon, a 15 K race will be held as well.
At that time of the year, what kind of weather can we expect?
We expect warm and dry weather with temperatures between 20°C (68°F) and 30°C (86°F).
Have you planned festivities around the marathon?
Once the race is finished, a lunch will be served for all runners and a special program will be happening at the start-finish area.
The marathon finished, what advice would you give a runner who has never been to Ston before? A good restaurant, a fancy sightseeing?
Ston is a great destination in south Croatia. The city boasts a number of first-class attractions and is noted for its fine restaurants. All runners and their families can visit the oldest salt evaporation pond on Adriatic Sea which are also located in Ston. Apart this, you can walk on famous, medieval Ston wall.
In a single sentence, what would you tell the readers of 42k195 to make them register for the Ston marathon?
If you are looking for a challenging trail marathon with beautiful scenery, and definitely not like your usual road marathon, then Stonmarathon is a great choice.
Thank you Zeljko
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