Olomouc Half Marathon 2012 pre-event

Olomouc Half Marathon picks up IAAF Road Race Silver Label

Olomouc Half Marathon

Already a firm fixture on the RunCzech.com calendar, the Olomouc Half Marathon can now pride itself on a truly outstanding achievement. After three years of hosting the race, the city has been awarded the IAAF Road Race Silver Label from the International Association of Athletics Federations.

“It’s almost like a miracle. It was the first time we’d even applied for the Bronze Label and then all of a sudden we wereawarded the Silver one. I truly appreciate this huge acknowledgement of our joint work,” said Carlo Capalbo, Chair of the Organising Committee at a press conference held in Olomouc. He paid a visit to the city to pass on the original certificate to City Mayor, Martin Novotný at Olomouc City Hall.

“It’s an honour for us to be able to cooperate at such an important event. Initially people thought we were crazy. You know how in this country it is often justified what and why something cannot work out. Unlike them however, we set ourselves a goal, stuck to it and ended up coming out as winners,” the Olomouc City Mayor revealed who, according to a statement made in the summer, will be taking part in the Family Run next year on 22nd June.

“Yet, receiving the Silver Label sets another huge challenge and responsibilityby placing us among the most significant racesheld anywhere on the planet. It’s another piece to add in the mosaic of our attempts at organising first-class sporting and cultural events here, also enabling us to provide the city with greater visibility and put in on the world map where it belongs. We are certainly not lacking self-belief in being able to live up to the quality label standards and are confident that we will be able toattract visitors to Olomouc willing to spend more than one night here,” the Olomouc Mayor added.

To qualify for the IAAF label, host venues need to fulfil a whole range of criteria including forming an elite field with proven times of 1:02:30 (men) and 1:12:00 (women) over the past three years. In addition to this, anti-doping checks are obliged to carry out an analysis on six samples; three from men and three from women, plus the organisers must ensure a nationwide television broadcast of the whole race.

According to a study on the Economic Impact of running events, the RunCzech.com races indirectly brought to the Czech economy a367 million Czech Crowns increase in turnover. The Olomouc Half Marathon contributed 20 million Czech Crowns to this overall sum. This year participation at the race in Olomouc increased to 3844 runnershailing from a total of 26 countriesand this number should have been highersince the race capacity was once again reached good time in advance.

Running is currently experiencing a huge boom worldwide leading to further economic indications.

Alongside Albany in the State of New York, Olomouc stands as the smallest city in the world to claim such an award. In terms of other cities boasting Silver Label races in 2012, these included Madrid and Rotterdam, the women’s marathon in Osaka as well as the prestigious Rome-Ostia half marathon.

When it comes to theGold Label, already two races within RunCzech.com have scooped up the award– these being the Hervis Prague Half Marathon and the Volkswagen Prague Marathon. The Mattoni Prague Grand Prix currently runs as a Silver Label event. The total of four labels, including the latest one for Olomouc, places the Czech Republic as a worldwide superpower in longdistance running for 2013. The only countries able to outrival the Czech Republic in terms ofnumber of IAAF Labels are Japan, China, France, Italy and Great Britain.