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Run a marathon in the very heart of Europe - TheEd - 13-03-2014
Sunday, 13 April 2014, will see the second ORLEN Warsaw Marathon held in the Polish capital city of Warsaw. Thousands of athletes will set off to cover the distance of 42.195 km. A fast, record-inducing route, attractive starting packages and a low entry fee await them. A considerable sum of prize money and numerous goodies will definitely act as an incentive for the runners to put up a good fight.
3 distances and a flat route
The second edition of the ORLEN Warsaw Marathon has already earned a well deserved place in the calendar of Europeââ¬â¢s running events. This year, the participants will compete at three distances - full marathon, 10 km and 4.6 km. The last of the distances is a special, charity run/walk event departing from the very heart of Warsaw - the Royal Castle Square - one day prior to the main run. The runners will run past such landmarks as the Presidential Palace, and will continue down one of the capital cityââ¬â¢s most elegant streets - Krakowskie Przedmieà âºcie - to cross the Vistula River via the à šwiÃâ¢tokrzyski Bridge, with the finishing line located right in front of the National Stadium constructed to host the UEFA Euro 2012 Football Championship.
While planning the route of Sundayââ¬â¢s events, the organizers have attached the greatest attention to the comfort and safety of the participants. Care has also been taken to avoid too many uphill sections.
It was our intention to make sure that the route profile is as flat as possible, and we have succeeded in achieving this objective. The route characteristics should suit in particular those preferring long straight sections on which a good pace of the run can be maintained, said Leszek Kurnicki, head of the ORLEN Warsaw Marathon organizing committee.
Worldââ¬â¢s leading athletes
ORLEN Warsaw Marathon will once again be a venue attracting the worldââ¬â¢s leading runners. This yearââ¬â¢s edition will be attended by Henryk Szost - the fastest European. Over 26,000 athletes crossed the starting line of last yearââ¬â¢s edition of the ORLEN Warsaw Marathon, with Sisay Iemma Kasaye reaching the finishing line first. The 28-year-old Ethiopian covered the marathon distance in 2h:09min:02s. Elias Kemboi of Kenya was second, with the third position taken by the winner of the silver Olympic medal from Beijing - Jaouad Gharib of Morocco. Milka Jerotich turned out to be the fastest of over 700 ladies taking part in the last yearââ¬â¢s marathon (with the time of 02:28:23). Maryna Damantsevich of Belarus was the runner up, with Olga Kalendarova finishing third. This yearââ¬â¢s edition will also attract the worldââ¬â¢s leading runners.
The ORLEN Warsaw Marathon has received positive comments from its participants, and has been noticed by running enthusiasts in other countries as well. So we hope that on April 13th the streets of Warsaw will see an even higher number of runners, not only from Poland, but also from all over the world, adds Leszek Kurnicki.
Starting package and attractions
The ORLEN Warsaw Marathon offers attractive starting packages for all registered athletes. Thanks to the generosity of ASICS - the eventââ¬â¢s main partner - the starting package will include a backpack, a running jersey and a cap. The fastest runners will receive generous financial awards, and all those to cross the finishing line of both the marathon and the 10 km run will take part in a draw for attractive prizes. These include two cars - a Mercedes GLA (for marathon runners) and a Smart ForTwo (for those participating in the 10 km race).
Heading to Warsaw
Warsaw - a new destination on the running map of Europe - is one of the most attractive and still undiscovered capital cities of the old continent. It is a dynamically growing centre of business, culture and education. The participation in the ORLEN Warsaw Marathon offers a unique opportunity to become familiar with the most beautiful landmarks of Warsaw located along the route, including the Poniatowski and à šwiÃâ¢tokrzyski bridges, Aleje Ujazdowskie street, the monument of Marshal Józef Pià âsudski, or the historic gardens of à Âazienki Królewskie.
The Polish capital city, with nearly 2 million inhabitants, offers a well developed hotel network and fast links to other European cities. There are two airports in the Warsaw region, serving both domestic and international destinations. The city, located in the very heart of Poland, spans two banks of the Vistula river and is the only capital city in Europe located in the direct vicinity of a national park. Thanks to the ORLEN Warsaw Marathon, Warsaw joins the cities hosting Europeââ¬â¢s largest running events. The well planned and interesting route, attractive prizes and the opportunity to visit the capital of Poland are all good reasons to include the ORLEN Warsaw Marathon in your starting calendar!