10^th April 2010
17^th THE CHILDREN’S MARATHON

 

8 April 2010
17^th Children's Marathon to be held on 10 April



On Saturday, 10 April, the youngest Belgraders will be treated to a one-of-a-kind event in the world - 17th Children's Marathon which is run on the course "around the elephants' enclosure" in the Belgrade Zoo. Organisers of this unique event are the Belgrade Marathon Ltd, the event host the Belgrade Zoo, the Belgrade City Secretariat for Child Welfare, the Belgrade City Secretariat for Health and the regular supporter of the event, UNICEF.



As every year, the finals will comprise of the fastest kids from the pre-school institutions from 15 Belgrade municipalities. The finals will have its fastest and its slowest competitor, but the "snail" will also get a prize, as will everyone else, since the idea behind the Belgrade Marathon is more than a mere struggle to win. This was emphasised at a press conference by Ljiljana Jovčić, Belgrade's Secretary for Child Welfare:
- The Children's Marathon is not only a running competition, it is a competition in making friends and tolerance, in love towards animals, it is a school of sport and health…
On behalf of UNICEF, Vesna Savić-Đukić pointed out that the events such as the Children's Marathon serve as the best opportunity for the youngsters to familiarise themselves with sport and take it up which is instrumental in their proper development. She invited the parents, not only of the finalists, to bring their children to the Belgrade Zoo on Saturday and encouraged them to often take walks as this is beneficial not only for the kids but for the grown-ups as well.
Jasmina Savić-Joksimović joined the invitation on behalf of the City's Secretariat for Health and announced that their teams that have celebrated the World Health Day on 7 April, would provide free medical check-up for the kids and their parents at the Zoo on Saturday.
Vuk Bojović, director of the Belgrade Zoo, said that the cooperation with the Belgrade Marathon is ongoing since 1995 and that the forced break-up of this cooperation, luckily for the kids, has been overcome.
- Claims that this course was not good for the children made by the people who moved the Children's Marathon from the Zoo were refuted by Bob Beamon, one of the greatest names of the world athletics and I am certain that this year's marathon will be a successful and grand event. This concept inspired other big cities to organise similar races and contributed to Belgrade's reputation…
Vuk Bojović announced that the participants of the next year's marathon would be able to visit "Mini Australia", a special enclosure featuring species from the Fifth continent, as the grand opening would take place on 15 April.



The programme of the 17th Children's Marathon with the MC Boda Ninković will commence at 10am with the gathering of the finalists. They will make an oath and visit the course. The first of qualification heats will start at 11am. The best of the heats will take their chances in the final race at 12.30pm.
One of the finalist and a potential winner, Uroš Vidaković explained to the journalists his training routine. He was helped by the last year's vice-champion Aleksandar Vuković, who substituted his running shoes with skates and took up ice hockey. Magician Bole was in charge of good atmosphere at the press conference as he will be again on Saturday performing his magic tricks for the participants and spectators.

CHILDREN'S MARATHON FINALISTS

142 youngsters will compete for the title of the winner of the 2010 Children's Marathon on Saturday, 10 April. They come from the following pre-school institutions located in 15 Belgrade municipalities: "Čika Jova Zmaj", Voždovac (20 participants), "Jelica Obradović", Mladenovac (5), "Poletarac", Barajevo (4), "Lane", Grocka (5), "Savski venac", Savski venac (8), "Boško Buha", Palilula (10), "11. april", Novi Beograd (20), "Perka Vićentijević", Obrenovac (7), "Rakila Kotarov - Vuka", Lazarevac (5), "Čukarica", Čukarica (8), "Vračar", Vračar (6), "Naša radost", Sopot (5), "Dr Sima Milošević", Zemun (17), "Dečiji dani", Stari grad (8), "Zvezdara", Zvezdara (14).