Saturday, April 18^th 2009

22^nd Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon 2009
21^st Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon 2008
20^th Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon 2007
19^th Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon 2006
18^th Belgrade Delta Sport Marathon 2006

The Belgrade Marathon was hold on Saturday, 18 April 2009, for the 22^nd time. The Belgrade Marathon is Serbia's biggest sports events that attracts the largest attendance, and as such has been declared an event of special importance for the Belgrade city by the Belgrade City Council.

The Belgrade Marathon comprises the 5km Fun Run, half marathon and marathon. It is considered to be the major sports and promotional event that is traditionally held in the country. Together, the Children's Marathon and the Belgrade Marathon draw significant attention from the national media every spring.

 

42nd WORLD MILITARY MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIP

Within the organisation of this year’s Belgrade Marathon, the 42^nd Military World Marathon Championship (International Military Sports Council CISM – 140 nation-members) was held. It was hosted by the Ministry of Defence, Serbian Army GS Headquarter and Military Academy.

PRESS RELEASE
- 20/04/2009 -

The 22^nd Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon has been marked by the foreign and Serbian athletes, Belgraders, who in their capacity of the spectators formed an important part of the event, officials of the Belgrade City and the Republic of Serbia and journalists.
We do not wish to add anything to their opinions. But we feel obliged to express our gratitude to all the people who have contributed to the success of the Saturday’s event.
Primarily, the Belgrade City Council and its public services, the Ministries of Youth and Sport, Defense, Foreign and Internal Affairs, and the Belgraders – both for contributing to the mass participation at the 22^nd Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon and for supporting the athletes in their attempt to achieve good results, and simply for being patient with the competitors and us for making it difficult for them to move around the capital. The participants pointed out that one of the strongest impressions was the warmth with which they were greeted along the course.
In organization of the Ministry of Defense and Serbian Army, the 22^nd Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon hosted the 42^nd World Military Marathon Championships, the biggest military competition so far held in the country. Under the motto of the International Military Sports Council (CISM), “Friendship through sport”, soldiers from 27 nations from four continents, running on the streets of our capital, conveyed to all the participants of the race and numerous spectators the most sincere messages of peace.
In the opinions of the present high officials of the CISM, secretary general Colonel Van Meurs and president of the track-and-field committee Colonel Parrinello, Serbia showed that it had been an excellent organiser and host to the members of 27 armies from around the world.

Saturday, 18 April 2009
Kigen proves Tergat right - Belgrade Marathon report

In his debut, Victor Kigen takes the Belgrade marathon title
 
Belgrade, Serbia - Victor Kigen of Kenya won the Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon on his debut on Saturday morning, just as his mentor Paul Tergat suggested he would.
Bright sunshine and temperatures rising to 20C (68F) persuaded the leaders to race conservatively, and it wasn’t until the last 10 kilometres that Kigen’s surge broke up the pack of a dozen men, which included several contestants from the concurrent World Military Marathon Championships.
But Kigen had looked in control all the way, and the military men made no impression on him, as the 25-year-old surged away to victory in two hours, 13 minutes, 28 seconds (2.13.28), taking close to a minute out of his pursuers over the last five kilometres.
Kigen was followed home by two colleagues, Sylvester Cheboi in 2.14.25, who just got the better of Julius Korir in 2.14.28. Ahmed Moustafa (originally Patrick Cheboto of Uganda) running for Qatar was fourth in 2.16.22, thus winning the military title, and leading his colleagues to the team prize.
The influence of Tergat on the marathon, like that of his erstwhile rival, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia continues to be felt. The leading distance runners on the track throughout the 1990s, first Tergat then Gebrselassie took the marathon World record into another dimension.
But whereas Geb is still running at the highest level, Tergat has dropped down a notch, but is contributing to the development of new Kenyan marathoners. One of his charges, Paul Lekuraa broke the Athens Marathon course record last November. And now Kigen, who comes from the same Baringo District as his mentor, has blossomed after five months under Tergat’s wing in the camp at Ngong outside Nairobi.
“Paul prepared me well, so this isn’t a big surprise, to win,” said Kigen. “I felt comfortable, and when I left the others at 30 kilometres, I thought they would not be able to come back to me, especially in these warm conditions. But I was still not sure to win until I hit the tape.”
Anne Kosgei, also of Kenya won the women’s race, in 2.34.51. It was her second victory in five marathon outings. But this time the Army was hot on her heels, as Rasa Drazdauskaite of Lithuania was only eight seconds behind, to win the military title. The US military successfully defended the women’s team title.
Local hero, Olivera Jevtic won the half-marathon for the sixth time, in 1:12:20. And pronounced herself reasssured after two months of injury that she could successfully compete in the Mediterannean Games, here in Belgrade in June, and then the IAAF World Championships in Berlin in August.

Pat Butcher for the IAAF

7 April 2009
UNICEF Fun Run dedicated to the “School without Violence” campaign

UNICEF Fun Run of the 22nd Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon scheduled be held on the traditional course on Saturday, 18 April, will be dedicated to the elementary school pupils of Serbia and UNICEF campaign “School without Violence”.
For the fourth consecutive year UNICEF and the Belgrade Marathon Ltd cooperate on the project entitled “School without Violence” and this year’s UNICEF Fun Run is designed to promote it even further.
- The basic values of the project are cooperation, tolerance, team-work, fair play in school and at home. We hope that we would get as wide a support as possible which would allow us to include new schools in the campaign – said Vesna Savić-Đukić, head of UNICEF private sector relations department.
The press conference was held at the elementary school “Mika Petrović Alas” and, in the words of Aca Kovačević, Belgrade City Secretary for Youth and Sport, is symbolic of hope that sport would return to the schools:
- It is necessary to include as many children as possible in the school activities. The City Secretariat for Youth and Sport will support the organisation of this event with a belief that this year’s marathon will be the best so far.
The Belgrade Marathon Ltd director Dejan Nikolić pointed out that the cooperation with UNICEF is intended to send out a joint message about the significance of the project “School without Violence”:
- We are trying to provide the necessary finances that would allow for inclusion of more schools. So far, the marathon race, which will include the 42nd World Military Marathon Championships, had over 300 international registrations; however, the participants’ list is still open. The marathon and half-marathon races will have approximately 1,000 participant, and we are trying to attract as many quality runners as possible, including several athletes from the camp of Paul Tergat, former world record holder and one of the best marathon runners of all time. We hope that the weather will be nice and that we would send out a lovely picture to the world from Belgrade.
Vesna Nedeljković, headmistress of the elementary school “Mika Petrović Alas” said that the participation of schoolchildren would lend special quality to the event, that children represented the new strength for the future.
- Let us all take part in the Fun Run so our every day is filled with fun – said Nedeljković.
Branislav Kuzmanović, president of the Vračar municipality, said that the municipalities should promote the “School without Violence” campaign, which is dedicated to the safety of schoolchildren and their behaviour. Kuzmanović announced an initiative with the aim of establishing the first Mother’s Milk Bank in Serbia.
 

26 March 2009
World’s best army marathoners to take part in the 22nd Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon

The time has come for the 22^nd edition of the Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon, and tens of thousands of athletes taking part in marathon and half-marathon races and Fun Run will gather at the old meeting point in front of the building of the National Assembly on 18 April.
A special, new seal and quality to the biggest traditional sports and promotional event held in Belgrade and Serbia will be lent by the members of the army forces of the member nations of the International Military Sports Council (CISM) who will take part in the 42^nd World Military Marathon Championship.
Serbia has so far organised three regional CISM championships within the Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon, and this year it will host a global sports event organised by the Ministry of Defence. The Ministry’s State Secretary Zoran Jeftić announced participation of about 200 athletes from some 30 countries:
– Serbia is a young member nation, but is actively involved in the work of the CISM. We were organisers of the European Conference, and our marathoners won one gold and one silver medal at the world championship. The CISM boasts 131 member nations and all activities are organised under the slogan “friendship through sport”.
Director of the Belgrade Marathon Ltd. Dejan Nikolić emphasised that having been given an opportunity to organise the biggest military marathon competition was a result of long-term cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, Serbian Army and Military Academy.
– Military structures are with us since 1988, the birth of the Belgrade Marathon. The cooperation evolved, although we had some difficult years, and the world championship is its crown. The Army did not only take part in organisation but its representatives achieved notable results as well. It is certain that the soldiers-marathoners will significantly increase the competition of this year’s marathon – said Nikolić.
Deputy Head of the Military Academy colonel Branko Bošković revealed several interesting facts:
– So far, we have received applications of almost 250 participants from 26 nations from four continents, which is a record of the championship. Alongside individual, points will be given in the team competition as well, three both in men’s and women’s categories. We are expecting great results of our representatives who are at the moment in training.
Lieutenant-Colonel Amauri Feijo (Brazil), assistant of the CISM Secretary General, pointed out that this sports organisation would organise about twenty world championships in different sports that would be attended by approximately 2,500 athletes this year. The CISM expects many a record to be broken in Belgrade.
Next year is the 2500th anniversary of the event which served as an inspiration for the longest and hardest athletic event. According to the legend, the first marathoner Phidippides was a soldier, who ran from the Marathon field where the outnumbered Athenian army had defeated the Persians to bring good tidings of the victory, after which he passed away.
 

13 February 2009
Around 40,000 participants at the 22^nd Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon

This year’s marathon season was opened yesterday in Egypt, while April remains the primetime in the marathon spring calendar. Then, marathons will be run in Paris, Rotterdam, London, Vienna, Turin and Belgrade…
The 22nd edition of the Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon is scheduled for 18 April. Yesterday, at the Belgrade City Hall, it was announced that this year Belgrade’s biggest sports event would boast the attendance of around 40,000 participants of all ages.
Suffice it to say that the Belgrade authorities have decided to give the status of an event with special importance to the Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon.

There are no unknowns regarding the organisation of the 22nd edition of the race for the well-oiled machine that is the Belgrade Marathon Ltd and its director Dejan Nikolić. He is, however, eager to mention those without whose help it would not be possible to bring Serbia and its capital closer to the world by means of the marathon race and accompanying events:
- The Ministry for Youth and Sport is both the crown and the olive branch of our marathon, the Belgrade City Council its body and strength, Banca Intesa pumps the blood to our heart and gives us additional motivation, and UNICEF is the soul of that body. We are working meticulously on promotion of the marathon’s latest edition. Last year we signed an agreement on cooperation with the Tourist Organisation of Belgrade, and we will also be joined by the Tourist Organisation of Serbia soon. The race of military staff, gathering for the 42nd Military World Games, organised under the patronage of the International Military Sports Council (CISM) will lend additional uniqueness and quality to the 22nd Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon.
The renown of the event is confirmed by a new three-year contract signed with Banca Intesa, the marathon’s title sponsor. This will allow an image, not only of mass attendance and youth, but of valuable results also to be sent out to the world from Belgrade.

Banca Intesa and the Belgrade Marathon have crowned their successful cooperation with a signing of a new three-year contract. Draginja Đurić, president of the Banca Intesa Executive Board, pointed out her satisfaction with the fact that the cooperation would be continued.
- We at Banca Intesa know just how important it is to be on the world map, given that we are a part of one of the biggest bank groups. This year, again, marathon promotes solidarity, endurance, perseverance and fair play, the same values we hold dear and nurture on business and wider social levels. We believe that these values will be invaluable in the challenging year ahead of us all – said Draginja Đurić.

Snežana Samardžić-Marković, Minister for Youth and Sport, emphasised the similarity between the Ministry and the Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon:
- In many segments, the Belgrade Marathon contains the basic principles of sport development strategy in Serbia, as adopted by the Ministry late last year. These principles deal with children, recreational and elite sport. The Children’s Marathon, Fun Run and marathon race for the elite runners completely mirrors our strategy.
The City Secretary for Sport, Igor Miklja, promised, alongside financial help, the help of the Belgrade City Council through all infrastructural capacities and invited his fellow Belgraders to take part in the race. Vesna Savić-Đukić from UNICEF pointed out the significance of marathon in children’s development, while Dejan Nikolić promised he would disclose the first names of the elite runners at the next press conference, as the Belgrade Marathon’s managers are currently scouting in Kenyan camps where the best world marathoners, and those who aspire to become ones, are being trained. The Belgrade Banca Intesa Marathon will give a chance to both.