Preparations for Upper Austria's biggest exercise offensive are in full swing.
The 20th Oberbank Linz Danube Marathon is casting its shadow ahead. Those who want to be on their toes on October 23 are now laying the groundwork over the coming weeks. Upper Austria's biggest running festival is celebrating its anniversary this year, and these dates leading up to the big day in the fall should be marked thickly on the calendar.
A new date has now been found for the kick-off event of the marathon, which was actually planned for June but was postponed due to illness. The popular event in the Donauforum of Linz's Oberbank will now take place on September 15 (6:30 p.m.). This year's speaker again has a lot to talk about. On domestic television, he is known to viewers as the number one political expert, but university professor Peter Filzmaier also knows his way around running. His best time as a "hobby runner" over 10 kilometers is just under 33 minutes, the clock stopped at 1:12 hours in the half marathon, and the Viennese also brought two marathons to the finish line. Against this background, Filzmaier is now telling his best running stories about Eliud Kipchoge & Co. in Linz - both analytically and passionately and from a refreshingly detached fan perspective.
For those who don't want to just reel off their kilometers in training alone, the running clubs for the marathon are the place to be. These have been very popular for years, and since July they have again been held weekly on Saturdays. Organized by the LIVA, casual endurance runs are completed for the foundation. The start is every second Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Parkbad/Arcotel. Austria's former marathon record holder Gerhard Hartmann then gets the runners going on the other weekends with main sponsor Oberbank. His interval training sessions start at 9 a.m. at Intertrading in Linz.
August 19 and September 30 are the next key dates up to which entries for the marathon events can be submitted at more favorable conditions. On the race weekend itself, late registration is still possible at the Marathon Fair in the Tips Arena. "Experience has shown that early registration is a good thing mentally, because then you can approach the race with full focus and vigor," says OC head Günther Weidlinger.
You can only run really well if your shoes are perfectly matched. One day after the kick-off in Linz's Oberbank, a big running shoe test with many well-known manufacturers will take place on September 16 (starting at 1 p.m.) in the Tips Arena.
You can also get in the mood for the event musically on the eve of the marathon. RnB/Soul/Pop singer Macy Gray will give a guest performance at the Posthof Linz. Tickets can be booked at a reduced price as part of the online registration for the marathon.
Source: nachrichten.at
