The 37th SPAR Budapest Marathon® Festival to this year the press conference took place at the Hall of the National Dance Theater on September 27, 2022.
Still 8 DAYS to come … hurry-up … catch-up … sign-up … to be at the start-off … to participate Hungary’s best-known running event.
SPAR Marathon® Hungary’s largest recreational sports event is running your way!
At the SPAR Budapest Marathon® press conference were present Budapest’s Deputy Mayor Dr Anett Bősz responsible for human areas – marathon runner – spoke about her own experiences, saying that the marathon does not begin with the start, nor does it end at the finish line. The person who crosses the finish line is not the same person who warmed up in the starting zone in the morning. Running a marathon is a way of life, when we experience that we ourselves are our own chance and opportunity.
Árpád Kocsis – executive competition director – Budapest Sports Office (BSI) said: “Q” : “The running fever is rising higher-and-higher in getting closer to the forthcoming SPAR Marathon® Hungary! Entries are pouring in from all corners of the country. Almost eighteen thousand Hungarians from 800 domestic settlements and more than two thousand foreign runners from 83 countries are to be enjoying their enter to Budapest’s world heritage panorama on October, 8-9.” Also added „Q”: “The event is held each year over a weekend in the season of Fall. The „Marathon” begins with several shorter races for runners of all ages and abilities. Expecting more than 30000 individuals to put on their running shoes to start at one of the distances, “e.g”. 600-meter family run, and 5, 10, 30 kms. and/or the marathon relay, up to the classic marathon distance.
Almost everything is the same as what was interrupted two-an-half years ago, participants can get ready for a frenetic atmosphere having Music Marathon, Professional championships, Diplomat Cup, Charities participants, Exhibitors. There is great interest as was in the previous years by the actors to Run for the Theater competition, which is unique in Europe and announced as part of the Tolle Marathon Relay, and a list of other runners including the members of the Hungarian State Opera House, Comedy Theater, the Playhouse Theater, the Örkény Theater, the National Dance Theater, the Városmajor Outdoor Theater, the Pesti Hungarian Theater, the Jurányi Community Incubator House, the Újszínház, and the Ördögkatlan.
Máriusz Révész – State Secretary responsible for Active Hungary, emphasized: „Q”: “The Eurobarometer research was published recently, in which it was found that 71% of people in Hungary do not exercise at all or just very rarely. This figure puts us far behind the EU average. Because of our health and mental state, we definitely have to change this percentage! A well-organized event change the minds of people in having enormous power to start a heathier sporty life and many people start running, swimming, and/or cycling because they realize how good they feel after their activity.”
One of the special features of Saturday, October 8. is the jubilant 10th FODISZ Equality Run. László Szabó president of the National Association of Students, Competitions and Leisure Sports of the Disabled said the following: ”Q”: “The event invites young people living with disabilities, people with limited mobility, and those who want to express their solidarity to run a symbolic 500-meter distance. The aim of the program is to enable those children with disabilities to experience the joy and excitement of racing, for whom active sports are not necessarily part of everyday life. We also specifically welcome participants who want to express their sympathy to their fellow human beings with special needs. This also promotes social integration in the field of Hungarian sports. In light of this, outstanding athletes and para-athletes will also visit the movement, who will run together with the applicants. The race creates an excellent opportunity for community building and networking.”
The 37th SPAR Budapest Marathon® starts on Saturday morning October, 8. at 9 a.m. from the Pázmány Péter promenade. The 42,195-meter distance can be completed individually, in pairs, and/or in a four-person relay within the framework of the Tolle Marathon Relay. This year’s novelty, the SPAR 14 kms, also starts with this field. In addition to this large field, the participants of the Regnum 30 kilometer run will also join.
The organizer of the Budapest Sportiroda (Sport Office Budapest) members will be on the spot to support the runners with more than 80,000 liters of water, 32,000 liters of Gatorade, 1000 liters of Pepsi Cola, 280 kilograms of grape sugar and 13000 bananas. Around 1200 organizers and directors work on the safe conduct of the event during the two days.
Márk Maczelka – Head of Communications SPAR Hungary said:„Q”: “Since 2008, our company has been the title sponsor and main supporter of the SPAR Budapest Marathon® Festival. It is one of the largest recreational sports events in Hungary and Europe, which is also the featured running race of the year and a social event at the same time. Its primary goal is to make as many people as possible fall in love with running and to draw attention to the importance of a health-conscious, sporty lifestyle. We provide free entry for our own community and colleagues, thereby motivating them to participate and exercise regularly. The health-conscious lifestyle – to which we are committed not only with our products, but also with our social responsibility activities – is also promoted at this event.” He added „Q”: The course is a mix of gravel and pavement to ease the knees with some rolling hills to keep the legs awake on the entire route. The SPAR Marathon course opens the eyes especially to the foreigners participating in the run and will guarantee to make them fall in love with all its beauty of Budapest as racing to cross the finish line.”
Charity activities are traditionally associated with the two-day running festival. Thanks to the event’s 9 charitable partner organizations and the approximately 800 fund-collecting or donating participants, the “charity yield” of the two days can reach 10 million HUF.
At the end of the press conference, a one million HUF grant was symbolically handed over. The “Aktív Magyarországért” (Active for Hungary) award, established in 2021. It was one of the first to receive the Budapest Sport Office last November in recognition of its decades of activity in the field of promoting an active lifestyle. The two executives decided not to keep the one million HUF associated with the award, but to be in use to support the work of the “Sarolta Monspart Healthy Lifestyle Foundation”, which takes care of the spiritual and material legacy of Sarolta Monspart, who died last year. Botond Feledy, son of Sarolta Monspart and Péter Feledy, received the plaque representing this support from István Máth, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation, and also managing director of BSI.
The Marathon runners can enjoy the world heritage panorama of Hungary’s capital during running along designated sites. The competitors rolling over the River Danube bridges, three of which glinting the sights of Budapest and also enjoying their en route through Margitsziget (Margaret Island). Along the marathon route, 36 musical stations add strength to continue the runners passing by. Expecting a large number of audience en route to vision the runners and to cheer them on their way. Not only foreigners but local may relax after the run and rest their bodies, legs in the thermal pools at the unique 16th and 17th century Turkish baths or at the popular neo-baroque Széchenyi bath.
In the group photo, from left to right: Péter Ertl, director of the National Dance Theater, László Szabó, president of the National Association of Students, Competitions and Leisure Sports of the Disabled, Árpád Kocsis, executive competition director of the Budapest Sports Office, dr. Anett Bősz, Budapest’s deputy mayor responsible for human areas, Márk Maczelka, communications manager of SPAR Hungary, and Máriusz Révész, state secretary responsible for Active Hungary.
Registration/prices: (https://marathon.runinbudapest.com/prices/
Riport and snaps by Aggie Reite
Rolling in Budapest 