The 23rd SMOKI SMOKIĆ CHILDREN’S MARATHON HELD AT THE „GARDEN OF GOOD HOPE“ (Belgrade Zoo) – The winner is Andrej Nikolić

Belgrade, April 24 – The 23^rd Smoki Smokić Children's Marathon took place on Saturday, April 23^rd, drawing a line under 370,000 participants who took part in it over the previous 23 years.

The original date for the Event was scheduled for April 09 but due to rain was postponed for April 23^rd. This was for the second time in the history of this event, after 2012, that the Event was rescheduled for the reason of bad weather.

It is not a phrase to say that all those who participated are the winners, as from the very start in their lives they took a route of heath.

Those who are more successful than their pre-school peers, earn a place in the finals at the "Garden of Good Hope" (which is second name for Belgrade zoo) in Belgrade, Serbia. That was the case this year as well. A total of 150 competitors selected from 16,000 preschoolers from all Belgrade's kindergartens who took part in this year's qualifications and divided into 12 groups found themselves at the start today.

The winner of each group went on to the Super final of this year's 23^rd Smoki Smokić Children's marathon.

The first amongst the equals was Andrej Nikolić. The boy from the kindergarten "Mala sirena" clocked 36 seconds for a convincing triumph at the course 230 m long which goes around elephants, camels, kangaroos, ostriches habitats, equaling the record time which stood for 20 years from 1996…

Later after the Event Andrej said that he is playing a football in the local football club, but that he is not the fastest one in the club. He was followed by Stefan Dangubić with the result of 37 seconds who is already practicing swimming and karate ("Poletarac") and Bogdan Savić ("Sunce") with 38 seconds. The traditional title of the Super-snail awarded to the last-ranked finalist went to Mina Čuljak ("Biser").

The Mayor of Belgrade Siniša Mali who attended the Event said that Childrens marathon is one of the best and nicest events in the City of Belgrade and is extremely important for the reason that has positive influence on spirit and health of the children teaching them how to use sport in bad and good moments in theirs future lives.

– These activities are taking place the year round and that is one of the reasons why children are prepared for the competition today. Pre-schools pay much attention to sports activities. This is how the City of Belgrade will contribute to our youngest citizens growing up in healthy individuals and that is our future – concluded Siniša Mali, the Mayor of Belgrade.

The awards for those who have been a little more successful than others were presented by: Andreja Mladenovic, deputy mayor of Belgrade, Srboljub Aleksic director of Belgrade zoo, the representative of the title sponsor Company Soko Štark – the Smoki Smokić mascot and representative of UNIQA Insurance – Sonja Marić.

On the occasion of the 23^rd Smoki Smokić Children's marathon the Belgrade marathon director, the organizer of this Event, Dejan Nikolić said: Athletics, as a sport, should be proud to have such a good opportunity to so closely cooperate with Belgrade's Department of Education and Children's Welfare and be able to animate kids aged 5-6 years and present them and theirs parents the value of athletics. Ministry of youth and sport of Republic of Serbia is supporting the Event as well – said Nikolić.

At the conclusion Dejan Nikolić mentioned that European athletics, in 2006, through "European Athletics Support Programme" supported a programme "Lets start with sports" as a sports school for children seven to nine years-old that grew out of the Belgrade Children's marathon as a way of giving youngsters a chance to be involved in athletics and develop their skills from an early age.

Source: SMOKI SMOKIĆ CHILDREN'S MARATHON

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