26th BELGRADE MARATHON on Sunday, 21st April 2013 – Carl Lewis at the 26th BELGRADE MARATHON

The Belgrade Marathon will be held on Sunday, 21^st April 2013, for the 26^th 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.

---

 Carl Lewis at  the 26^th BELGRADE MARATHON

CARL LEWIS: "I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING THE PEOPLE OF BELGRADE AND SERBIA AGAIN"

Frederick Carlton Lewis, better known as Carl Lewis, the best athlete of the 20th century, and without a doubt the most charismatic subject of “the queen of sports” will serve as the promoter of the Belgrade Marathon for the third time and will join the Belgraders for the second time.

Our wish to bring Carl Lewis to Belgrade in 1994 was thwarted by the UN Security Council sanctions. Lewis was prepared to come to Belgrade even then, even though the US authorities advised him not to. However, we have decided that the risk for the career of Santa Monica's amazing sprinter and long jumper was too big, so Lewis ended up sending us a video recording inviting everybody to come to the Belgrade Marathon. The video was played for days on the national broadcaster and the 7th BELGRADE MARATHON had a record attendance.

A similar scenario took place in 2006 at the 19th BELGRADE MARATHON, when our wish finally came true and Carl Lewis came to Belgrade and socialised with the participants of the big and children's marathons, and his presence allowed for a new major media breakthrough of the Belgrade Marathon in the world media.

Which is completely understandable as Carl Lewis became a legend while he was still an active athlete.
At the 2004 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Lewis, then aged 23, repeated Jesse Owens’ 1936 feat and triumphed in the 100 and 200m, the 4 x 100m relay and the long jump.

Aged 35, at the Atlanta Games, he equalled the record of Al Oerter by triumphing for the fourth consecutive time at the Olympic Games in the same event (the long jump).
With nine gold and one silver medal, he is the most successful Olympian of all times, while eight gold, one silver and one bronze medal also make him the most successful athlete of the World Championships.

Lewis' personal bests would still fetch medals today – 9,86 in the 100m, 19,75 in the 200m, 8,87 m in the long jump while every 4 x 100m relay team would want his help. He was the reason of the US' long rule in this event, andalongside the world record in the relay he also held the 100m world record.

Earlier in the year we have invited Carl Lewis to come to Belgrade again and join us at the 26th BELGRADE MARATHON and he will, together with other officials, mark the start of the race with a record-breaking attendance at Kralj Aleksandar Boulevard at 10 am on Sunday.

---

Athletics federation of Serbia supports the 26^th Belgrade marathon

 

Serbian record holder in marathon and half-marathon Olivera Jevtić, currently preparing for the participation in the 26th BELGRADE MARATHON, addressed the journalists at the press conference via video link and wished all the participants to meet their goals on Sunday, 21 April.

While for the majority of participants that represents the completion of the course and passing through the finish line of the marathon, half-marathon and Fun Run, for her this means an attempt at breaking her and national best at the Belgrade Marathon course. For “Delta Generali” this means that one of the runners wins the record bonus, for “BEL hospice“ that the team of charity runners is as numerous as possible, for “ASICS” that competitors wearing their gear are as fast as possible, for the Athletic Federation of Serbia that athletics and running win new following and for the “Belgrade Marathon Ltd” that this year’s event surpasses the previous one and that Belgrade and Serbia are represented in an even better light to the international media.

“Even though I have started the season by preparing for the Balkan Cross Country Championship I did not get the chance to take part in it, so I have switched to preparing for my second marathon at the Belgrade course. I am happy to be running in Belgrade again and I will try to finish the first half of the course in 1:15 hrs in order to manage to break my course record of 2:35,66 and win the bonus awarded by “Delta Generali”, the company I cooperated with in 2008 when I had set the half-marathon record”, said Olivera Jevtić via video link.

Branislava Majstorović, manager of insurer “Delta Generali’s” marketing department, said that the partnership with Belgrade Marathon had been lasting for the past eight years:
“For the eighth time we are insuring all the marathoners and provide record bonuses – from the world record the bonus for which is €50.000, over European and course records to the Serbian national record. We would love to see something similar to 2008 when Olivera Jevtić and Predrag Mladenović had set the national records in the half-marathon.”

Ivana Todorović, representing the charity “BEL hospice” which provides palliative care for cancer patients during the last phase of their illness, said that their charity running team was considerably larger than the last year when it debuted at the Belgrade Marathon:
“So far 260 people have registered which confirms that the marathon is one of the best platforms for charity fund-raising. During the last months our runners had a task of not only preparing for the race but also of promoting the marathon, running, their mission and ask for donations wherever they went.”

One of the “BEL hospice’s” charity team, journalist and TV presenter Ivan Zeljković, added:
“The role of us runners is not to collect the largest donations possible, but as many as possible and in doing so involve as many individuals, companies and clubs as possible in this humane story and widen the circle of people who can contribute to the work of “BEL hospice.” The minimal sum each of us need to raise is 1.200 RSD which is the participation fee. ”

Secretary General of the Athletic Federation of Serbia Slobodan Branković thanked the media for their support in promoting the Belgrade Marathon and the organisers for the efforts invested in the promotion of athletics:
He said that the Belgrade Marathon is "the best possible promotion of athletics."
"The fact that it is held for the 26th consecutive year, speaks for the quality of the event, and triggers respect. What gives special weight to the Marathon is the fact that it is announcing a great number of participants from abroad, as well as its humanitarian nature," said Brankovic. I would like to thank all sponsors and friends who help in organisation of the Belgrade Marathon and who see that those who need help get it.”

Bojan Gledović, representative of “Tref sport” said that the company is the only distributer of “ASICS” sportswear in the region and added:
“All participants of the Belgrade Marathon will get “ASICS” T-shirts while all participants, Belgraders and their guests will be able to purchase “ASICS” products with a 30% discount during the marathon week from 15 to 21 April in all “Tref sport” stores.”

Director of the Belgrade Marathon, Dejan Nikolić announced an expected record-breaking attendance and a strong competition for the traditional trophies and bonuses:
“E-registration via our web page www.bgdmarathon.org ends on the 10 April. However, from 15 April the participants will be able to register directly in the Serbian Army Hall in 2 Francuska St, which will also be a venue of the Pasta party organised for the participants. Yesterday we have received registrations from runners from Japan and Bolivia which means that so far we have the participants from 37 countries from all continents.

We will also have the strongest national competition led by three Olympians. Olivera Jevtić will compete in the marathon, Ana Subotić and Darko Živanović in the half-marathon, as will Mirko Petrović. We will announce the names of the international elite runners in the following days.”

 

Source: BELGRADE MARATHON  Organisers