This weekend, the 35th edition of the SPAR Budapest Marathon® will be held in the capital city of Hungary. During these two days, 11 distances and nine starting points will be made available for participants. The running tracks offer appropriate challenges for both experienced and beginning runners, as well as for families with young children running just a few hundred meters. On Saturday, the organisers welcome families and those looking to run shorter distances, while Sunday will be for participants running the whole marathon.

The runners of SPAR Budapest Marathon®, starting at 9 am on Sunday morning, will run the 42.2km distance on one of Europe’s most beautiful and spectacular marathon routes. The route leads along the two banks of River Danube, Margaret Bridge, Margaret Island, Árpád Bridge, and Liberty Bridge. In addition to being a social event for families and amateur athletes, the 35^th SPAR Budapest Marathon® is also a National Marathon Championship for Hungarian top runners.

As this year’s event will be different to previous SPAR Budapest Marathon® events, the organisers will ensure that all health and safety measures required and suggested by the Hungarian authorities are met, thereby securing the wellbeing of participants and supporters.

The following health and safety precautions will be implemented:

• Runners will only receive a start number after signing a health declaration;
• Before entering the onsite competition centre, everyone’s body temperature will be measured;
• Only runners with a face mask will be allowed to enter the competition centre and the start zones;
• The start is carried out in groups in line with national regulations.

The organisers ask participants to behave responsibly and to keep the required distance from each other. Hand sanitizers are available on site and all locations and materials used by the participants will be disinfected regularly.

“2020 will not be the peak year of SPAR Budapest Marathon® festival for many reasons”, said Race Director Árpád Kocsis.

“Due to the pandemic and the closing of borders, more than 4,000 foreign runners will not be able to participate. This year, it is going to be a domestic competition, and we anticipate a third or a quarter of the usual headcount. We are sure that those who will participate, will reach the finish line with the same smile on their faces, and for them, the competition will provide the same experience as last year”, he summarised.

As it is an event that is not just about sport but also about community involvement, runners of five charitable organisations will collect donations this year. One of them is charity Bátor Tábor Élménykülönítmény. Their 22 runners will collect money for the experience therapy camp for children suffering from cancer and chronical illnesses. Their goal is to reach a donation of more than €12,000.

Participants can still register for the event on: https://www.sparbudapestmaraton.hu/, further information can be found there as well.

Source: SPAR Hungary

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About SPAR Hungary

The first SPAR Supermarket opened in Hungary in 1992, following the acquisition by ASPIAG (Austria SPAR International AG) of a majority stake in General Kereskedelmi Rt. Since its launch, SPAR Hungary has been actively involved in the development of the retail industry in the country.

The move to license independent retailers to operate the SPAR Brand has proven successful for Hungary, with new stores meeting the needs of a larger number of shoppers. The retailers benefit from becoming part of the SPAR organisation with access to own brand products, operating systems and the brand, whilst consumers enjoy the increased number of store locations.