60 nationalities participate in the IAAF/AL-Bank World Half Marathon mass race in Copenhagen Saturday 29 March 2014
If all recreational runners are going to be cheered along by flag-waving spectators on the 29 March 2014 in the streets of Copenhagen, as many as 60 different flags will be needed as 60 different nationalities have signed up to participate in the first ever World Half Marathon Championships to be combined with a giant mass race consisting of 30,000 participants.
“It’s amazing to have so many different nationalities taking part in the mass race. The great interest among foreign runners place our event in the very top of the international league of recreational races”, says the Director of the Danish Athletic Federation, Jakob Larsen.
The country, outside of Denmark, participating with the absolute largest number of recreational runners is Sweden. The Swedes make up about a third of the foreign participants. Norwegian runners represent about one-fifth, while British and German recreational runners each represent about a tenth of the international runners. The mass race consists of runners from all over the world. The overseas participating countries count inter alia United States, Australia, Brazil, Iraq, Mexico, Barbados and The Dominican Republic.
“A totally sold out IAAF/AL-Bank World Half Marathon 2014 confirms our analysis of the event’s potential. It will be a running festival that involves not only the thousands of Danish recreational runners but also several thousand foreign recreational runners from 60 different nations that will run with the elite through Copenhagen” says Lars Lundov, CEO, Sport Event Denmark.
“We are looking forward to welcoming so many nationalities in Copenhagen and give them an unforgettable experience with running through our charming capital,” says Sport Event Director, Lars Vallentin from Wonderful Copenhagen.
After an extraordinary final sale of the very last starting numbers, the IAAF/AL-Bank World Half Marathon Championships 2014 is now completely sold out. All pools incl. the sale of starting numbers to foreign runners, Danish runners, Danish Athletic Clubs and other WHM2014 initiatives have now been counted, and all in all 30,000 starting numbers have been handed out. It is expected that approximately 28,000 recreational runners will participate on the day.
Quick facts about the IAAF/AL-Bank World Half Marathon Championships 2014
Date: 29 March 2014
Place: Copenhagen, Denmark
Quick facts: More than 300 elite runners from around 50 nations are expected to participate in Copenhagen in 2014. In addition 30,000 recreational runners from Denmark and abroad will also take part in the IAAF/AL-Bank World Half Marathon Championships.
Organisers: The Danish Athletic Federation, Sport Event Denmark, Wonderful Copenhagen and the municipalities of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg are supporting the event.
Read more about IAAF/AL-Bank World Half Marathon Championships 2014 here: English.copenhagen2014.dk and on Facebook.