Saturday's IAAF/AL-Bank World Half Marathon in Denmark was embraced by a gigantic mass participation of 30,000 runners. This success calls for more: On top of the list is the wish to stage another IAAF World Half Marathon in 2018. And on the way to this the running festivities should start in 2015 with a high quality international IAAF event says the Danish Athletic Federation, DAF.
DAF is already examining the possibilities to establish an annual, international running event in the heart of Copenhagen, Denmark. The federation wants to introduce an IAAF running event including the very fastest elite runners as well as the mass participants. The event should be up and running from 2015.
Our goal is a Gold Label race with the international quality of events such as New York City Marathon, Boston Marathon, London Marathon and Lisbon Half Marathon. The desire is to stage the event on the very same course that was used for the World Half Marathon. It was fast, flat and scenic. It was a genuine course for world records.
The new race is still in its preliminary stages, but the Danish Athletic Federation is already working on the plans.
"Saturday we proved that Denmark has the ability to become a game changer and set new standards in terms of staging an IAAF World Half Marathon well received by elite runners, mass participants, spectators, volunteers and the IAAF. The New York City Marathon Director Mary Wittenberg also participated in the race and subsequently complimented us on the set-up by saying "a running experience at the height of the New York City Marathon and the London Marathon." These two races are iconic and attract every year thousands of tourists to the cities. Saturday we showed that Copenhagen can provide a running experience in world class. We should follow up on this success" says Jakob Larsen, CEO, Danish Athletic Federation.
"The combination of elite and mass participation is a true celebration of running and it is definitely a winner. The plans of an annual running event, by Danish Athletic Federation, are a good idea. This IAAF World Half Marathon 2014 in Denmark has once again proven that Denmark is capable of hosting international sporting events of world class. We should share the experiences of staging and we should definitely go for a future running event with high international attention. "An IAAF World Half Marathon in 2018 sounds like a good goal for Denmark", says Lars Lundov, CEO, Sport Event Denmark.
FACTS on IAAF/AL-Bank World Half Marathon 2014
30,000 mass participants from 76 nations
127 male and 95 female elite runners (+50% compared to last WHM – highest number since 1998)
58 nations in the elite (+35% compared to last WHM – and the second highest ever)
200,000 spectators
1,500 volunteers
120 pace makers
20 Danish clubs had conducted preliminary half marathon training resulting in increasing numbers of new club members
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. #WHM2014