The Copenhagen Half Marathon proved a palpable success when it was staged for the first time last September off the back of the World Half Marathon Championships and runners from around the world are adding this race to their respective diaries.
The second edition of the event is scheduled for 18 September and the race has also been given a five-star certification rating by European Athletics Running For All.
With just over a month to go until race day, the organisers have confirmed that some 2,839 recreational runners from other countries than Denmark have already signed up to take part in one of the flattest half marathon races in Europe.
Overseas participation corresponds to 18 percent of the total number of entrants and a spike on last year’s numbers when only 10 percent of the 23,860 entrants came from abroad.
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Sport Event Denmark works to attract, organise and develop major international events in Denmark – and they are very pleased by the increased international interest.
'It takes time to become an internationally recognised sport-for-all event. The IAAF World Half Marathon 2014 in Denmark was unique as it for the first time ever embraced a giant and great recreational race too.
“The CPH Half carries the legacy from the World Half Marathon and this year with a record in international participant entries. This is of course very positive,” said Lars Lundov, CEO, Sport Event Denmark.
The organisers of Copenhagen Half Marathon are equally pleased the event is growing in stature.
'We are pleased that the preliminary figures indicate an increased interest among foreign runners.
“An important part of being classified and recognised as one of the world's most attractive races is precisely that runners from around the world both know of our existence and prioritise our race,' said Jakob Larsen, the director of Danish Athletic Federation.
Runners from no fewer than 86 different countries have entered this year’s edition of the half marathon with big interest in particular from Sweden, the United Kingdom and Norway.
Biggest entries from abroad:
1. Sweden: 800
2. United Kingdom: 358
3. Norway: 354
4. Germany: 271
5. Spain: 101
6. United States: 101
7. France: 98
8. Netherlands: 86
9. Italy: 75
10. Poland: 41
The European Athletics Quality Road Race standards act as an assurance for road runners throughout Europe. They distinguish between races that respect the standards and those that haven’t sought certification or assessment. They form the foundation of Running for All, a strong recognisable brand for running activities throughout Europe.
More information on Running for All:
Website: european-running4all.org
Twitter: @runningforall
Contact: [email protected]