The race office is located in the nearby Josef School. "For our 60 or so volunteers as well as the active runners, accompanying fans and family members, it is the place to go, also thanks to the wide variety of cakes served for post-run fortification," says Dieter Stein. For the one in charge of organizing the event, the run is a year round project. "The actual preparation though begins four weeks before the event and is then almost a full-time job," says Stein, who organizes the run together with his son Christian.

The Three Bridges Run is one of the oldest public running events in the Bonn area and is also an important date for Florian Stader. "The route is attractive and people should support the run simply because it’s for a good cause," says the 65-year-old from Bonn, who already participated in the run in the 1990's and will be at the start on Sunday for the 15 kilometer run.

"The character of a charity run was and is important to us and is our priority. That is why we have kept the entry fee low and give at least 50 percent of the entry fee as a donation to the Kinderkrebshilfe (German Children's Cancer Aid),” reports Dieter Stein. In the past 25 years, thanks to the willingness of participants to donate, a total of around 226,500 euros has been donated to Kinderkrebshilfe.

It all started with the first Three Bridges Run on November 6, 1983 and has always been sponsored by the TuS Pützchen 05 sports club. For the club, the run serves as an opportunity to introduce itself to the greater public. At a regulars' table of the recreational sports department, the then department head Bernhard Mertens presented the idea of a fun run to the club, which was to serve a good cause. The donations initially went to what was called Aktion Sorgenkind back then, it is now called Aktion Mensch. The name "Drei-Brücken-Lauf" (Three Bridges Run) describes the route.

At the first run, there were a total of 75 participants, who at that time could choose between two running distances (ten and 15 kilometers) and a walking distance of seven kilometers. The proceeds from the donation amounted to 539 D-Mark. In 1985, the 30-kilometer route, which included two large bridge laps, was added to the program for the first time. This year, there is a change of route in the Bonn Rhine floodplain. "As part of the renovation of the Rheinaue lake, it was discovered that the two bridges at Schiffchen lake are in disrepair. They are currently closed," report the organizers. The modified route is 100 meters longer. Route marshals will ensure on Sunday that everyone finds the right way across the three bridges over the Rhine in Bonn.

Late registrations are possible at the pick up of starting documents on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Bonner Laufladen, Bonngasse 13a. On the day of the event, the Josefschule, Agnesstraße 1, will be open from 8 am. More info at www.drei-bruecken-lauf.de.

(Orig. text: Joe Körbs / Translation: Carol Kleoppel)