Some nervously jump up and down or jog in place to keep warm. But they all wait to finally be let forward to the starting line with their group and take off on the 21.0975 kilometer run across Bonn. For the last three years, we haven’t seen this kind of activity and this year will be no exception, there will be no classic marathon. But there will be an alternative running event with a special musical surprise at the finish line as part of the Beethovenfest.

This Sunday, September 11, the Beethoven Run will take place for the first time - and also for the first time it will have new running options - with a ten-kilometer run, half marathon and a school relay. The running event is organized by the same people who bring us the Bonn Marathon. "For us, the running event is an important and, in this environment, particularly nice intermediate step to the next marathon," says Christian Okon, managing director of the organizing agency MMP.

While the finish line will be in front of the Old Town Hall on Bonn's Marktplatz, just like in the traditional marathon, the starting area has been moved from the Belderberg to the banks of the Rhine in Bonn - at the height of Schaumburg-Lippe-Strasse, between Erste and Zweite Fährgasse. From there, the ten-kilometer loop first leads south along the banks of the Rhine, over the South Bridge, further along the Beuel riverside, over the Kennedy Bridge back to the Bonn side and then through the city center to the finish at the Marktplatz. "The classic finish at the Marktplatz - that was important to us," says Pedro Munoz from Group Communications, Sustainability and Brand at Deutsche Post DHL Group, sponsor of the Beethoven Run and the Beethovenfest.

This year, the familiar disco music will be replaced by classical tones: three artists who are in town for the Beethovenfest will give a live concert on the Marktplatz and musically accompany the participants to the finish line during the final sprint.

From 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., jazz pianist Marcus Schinkel performs with his jazz trio. From 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Norwegian pianist Mathias Halvorsen plays minimalist classics by John Adams and other composers. From noon to 12:30 p.m., Kai Schumacher presents an excerpt from his "Rausch" program on the grand piano. “More than 750 compositions and creative power well into his later years - Beethoven was also a master of the long haul! We are happy to be part of the Beethoven Run and to celebrate our festival theme "All People" this year in this way as well," explains Steven Walter, artistic director of the Beethovenfest.

"Athletes go to concerts. Music fans run along the Rhine," says Monika Schaller, Head of Corporate Communications, Sustainability and Brand at Deutsche Post DHL Group. "We enthusiastically promote both. And now we're bringing sports and (music) culture together in one day: First, people run to music in the city, then in the evening they discover music playing on the various floors at 'Post Klassik Vertikal' in the Post Tower." Starting at 6 p.m., the Post Tower will be the venue for the "Post Klassik Vertikal" music project, which will be spread across various levels of the building. Tickets are available through the Beethovenfest website at www.beethovenfest.de.

The starting gun for the half marathon will be at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday. The half marathon runners will have to complete the lap twice. Participants in the ten-kilometer race will be sent out on the course starting at 10:30 a.m. Start time for the school relay teams is 11 a.m.

The starting documents can be picked up on Saturday, September 10, as well as on the day of the race itself at the distribution point at the Hofgarten park area, corner of Stockenstrasse/Koblenzer Tor. On Saturday, the registration desk will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Sunday from 7 a.m. onwards. On both days, late registrations are also possible on site. The starting fee for the half marathon is then 30 euros, for the ten-kilometer distance 20 euros. This includes the race number including timing, a running shirt, a medal and an online certificate. As with the October and April Challenge in Bonn's Rheinaue, timing is done via a chip integrated into the race number. Runners do not need to bring a chip.

Along with the starting documents, participants will also receive a checkroom bag with their own starting number, which can be handed in at the checkroom tent from 7 a.m. on the day of the event and collected again there by 1 p.m.

Several aid stations will also be set up along the course: for the ten-kilometer run at kilometer six, for the half marathon at kilometers five, ten and 15 respectively. There will also be a large assortment of refreshments in the finish area.

The next regular Deutsche Post Marathon Bonn is scheduled for April 23, 2023.

Orig. text: Sabrina Bauer

Translation: ck