City running anniversary: ​​For the 40th, the route was shortened to five kilometers

“We want our event to have a secure future,” says Fritz Steinparz, chairman of the LAC BMD Amateure Steyr and organizer of the Steyr city run. At the 40th edition of this sporting city festival highlight on Sunday, June 30th, the Steyr track and field athletes want to give the fun run a breath of fresh air with numerous innovations.

With up to 900 participants, the Steyr city run was once one of the most popular runs in the area. After a dip – due to corona – which led to a significant decline in numbers, the organizers registered more popularity for the first time last year: there were 360 ​​runners in the main race and 150 in the junior classes.

“We have known for a long time that the sometimes enormous heat during city running and the challenging cobblestones deter many running enthusiasts from starting,” says Steinparz, “so after numerous discussions with runners and looking at the general development in running, we decided to make some innovations .”

Anniversary t-shirt as a gift

The most significant changes concern the route and start time. For the first time this year, the participants in the main run will be sent on the two laps before the junior classes at 9.30 a.m. “If it gets that hot again, the strain on amateur runners won’t be that great,” says Steinparz. In the junior classes, which have to complete distances of 500 to 1000 meters, the heat is less of an issue.

In addition, the main run will be significantly shortened in the anniversary year: this year, two laps with a total of five kilometers will have to be completed. The route is no longer even half as long as it was in the early years: back then, three laps with a total of 10.9 kilometers had to be completed. Around ten years ago the distance was shortened to seven kilometers, divided into two laps. Motivated amateur runners are already training with experienced trainers and athletes from the LAC. The LAC provides preparation for runners and participation in the city run free of charge.

New route

“We hope that with the shorter distance we have fulfilled the wishes of many amateur runners and can encourage them to take part again,” says Steinparz.

The route will therefore also be new: After starting in front of the town hall, it goes over the Schönauerbrücke, past the Schiffmeisterhaus onto the Paddlerweg, then behind the former Hoflehner furniture store up to Haratzmüllerstraße and to the Hotel Minichmayr. The tour then leads over Zwischenbrücken back to the town square.

Also new is the location of the race office, which this year is located directly on the running route at the beginning of the town square in the former Thalia. This is also where starting numbers will be handed out on Saturday afternoon and on Sunday until the start of the race. You can register online until Wednesday, June 26th at www.lac-amateure.at or www.pentek-payment.at. Late entries are possible for an increased fee up to one hour before the start at the race office.

“Anyone who registers online by June 9th will receive an anniversary T-shirt,” says Steinparz.

Fritz Steinparz, organizer of the 40th Steyr City Run