Marathon for all
There are challenges of varying degrees of difficulty when thousands of runners take to the streets of Aabenraa for the annual mountain marathon “Aabenraa Bjergmarathon”.
Denmark doesn’t have any mountains, but in June it certainly feels like it does. With brows glistening with sweat, aching limbs and big smiles, thousands of runners take part in the annual mountain marathon 'Bjergmarathon' in Aabenraa.
The marathon has acquired its name because Aabenraa is situated at the bottom of a valley, surrounded by hills. The route follows the outline of a star, whereby the runners run up a hill and then back down again, before passing through the town centre and on to a new road up a new hill. Depending on how far you’ve chosen to run, it’s almost like running in the mountains.
There’s a special atmosphere at the race in which both local runners and visiting runners test themselves on either the long marathon route or one of the shorter distances. And because the race has a star-shaped route, the runners keep returning to the town centre, where the cheers and support provided by the spectators add to the experience.
The marathon was originally intended to be held once to mark the turn of the millennium, but was so successful that the race has since become a tradition and is now being held for the 18th time. This year will be yet another fantastic event in which the conditions for both runners and spectators are superb, with smiling volunteers, effective giant screens and lots of great experiences for adults and children alike.
