Today the Fokus Bank Oslo Marathon is kicking off with around 16,000 people from 71 different nations expected to participate over the space of two days.
The event, organised by Vidar Sports Club, is set to smash the previous record of 14,192 runners set in 1994 for a street race in Oslo. Nils-Jostein Helland, chair of Vidar Sports Club explained, “The goal is to create a top-class European marathon event which also serves as a popular festival in Oslo. We have participants from all over Norway as well as from 71 countries worldwide. So this represents an excellent way to market Oslo as well.”
For the first time in the event, this year will hold a special disabled class involving a pilot project where blind and partially-sighted runners are assisted by accompanying celebrities. This scheme, staged by the Active Against Cancer foundation, includes partially-sighted athlete Hakon Gisholt as one of 13 runners afflicted by the retinitis pigmentosa eye disease.
“Active Against Cancer has no less than 200 runners in Fokus Bank Oslo Marathon,” states Helle Aanesen, chief executive of the foundation. “They’ve paid NOK 2400 each to take part, with all the money going to us. Our goal is to generate revenues through physical activities which are devoted entirely to fighting cancer.”
Fokus Bank, a branch of Danske Bank, is working to continue developing the event in collaboration with the Vidar Sports Club.
For information about today’s Fokus Bank Oslo Marathon, visit http://en.oslomaraton.no/
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