The eighth edition of the sporting event is scheduled for Sunday, September 17, 2023. The Hagner marathon team, which is organizing the event for the city of Idar-Oberstein, is already in the midst of preparations and is looking forward to a strong field of starters and many spectators along the route.
"We currently have 69 participants registered for the two races," reports Rainer Hagner. That is a relatively high number at this stage. Experience shows that a lot more people join in the last few days before the registration deadline. "We always have around 30 percent new participants, but also many who take part every time," explains Hagner. He is particularly pleased that some runners who had paused in the meantime have registered this year.
Lord Mayor Frank Frühauf has once again taken on the patronage of the stair run. However, there is a second patron, namely Konstantin Wedel. The professional runner has taken part in the stair run several times himself and won the main race in 2016 to 2018. The reigning Edelstein Queen Cécile Elligsen and her predecessor Bettina Reiter will also be present.
As always, there are two competitions this year: the short distance run starts at 11 a.m. and covers 5.4 kilometers with 350 steps and 268 vertical meters. The main run starts at 12 noon, with 510 steps and 459 meters of elevation gain over 8.1 kilometers. The course has been slightly modified compared to last year, but one of the highlights of the main run is still the detour through the vaults of Oberstein Castle.
The marathon team and its supporters are currently busy preparing for the stair run. "This has worked well over the past few years and I am very pleased with the commitment of the organizing team and our helpers," says Rainer Hagner, praising the great cooperation. "I would also like to thank the municipal building depot, which has removed a number of fallen trees from the route over the last few days." During the event, the ASB and the THW are always on duty to ensure the safety of the runners, while the company elo-ton provides the sound system and other technical equipment. There will also be another raffle for participants, with prizes including book vouchers from the Schulz-Ebrecht bookshop and a stainless steel barbecue station from Schneider Grillgeräte. "I am very proud of the support from our sponsors, who have been loyal to us for many years," says Hagner.
- The marathon team offers regular running meetings. Every Tuesday at 6.30 pm and Sunday at 10 am, runners can get to know the course and train for the competitions. The meeting point is always at the Oberstein market square. Registrations for the Felsenkirche staircase run are possible until Sunday, September 10, 2023, at my.raceresult.com/230488, the entry fee is 10 euros per run. Late registrations are not possible. Further information can be found at www.marathonteam-hagner.de.