Defending champion and Olympic bronze medalist, Edwin Soi from Kenya, has set a record win target for the 36th edition of the International New Year's Eve Run BOclassic in Bozen, Italy.
It was in 1975 when several enthusiastic runners of the Läuferclub Bozen were looking for a possibility to be active also during the winter season. Following Sao Paolo's model, the New Year's Eve Run in Bozen/Bolzano was originated.
Today, the BOclassic is arguably the best cast New Year's Eve Run in the world.
"Bozen's Waltherplatz will again become South Tyrolean's biggest lounge; we will again bring forth a top new year's eve run" says the new OC-president Gerhard Warasin during yesterday's presentation.
Top stars
Athletic manager Gianni Demadonna has already snapped up some stars.
Whilst Kenyan Soi wants a fourth victory in a row, pursuing the record holder Serhiy Lebid - the Ukranian being the only one to have won the BOclassic five times, German Marathon ace Irina Mikitenko, the main star in the women's field, will be participating for the first time at the South Tyroleans' capital Bozen/Bolzano.
The 38-year-old German was best Marathon runner in the world in 2008 ad 2009 and winner of the Berlin an London Marathon.
Furthermore the Kazakh-born was already fifth and seventh in Olympic games. Mikitenko will be excited about the fantastic atmosphere in the historical town of Bozen.
"The BOclassic is supposed to become again a big athletics festival. The New Year's Eve Run offers a unique possibility to unite world class, amateur and youth runners," says vice-president Christop Brandt at the press conference.
In the run-up to the elite women's run (5 km) and men's run (10 km), the BOclassic Ladurner Amateur Run (5 km) takes place for the 7th time, the Raiffeisen Youth Road Run takes already place for the 28th time and the Handbike Race is held for the 2nd time.
The South Tyrolean Bank Raiffeisen has been a main sponsor from the very beginning of BOclassic.
The RAI channel Sender Bozen as well as RAI Sport Più are going to broadcast the event live applying 14 cameras. Speaker will again be Bozen's mayor and athletics expert Luigi Spagnolli.
Event Programme on Dec 31:
- 1.00 pm - Start of the amateurs BOclassic Ladurner Road Run
- 1.40 pm - Start of the BOclassic Raiffeisen Youth Road Run
- 2.30 pm - Start of the BOclassic handbike race
- 3.00 pm - Start of the BOclassic Elite for Men's
- 3.30 pm - Start of the BOclassic Elite for Women's