Josanne Cassar | Everything you need to know about the Vodafone Malta Marathon

The Malta Marathon this year is being brought to you by Vodafone as the main sponsor of the event hence the Vodafone Malta Marathon. The sponsoring of such an event is a milestone in itself for Vodafone Malta. Indeed it is a ‘first’ for us and testimony to our firm belief in the values of achievement and success. This is the embodiment of the Marathon. Thousands from all walks of life and all ages making it to the finish line in an act of personal achievement, many doing it for a good cause. The official charity this year is Inspire. Runners are being urged to collect money for this charity thus adding even more value to their feat.

Any event of this size is complex in its organisation and logistical set up. It takes months to organise the event which would not be possible without the hundreds of people that work toward its success. This also includes a number of Official Partners which are San Michel, Powerade, Urban Jungle and The Villa.

The event is a national sporting celebration with as much activity along the route as on the route. 25 Bands will be lining the route as will the various voluntary organisations that have become a mainstay of each marathon. The feeling of any marathon is electric. It’s a family day out and a time for coming together to celebrate the strength of the human spirit. The finish line is particularly exciting. Once again there will be a large crowd cheering on the 3,600 which will cross the finish line – some in better shape than others but crossing anyway. This is the beauty of the marathon, it doesn’t matter how long it takes you to cross the finish line. The thrill of crossing is unparalleled and as emotional for those who watch it happen.

The Vodafone Malta Marathon will once again go viral this year. Each participant can enjoy the benefits of technology whilst running. At each step of the way our photographers are at hand and any photos taken of participants can be automatically uploaded to their Facebook page in real time. Following the marathon has never been such fun. Monitor your husband, your girlfriend, your dad or friend at each step of the way and keep it for posterity.

Overall, the Marathon is set to be a very special event. Whether you choose to follow it along the route, or at the finish line or on Facebook you will no doubt feel a part of this annual event.

Fact and Figures

Main Sponsor	Vodafone Malta
Official Partners	San Michel, Powerade, Urban Jungle, The Villa
Official Charity	Inspire Foundation
Voluntary Organisations involved	Attard Scouts, St Aloysius Scouts, B’Kara Scouts, Hamrun Scouts, Lyceum Scouts, Mosta Scouts, Marsa Scouts, Sliema Scouts, Stella Maris Scouts, St. Venera Scouts, Zebbug Scouts and Inspire Foundation provide marshals and man the San Michel, Powerade and Sponge Stations.
First Aid	St John’s Ambulance and Malta Red Cross Society
Registration	Ladies Running Club
Social Media	Facebook. Participants must register their bib number at www.vodafone.com.mt/maltamarathon. The barcode on each bib will automatically allow for the participants photos to be uploaded on their facebook page thus creating an album of their race from start to finish.
Participants	3,600 (1,500 foreign nationals)
Full Marathon	600
Half Marathon	2,100
Walkathon	900
List of best attended races in Malta	1) MaltaMarathon 2) Urban Jungle Mdina Spinola Xmas Road Race (700 participants)
Maltese Participants	Full Marathon 13 females 79 males Half Marathon & Walkathon 942 females 1,101 males
Foreign Participants	UK – 501 Germany – 201 Italy – 195 France – 99 USA – 35 Japan – 34 Others
Most dedicated Malta Marathon Runner	Charles Darmanin – the only participant that completed all 28 Malta Marathons. This will be his 29^th
Marathon Favourites	Mohammed Hajjy (Morocco) – 3 time winner Abdelekrim Kabbouri (Morocco) – twice 2^nd and once 3^rd Yassine Kabbouri (Morocco) – running his first Malta marathon
Maltese favourites	Jonathan Balzan – holds the National Best for the Marathon (finished 4^th last year) Andre Grech – finished 5^th last year.
Awards	Trophies and commemorative medals will be given out as well as prize money for those who clock the best times in the Marathon. Commemorative medals have been designed by Charles Cassar, artist.
Chip timing	Each athlete will be wearing a chip which will automatically work out the time they leave the starting line and cross the finish line and hence determine position and timing. Athletes are asked to hand over their chip at the finish line or to a marathon official if for some reason they do not finish the race. The chips are non-transferrable.
Safety and Ethics	Bikes, pets and children are not allowed to participate due to safety concerns. Such participation may lead to disqualification.
Start of the Marathon	Full Marathon (42.2 Km) Mdina at 0830hrs Half Marathon and Walkathon – 0920hrs Walkathon participants will line up behind the Marathon runners
Finish line	Sliema Strand Expected time of arrival of first participant – 1015hrs Expected time of arrival of last participant – 1300hrs
Route	After leaving Rabat, the Marathon will pass by Mtarfa, Ta’ Qali, Attard, Mosta, back through Ta’ Qali and Attard, Mriehel by-pass, Qormi, Marsa, Blata L’Bajda, Floriana, Pieta, Msida, Ta’ Xbiex, Gzira and Sliema. The Half Marathon and Walkathon will exit Rabat earlier and will follow the same route but skip the Ta’ Qali, Attard, Mosta, Ta’ Qali loop.
En Route	25 bands will be performing on the route
Traffic Control and Road closures	Main areas to avoid due to closure of roads and deviation of traffic for the 2014 Vodafone Malta Marathon. Ta’ Qali and all surrounding roads 0830 to 1115 Marsa to Blata Bajda 1000 to 1300 Attard 0900 to 1130 Hamrun to Blata Bajda 1000 to 1300 Mriehel By-pass to Marsa 0930 to 1230 Pieta, Msida, Gzira & Sliema waterfronts 1000 to 1330
Fun Run	2Km fun run starting at the Ferries in Sliema organised by Athletic Club Pembroke Athleta (21433452) starting at 0900hrs. Children and parents are encouraged to participate. Last year 500 children participated. All those who cross the finish line will receive a medal, refreshments and a goodie bag.
MTA Assistance	The presence of many foreign runners is made possible thanks to the promotional work done by the Malta Tourism Authority and the continued support it gives the Malta Marathon. The Malta Marathon Organising Committee would also like to specially thank the Honourable Minister for Tourism for his continued support.

Maltese and Foreign participation over recent years:

Year Maltese Foreigners Total

1994 194 389 583

1995 277 473 750

1996 239 424 663

1997 288 374 662

1998 302 402 704

1999 282 433 715

2000 316 496 812

2001 344 523 867

2002 327 389 716

2003 359 374 733

2004 439 305 744

2005 394 307 701

2006 398 381 779

2007 483 399 882

2008 407 691 1098

2009 490 547 1037

2010 774 725 1499

2011 1233 962 2195

2012 1543 1014 2557

2013 1980 1236 3216

2014 2150 1550 3600

Everything you need to know about the Vodafone Malta Marathon

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