Tartu Maraton - 55 Years of Estonian National Pride and Tradition

Tartu Maraton - 55 years of Estonian national pride and tradition Tartu Maraton has been one of the most popular sporting events and a cultural tradition in Estonia for over 50 years. With a grand number of participants – over 10 000 skiers – and top quality organization Tartu Maraton has also become one of the great skiing marathons in the Worldloppet calendar. In Estonia Tartu Maraton is also known as the Estonian Song Festival of Winter. This is derived from the famous Estonian choir Song Festivals which brings together almost 10% of the population of Estonia – 100 000 people. In the Estonian folklore Song Festival has become a symbol of national joy and pride during the summer. Thus Tartu Maraton and cross-country skiing is a symbol of national pride during winter. Over 10% of the participants of Tartu Maraton are foreigners. 2014 was a bad year for the whole European skiing contingent as many of the cross-country skiing marathons had to be cancelled because of lack of snow. Tartu Maraton was also cancelled. But in 2013 a total of 11 086 skiers took part in the Tartu Maraton and 1237 of them were foreign skiers. A total of 29 countries were represented. Most were from Finland and Russia (311 and 244) and Finnish representation has always been one of the highest if not the highest during the last 20 years in Tartu Maraton. Vasaloppet has always been a great example for Estonian cross-country skiers. 36 years after the first Vasaloppet, 28 years after the first Birkebeinerrennet and 14 years before the first Finlandia-Hiihto the first Tartu Maraton was held. This makes Tartu Maraton the third oldest marathon in the current Worldloppet calendar. On the 16th of January 1960 first Tartu Maraton with a length of 55km started from the town of Tartu and finished in Kääriku which is close to Otepää – nowadays considered to be the skiing capital of Estonia where FIS World Cup events are being held. A total of 210 skiers took part. First Tartu Maraton in 1960, source: Estonian Sports Museum The heydays of Tartu Maraton were during the 1980s when Tartu Maraton was also the biggest cross-country marathon in the world. In 1985 13 200 people registered for the race. This remains registration record for Tartu Maraton until this day. During that year, no other cross-country skiing marathon in the world could reach that high number of participants. Until 1980 the town of Tartu remained as the start or as the finish of the marathon. But in 1981 Tartu was taken out of the equation altogether and only stayed in the name. Until this day Tartu is the centre of Tartu Maraton and the children’s events with close to 3000 participants remain in Tartu but the main race is actually skied about 30-50 kilometres to the South of Tartu. The traditional 63km marathon goes from Otepää to Elva, the shorter 31km distance starts from Arula and finishes also in Elva. This track has been in use since 1997. There are also Open Track event, Relay Marathon and races for children. In 2015 Tartu Maraton celebrates its 55th birthday and Tartu Maraton awaits yet again skiers from all over the world to offer them one of the greatest skiing parties in the world. 43rd Tartu Maraton takes place on the 15th of February. 63km course from Otepää to Elva will be skied in classic technique. Opent Track event and Relay Marathon will take place on the same course a week before, on the 8th of February. Childrens events take place in Tartu Tähtvere spordipark day before the main event, on the 14th of February. Contact for press: Peeter Liik, [email protected], phone: +372 555 482 06 More info about Tartu Maraton events: www.tartumaraton.ee Tartu Maraton today, photographer: Tarmo Haud .

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