Here is a project that includes both sport and tourism promotion, uniting eight races throughout Croatia, convenient for athletes and amateurs alike
CroRun project was presented in Zagreb on Monday, March 7. 2016. It is a series of eight athletic road tracks in attractive Croatian locations, custom made not only for top athletes but also for beginners, families and business people.
In order to find out more about this extremely attractive project, we talked to Mr. Robert Franjković, race manager of CroRun:
What is CroRun, and what are the main goals of the project?
CroRun project is envisioned as a series of road athletics races in attractive locations across Croatia. It all starts with the Zagreb Spring Marathon, to be staged March 20 and ends with the New Year’s Eve race in Dubrovnik. The crown jewel of the whole project is the Plitvice Marathon, Croatia’s oldest and most famous marathon, which will have its 31st edition this year. We want all races to have the same high-quality level – as we want to provide runners with the best experience possible. The idea is to take all races and turn them into multi-day sports and social events, with different races for various groups, from school children, business people, professional athletes, mass races, while, at the same time, providing entertainment along with the races.
When did you start the project, and who is included in it?
The very idea has been around since 2012 when we started with the launch of the “Karlovački cener” (Karlovac 10 Km race). Even then there was an idea to create a road racing series at the highest level and to unite more races. Soon after we launched the New Year’s Eve race in Dubrovnik DuRun10K, we rounded it up with an agreement to organize the 31st Plitvice marathon this year. The project currently includes many different subjects and their number is constantly growing. Starting from sponsors, local communities, media partners and some government institutions that give us support. It is important to point out that in every location where we do an athletic race we include the local athletic club as our partner.
Do you get any help from tourist boards?
Cooperation with the tourist workers is one of our primary goals, as it is very important for the success of the project. Our runners do not come only from Croatia but from all around the world and we are interested in promoting Croatia globally as a racing destination. We have one tourist agency included in the very organization, and we have excellent cooperation with tourist boards in the destinations where the events are held. We plan to improve this cooperation and to strength the ties with tourist boards.
Is there a plan to include more destinations, as we don’t see Zadar, Split or Osijek in the calendar?
The expansion of the project is planned, but we will not rush it. The most important thing for us is the quality and attractiveness of the race – we want to attract the best runners, first from Croatia, then the region and later to spread the word all around the world. We want each race for itself to be a top event and the runners to be delighted, and for them to leave with the desire to return and to talk about it to their friends. We will try to include races from all parts of the country, and to stretch them throughout the year and make sure not to swamp the itinerary with too many events. Of course, close cooperation with other quality races in Croatia is in our plan, and we have already established cooperation with organizations in other countries, such as Run Czech and the Belgrade Marathon. As Osijek is mentioned, we have a half marathon in Kopački Rit, near Osijek, and we believe that it will soon become one of the most important races in Eastern Croatia.
How many participants do you expect?
This year, we expect a total of 8.000 to 10.000 runners, but it is impossible to give you an exact number at this moment since some of our races have no limits when it comes to the final number of participants. Running movement is growing constantly, and we believe that the runners will recognize the quality of our organization as we pour our hearts into our work. A combination of both love and knowledge from people participating in our organization is the only way to ensure the success of our story.
