01. 09. 2009

Press Conference, September 2nd, 2009

Already for the third time the ERSTE BANK vienna night run takes place on the 6th of October at 8:00 pm. And just like in the years before runners rushed this charity event in favour of „Light for the World“. Already five weeks before the starting signal the nominal result of participants from the year before (7.148 participants) could clearly be surpassed. The organizers expect 15.000 participants,

This guarantees a gigantic runner’s party on the Ringstrasse and at Heldenplatz.

ERSTE BANK vienna night run 2009

Issuance of Starting bibs and Party at Heldenplatz

Organizer Hannes Menitz from sportmedia: „Just five weeks before the third ERSTE BANK vienna night run our preparations are running at full speed. Fortunately, we were granted access to use the Heldenplatz for our event. The issuance of starting bibs on the 4th and 5th of October as well as the whole supporting programme and the after party will take place on Heldenplatz. Start and Finish will stay on the Ring just like in the years before. At the special Ö3 party for the ERSTE BANK vienna night run visitors can expect DJs, dancers and live performances from pbh club and the echo band.“
However, the unique atmosphere at the night run experience on Vienna’s finest boulevard, the Ring, is not the only motivation for the thousands of participants to take part at the ERSTE BANK vienna night run. Another aspect is certainly the charity character: Per participant five euros of the start money are donated to the organisation „Light fort he World“. Just with 30 Euros (the price of an eye operation) one can help a person regain his eyesight in the poorest countries of the world.

Until now 1.500 Eye operations

How important the help of the ERSTE BANK vienna night run participants really is knows Chris Lohner, the Grande Dame of the ORF and for eight years an Good Will Ambassador for „Light of the World“: If I was born in Africa, I would already be blind many years.“ Chris Lohner was operated on both eyes in the cataract. „During my numerous journeys to the poor areas of the world I experienced again and again how happy people are after an operation in the cataract, an operation that only takes 15 minutes! The unbelievable joy of these people, who often see their children or grandchildren for the first time after many years of blindness, warms my heart. With a donation of 30 Euros to „Light of the World“ one can help make these small miracles possible over and over again! And every participant in the ERSTE BANK vienna night run adds five Euros and saves eyesight. Thus in the last two years more than 1.500 ocular operations were financed.“

Social engagement combined with sport

Also this year the run is possible due to the ERSTE BANK, since a big event like the ERSTE BANK vienna night run would never take place with this kind of quality without the generous support of sponsors. „The ERSTE BANK vienna night run is the absolute highlight for us in autumn“, explains Mag. Mario Stadler, Head of Marketing at the ERSTE BANK Austria. More than 750 ERSTE BANK employees and numerous customers run the 5km in favour for „Light of the World”. To connect social engagement with sport is a very meaningful combination for us“, says Stadler. Therefore the ERSTE BANK is the main sponsor for the third time now. Stadler: „We would also like to motivate our customers to participate in the run. Within the scope of the ERSTE BANK vienna night run package of the ERSTE BANK our customers receive a 20% discount on the starting fee. A big thanks also goes out to the WAT, the biggest all-round-sports association of Austria that will provide the athletic organisation of the event for the second time around. WAT Secretary General Sonja Landsteiner: „We are very happy to be a partner of the ERSTE BANK vienna night run again. For the second year we will be responsible for the athletic organisation of the event. Since the debut of the ERSTE BANK vienna night run in 2007 the WAT provides the organizers with race guides. In 2007 it was 70, in 2008 already 130 and this year 150 WAT-functionaries will safeguard the course, so the ERSTE BANK vienna night run will be the spectacle in front of the great architectural scenery it is supposed to be. As the biggest all-round-sports association of Vienna we are a competent partner for the most different sports events in Vienna.“

Barrier-free around the Ring

The ERSTE BANK vienna night run is not only in favour of partially sighted people; many disabled athletes will be active. Organizer Menitz: „ Besides the 8.000 already participating runners and Nordic walkers, we also have commitments of prominent handicapped athletes like James and Francois Karanja and for the first time this year also the multiple Olympic champion Henry Wanyoike. Due to the barrier-free course, it is possible for people with disabilities to start this year. Thus for example the wheel chair Olympic champion Thomas Geierspichler will participate in the ERSTE BANK vienna night run. We will also present Matthias Lanzinger within the value initiative of the Austrian Sporthilfe „Leistung, Fairplay, Miteinander.“ We will make a sign for the „togetherness“ of high-level and handicapped sports and to support many young athletes via the „Sporthilfe-Förder-Euro“. People with disabilities that are interested in participating and that are able to make the 5 km within 1 hour and 30 minutes are more than welcome to contact Mag. Andrea Scherney (Austrian Behindertensportverband) at sportdirektor@oebsv.or.at .

World-class athletes will start

A very exciting duel between the two best blind runners of the past years awaits us, Francis Thuo Karanja and Henry Wanyoike, the sentimental favourite of Chris Lohner: „Personally I cross my fingers for Henry Wanyoike this year, he won two gold medals in 2004 at Paralympics in Athens, while setting a world record. Henry will prove at the ERSTE BANK vienna night run that also people with disabilities can produce great things.“ A happy surprise is the start of Henry Wanyoike on the 6th of October for Mag. Michael Buchleitner. The former domestic marathon ace and organizer of the Wachau marathon on the 20th of September, was Wanyoikes accompanying runner at the 5.000 meters victory at the 2204 Paralympics in Athens. „I have not seen Henry for some years now and I am already excited to run with him again at the ERSTE BANK vienna night run. Especially since the distance is the same as the one at our Olympic victory.“

O-Tones of press conference for free download at www.erstebank.at/otoene

Online-Run-Calendar of Austria’s biggest running initiative the Erste Bank Sparkasse Running with over 200 Running events plus all Information about running at www.erstebank-running.at