Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/410228
22 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 5 NOVEMBER 2014 Sport AROUND 800 athletes have ap- plied to take part in the coming weekend's Express Trailers Zurrieq Half Marathon, a 10km run and 10km walk making this appoint- ment the third largest athletic event in Malta following the M2S and the Malta Marathon. "Last year was a breakthrough for us at Zurrieq Wolves Athletic Club when we saw the event attracting over 600 athletes. This was a huge boost, especially when one consid- ers that our event used to attract just about 130 athletes. Our agree- ment with Express Trailers to spon- sor this annual event for three con- secutive years was instrumental in this first success as this eventually encouraged the organisers of the Malta Marathon to take on the in- tricate and demanding administra- tion aspects of the growing event," explains club secretary Mauro Pace Parascandalo. "We are extremely proud with our involvement and support to what is turning out to be a success story. Our presence on the day will make it a point that the races are a logistical success and that through this success we will reinforce our mission of being a company that is sensitive to all the more vulnerable road users such as athletes. For the first time, we will also be employ- ing one of our company vehicles as the lead car during the race," added Franco Azzopardi. Route and safety With higher numbers comes more logistical preparation, encouraging the organisers to make the event a more rewarding experience for all athletes. From athletes' feedback after last year's event, especially with regard to the route, a number of changes have been made to make this year's route less winding and consequently faster and more en- joyable, also increasing the record- breaking chances. Athletes are going to enjoy this year's route which helps more those athletes seeking to break their record. The organisers have also col- laborated very closely with Trans- port Malta and placed more efforts into diverting traffic away from the race for the safety of all athletes. Medals as collectibles This year's medals, which have just been delivered, build on the tradition started last year of featuring a land- mark in Żurrieq. Last year's medals had in fact featured the popular Xa- rolla windmill, whereas this year's medals feature Bubaqra Tower. This not only promotes the locality but entices athletes to participate and build a unique collection of medals. All participants need to register and collect their race number, tim- ing chips, pins and T-shirt from Sky Spirit Fitness Lounge, Level 0, Sky Parks Business Centre, Malta Inter- national Airport, Luqa on Saturday 8th November between 13.30 and 17.30. The Express Trailers Zurrieq Half Marathon is being organised also in collaboration with the Żurrieq Local Council. More information about the events may be found on www.zurrieqwolvesathletics.com Record number of athletes register for Zurrieq half marathon