Loipersdorf (Austria), Saturday 29 September 2012

The Buschenschank Halbmarathon attracts around 500 runners and nordic walkers to the spa village of Loipersdorf, which is located amid rolling hills in Austria's state of Styria, near the border with Hungary.

Entrants can choose between the half marathon, the 10.8k run, the 4.5k run, or the 13k nordic walking course. The route is hilly through fields, woods and vineyards.

Along the course, several Buschenschanken (wine taverns) offer home-made wine and cold buffets of traditional peasant food.

As this can be rather heavy on the stomach when you run, the most popular distance has become the 13k nordic walking.

Country: Austria

Venue (Map): Loipersdorf, near Fürstenfeld (Graz 65km, Maribor 85km, Vienna 163km)

Date: 29 September 2012 (Saturday)

Race distance: 21.1km; 10.8km; 4.5km; 13km (nordic walking); 400m and 1500m (children)

Start time: 10.00 (4.5km); 11.00 (21.1km/10.8km/13km nordic walking)

Start: Therme Loipersdorf

Finish (4.5km): Therme Loipersdorf

Finish (21.1km, 10.8km, 13km nordic walking): Dorfplatz in Loipersdorf (ca. 4km from the start)

Entries: online, payment by bank transfer; late entries on the day until one hour before the start

Entry fees (21km): € 25 (until 26 Sep 2012), € 32 (until 29 Sep 2012)

Entry fees (10.8km): € 19 (until 26 Sep 2012), € 26 (until 29 Sep 2012)

Entry fees (4.5km): € 18 (until 26 Sep 2012), € 25 (until 29 Sep 2012)

Entry fees (13km nordic walking): € 20 (until 26 Sep 2012), € 27 (until 29 Sep 2012)

Timing (!): Hightech-Timing: € 3 chip rental fees and € 10 deposit for the chip; nordic walkers don't need a timing chip

Race centre: Therme Loipersdorf (28 September 2012, 16.00-18.00; on the day 08.00-10.00)

You get: finisher T-shirt; drinks and food on the course and at the finish; bus service between start and finish; an evening ticket to the thermal spa "Therme Loipersdorf" (this may not be valid on the day of the event)

Prizes: trophies to the first 3 in each category; product prizes to the three largest groups; € 100 prize money for a new course record in the half marathon

Showers, changing facilities, massage: Therme Loipersdorf (at the start) and Volksschule Loipersdorf (at the finish)

Award ceremony: at the "Buschenschankfest" in Loipersdorf

Number of finishers 2011: 114 (21km), 74 (10.8km), 30 (4.5km), 269 (nordic walking)

Event website (in German): www.b-active.at

No guarantee is made as to the accuracy or thoroughness of the information on this page! Please visit the official event website to verify the above information.