18th Border Race Barcs-Virovitica 2009
18. Cestovne prekogranične trke
18. Határfutás
This cross-border half marathon is organized by the twin towns of Barcs in Hungary and Virovitica in Croatia. The event attracts a large number of top athletes, notably from Hungary.
The race alternates in direction each year. In 2008, the race travelled from Virovitica to Barcs. The winners were the Hungarian elite runners Bene Barnabás (1:06:34) and Ida Kovács (1:20:30).
In 2009, the start is in the small border town of Barcs at the thermal spa complex, which features several indoor and outdoor pools. After just 3 kilometres you cross the border and the River Drava. The route through fields and villages in the Drava basin is very flat and fast, but not traffic-free.
The finish is in the town centre of Virovitica near Pejačević castle, which is surrounded by a moat and a Baroque park, a protected natural monument with an open-air swimming pool.
Country: from Hungary to Croatia
Venue: Barcs (HUN) - Virovitica (CRO) (Barcz-Varaždin 120km, -Zagreb 150km, -Budapest 264km)
Date: 12 September 2009 (Saturday)
Distance: 21km; 5.8km
Start (21km): 14.00 Barcs at the thermal spa complex (Termálfürdő)
Start (5.8km): 14.30 Lukač (Croatia) at the "Prajo centar"
Finish: Virovitica town council (gradska uprava)
Entries: until 10 September 2009 (16.00h) by e-mail (Croatia:
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; Hungary:
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) or by post or fax (give your name, identity card or passport number, date of birth, race distance); no entries on the day!
Entry fees: no entry fees in Croatia, 800 HUF in Hungary
Race centre: at the grammar school (Gimnazija) in Virovitica (11.00 to 12.45)
You get: T-Shirt, chip for timing, a warm meal after the race
Free bus service: at 13.00 from Gimnazija Virovitica to the start in Barcs and at 13.30 to the start in Lukač
Prizes: categories: trophies, certificates and medals; 21km: prize money to the first 7M/F
Presentation: 16.00
Number of finishers 2008: 93 (21km), 104 (5.8km)
Details: in Croatian, in Hungarian
Photo gallery: 2007
Tourist information (in Hungarian, Croatian and German): Thermal spa in Barcs
