26th História Run
Kőszeg is a delightful small town in western Hungary, right on the Austrian border. The old town with its medieval castle and a large number of protected buildings, surrounded by vineyards and densely wooded hills, is absolutely worth a visit.
The História Futás commemorates the year 1532 when a few hundred soldiers defended the town successfully against an army of 80,000 Turks. Since 1777 the church bells have rung every day at 11am to remember the occasion.
The mass race, a fun run of 1532 metres, starts with the ringing of the bells in front of the church on the newly renovated main square.
Thirty minutes after the mass race starts the 9km main race, which consists of three mildly undulating laps around the old town and through residential areas of Köszeg.
Many prominent figures of Hungarian distance running like Anikó Kálovics, Judit Nagy, Balázs Csillag or Miklós Zatykó have celebrated victory in the História Futás.
In 2008, the winners were Ethiopia's Ashenafi Erkolo (who speaks fluently Hungarian) and Fruzsina Mizsér.
Country: Hungary
Venue: Kőszeg (Vienna 111km, Graz 124km, Varaždin 141km, Budapest 219km)
Date: 13 September 2009 (Sunday)
Distance: 9km (main race); 1532m (mass race); 500m/1250m/2500m (children)
Start time: 9.15 (children), 11.00 (mass race), 11.30 (main race)
Start and finish: Fő tér (main square)
Entries: on the day from 9.00 to 10.30 on the main square (children from 8.00 to 9.00)
Entry fees: mass race 100 HUF, children 200 HUF, main race 2000 HUF (ca. 7.20 EUR)
Prizes (9km main race): trophies and prize money to the 1st M/F; hotel vouchers to the 2nd M/F; presents to the 3rd M/F
Prizes (1.5km mass race): certificates and presents to the first 3 M/F
Prizes (children): certificates and presents to the first 3 in the categories
Showers and changing facilities: yes (for 9km runners)
Presentation: 13.30 on the main square
Event website (in Hungarian): www.koszeg.hu
No guarantee is made as to the accuracy or thoroughness of the information on this page.