4,000 expected to join BMW Helsinki Marathon

About 4,000 runners are expected to participate in the BMW Helsinki Marathon this year scheduled to take place in downtown Helsinki streets on August 19, the organizers said.

The number of participants is much higher than the previous year’s. “This year, runners are expected more than what they were the previous year. Last year, we had more than 3,000 registered runners and 2,400 ran the event in different distances. This year, we have about 4,000 runners registered,” Tapani Virtanen, race director of Helsinki Marathon, told the Daily Finland.

Virtanen said that the goal was to organize an event where everything would work well and participants would enjoy it and would want to join again.

“Running events are also part of the urban city culture that we want to raise in the Helsinki area,” the director added.

The marathon will begin at 8:30 a.m. from Meripuisto and finish at the same point.

“We have several distances in the event — 10km, half marathon, marathon relay, marathon and kids’ runs. So, there are many possibilities to choose the right distance,” Virtanen said.

“Unfortunately, the funds will not be donated to charities this year. However, we are employing a number of sport clubs to collect funds for their own junior club activities through work in the event,” Virtanen added.