Ready, set – go!
Even though the participants in Saturday’s CPH Mini Marathon had shorter legs and smaller shoes than those gearing up for the legendary 42.195 kilometers at the Copenhagen Marathon, the atmosphere was still electric. And the children’s excitement matched – if not exceeded – that of the adults.
The CPH Mini Marathon featured four different races across two distances. There was a 1-kilometer race – with and without adults – and a 2-kilometer race – also with and without adults. Sparta’s faithful mascot, Sprinter, was of course ready on sight, spreading joy and helping to get everyone in the zone during the warm-ups ahead of each race.
With loud music in the background and smiles all around, the children lined up at the starting arch in Fælledparken, where they were sent off onto a route that finished at the official finish line on Øster Allé. This way, the children got a taste of what it’s like at the Copenhagen Marathon – crossing the very same finish line as the adult runners do after completing their 42.195 kilometers.
Three mini marathoners’ perspective
Among the first to cross the finish line after 1 kilometer was 10-year-old Ela. Although she had signed up for the family race, her ambitions stretched a bit further:
“I wanted to run really fast, so I told my mom and little brother that I’d just run on my own,” said Ela after the race, proudly showing off her medal.
Although 1 kilometer might seem like a long distance for a child, Ela – who participated in the CPH Mini Marathon for the second time – may very well be a future runner in the making. Her enthusiasm was clear as she crossed the finish line:
“It was awesome! It was fun overtaking the others, and I really like the medal too. I want to come back next year – but then I’ll go for the 2 km,” Ela concluded.
The course for the Mini Marathon began at the arch in the middle of Fælledparken and followed a closed course lined with tall green trees before the runners turned down Øster Allé, where they crossed the finish line to the sound of cheering spectators.
Among the many happy runners enjoying the experience was four-year-old Max, who ran alongside his dad. It was their first time participating, and together they completed the 1-kilometer family race with great excitement:
“It was cool to run, and there were lots of people cheering and good music,” said Max after crossing the finish line.
Despite his young age and the fact that it was his first Mini Marathon, Max did incredibly well – and his pride was obvious at the finish:
“I ran the whole way, and I was a little out of breath sometimes, but I’m not anymore,” he said full of confidence.
After two successful 1-kilometer races – with and without adults – it was time for the 2-kilometer run for children. In the finish area, we caught up with eight-year-old twins Naynika and Arjav, both full of excitement.
In classic sibling fashion, they started the race together until one pulled ahead, and there was a touch of self-satisfaction in Naynika’s voice as she described how she outran her brother:
“I knew I was going to run faster,” Naynika smiled after the race, adding: “I’ve never tried a race like this before, but it went really well.”
Even though Arjav was beaten at the finish line by his sister, there was no doubt that both had a great experience:
“We also gave high-fives to the mascot, Sprinter,” Arjav added, finishing with: “Being part of the Mini Marathon was the best, and we’d love to do it again another time.”
It sounds like everyone had a great time at the Mini Marathon, and many of the kids were especially thrilled when they realized that their medal is a miniature version of the official medal that Copenhagen Marathon participants receive at the finish line on Sunday.
That realization lit up their faces even more, and smiles spread far and wide as backs straightened with pride. After all, now they could call themselves true marathon runners – at least in mini form.
