Events

Twice as many registrations as usual


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The SwissCityMarathon - Lucerne has a record number of over 6,000 registered runners as of mid-July. The number of registrations is therefore twice as high as usual at this time of year. A comparison with Swiss Running's finisher statistics shows that the previous running events in spring 2023 had an average of 10 to 20% fewer participants. The signs are now different in Lucerne.

For well-known reasons, many organisers have seen a significant decline in the number of participants in recent years. The SwissCityMarathon - Lucerne has also experienced this development. In the meantime, registration numbers have stabilised again and are approaching the successful times. However, initial finisher figures from Swiss Running from the spring show that there is still an average drop of 10 to 20% in participants. "This makes the current record number of registrations in Lucerne all the more surprising," says Reto Schorno, Managing Director of the SwissCityMarathon - Lucerne. "But it shows us that we are popular and are already doing a lot of things very well."

Lucerne more popular than ever

The SwissCityMarathon - Lucerne currently has 6,120 registered runners. Compared to the best years, this is a doubling. "The increase can be observed across all distances and is not attributable to a specific category," continues Schorno. There were 980 runners registered for the marathon (42.2km), 4,200 for the half marathon (21.1km), 870 for the CityRun and CharityRun 10KM and 70 for the Maratholino (children's run).

Innovations take effect

It is not clear what led to the doubling of registrations by mid-July. However, Reto Schorno says: "The SwissCityMarathon - Lucerne is characterised by the fact that we are constantly developing and implementing new ideas. The runners really appreciate the fact that we are innovative." One of these ideas was introduced last year with the new start system. A maximum of 500 runners are sent onto the course at the same time in staggered start slots. "This is the only way we can offer participants the same running conditions and guarantee a smooth process," explains Schorno. The staggering of the starts means that runners can secure a specific start slot when they register. Early registration therefore helps to have more choice. The organisers have also provided a further incentive by reducing the entry fees for early registrations.

Capacities are limited

At the moment, the number of registrations for the SwissCityMarathon - Lucerne is continuing to rise. It remains to be seen to what extent the current number of registrations will affect the actual number of participants on the last Sunday in October. What is certain, however, is that the organisers are not accepting unlimited registrations. "We have defined limits for each running distance, which we cannot exceed for safety reasons. Nevertheless, we hope that this year we can match or even exceed the numbers from 2019," concludes Marco Scherer, Technical Director. 11,738 runners were registered for the SwissCityMarathon - Lucerne 2019 - more than ever before.

This year, the SwissCityMarathon - Lucerne will take place on Sunday, 29 October 2023