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Running for diversity
September 3rd, 2009admin
In spite of being a small country, Denmark can surprise. You wouldn’t imagine that a place with 5 millon habitants hosts the world’s largest running event, DHL Stafetten.
Every September in Copenhagen, participants from several companies and organizations take a day to become runners for fun. TeleFaction is proud of being one of these amathours athletes and our team is not ashame to be one of the last ones.
This event became massive since its launch in 1981, growing from 125 teams of 5 to 25,000 in 2009. Particularly the last 5 years, have been an explosive increase in the number of participants, forcing the orgazination to include 5 race days. Dorte Vibjerg, press contact at DHL Stafetten, explains that this is because the media has been coveraging the event and motivating office workers to excercise and having a healthier life. ”It is also an excellent opportnity to connect with people, socialize with colleagues and party”, she says that because co-workers usually bring family, friends and have casual dinner, such as barbecue.
Its architect, Niels Jorgen Holdt, president of Spartan Athletics & Motion, created this event to advertise his company. Now, counting with the sponsor of DHL, it is part of the national cultural calendar. In 2009, 125,000 people from over 3,000 different firms run 5 km from Fælledparken, located on the west part of the city.
There are not many rules. The winners are companies’ teams and not individuals. And the prize, Dorthe revels, “is the honour of being part of this enjoyable gathering. There is no material prize.”
Development of participants:
- 1981 – 134 teams
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- 2001 – 6946 team, two race days
- 2002 – 7676 team, two race days
- 2003 – 8861 team, three race days
- 2004 to 10,192 teams, three race days
- 2005 to 12,167 teams, four race days
- 2006 to 13,952 teams, four race days
- 2007 to 16,960 teams, four race days
- 2008 to 20,831 teams, five race days
- 2009 – expect up to 25,000 teams, five race days