Image: km sports agency
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TRENDYone: How did it feel to be able to organize the company run as a real live event again?
Katja Mayer: We fought to survive for two years and gave everything to keep in touch despite the pandemic. We wished so much to stand at the fair together with several thousand people and it was wonderful!
How did the shortening come about?
The old route no longer exists because the road has been dismantled. The route now has significantly fewer corners, which in turn makes running much easier. It is also more pleasant for local residents and for public transport, since fewer route closures are now required. Of course, most runners are also happy to “have to” jog one kilometer less. (laughs)
What are possible reasons for the low number of participants in this year’s M-Net company run? (Only 4,018 actual runners out of the originally planned 8,000 participants)
The number 8,000 was basically just a participant limit, which I wrote in the application in order to be allowed to organize the run at all. However, the decline in the number of registrations is actually a nationwide trend that other organizers have also reported back to me. Even with the big runs, the occupancy is only 50-70 percent. I assume that it is a transitional year and that many people are still cautious about Corona.
Is the company run at the Augsburg Exhibition Center worthwhile for so few participants or does it make it uneconomical?
That’s actually a valid question, because the absolute minimum is 5,000 participants and at the beginning it didn’t even look like 5,000. At some point you have to make a decision, as an event of this size has a long run-up! I then decided that the run would take place, no matter how, because another cancellation, this time for economic reasons, would probably have meant the end of the company run. In the end, together with the virtual runners, there were even more than 5,000 participants. But the costs are unbelievably high and someone who is not involved in the topic often cannot imagine it.
Will you plan smaller in the future or do you expect significantly more participants next year? Are you considering moving the start/finish area?
I think the number of participants will definitely increase again and we will stay at the fair accordingly. In my opinion, there are no other options in Augsburg with such a suitable infrastructure.
What conclusions do you draw after this event for your further running events?
We only had one complaint from residents, which, given its form and content, was not to be taken seriously. We try to keep the restrictions for residents and road users as low as possible through good communication. As you can see, this has worked. My personal conclusion is that this year’s M-Net company run was a successful event for everyone involved. In addition to the runners, this also includes the sponsors and our great team of volunteers, whom I would like to take this opportunity to thank once again. It all went hand in hand, which was almost “scary” because there’s usually always “jerky” somewhere. But it was just great!
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