Tartu Maraton to take place in full length, on original track

TALLINN - It was officially confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that the main races of the 49th Tartu Maraton on the 63-kilometer and 31-kilometer distances will take place on Sunday, Feb. 19, on the original track from Otepaa to Elva, the regional Tartu Postimees writes.

Indrek Kelk, the main organizer of the marathon, told Tartu Postimees that the marathon will take place along the original route from Otepaa to Elva according to the original program. The decision was made at a morning meeting on Tuesday after reviewing the latest weather forecast.

"The forecast shows that today is the last truly warm day and the condition of the track will not get any worse. Altogether 10-15 centimeters of additional snow is expected over the weekend, which will hopefully make even the worse parts of the track better," the chief organizer said.

The last section of the full-length track from Hellenurme to Elva has caused the most concern for the organizers so far as the snow layer is thinnest there.

"Actually, about nine kilometers of its final section are also in very good condition. The condition is worse along about one kilometer, but it is also possible to find a path there with skis. We decided that it was not right to sacrifice 15 kilometers of good skiing track for a few hundred meters. We will make the most of what we have," Kelk said.

Although the organizers extended the time for registration at a discounted price, the number of participants has not increased significantly recently.

"As of now, 3,250 people are coming to the start of the marathon. We expect more to sign up in the next 24 hours. I suppose many were waiting for our decision today," Kelk said.