Altötting is all heart

So the organizers of the half marathon in the famous pilgrimage site of Altötting had the idea to design their race medal in the shape of a gingerbread heart. Especially as the town of Altötting calls itself ‘heart of Bavaria’.

In addition a USB memory stick is incorporated in the medal which makes it a really extraordinary and special memento. Moreover each participant gets a waist belt to store keys, mobile, money etc. during running.

And even the race is extraordinary: it goes through a big forest which attracts many world class athletes; so it’s no wonder that the Halfmarathon Altötting is called the fastest ‘nature’ course of the world (course record: 1:01:39 / 1:08:38).

The race offers free public transport by train within a range of about 100km, free guided city tour, free pasta party, free childcare, free massages etc. In addition, all participants get a goody bag. Bands push the runners though the course, a staffed luggage storage ensures you don’t have to worry about your belongings, and if you arrive by train you can get your start number directly at the railway station!

But there are many more reasons to come to Bavaria and participate in the race. Apart from the many interesting pilgrimage sites of Altötting, the longest castle complex in the world – Burghausen – is just 15km away. The Alps, Salzburg, Munich or the famous Bavarian lake the ‘Chiemsee’ can be reached within an hour. You don’t even need a car as you can go there by train with cheap tickets!