BOclassic as New Year's Eve blast 

The 34th edition of BOclassic, the international New Year's Eve Run in Bozen/Bolzano presents more top-class athletes than ever. Today, the starters' set was presented: two Olympic champions, one world champion, one world record holder, two European champions as well as the record winner and darling of the public Stefano Baldini turn the New Year's Eve Run in South Tyrol's capital into the best-cast one in the world.

Again, the national TV RAI broadcasts the event live in the regional channel, via satellite and by live streaming on the internet.

Beaming smiles on the faces of the organising Läuferclub Bozen, its president Gerhard Brandstätter and Thomas Vonmetz, chief executive of the organisation committee: The final starter field of BOclassic's 34th edition seems to be the Who is Who of the international athletics runner's list: Marathon Olympic winner and darling of the public Stefano Baldini, 3000-m- steeple-chase Olympic champion and world record holder Gulnara Samitov-Galkina, last year's winners Edwin Soi and Sylvia Kibet (both Kenya), the eightfold Cross-Country European champion Serhiy Lebid as well as Aniko Kalovcis, the winner of 2006 and Tetyana Holovchenko, European Cross Country Champion of 2006. The last coup of athlete's manager Gianni Demadonna is double Marathon world champion Jaouad Gharib. The Moroccan won the silver medal in Beijing 2008. With Soi, Gharib and Samitova-Galkina the audience may look forward to three current Olympic medal winners.

Apart from Soi, Lebid, Gharib and Baldini, one also has to consider Betona Sahle Warga (Ethiopia) in the men's starter set, who has already been second in 2006.

"Although we have fewer African athletes, we can present a top-level quartet with the women as well as with the men" states Demadonna. Local hero Silvia Weissteiner had to cancel due to a bronchitis.

The local RAI Sender Bozen broadcasts live from the Walther Square from 3pm for about 90 minutes. 13 cameras arrange for a high-class broadcast of the event. RAI Sport Più (satellite channel) starts broadcasting from 3.45pm. The run can also be followed via internet  www.senderbozen.rai.it. 

This year, the expected audience (last year's event hosted 15,000 alongside the track) are offered numerous innovations. The BOclassic starts on the eve at 5.30pm with the Warm-Up party. The running event on December 31st starts at 1.15pm with the BOclassic Ladurner public run, followed by the youth run. The elite (women 5km, men 10 km) starts at 3pm.