Titleholder participates on anniversary issue 

After the World Youth Championships in Brixen/Bressanone, South Tyrol is again looking forward to an athletics' event of international interest. Today, the 35th edition of the BOclassic, the international New Year's Eve Run on Bozen's Walther Square was presented. Titleholder Edwin Soi was the first top class athlete to affirm his participation. Olympic winner of Marathon Stefano Baldini also wants to show up again. All local hopes lie on Silvia Weissteiner, the 7th ranked at the WC.

It was in 1975 when several enthusiastic runners of the Läuferclub Bozen searched for a possibility to be active also during the winter season. Following Sao Paolo's model, the New Year's Eve Run in Bozen/Bolzano was originated. Today, the BOclassic is arguably the best cast New Year's Eve Run in the world. Supposedly, Olympic Champion Stefano Baldini wants to show up again. Edwin Soi, the Olympic third ranked over 5000 m has already agreed his participation. The Kenyan lines up his third win in a row of the 1250 m long round track, leading through the historical streets of Bozen/Bolzano. Among the females, Silvia Weissteiner is the local locomotive. The 30-year-old South Tyrolean finished 7th at the World Championships in Berlin and was the best non-African runner over 5000 m. Already for the third time, Weissteiner is the official ambassador of the BOclassic. Athletic director Gianni Demadonna, a former successful participant of the BOclassic, is frenziedly working on bringing further top class athletes to Bozen/Bolzano.

OC President Thomas Vonmetz presented the 2009 innovations: "For the first time, we are also going to have a  handbiker race. This year, timing and data collection is going to be even more professional due to a new partner. As already initiated last year, the event starts on 30th December with a charity event and the number assign."

In the run-up to the elite runs of women (5 km) and men (10 km), the BOclassic Ladurner Amateur Run (5 km) is taking place for the sixth time as well as the Raiffeisen Youth Run in its 27th edition. The South Tyrolean Bank Raiffeisen has been a main sponsor from the very beginning of BOclassic. The RAI channel Sender Bozen as well as RAI Sport Più are going to broadcast the event live applying 14 cameras. The run can also be followed on the web (www.raibz.rai.it).