Brașov, Romania, October 2025
The development of sporting events does not happen only at the start and finish lines. It begins much earlier – through the exchange of experience, discovering new trends and talking to the people shaping the future of the running world.
That is why taking part in the Brașov Running Festival, one of the world’s most prestigious road races and a World Athletics Elite Road Label event, was much more than simply attending a sporting event. It was an opportunity to present the experience of the Sombor Half Marathon to the international running community, while also gaining first-hand insight into the highest standards of organizing and developing mass-participation sporting events.
The Sombor Half Marathon was represented by race director Damir Marković, who took part in presentations, panel discussions and professional meetings throughout the two-day programme, focusing on the development of running tourism, the promotion of healthy lifestyles and the economic impact of sporting events on local communities.
A particularly valuable part of the experience was the exchange of knowledge with leading figures from the world of athletics and race organization, including legendary marathon runner Paul Tergat, British athlete and commentator Tim Hutchings, European Athletics representative Marko Vasić, and Belgrade Marathon director Darko Habuš.
For Somaraton Events, meetings like these are not simply opportunities to present our own projects. They are an important part of our ongoing learning process, keeping up with global trends and finding new ideas that can be applied to events in Serbia. We believe that the best sporting events develop when organizers never stop learning. That is why international conferences, professional gatherings and leading races around the world are an important part of our work – and one of the ways we turn experience from around the world into better events at home.