The sports forum of the 38th Comtrade Belgrade Marathon was held.

In anticipation of the 38th Comtrade Belgrade Marathon, the now traditional Sports Forum was held, bringing together numerous experts from various fields of sport. In this way, the Belgrade Marathon has, for the third year in a row, taken on an educational character.

Special guests of our capital were Sotiris Kirinakos, Director of the Athens Marathon, Tiago Teixeira, Director of the Porto Marathon, Daniel Santa, Director of the Brașov Running Festival, and Marko Vasić from European Athletics. They spoke on the topic “Preparation and Execution of Major Athletic Events.”

Sotiris Kirinakos, the Director of the Athens Marathon, spoke about the Belgrade Marathon with heartfelt emotion.

“There is a historical connection between Serbia and Greece, between Belgrade and Athens. I feel at home here. We want to support Belgrade both in organizing this marathon and in the future, when the Serbian capital hosts the European Running Championships in 2027. Belgrade will be the heart of European sports over the next two years.”

Kirinakos highlighted another aspect of organizing major running events as particularly important.

“In Greece, we say that the most important thing in organizing a sports event, especially a marathon, is synergy. We previously had around 10,000 runners in the Athens Marathon, and now we have about 75,000. We must cooperate with the government, cities, neighboring countries, hotels… A marathon can’t just be a sports event, it has to be a complete experience. And we all need to understand that.”

“I saw that many people are running and preparing. Belgrade is a beautiful city, and the course is very interesting. Of course, I’m not sure if the course record will be broken, but my motto is – get out on the streets and be a part of the marathon. Whether as a runner, a spectator, or a supporter, the important thing is to be there.”

For all athletes, both professional and recreational, the session on “Risks and Consequences of Using Supplements and Banned Doping Substances in Sports and Recreation” was particularly interesting. Many valuable pieces of advice, especially for young athletes, were provided through an engaging discussion by: Prof. Dr. Milica Vukašinović Vesić, Director of the Anti-Doping Agency of the Republic of Serbia; Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Nikola Čikiriz, Head of Sports Medicine at the Military Medical Academy; Prof. Dr. Nenad Trunić, Dean of the Faculty of Physical Culture and Sports Management; Mr. Dragan Tomašević, Secretary General of the Fitness and Recreation Federation of Serbia; and Velimir Bojović, Athletic and Conditioning Coach.

Given that motivation is at the core of sports psychology, driving engagement in sports, physical activity, and recreation—which are the best prevention against non-communicable diseases—representatives from successful companies who are sponsors and partners of the Belgrade Marathon also spoke on this topic. They shared their business experiences during a discussion on “Motivation for Running and Participating in Marathons.”

The 38th Comtrade Belgrade Marathon will take place on Sunday, April 6th, with a record number of 14,000 participants expected. The marathon race will start at 8:00 AM in front of the Church of Saint Mark, the half marathon will begin at 10:30 AM, and the 10-kilometer race will start at 11:00 AM. The traditional 2.3-kilometer Fun Run is scheduled for 1:00 PM. The finish line will be at Terazije, near the Moscow Hotel.