Žika Savin: “Northern Bačka is waving to you, come to SUPM!”

A little less than two months separate us from the 8th Subotica Half Marathon, which after its very first edition earned, besides its sporting reputation, the reputation of an event that brings together people and generations, promotes togetherness and lets runners get to know the history of Subotica while being physically active. You will agree that our city deserved a sporting event like this much earlier, but it seems there is something in the saying that things happen when the right time for them truly comes. After seven years we feel it is time for a retrospective, so we decided to share with you the impressions of those who work wholeheartedly to make sure you enjoy yourselves while in Subotica: the organising team, part of which is Žika Savin, vice-president of the Horizont sports association, which organises the race, and with whom we talked about the past, the present and the future of this sporting event.

The very idea of organising the Subotica Half Marathon, according to Žika Savin, came spontaneously, after he took part in a race in Apatin with friends. “We had a really good time there; at races like that the music and the general atmosphere are usually very important, so that when a person finishes the run they are in a special mood, they have a completely different feeling. On the initiative of Kristifor Bogdanić, who gathered the team, we drew up a proposal, went to the then mayor of Subotica, Mr Bogdan Laban, handed it to him, and after a 15-minute conversation he said the City would support it. All the rest is history. The team that organised the first Subotica Half Marathon consisted of Kristifor Bogdanić, Živica Savin, Jovica Ilić, Damir Dulić and Nenad Bogar, and together with the other members of the Organising Committee it gives its maximum every year to organise the race in the best possible way. With us at the very beginning, in developing the idea, were also Edvard Halas, Damir Stojanov and Mr Bálint Pásztor, who also made a great contribution to the creation of this sporting event and still does today, as does the current mayor, Mr Stevan Bakić, who also truly recognises the importance of the Subotica Half Marathon for our city. I have to say that at that moment no one was thinking that one of the most visited and most beautiful races in Serbia was being created, but in the end that is how it turned out. We immediately thought of making a race for the youngest alongside the race for adults, and the only mistake we made at the first Subotica Half Marathon was to hold the race on a Saturday, which wasn’t really the best idea, but you learn from mistakes. The police told us then not to even think of it again, so we decided to move the races to Sunday.”

Žika Savin points out that it is a great challenge to embark on organising such a race, because besides the people it is necessary to secure and prepare numerous other segments that make up the whole event. “Besides 80 people in charge of security, sometimes over 60 volunteers are needed, while the organisation itself involves around 30 people, which says enough about how challenging it is; on top of that, almost 1,500 people have to be hosted, who need to feel at home and leave Subotica with fond memories. Great attention is paid to the organisation itself so that people feel good and safe, bearing in mind that every participant is insured with an insurance company, and we try to provide them with everything else too, so that apart from paying the entry fee they don’t have to spend additional money, at least as far as the race itself is concerned. I am sure we have pushed some boundaries, because besides refreshments we have also provided participants with water, supplements, fruit, tasty pies and strudels. One year we even had vegetables, but the runners weren’t exactly thrilled, so we stopped serving them.” Bearing in mind that the Subotica Half Marathon is organised at the end of August as part of the City Day celebrations, and we all know it is quite hot then, the organisers have paid great attention to offering participants as many opportunities as possible to cool down. “Besides the Subotica Half Marathon team organising itself well, there are also the public and public utility companies with which we have a meeting every year a month or two before the race, where we organise together and exchange information and tasks. All things considered, I have to say that the local government of the City of Subotica is a very important partner for us when it comes to organising the Subotica Half Marathon,” Savin adds.

Subotica has a rich history, and the Art Nouveau period the city went through in the 19th century left an indelible mark on its landmarks and buildings, hence the slogan “Run through History”, which is the trademark of the Subotica Half Marathon. “That is something we promote, so every year there is a building from that period on the medals. Of course that Austro-Hungarian culture still lives in Subotica today, so it is interesting to everyone who comes to our city. Not only to foreigners, of whom there were people from 20 countries last year, and we hope there will be even more this year, but also to people who come from Serbia, from our neighbourhood, from the south, etc… Everyone is delighted with the beauty of Subotica, its cleanliness; at the time the race is held the city is full of greenery, the runners run through the centre, through the beautiful Braće Radić street and Dudova šuma, and somehow the whole story is wonderful for them. There are also Prozivka Park and Maršala Tita Avenue, which also carry a message of their own; let’s say the Avenue breathes the communist era, the city centre itself is in the Art Nouveau style, Dudova šuma again has its green space where runners feel good while running, and Prozivka with its park is certainly the largest neighbourhood in Subotica. The most beautiful thing is that during the races our fellow citizens appear in the streets as fans, and that cheering and the beauty of the city itself somehow give them that something we want to show them and that sets us apart from other races.”

Besides being a sporting event, the Subotica Half Marathon is also an entertainment event and a tourist event of a kind for Serbia’s northernmost city. “Many participants stay a day or two longer in our city after the race, so last year we set up an interesting bazaar where people could see and buy material from previous half marathons such as T-shirts and medals, make friends with our friendly races and learn more about them, because representatives of the Pula Half Marathon and the Belgrade Marathon come as our guests, and it will be the same this year. Besides having a large number of refreshment stations, bearing in mind the high temperatures, this year we have moved the start of the race to 8 in the morning, so the whole programme, including the medal and prize ceremonies, should finish by 12:30 at the latest. This year, thanks to sponsors, the fastest runners will get a bicycle, and they will see and hear on the spot how they can win it. On this occasion I would like to thank the numerous sponsors who have been with us from the very beginning, namely Voda Voda, Skechers, Goodwill pharmacies, Gebi, Sat-Trakt, Inspira Group, the Evropa bakery, Grand Motors, Rauch juices and numerous other sponsors, and of course the City of Subotica and all the public and public utility companies. Thanks to the people of Subotica, of whom there are more and more at our race, and we are proud of how much we have contributed to our city becoming not only a city of sports but a city of runners, because more and more people have started running and going to other races too, because this sport really is something that connects people. People are not here just to run their best time, but also to have fun, socialise and meet other people, which is a very nice side of this sport. I would certainly also like to thank all the media that cover us every year and promote us before the race.”

A little less than two months separate us from the 8th Subotica Half Marathon, and according to Savin the organising team is pleased with the number of competitors registered so far. That figure is slowly approaching the thousandth registration, and the expectation is that this year the record will be broken and a figure of 1,500 or 1,600 registered participants reached. “Of course it would be nice, but not everything is always up to us. Recently many races have had record attendances, so we are hoping for that too. As in previous years, competitors can expect a great atmosphere and even better organisation. We have “tightened up” the course itself; during the last races we had small lapses in signage, so there were some little mistakes that we have fixed, along with everything we usually organise, namely live music on the race course and DJ sets in the start and finish zone. What is new is that the start and finish zone will not be in the very centre of the city by the Sundial as in previous years, but by the Blue Fountain, and this year we will try to organise a live gig for people after they finish the race too. We will set up a small stage next to the ceremonial entrance to the City Hall, where participants can relax with refreshments. The Subotica Half Marathon is multiculture, and that is what we are proud of. Since it appeared it has offered something new, and we owe it to people to delight them with something new every year.”

Asked about his expectations for the 8th Subotica Half Marathon, Žika Savin stresses that he would like to see the race record broken. “So far, if I am not mistaken, the record for the 21 km race has been 1 hour and 15 minutes, so it would be nice if someone broke it this year. We are not one of the fast races because we have bends and kerbs, and that is what prevents it from being the biggest record in Serbia, but the results achieved by some participants can certainly qualify them to take part perhaps even in the Olympic Games, bearing in mind that as a half marathon race we are certified by the Serbian Athletics Federation.” Finally, we asked our interviewee what he would say to the participants of this year’s half marathon. “Rest assured that we will be good hosts and we will do our best to show you the Subotica Half Marathon as it truly is. Our hearts are open; come and let us hug, run, sweat and sing together. Subotica is waiting for you, northern Bačka is waving to you, we have opened our hearts and spread our arms and we can’t wait to hug someone in those arms, because, as they say, a hug takes two hearts and four arms.”