Start & Finish
The start and finish areas are located about 300 m from the hall along the Saar River.
From Scharnhorststraße, you reach the Saar riverside paths by crossing Koßmannstraße and going through a tunnel.
The marathon starts at 9:30 a.m. It is the first run that starts.
Please assemble at the meeting point for your assigned start group before the race.
The meeting points are on the lawn in front of the start chute. The chute itself may only be entered when instructed, as it is also used as the finish or passage chute for previously started races.
Start Groups
Please line up in one of the start groups A to K according to your expected finishing time.
| A | 3:00 h |
| B | 3:20 h |
| C | 3:30 h |
| D | 3:40 h |
| E | 3:50 h |
| F | 4:00 h |
| G | 4:10 h |
| H | 4:20 h |
| I | 4:40 h |
| K | 5:00 h and more |
Please assign yourself to the appropriate start group based on your realistically expected finish time. This ensures everyone can start the race safely and without disruption. Placing yourself in the wrong starting group causes unnecessary overtaking maneuvers or even congestion.
Your individual net time only starts when you cross the start line and will be shown in the results lists and your certificate. The regulations of the DLV apply for the official ranking, with the gross time being the decisive factor. We kindly ask for fairness here. If everyone places themselves realistically, everyone has an equal chance.
Course
You will not be alone on the course. The race takes place on public cycle paths and pedestrian walkways that are not closed to other users. Expect encounters with cyclists and pedestrians. Please be courteous and considerate — a good time is not everything.
The exact course map can be found at:
https://www.westspangenlauf.de/strecke/
Pacemakers
We have arranged pacemakers for target times from 3:15 to 5:00 hours, in 15-minute intervals.
Unfortunately, pacemakers are not yet available for all times. Thank you for your understanding. The current status can be found at:
https://www.pacerteam.de/veranstaltungen/sparkassen-saarathon/
Refreshments
There are aid stations every 3 to 5 km:
3.8 km (Malstatt Bridge): water, isotonic drink, coke, bananas, salty snacks
7.2 km (Burbach Lock): water, isotonic drink, coke, bananas, salty snacks, gel
12.5 km (Völklingen Canoe Club): water, isotonic drink, coke, bananas, salty snacks, gel
17.2 km (Völklingen Pier): water, isotonic drink, coke, bananas, salty snacks, gel
20.1 km (Canoe Club): water, isotonic drink, coke, bananas, salty snacks, gel
25.4 km (Lock): water, isotonic drink, coke, bananas, salty snacks, gel
28.8 km (Malstatt Bridge): water, isotonic drink, coke, bananas, salty snacks, gel
33.7 km (Bridge Power Plant): water, isotonic drink, coke, bananas, salty snacks, gel
38.8 km (Wilde Ente Güdingen): water, isotonic drink, coke, bananas, salty snacks
At the finish, you will receive water, fruit, salty snacks, non-alcoholic Bitburger beer and lemonade and isotonic drinks from Teinacher.
In the hall, you can also purchase a wide range of drinks, cakes, and sandwiches.
Time Limit & Cut-Offs
To ensure that our many volunteers can eventually go home, the official time limit is 3:00 p.m., i.e. 5 hours 30 minutes after the marathon start.
Additionally, there are checkpoints along the course where runners who are unlikely to reach the finish line in time will be pulled from the race:
- Burbach Lock (7.2 km): 10:30 AM
- World Heritage Site (16.3 km): 11:40 AM
- Burbach Lock (25.4 km): 12:50 PM
- Westspange (30 km): 1:25 PM
- Power Plant Bridge (33.7 km): 1:55 PM
- Tote Brücke (36.3 km): 2:15 PM
- Wilde Ente (38.8 km): 2:35 PM
Thank you for your understanding. We know that time limits are more generous at other events, but as a small club run entirely by volunteers, we would otherwise not be able to organize a marathon. You benefit from this through our affordable entry fees as well.
Awards Ceremony
Every finisher is a winner and will receive a nice medal.
The subsequent award ceremonies will take place in the St. Arnual multi-purpose hall. Overall winners, age group winners, and top age group placers will be honored.
The award ceremony for the marathon starts at 2:00 PM.
Don’t miss this, we have got some great prizes for you.
We are aware that not everyone will have crossed the finish line by then. On the other hand, we cannot keep the fast runners waiting for hours for their ceremony. If you achieve an age group placement and miss the ceremony, stop by the info desk and we will hand over your prize afterward.