The aim of this event is to offer a great running event for everyone who is into sports and running. Although Helsinki City Run (HCR) is a competition, where the best runners in the classes are rewarded, it is primarily meant for keep-fit enthusiasts, whose aim is to challenge and exceed themselves, and not so much to compete on placements.

The Helsinki City Run organisation would like to welcome you to the event and give you instructions that we require you to comply with. Please, get to know the instructions to know more about the event, which will make it easier for you to start and finish the race.

The information below is in alphabetical order.

Address information
Please make sure that your address information is correct and updated on our register. If you move, please inform the Helsinki City Run office about it as well to make sure you are able to receive all the material we send you. You can make the address change by e-mail to maraton(at)sul.fi. 

Cancellation of the race
If you must cancel the race before finishing, you should inform the personnel at the drink stations. They will contact the organizer car to drive you back to the race office. Remember to return your timing chip to avoid the fee! The chip can be returned to the officials at the nearest refreshment station, or at the info-desk. Alternatively, you can also mail it to the organisers by post. Remember to do this before April 26 ^th.

Equipment storage
You can leave your personal belongings inside the Olympic Stadium. You can also change your clothes in the equipment storage and leave your belongings there (for your own responsibility). Only those with a competition number are allowed to enter the storage area. The storage area will be open from 12.00 pm to 7.15 pm on the race day. NOTE: The organizers are not responsible for any valuables or money left in the storage area! There will be a separate storage for valuables.

Finish
The finish is located inside the Olympic Stadium. Having crossed the finish line, the officials will remove your chip from your running shoe. After this, continue forwards where you will receive your medal.

After the finishing area you can enter the refreshment service area where you will find different refreshments. Medical services are also available at the finishing area. From the refreshment area you can continue back to the equipment storage. Medical services are also available at the finishing area.

Insurance
Only the runners that belong to the Finnish social security system (KELA) are insured for acute illness and injuries sustained during the race by If Company. The insurance is valid from the time you enter the start area until the time you leave the finishing area or if you are forced to retire, until you leave the running service. If you need to use the insurance, contact the Helsinki City Run medical services immediately during the race time.

If you are a non-Finnish citizen and do not belong to the KELA-system, please check your own personal insurance cover.

Lost and Found
You can ask for the lost property at the info desk during and right after the race at the race office, or later from the Finnish Athletics Federation: e-mail maraton(at)sul.fi and phone +358 9 3481 2405.

Maximum running time
Maximum running time is 3 hours, which means that the finish will be closed at 7.00 pm, by which you must be finished. Everyone who has finished on time will get a Helsinki City Run medal.

Medical service
First aid is available at the every refreshment stations, and at the finish area. There is an official who rides a bike on the route through whom you can get contact to the medicals as well. Also, you can always turn to the personnel on refreshment stations.

Parking
There is no parking places reserved for the runners. We recommend you to use public transportation. You can find the journey planner for the public transport from http://www.hsl.fi/EN where you can search the best route to arrive to the start area.

Photos
The organizers of the Helsinki City Run have all the rights to the photos taken during the Helsinki City Run.

The official photos of the race will be taken by a company called MarathonFoto. There will be several photo shooting spots along the route. A happy face assures a nice photo as a memory from the race. You can view and order the photos a few days after the race on the company’s web page www.marathonfoto.com. It is important to keep your running number visible during the whole race, so that the photographers are able to recognize the runners.

Postponing the participation right with insurance fee and medical certificate
The entry fee is not refunded in any case. However, if you have paid the 5 EUR insurance fee with the registration and you have to cancel the race due to sickness or injury, you are able to postpone your participation right to the next year’s event by sending us a medical certificate before the race. Postponing of the participation right can be done only once and only with one year ahead.

If you send the certificate by post, it must have the postal stamp of the race day at the latest. You can send the certificate by post, fax or as an e-mail attachment.
Contact information: Finnish Athletics Federation, Helsinki City Marathon, Radiokatu 20, FI-00240 Helsinki. Fax: +358 9 3481 2367. E-mail: maraton(at)sul.fi

Another requirement for the postponing to be possible is that the T-shirt and the race number of the event to be postponed is not picked up.

Prizes
Everyone finishing within the maximum running time will receive a Helsinki City Run medal. In addition, the best runner in each age class (1/class) is rewarded with a product prize. Also, the three best runners in women and men (not class related) will get a product prize. Prizes can be picked up after the finish line from the race office info desk.

Race office
The race office is located at the Töölö’s Sports hall (Töölön Kisahalli) near the Olympic Stadium (address: Paavo Nurmen kuja 1).

The office is open on Friday 3^th May from 9 pm to 7 pm and on Saturday 4^th from 9 am to 1 pm. The race numbers must be picked up before 1 pm on Saturday at the latest. At the race office you will get your race number, timing chip and Helsinki City Run T-shirt.

If you have any questions, please contact the info desk at the race office! You can reach the race office by phone +358 9 3481 2405 or by e-mail maraton(at)sul.fi. The phone lines might be quite busy at times during the race office hours.

You can find the journey planner for the public transport from http://www.hsl.fi/EN where you can search the best route to arrive to the sports hall. However, from the city centre the sports hall is only a walking distance away (about 1,5 kilometres from the railway station).

Race number
The race numbers are to be picked up from the race office during the race office opening hours. Take the registration card with you. Please notice that the number must be picked up by Saturday 1 PM at the latest.

After having picked up the number, you can collect your Helsinki City Run T-shirt from another desk. Please notice that it is not possible to get the T-shirt afterwards.

The race number is personal and you are not allowed to give it to anyone else without noticing the personnel. If you wish to give your number to another runner, the exchange must be done at the race office for a fee of 5 euro.

Your number bib must be clearly visible on the front of your T-shirt during the whole race. You get pins to attach the number to your clothes in the envelope with the running number. You can keep the number after the race. Your race number and colour will tell you, which group you will start in. Make sure you will start in the correct start group, which your number refers to. Every runner on the route without a number will be removed and cannot finish.

Please complete the information on the reverse side of the number bib. This makes the work of the medical personnel easier and you will get quicker health care, in case you need to use the medical services along the route or in the finishing area.

Race expo
The race expo is located at the race office. There you can get to know and buy the products of our co-operating companies and, for example, buy reduced priced sports gear.

Refreshment stations
There are four drink stations along the route. Locations (kilometers are subject to change):

I                    4,2 kilometers

II                  9,0 kilometers

III                 13,0 kilometers

IV                  17, 0 kilometers

In addition, there is a wider selection of refreshments at the finish. Due to the big number of participants, no special diets can be taken into account.

Water and Gatorade sports drink (Lemon, 6%) are served at the drink stations.

Results
The preliminary results of the race are to be seen on our web page immediately after the race: www.helsinkicitymarathon.com. The official results will be published later on the web page.

Route
The route can be downloaded from http://www.helsinkicityrun.fi/course. More than half of the route goes along asphalt covered city paths passing parks and going around ponds and little bays. The course is varying and includes a few more demanding hills. The course is marked in the crossing areas. The idea is, that the course continues to go straight in crossings unless the signs tell you otherwise. The kilometres are marked along the route.

Route control
The traffic controllers will be controlling the route.

Rules and regulations of the race
Get to know the rules and regulations of the Helsinki City Run. You can find them on our web page under Entrant info. Every participant is committed to follow the rules after having done the registration.

Start
The start is located on the Vauhtitie-street next to the Swimming Stadium (between the swimming stadium and Linnanmäki amusement park). The runner must start in the start group, which his/her running number refers to. The organization has the right to remove a runner starting in a wrong start group. A runner who has started in a wrong start group will not get proper timing.

Start groups in 2013:

Storage for valuables

There will be a safe storage for valuables for a fee of 5 €. The valuables storage is located inside the Olympic Stadium near of the eguipment storage and you can leave small valuables there (e.g. wallet, phone, keys, watch...). The storage will be closed at 2:30 pm and opened again after the race. Please make sure you have the exact amount of 5 € in cash with you. 

Showers and dressing rooms
All participants can use the facilities at the Swimming Stadium for free by showing their running number. You can get in to the Swimming Stadium from 4 PM until 7 PM. Admission is free only for the runners with competition numbers. The Swimming Stadium is located next to the Olympic Stadium, close to the start and finish. You will need a deposit of 50 cent coin for the lockers for your clothes.

Timing
Helsinki City Run will use ChampionChip system for result taking and timing. In the envelope, you will receive your chip, which will be used to record your time during the race. In the envelope you will also find a fastener. Please, use this to fastener to attach your chip carefully to your left shoe. Please, do not put your shoe laces through the chip as it will make the removal of the chip at the finish a lot slower. During the race, the chip must be attached to your shoe. If the chip is not attached to the shoe the whole run, the runner is not able to get the finishing time.

The chips we use at the Helsinki City Run are only for rent. Unfortunately any personal chips may not be used. Remember that you have to have the chip attached to your shoe during the whole race in order to get the results properly. All runners must return the chip to the officials after the race. After crossing the finish line, your chip is removed by the officials. If you need to cancel the race before the finish line, it is important that you will remember to return the chip to the officials. If you do not return the chip, you will be charged a fee of 45 euro. The chip must be returned by  20^th May!

Toilets
There are temporary toilets near the start area and also on the route for your use. The location of the toilets can be seen on the route map.