More than a marathon in « Ivan’s Delta » (video)
The International Little Marathon Ivan Patzaichin started in front of the memorial complex on the Danube Cliff in Tulcea.
After the official opening of the event on Friday evening, at which the mayor of the municipality, Stefan Ilie, the president of the Association Ivan Patzaichin-Mila 23, Ivona Potzaichin, and the vice-president of the association, Teodor Frolu, urged the competitors to enjoy experience, on Saturday morning the competitors aligned.
Both lovers of the outdoor movement and performance athletes will travel in two days 46 kilometers on the Danube.
Some of the nearly 50 outdoor amateurs registered in the marathon in the dedicated section are supporters of performance athletes.
Among the nearly 50 performance athletes, registered in the category « Elite » who showed up on Saturday at the beginning are both national vice-champions and world champions at Stand-up Paddling, and they will arrive on Saturday evening at Mila 23.
The Delta Ivan’s route, Tulcea-Mila 23, was accredited in 2024 by the Administration of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve as the first ecotourism route, and the Ivan Patzaichin-Mila Association wants to turn the marathon into one of the most important competitions in Europe of this kind.
According to the Association Ivan Patzaichin-Mila 23, the rowing marathon is not only a sporting competition, but also a sustainable tourism model that combines environmental protection, ecological education, natural and cultural heritage and developing innovative infrastructures.
The innovative character comes from the arrangement of the two overnight points on the Ivan’s Delta route, harmoniously integrated in nature, using natural materials and autonomous energy systems and from the development of a digital guide application and monitoring of the routes.
