News during the Varvetweek 2023
Tomorrow, the Gothenburg Half Marathon week kicks off and for eight days, tens of thousands of participants will take part in one or more of the races. Here are some news for this year’s event.
The route has been changed
Two changes have been made to the route. The first is on the Hisingen side where the runners will run on a newly built pedestrian and cycle path through Frihamnen. The second is when the participants run off the Hisingen bridge. Instead of running directly up to Östra Hamngatan as before, the runners continue past the opera and turn left just before the casino, onto Postgatan and via Packhusplatsen before entering Östra Hamngatan again. The distance is, as usual, 21,097.5 meters.
Varva and expanded family area
The family area around Björngårdsvillan on May 13-14 has been expanded and improved with more activities and food experiences. In addition, Varva has reappeared and besides running and socializing with the participants, the running troll will contribute to the new stage program together with Sara Edwardsson.
Ooho reduces the use of disposable cups
The British packaging company Notpla is coming to the Göteborgsvarvet with the innovative product Ooho, which replaces over 20,000 disposable cups during the race. Ooho is a liquid ball made of seaweed that is placed in the mouth and then swallowed. No disposable cups are needed!
"Our bold vision to be a world leader in sustainability in motion races of our size and genre means we need to be creative and work proactively to find new opportunities. We are very excited about this collaboration and if the result proves to be as positive as we hope, Ooho can definitely become part of the solution and lead the way towards a future where we minimize our waste when it comes to disposable items," says Linn Färjhage, responsible for sustainability and sponsor activations at Göteborgsvarvet.
Notpla has officials in blue vests who stand along the course during Göteborgsvarvet and hand out the algae ball.
Wheelchair participants welcomed permanently
Ahead of last year's Göteborgsvarvet, about 20 wheelchair athletes were given the opportunity to start the race as part of a pilot test. Now, the opportunity for wheelchair participation will be permanent.
Prior to the pilot test, the obstacles/difficulties along the course were identified, which formed the basis for the previous conditions that prohibited wheelchair participation. The course was then improved and evaluated after the race.
For wheelchair participation, the following rules apply:
• Same age requirements as for other participants
• Escort is optional and free of charge
• No competitive class
• No participation in racing wheelchairs
• Starting group 11 (or better through seeding results)
After run for participants in Specialvarvet
Specialvarvet is one of the highlights of the year for many children, young people and adults with disabilities - and it's going to be even more delightful. The non-profit organization Passalen, which joined as co-organizer in 2021, has offered two training sessions during the spring and will offer an after run at Frilagret near Herulins Plats 1 after Specialvarvet. The party is free of charge and includes both a DJ and karaoke. Places are limited and registration is done via Passalen's website.
Shower facilities are back
As the old shower trailers were powered by diesel generators and their wastewater went directly into the street drains, which was far from satisfactory in relation to Göteborgsvarvet's and the city's extensive sustainability work with its significantly negative environmental impact, the possibility of showering after the finish was removed. Now, the Gothenburg Athletics Association has found solutions to offer shower facilities again after the race.
For those who do not have the opportunity to shower at home, three alternatives are offered:
• Shower in Friskis & Svettis' fresh premises at Åby Arena, where they can easily park their car and take shuttle buses from the parking lot to and from the start and finish area completely free of charge.
• At Heden, at the intersection of Parkgatan/Stensturegatan, there is the possibility to shower, tram 8 runs from Marklandsgatan to Ullevi Södra.
• In the middle of the event area, we have rented all the locker rooms at Frölundaborg, but there are still severely limited conditions offered, with the risk of queues.
“At the same time, we appeal to all participants to first evaluate whether the shower is necessary before returning home, but also to choose the most suitable alternative,” says event manager Erik Bergkvist.
Shorter course in the Stafettvarvet
Based on feedback and evaluation from previous years, some changes are being made for the 2023 Stafettvarvet to make the experience even better for runners. Among other things, the course has been shortened from 4.2 to 3.2 kilometers and the number of runners in each relay team has been reduced from five to four to make it easier for many to form a team.
New this year is that the awards ceremony will take place inside Slottsskogsvallen where the fastest team in each category - women, men, and mixed - and the team with the best costume will be awarded.
Albert provides children with the opportunity for a free entry to Lilla Varvet or Minivarvet
The learning platform Albert offers a free entry to Lilla Varvet or Minivarvet, as well as a 30-day free trial period, when a guardian becomes a new member through the link below. The service has no commitment or notice period, and the trial period is worth SEK 159. When the free trial period is over, the membership will automatically continue.
Waltilla has designed the Göteborgsvarvet official t-shirt for 2023
The followers of Göteborgsvarvet were asked to submit their suggestions for the design of this year's official t-shirt. Nearly half of the nearly 2,200 people who voted chose Marcus Waltilla's contribution.
Marcus described his design as follows: "Xperience symbolizes the entire half marathon and everything you get to experience when you run the fantastic 21 kilometers around Gothenburg. Starting and ending in Slottsskogen, you get to experience landmarks kilometer after kilometer."
The t-shirt is available for purchase on Boozt.com and at the Göteborgsvarvet Expo.
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Course sections are integrated with the split times.
Last year, Göteborgsvarvet was divided into ten stages to enhance the experience for the runners and at the same time highlight the different neighborhoods along the course. The stages remain this year, but some of them have moved a little to combine their start with the markers and intermediate times for 5, 10, 15, and 20 kilometers. The Älvsborg Bridge stage starts at 5 km, Lindholmen at 10 km, City at 15 km, and the Final stage at 20 km. As in previous years, a number of around 50 artists, entertainers, and partners will be located along the course.
New speakers along the course
Göteborgsvarvet is a people's festival and to further increase the atmosphere, several additional speakers will be placed:
• Majorna: Gneben (Johannes Aira) and DJ Imran
• Lindholmen: Patrik Malmer
• Frihamnen: Johan and Povel
• City: Jimmy Kjell
In addition, the regular speaker Daniel Grahn will be accompanied by Let's Dance profile Calle Sterner in the starting area, and artist Mike Gamle will complement the regular speakers in the finish area.
Minivarvet Trail
Minivarvet has been expanded with a Trail version. The race also takes place in connection with Björngårdsvillan on May 13 and 14, but the approximately 200-meter-long course is slightly more hilly. For all participants in Minivarvet, Minivarvet Trail is also included, and children can run it as many times as they can handle.
Vegetarian menu
The food court outside Slottsskogsvallen has expanded and the area has been renovated to create a nicer setting. New for this year is that all food sold is vegetarian.
Digital massage queue
Instead of standing in a physical queue and waiting for free massage after crossing the finish line, participants now have the opportunity to enter their race number and then be notified when it's their turn. In the meantime, they can relax with a coffee in SJ's lounge.
After run
At Dalens IP, there is an opportunity for an after run event after the race. In collaboration with Poppels, a large food and drink tent will be set up, and both live bands and DJs will be present in the afternoon after the runners have finished.
Göteborgsvarvet Marathon archway
Last year saw the premiere of a re-registration arch for the upcoming Göteborgsvarvet, and this year there is also an additional one for Göteborgsvarvet Marathon which takes place on September 3 this year. Participants can go through the arches in the Runners zone and automatically register for one or both races at a discounted price via the chip.
2023-05-06