When I look out of my living room, I can see the river Elbe and sometimes hear sounds of Fährgarten Johannstadt, a beear garden on the river bank. Three to four times each year they host events that makes my home stereo unnecessary. This weekend my apartment was all covered in drum beats that came up from the Elbe cycling path: drummers and spectators cheered for the participants of the Oberelbe-Marathon (upper Elbe marathon). The 46 kilometer route starts in Königstein in the beautiful Saxonian Switzerland and follows the river all the way down to Dresden, where it ends in the track stadium near the former slaughterhouse area.
Drinks for the runners!
Those who were going for a half marathon started in Pirna (Saxonian pronounced: “Burner” – and indeed, this run is a real fat burner) and passed my home around noon. I went down for a walk to have a closer look: “Wateeeeer!”, “Colaaa!”, “Wateeeeer!” yelled the volunteering helpers at the water stop offering white beverage cups to the runners. It was funny how one tried to be louder than the other 😉 In addition, they provided bananas and cereal bars to sweeten the final five kilometers.
The atmosphere in the Fährgarten was excellent, except for the whether which was not exactly perfect. At chilly 10°C (50° F) the racers were the only to break out in sweat. It was still fun for the audience, though, and – who knows – maybe next year one or another will participate as well.