TIRANA, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Albanian capital Tirana welcomed Sunday around 2,500 runners from 40 countries who participated in Tirana's second Half Marathon.
The marathon kicked off from the city's Mother Teresa Square and continued along many streets of Tirana.
The second edition of Tirana Marathon, organized by Tirana Municipality and Albanian Athletic Federation, is aimed at promoting Albania's capital as a new tourist destination, Tirana mayor Erjon Veliaj told reporters.
The new itinerary crossed through the city's most attractive areas, turning the race not merely into a competition, but also into an entertainment event.
The mayor described the marathon a fantastic sporting event for the capital city, while he noted that all necessary and proper security measures were in place to ensure a safe, successful race day for all participants.
The mayor also thanked 660 volunteers, policemen, emergency service crews, and everyone else who contributed to this event.
The marathon included three categories: namely the 21.975-km half marathon, the 10-km and "We too" category, including people with different abilities.
Tirana Half Marathon has been certified its new itinerary by the International Marathon and Distance Race and has become part of the World Athletics International Athletics Federations.
