2nd Annual Beregszasz Wine Country Half Marathon & 10K

UPDATE!!!!

2^nd Annual Beregszasz Wine Country Half Marathon & 10K

April 17^th, 2010

www.beregszaszenglishexchange.blogspot.com

 

Itinerary

 

 

Dear Runners, Walkers, Volunteers, Cheerleaders and Spectators,

 

Welcome to the beautiful town of Beregszasz!  Just 6 km from the Hungarian border, here, you will experience a taste of Hungary as the majority of Beregszasz residents are Hungarian..  Situated on the banks of the small Verke river and at the foot of mountains which are planted with vineyards, it is known for its old traditions of grape cultivation and wine manufacturing. 

 

In 2010, the 2^nd Annual Beregszasz Wine Country Half Marathon & 10K is an official member of the 10^th Annual Beregszasz Wine Festival!  Organized and hosted by “Knights” representing the best winemakers in the region, the festival will hold a competition with local wines, to determine the best in its class.  Additionally, there will be a Wine Exhibition and Fair of equipment, books and numerous cultural souvenirs.

 

Our Half Marathon & 10K was presented by our Peace Corps Volunteer in 2009 and will continue to be a local tradition!  You are critical in us gaining more experience in capacity building for our NGO in event management, sponsorship, fundraising and great culture exchange.  All of this valuable expertise will guide us as we launch this as an international event in 2011.  Without you, this wouldn’t be possible!

 

This year, many local stakeholders have joined us to prepare a healthy, fun, active, cultural event that we hope you will enjoy and cherish.  We have seen a drastic increase in participation this year with almost 70 people coming from all over Ukraine to participate! 

 

To that point, THANK YOU for signing up!  In this document, you will find our detailed itinerary listing what you can expect from arrival to departure, contact information for event organizers, event locations, etc...  We wish you the best of luck and hope your stay in our city is pleasant - we anxiously await your arrival!

 

See you at the start line,

 

Janos Gerevich

Director

Advance, Transcarpathian Advocacy and Development Centre

www.advance.org.ua

 

 

 

Things that make us special:

·        Beregszasz is Hungarian for Beregovo – when traveling, say Beregovo

·        Beregszasz people and this event runs on Central European Time, so when you arrive, turn your clocks back 1 hour.  This will help you get in the vacation mood J

·        All public transportation runs on Kyiv time, sorry for any confusion

Before departure

 

Things to do Checklist:

Ÿ       Confirm your travel arrangements and email us beregszaszenglishexchange@gmail.com

Ÿ       Pack

o      Running Clothes/Gear (don’t forget your  socks and shoes)

o      Swim Gear (our thermal spa is amazing)

o      Casual Clothes (for touring the town and travel)

o      Business Casual outfit for our Celebration Ceremony

Ÿ       Hydrate and fuel your body for your voyage

 

Travel Details:

In order to make your trip pleasant and interactive with our local’s, we will have guides meeting groups as they arrive in town, if we somehow miss you, please read below on how to find us

 

Upon your arrival in Beregszasz, please come directly to the Event Check-In (details below). 

 

Getting In

• Львів – солотвино #601л departs Lviv daily at 20.23 and arrives in берегово at 4.59 am.
• Mykachevo train station is a 30 – 45 minute bus ride away. The first bus to Beregovo begins after 7 am.
• Buses throughout Western Ukraine come through Beregovo as well.

 

via bus (from Uzhgorod/Mykachevo)

NOTE: Mykachevo is 2 /3 or stops before Uzhgorod on the train.  Because Mykachevo buses do not start until 7:20 am, be careful of what train you select.  If you are on train # XYZ which arrives at 5 am, you might be more comfortable to go onto Uzhgorod.  It’s not necessary, the choice is yours.

-         Uzhgorod bus station is located just outside of the train station, it is a 1.5 hour ride to Beregovo.  In Mykachevo, there is a convenient bus stop for all buses going to Beregovo located just outside the train station.  Exit the train station and with your back to the train station entrance, look to your 2 o’clock.  There will be a small covered bus stop beside kiosk.  Buses run every 20 minutes from 7:20 am to 6 pm for a 45 minute trip.

-         You will enter Beregovo and travel 3.5 km before reaching the center.  You will approach a 3-way intersection with a stop light and turn left.  After turning you will cross a small bridge (over the Verke).  Immediately after crossing the bridge, the bus will stop, this is the center of town (near the Pavlina, Greek Catholic Church and Post Office).  When you exit, turn and cross back over the bridge.  You will approach main road “Mykachevski”, cross the street and enter the park to the left.  Cross this park in a diagonal.  You will exit the park and face the road “B. Hlmenjicki” cross it and a “non-stop” will be in front of you (a great place to pick up snacks later), turn right.  You will follow this for 2-3 minutes until you reach #29.

 

via train (Beregovo train station)

You will exit the train and walk to the right, there will be many taxi’s greeting you.  Pass the little parking lot and keep walking to your right.  After 2 blocks, you will approach the main street, cross and turn left.  Follow this until you reach #29.

 

Travel Problems?

Call - Zsofi Kovacs, 066440117

 

Day 1: Friday, April 16^th

Welcome to Beregszasz

 

Event Check-In

9:00am – 11:00 am or 13:00 pm – 3:00 pm

 

You will receive your event packet and then guided or directed to your lodging.  At this time, you should be prepared to pay registration and lodging fees.

 

Advance Transcarpathian Advocacy and Development Centre

B. Hmelnickij street 29/1, Beregszász,

Tel.: (241) 4-32-85

Email: advance@advance.org.ua

 

If arriving before or after this time, please contact beregszaszenglishexchange@gmail.com with your travel details to arrange a meeting time.

 

Event Packet:

• Bib number
• Event tickets (pasta party, breakfast, celebration dinner)
• Map of Beregovo
• Lodging details
• Sign-up sheet for optional activities
• Opportunity to buy raffle tickets
• Volunteer  job details

 

Lodging Details:

Each location has been thought out in great detail to provide you the most comfortable stay. Here are some details of what you can expect:

·        Camping – a lookout point facing the Hungarian border, watch the sunset and start a fire.  Local Boy scouts will provide you pack mule service, a clean facility, small wood pile and fire starting assistance.  All campers will be taken up at 15:00

·        Hostel – located in the local Hungarian high school, facilities are bare, but comfortable.

·        Guest House Europe – 12 beds, near the train station and  very comfortable.

·        Hotel -  Sorkert (the location of our event start/finish, celebration ceremony/dinner) is the best and most well priced place in town for a great traditional Hungarian  meal and hospitality!

 

Walking Tour

13:00 or 15:00

In order for you to learn more about our amazing city, we have organized (2) duplicate Walking Tours of the town. Lasting approximately 2 hours, each will be guided by locals (in English) and will provide you a briefing of the history and many interesting activities you can do while in town.  Tours will begin at 13:00pm and 15:00pm.  You will meet in the center of town outside of the Symbol café – our guide will be easy to see!

 

 

Pasta Party

18:00 – 20:00

Advance

Time to fuel up!  Every good run (or cheer) starts with a hearty, healthy dinner!  Included  in your registration fee: Pasta, garlic bread, salad, fresh fruit, water and tea

 

Special thanks for Jim & Robin Eleazar for their yummy donation!

 

Volunteer Briefing

20:15 – 21:00

Advance

All registered volunteers will receive their roles and duties as well as very thorough instructions on the next days activities.  If you are volunteering, this is a required meeting.

 

Friday Optional Activities

More details available at check-in

·        Movie Night

·        Thermal Spa

·        Wine Festival

 

Get a good night’s sleep and re-energize!

 

 

Day 2: Saturday, April 17^th

Event Day

 

Breakfast

9:00 – 10:45

Advance

Get your motors running!  We will have a lovingly prepared, hearty breakfast of muffins,  granola, yogurt, toast, tea, coffee, juice and water.

 

After eating, we will walk over to the Wine Festival Ceremony as a group

 

Wine Festival Opening Ceremony

11:00 – 12:30

Town Square

The annual Wine Festival, our partner, will officially open the Wine Festival with many presentations and culture performances.  We ask runner be prepared to join us on stage as we give our presentations.  Otherwise, feel free to mingle amongst the numerous tents.

 

Volunteers Check-in

12:30

Volunteers will consolidate at the event start line, Sorkert (Beer Garden) to prepare their supplies and materials.  Volunteer leaders will provide any additional briefings at this time.

 

Sorkert Beer Garden

#13  Mihók Péter

 

Event Begins

13:00

Sorkert Beer Garden

Runners take your mark!  The official start of the 2^nd Annual Beregszasz Wine Country Half Marathon & 10K! 

 

Beer Garden & Sammie Extavaganza

14:00 – 17:00

Sorkert Beer Garden

Upon completing your run, walk or volunteering, please join us to re-fuel on beer and tasting sandwiches!

 

Rest, Re-fresh & Beautify

 

Celebration Dinner & Wine Tasting

20:00 – 22:00

Sorkert Beer Garden

We will have a brief cocktail reception followed by an awards ceremony and wonderful Hungarian meal with Wine tasting from regional wine makers.

 

Saturday Optional Activities

·        Wine Festival

·        Thermal Spa

 

 

Day 3: Sunday, April 18th

Departures

 

Departure Checklist:

Ÿ       When checking out, please clean up and leave accommodations as you received them. J

Ÿ       Make sure you know the process of returning keys

Ÿ       All trains run on Kyiv time (time to change your watch!)

 

Activities:

·        Hike across Beregszasz

·        Thermal Spa

·        Football Match

·        Pub Crawl

·        Hungarian Folk Dancing

·        Wine Festival Closing Ceremonies

 

 

We hope this is adequate information to prepare you for our upcoming event.  If you have any questions now or while here, please contact us anytime:

 

Zsofi Kovacs, Event Manager

P: 064401177

Erin Dowland, Peace Corps Volunteer

P: 09315994833

Calling all Runners, Walkers and Volunteers!

We are happy to announce…
the 2nd Annual Beregszasz Wine Country Half Marathon!!!!!!

We look forward to seeing all the amazing runners/walkers, wonderful volunteers and awesome cheerleaders come out in support of the Beregszasz English Exchange!

You have the date and time, now here are the rest of the deets:

Runners/Walkers
Registration is now open!
Registration fee 100 hrvn covers all events
and mostly

food, hydration and MOTIVATION!

Friday Night Pasta Party
Pre-Event Breakfast
Event Support
Post-Event Beer Garden and Sammie Extravaganza
Celebration Ceremony and Wine Tasting

So, put on those running shoes and get ready for a GREAT weekend!

Volunteers
Thank you!
After you sign up here, telling us we can count on you, you will be contacted with more information on the numerous fun volunteer roles and you will be asked to select which you  prefer.

Transportation
Lviv – Colotvino train leaves Lviv daily around 8pm and arrives in Beregovo at 5ish am.

Mykachevo train station is a 30 – 45 minute bus ride away. The first bus to Beregovo begins after 7 am.

Buses throughout Western Ukraine come through Beregovo as well.

Lodging
Guesthouses - 150 hrvn/night sleeps 4-5
Hostel – 25 hrvn/night
Camping – free

Beregszasz English Exchange – BEE

An opportunity for us living in Beregszasz interested in English as a 2nd language to have access to local resources and tools, as well as, expand our minds with healthy culture exchange in English Speaking Countries!

Training Corner
We have a few links on the bottom right navigation bar that might help.  We’ll be checking in to make sure things are going well. In the meantime, don’t be shy – if you have a question, ask!   

What are we to BEE?

Welcome to the Beregszasz English Exchange!

We have created this blog with a few basic goals:
1. Practice and enhance our English Skills
2. Create a virtual English Resource Center for those of us living in (near) Beregszasz.
3. To learn more about this great big world through healthy culture exchange in English speaking countries.

How will we meet all of these goals?

Pen Pals:
An important aspect of the group is the international culture exchange. It is an opportunity to show a little bit of our life, here and Beregszasz, and learn a little about yours... where ever you are! An insight into your life will help us expand our world and opportunities, one new friend at a time!

Other Activities & Events:
(check out some pictures, on the right, from our past events)
English Clubs
Half Marathon Fundraiser & Running Club
English Resource Center
Book Club & Share