Thank you to our

We thank all supporters and sponsors of the Zittau Mountain Run & Hiking Meet for their past and future contributions to the success of our event.

Located south of the large district town of Zittau, the municipality of Olbersdorf forms the link between the historic town and the Zittau Mountains ("Gateway to the Zittau Mountains"). Olbersdorf owns Lake Olbersdorf (O-SEE), which was a lignite open-cast mine until 1989 and was renaturalized starting in 1990. The municipality of Olbersdorf invests considerable effort in the ongoing management and maintenance of the lake area with its excellent tourist infrastructure. This also ensures the quality of our 6 km hiking trail and our 9 km Nordic walking trail. Furthermore, the municipality supports our Zittau Mountain Run & Hiking Meet annually with in-kind and financial contributions.

The picturesque town of Zittau is the cultural and economic center of southern Upper Lusatia and the namesake of the small mountain range in the border region of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany. Zittau supports our event as a "European Town of Sports" in a variety of ways. Of particular note is that Zittau owns almost all of the forested areas in the range and is therefore an important contact and partner for the selection and development of high-quality hiking and running trails.

The Zittau Mountain Run & Hiking Meet is supported by the Saxon State Ministry of the Interior as part of the project “Development of Mass Sports”.

The LEADER region Zittau Mountains Nature Park provides funding from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) for a wide variety of projects within the framework of the "Rural Development Programme for the Free State of Saxony (EPLR) 2014-2020". The Zittau Mountain Run & Hiking Meet has applied for EAFRD/EPLR/LEADER funding for its 48th edition, taking place on April 23 and 24. The Saxon State Ministry for the Environment and Agriculture (SMUL), Department of Funding Strategy, EAFRD Managing Authority, is responsible for implementing EAFRD funding in the Free State of Saxony.

The Zittau Mountain Run & Hiking Meet (ZGLW) is the largest mass participation sporting event in Eastern Saxony. Our long-established running and hiking meet has been captivating participants of all ages and from various nations since 1974. Whether you're a competitive runner or a casual hiker, whether you're participating with a club, as a family, or solo – the sporting opportunities, routes, and landscapes of the Zittau Mountains offer something for everyone. Runners and hikers start at the Olbersdorf Stadium with a magnificent view of the Zittau Mountains and, thanks to the annually changing routes, can enjoy the beauty of this mountain landscape throughout the entire event. These unique features and the excellent organization directly contributed to the Zittau Mountain Run and Hiking Meet being ranked among the ten most popular runs in Germany by the magazine "Laufzeit" in 1997. Our ZGLW (Central German Long Distance Run) is largely supported by volunteers – a testament to the local population's identification with the event and an expression of their connection to the region. With our LEADER application, we are seeking financial support for the preparation, management, coordination, and execution of our major international sporting event. The number of participants serves as an indicator of whether the grant will meet its objectives: we aim to increase the number of participants from an average of 3,000 to 3,500 this year. Your support will ensure the continuation of the run, preserving an event that boosts tourism and enhances the quality of life for the region's residents.