Why Sparekassen Danmark is investing in the Skagen Marathon: “It gives something back to the town”

Sparekassen Danmark has sponsored Skagen Marathon for over 10 years, and although the sponsorship obviously gives the bank visibility, according to Rasmus that is not why the bank chooses to support the project again and again. 

• We do not provide sponsorship for Skagen Marathon because we hope to gain some new customers. We do it because we think it is important for the town that there is a Skagen Marathon, he explains.

He is himself a part of local life in Skagen and over the years has also laced up his running shoes and taken part in the marathon. Therefore, he has experienced at close quarters how the event has developed – and how it has gradually become a permanent fixture on the town's calendar. 

An entire town on the move

For Rasmus, the Skagen Marathon is interesting because the event extends far beyond the run itself. 

• Some might think that the Skagen Marathon only brings the town to life on that one Saturday in October. That the runners arrive in the morning, complete their course and head home again in the evening. But that’s not quite how it works. Because when so many participants come from far and wide, the marathon becomes more than just a few hours on the course. They don’t just park their car, go for a run and drive home again.

On the contrary, he finds that the city begins to buzz with life even in the days leading up to the race.

The participants do not only come from Skagen and North Jutland. Runners from all over Denmark and abroad find their way to the town, turning the marathon weekend into an extended weekend or perhaps even a full week's holiday. They stay overnight, eat at restaurants, shop in the town's boutiques and experience Skagen. This creates activity and revenue in the town – especially at that time of year when the classic summer season is coming to an end.

Skagen also has something to offer outside of the summer season

Just the season extension is one of the values Rasmus highlights. For him, Skagen Marathon is a good example of how events can help draw people to a town that is otherwise often labelled as a summer destination. 

• Most people have a bit of a perception that Skagen is really nice from April to September, and after that it is a ghost town. But that is not true. If you would like to experience the town, you can also do so in the winter half-year, where, in addition to the marathon, you can also take part in events such as the Skagen Winter Bathing Festival.

At the same time, the marathon gives visitors the opportunity to experience Skagen from a different angle. On the longer distances, the runners get out into nature and see areas that one might not experience on a traditional summer holiday.

• You also get to see some nature, especially on the longer distances, and I actually think that's great. If you come from outside, you'll see that Skagen isn't just the big party in the summer, but that we actually also have some of the nature that everyone talks about, he says.

When companies run away with it

At the same time, the marathon has become something that involves far more than just the individual runners. Sparekassen Danmark fields participants itself, and Rasmus finds that many other local businesses do the same. Employees run together, families participate, and in this way the marathon also becomes part of the local community.

For example, Rasmus says that as a football coach he can almost count on there being no football matches played that weekend.

• There are families who prioritise running the Skagen Marathon. They might only be running five kilometres, but the children simply cannot play football that weekend. That Saturday, we can forget all about going to a match.

For Rasmus, it is a very concrete example of how much significance the marathon has gained in the city.

An investment in the city

For Rasmus, the sponsorship is therefore ultimately about much more than just a logo on a sign or a shirt.

It is about helping to create and support the experiences that bring Skagen together – and which give something back to both those who live in the town and those who come to visit.

• It contributes something to the town as a whole, to the business community, the associations and the locals – and also to the children. It is a great offering for families with children. I know it only happens once a year, but it is just such a great event, says Rasmus.

And perhaps that is precisely what makes Sparekassen Danmark choose to be part of Skagen Marathon year after year. For the value of a sponsorship cannot always be measured in pounds, pence or new customers.

• The marathon might not do all that much for the savings bank financially speaking, but it does for the local community. And then it also does something good for us in the end.

When the runners once again take to the streets of Skagen, it is therefore not only the race against the clock that unfolds. The marathon also becomes a weekend where the town comes together, and where locals and visitors meet over a shared experience.

For Rasmus, that is precisely what makes Skagen Marathon worth supporting: That it is not just a race, but an event that brings the town to life and shows what can happen when local forces pull together.