This is probably old news: Starting this year, BrightMarbles is the exclusive technology partner of the Belgrade Marathon – the biggest sporting event in Serbia and one of the most important manifestations in the entire region. We’re the crew behind the Marathon’s entire tech infrastructure. But you might not know how we got there.
You can’t miss the first thing in common when you look at our names – we share the same acronym: BM. But fortunately, that’s not the only thing we share. Our values are also aligned, from excellence, integrity, and corporate citizenship, to inclusion, diversity, and environmental stewardship. So together, we’re on a mission to leave a positive footprint in this world and support innovations that help build more livable and runnable cities.
The idea is to digitally transform their entire tech platform, starting with the web app for digital registration and secure payment. In addition to adding many new functionalities to the web app, within our scope are also Android and iOS apps, a brand new website, and the first Belgrade Marathon webshop.
But how did we even get here, and what has connected us to work together?
Two Local Stories Going Global
The origins of the Belgrade Marathon date back to 1988. A group of journalists and sports enthusiasts came up with an idea to launch a marathon race in (ex) Yugoslavia.
The first Belgrade Marathon track was only 23 km long. There weren’t any foreign participants, and only the runners from Yugoslavia took part in that race.
Already in 1989, the participation of runners from several foreign countries gave the Belgrade Marathon an international prefix.
The Belgrade Marathon has been held every single year since 1988, with its 35th edition in 2022. The entire event has been growing ever since, promoting a healthy lifestyle, equality, and ecology while making a positive impact on the local community. It’s now transformed into an organization covering several different races and social events, held all year long (and BrightMarbles is the exclusive technology partner in all of them):
- Children’s Race
- Belgrade Marathon
- BEG Runway Run (at the airport)
- The Night 10 Race (in cooperation with Nike)
- Women’s Race
- Belgrade Half-marathon
BrightMarbles is also a local story going global. Founded by a group of IT experts in 2016, BrightMarbles quickly rose to one of the most successful tech companies in the region.
Our business methods and client-oriented approach have earned us exquisite certificates and accolades. The two awards that shine a tiny bit stronger than others in the BrightMarbles’ Trophy Cabinet are the Digital Knights’ recognition in 2019 and the admission into the club of IT companies certified by Clutch (more details following below).
And just like The Belgrade Marathon, we’re attracting people from different countries and continents to become a part of the World of Marbles.
The Marathon’s Promoters – Track and Field at its Finest
While they’re still miles ahead of us in their longevity and tradition, we’re shoulder to shoulder on our quest for excellence. Speaking of which, many excellent runners, throwers, and jumpers have promoted The Belgrade Marathon, especially in the last decade.
The most famous promoter was Carl Lewis, a four gold-medal winner at the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984. He took the promoter’s role twice: in 2006 and 2013. Lewis’s promotional efforts helped popularize The Belgrade Marathon via Eurosport, CNN, and other influential global media.
Among other promoters, the most prominent were the holders of two unbeatable world records: Galina Chistyakova, the long jump world record holder since the Seoul Olympics in 1988, and Javier Sotomayor, who jumped 2.45m in 1993, setting the bar too high for all the high jump competitors ever since.
On the other hand, our best promoters are our engineers, marketers, designers, managers, HR consultants, financial experts, and legal service providers that help the entire BrightMarbles Group Holding run the global business race and provide the best support for the Belgrade Marathon.
As for the story of excellence and world records: in 2020, Clutch awarded BrightMarbles as the best B2B company in the region, admitting us to their exquisite club of 1% of the most successful companies worldwide. Beware, Carl Lewis!
The 35th Belgrade Marathon – Behind the Scenes
This year’s Belgrade Marathon was held on May 15, with more than 6700 runners from 70 countries and thousands of spectators by the track.
The winner of this year’s race was Feyissa Mulgeta, from Ethiopia.
The oldest participant in the race was 88 years old.
There was a special reward for the parents of twins who finished the half-marathon race. We’re delighted to see this because BrightMarbles also invests a lot of energy into offering some unique perks for parents and employee benefits altogether.
Speaking of inclusion, equality, and contributions to the community, we’d like to announce the DM Women’s Race (dm ženska trka), which will take place on October 2, 2022. It’s the only mass event in Belgrade dedicated solely to women. We’re incredibly proud to have contributed to this extraordinary race with our technological knowledge and experience.
The Finishing Line(s)
The Belgrade Marathon started out in the analog age and jogged its way into the digital world. During that time, it has overgrown the national borders, becoming one of the most popular and famous sporting events in the entire region. The core mission of this amazing organization is to increase public awareness in Serbia (and beyond) of green and sustainable living, while encouraging different social groups to lead a healthy lifestyle and supporting a healthier and more inclusive community. The variety of races and non-running events arranged by this organization annually proves its dedication and devotion to creating modern values that accept and nurture social diversity.
We think this is the beginning of a beautiful partnership and BrightMarbles is planning to help this unique manifestation to carry out a full digital transformation in the long run.