On Sunday, 4 October, Skopje hosts the 22nd Wizz Air Skopje Marathon. From 06:00 to 14:00 the streets and boulevards along the course will be closed, and traffic will be diverted onto alternative routes depending on where the runners are.

Where you won't be driving

The stretch from the "Rekord" landmark will be closed, along Makedonija and Dimitrie Čupovski streets, then along Mitropolit Teodosij Gologanov boulevard and Vasil Čakalarov street all the way to Hrom. Parts of 11 Oktomvri street, from the Parliament towards the Red Cross, will also be shut, as will sections of Kruševska Republika and Treta Makedonska Brigada boulevards, up to American College. In Aerodrom, special rules will apply on the stretches towards the Military Pool, the Maternity Hospital and Jane Sandanski boulevard, up to the junction with Srbija boulevard.

The Interior Ministry is urging drivers to avoid the course and follow the instructions of police officers on the ground. The race map is not a complete list of closed streets - restrictions may also cover access roads, and buses will run on special routes.

Twice as many marathoners

According to the organisers, more than 15,000 runners from 63 countries will compete across four races - the marathon, the marathon relay, the half marathon and a 5K. The full marathon has 800 registered runners, double last year's number, and the half marathon around 3,000. Among them are eleven runners from Kenya, last year's winner Dario Ivanovski, and 79-year-old Briton Peter Simson, the oldest participant. The 5K this year has more women registered than men.

The start has been moved. The 5K starts at 8am at the traffic lights by the Red Cross, while the marathon, half marathon and relay start at 8:05 at "Rekord", instead of in front of Parliament. The finish is on Macedonia Square. Race packs can be collected until 8pm on Saturday at Diamond Mall - none will be handed out on race day.

A city that can shut itself down for eight hours for 15,000 runners and stay calm is doing itself a favour. The real test is for those who aren't running: will the public transport company JSP publish the diverted bus lines clearly and on time, or will people once again find out at the bus stop?