20 years after the opening of the Iron Curtain between eastern and western Europe a unique European legacy is again the focus of public attention: The European Green Belt, the former border strip and its neighbouring areas. Where up until 20 years ago there was an insurmountable barrier - today a fascinating natural environment has developed harbouring a diverse variety of species: ranging from a "death zone" to a "lifeline". The European Green Belt today unites what had been separated for decades.
The European Green Belt forms an axis of linked biotopes of 8.500 km in length including many branchings and large untouched nature reserves, lined up like pearls on a string. As result of this undisturbed boundary along the Green Belt an interlinked system of nature habitats has developed which is unique in its dimension and spanning the Artic Sea to the Mediterranean/Black Sea, e.g. in Germany from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Fichtelgebirge/Vogtland in the south. Much voluntary nature conservation work has contributed to its preservation (e.g. IUCN, Project Office Green Belt by Friends of the Earth (BUND), Heinz Sielmann Foundation).
The European Green Belt which today unites people in east and west constitutes a historical monument for the overcoming of Europe's previous division. It also offers various opportunities e.g. for recreation, perception of nature as well as for exercising nature compatible sports.

"The NATURATHLON 2009 - Nature without borders" takes place from Wednesday, 19 August 2009 to Sunday, 30 August 2009.
24 sports(wo)men of the six abutting states of the central European Green Belt (Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary) will cycle along the course of the former Iron Curtain and, at fixed stage stops, perform additional exercises.
The start point is Sopron, Hungary. Here, near the border between Austria and Hungary, the Iron Curtain was first lifted in the course of a peace demonstration on 19 August 1989, the "Pan European Picnic" event. It was also here where the first mass escape to the West by GDR-citizens took place. For that reason the official NATURATHLON 2009 event starts from here. The country teams then cycle along the Green Belt to the so called "Point Alpha" (between Rasdorf/Hesse and Geisa/Thuringia) i.e. to the former inner-German border where NATO and the Red Army stood face to face during the cold war. From here the athletes will again hit the road cycling via Frankfurt and Karlsruhe to Strasbourg, home of the European Parliament.
On the eve of their arrival in Strasbourg, a grand NATURATHLON party will be celebrated. Exhibitions by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the Austrian Agency for Environmental Protection and Environmental Control and other partners of the NATURATHLON will be on display. Most notably this festivity serves as a "market square" for organisations and sponsors as well as for local craftspeople who are all involved in environment and nature protection issues. Visitors will be offered regional organic products and they can enjoy live entertainment on stage.

As a means to win wider support amongst the general public for the issues 'Protection' and 'Preservation' of the European Green Belt new ways and instruments of communicating are necessary. The concept of the NATU-RATHLON has in previous years already kept the focus on issues such as 'Nature Protection' and 'Outdoor Recreation Behaviour'.
On the one hand, the NATURATHLON is supposed to emphasise the fact that it is possible to transform an insurmountable boundary into a lifeline for endangered species of wild fauna and flora and protect it as part of an European ecological network. On the other hand, this event attempts to put a spotlight on the important role that nature and nature protection can play to bring people in east and west closer together. In conclusion, the NATURATHLON shows that ecological, economic as well as social interests can be combined.
The slogan "Nature without borders" meets the target of the NATURATHLON 2009: Nature protection dissolves barriers and unites people in east and west Europe in their joint effort towards further sustainable development within the European Green Belt. This in turn benefits local people and nature. The former divide becomes a positive symbol for the growing together of Europe.
Close cooperation between both the national and local media is planned. Media partner for radio broadcasting is 'Deutschlandfunk', TV broadcast coverage (e.g. in magazine programmes) and film footage of the landscapes along the route were/are partly pre produced. The films will be made available to all TV channels. TV crews are to accompany the competing sports teams. Hence the event is observed throughout Europe and will trigger interest in the 'Green Belt', 'Nature Protection' as well as in 'Sports Compatible with Nature'. An appeal for sponsorship was placed on the homepage of the NATURATHLON.
Offers for nature based adventures, for outdoor sports and tourism within the vicinities of the Green Belt will be presented on the Internet. Quiz games and various other activities are placed in advance on the Internet to attract attention before the event begins.

The NATURATHLON has been conducted annually by the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation since 2004. The event attempts to raise awareness for nature protection issues in Germany among people who enjoy sports and outdoor pursuits and also aims to motivate more people to feel their obligation when interacting with nature and its biodiversity. And, of course, the event is supposed to spark interest and convey stimulating information.
It is customary practice during the event that particular chosen sports(wo)men, who are forming separate teams, must compete in sporting outdoor challenges and master stages of different length while at the same time providing proof of their ecological knowledge and coping with various nature related tasks.
The 'Naturathletes' are an example for how environmentally friendly outdoor sports can be exercised by following simple rules. For that reason each year the focus is shifted to another theme. Past themes have been: "Nature Sports in Large Protection Sites such as National Parks and Nature Reserves", "The German Green Belt as a Biotope Compound Network", "The River Basin Systems in Germany", "Biodiversity in Forests, in Cities and Urban Conurbations". This year's event aims to generate public interest with its theme "Protection and Preservation of Europe's Green Belt".
As in previous years, the general public can obtain all information from around nature protection issues whilst taking part in various event activities and, if feasible, leisure cyclists may also sometimes accompany the 'Naturathletes' on short circuits.
Through media cooperation with Television channels and through the support of celebrities the NATURATHLON not only hugely boosts widespread publicity (e.g. in 2004 over 1,000 newspaper articles, 100 radio and some 37 TV broadcasts were recorded) but also promotes mutual understanding between the partners involved i.e. between local authorities, large protection cites, regional and national sports and environment associations and many more participating in nature protection issues.