Once again, there was a new record number of participants at the 21st AVON
RUNNING Berlin Women’s Run. At the largest women’s fitness event in
Germany, 11,142 women and girls took to the start on Saturday afternoon in the
Tiergarten Park. For the third time, Kathrin Weßel (SCC) won the 10k
race. The Berliner ran a time of 33:51 minutes. The most prominent participant
was Barbara Richstein. In a time of 51:35, the Minister for Justice and
European Concerns from Brandenburg ran a quick time.
"We can be very satisfied with the event and are happy about the new
record number of participants, despite the relatively cool weather. I am also
pleased that with Kathrin Weßel winning, a Berliner runner from SCC
won," said Mark Milde, the Race Director of the event organiser SCC
RUNNING. There was a large supporting programme in the Tiergarten Park for the
event.
"We are thrilled about the new increase in participation and look
optimistically forward to next year, when we hope to have 12,000
runners,“ said Werner Köller, the marketing manager of the main
sponsor, AVON, and added: "I would like to thank SCC RUNNING for the
excellent organisation. The cooperation with the sponsors also was
great."
Kathrin Weßel already dropped her competition at the 2k point and ran
a lonesome race at the front. It was the 6th start at the AVON RUNNING Berlin
Women’s Run for the German 10,000m-record-holder. And at the end, it was
her third victory, after winning in 2000 and 2002. ”I had enough of a
lead that I could enjoy the race at the end. Like last year, the atmosphere was
great,“ declared the winner.
Claudia Dreher (Gänsefurther Sportbewegung) was also thrilled, even
though she had hoped for more than the second place in 34:23, „The
atmosphere was excellent, especially at the last 1000 metres. Everything fit
perfectly at this race—the organisation, the atmosphere, and the
participation,” said Dreher, who was 9th in the marathon World
Championships in 1999.
The record number of participants is as follows::
10-km-Race: 4,380 5-km-Race: 3,419 5-km-Race (Schoolgirls): 2,521 Walking
und Nordic Walking: 308 Bambini Run: 514
Total: 11,142 (last year: 10,528)
Fun was the main goal of the 5k race, not competition. The fastest runner
was Angelika Ehebrecht (Potsdamer LC) in 19:15 minutes. For the walkers, Karen
Böhme (LG Nord) covered the 10k distance in 60:52 minutes. The fastest
AVON consultant in the 10k race was Claudia Chromy in 48:01 minutes.
Results, 10 k:
1. Kathrin Weßel (SCC Berlin) 33:51 minutes 2. Claudia Dreher
(Gänsefurther SB) 34:23 3. Judith Heinze (Bayer Leverkusen) 34:46 4.
Angela Hänsel (LG Nike Berlin) 37:57 5. Rosemarie Kössler (SCC
Berlin) 38:01 6. Sylvana Stupka (LAC Berlin) 38:28