News Archive

SCC-RUNNING finishes the year 2004 with a new record of participation. With a

total of 129.367 runners, Germany’s biggest running organizer had as many

participants as never before in its 40-year history. “We are proud that

we were able to continue the trend this year and hope we will continue this

successful development in 2005”, Race Director Mark Milde said.

Since 1964 SCC-RUNNING registered 1.393.477 participants in 365

races.

Winner was Christian Goy

At the traditional Berlin New Years Eve...

Patrick Kiernan, a doctor in London and veteran or masters runner of high

standard, has two types of training partner: the team-mates from his club,

Heathside, who run over the hilly landscape of Hampstead Heath in north London,

and his two dogs, Moffy and Jimmy. Kiernan is an interesting example in any

case: a late beginner, though he always kept himself active and cycled to and

from his medical practice in Kensington, he didn get involved in serious

running till he was 48. Within two years hed...

On the occasion of MINEPS IV*, which took place from 6-8 December, 2004 in

Athens, ICSSPE President Prof. Dr. Gudrun Doll-Tepper again demanded that the

results of the world-wide survey on physical education should lead to changes

in national laws.

Human right for all children

"The Berlin Agenda, that was accepted in November 1999, as well as the

results of MINEPS III, demand the establishment of physical education as a

human right for all children. Enough declarations exist", Gudrun

Doll-Tepper...

New Zealand athletics coach Arthur Lydiard, who guided Peter Snell and Murray

Halberg to Olympic gold medals, died in the United States on Saturday aged 87,

family members confirmed today, Monday.

Lydiard suffered a suspected heart attack at a Houston, Texas hotel while

visiting the United States on a lecture tour.

Auckland born and bred, Lydiard went away from the accepted norm of middle

to long-distance coaching when, in 1949, he embarked on a seven-days-a-week

marathon-type training regime.

Hayley Yelling and Sergej Lebed won the gold medals at the European Cross

Country Championships in Heringsdorf on the German island Usedom.

While Lebed broke a record winning for the fifth time (1998, 2001, 2002 and

2003), it was the first time for Hayley Yelling and the biggest success of her

career.

Sergej Lebed Winner men
Hayley Yelling Winner women
Jo Pavey 3rd place women
Alexander Lubina

In the men’s race over 9.640 metres Sergej Lebed promptly took the...

For neutral observers it was clear from the outset that there could be only one

winner in Helsinki: Berlin. But the large delegation from the German capital

was nervously awaiting the decision of the venue of the 12th World

Championships in Athletics 2009. Berlin had made bad experiences just two and a

half years ago, when they had failed as favorite for the World Championships

2005 - surprisingly Helsinki had won.

"This is not a normal meeting you do every day, but a real challenge.

So you are...

„The World Championships in Athletics 2009 will be in Berlin.“ A

few minutes past 6 pm the President of the International Athletics Association

of Athletics Federation (IAAF), Lamine Diack, announced the decision in

Helsinki.

The Berlin Delegation, led by the minister of interior Otto Schily and

Berlin’s governing mayor Klaus Wowereit started cheering. Valencia and

Split were competitors, but Berlin has had the strongest bid and additionally

showed the by far best presentation before the...

The IAAF has received the sad news that Gunder Hägg, Sweden’s

multiple World record breaker of the 1940’s era died Saturday 27 November

at the age of 85.

Hägg had been living in a nursing home near Malmö, Sweden for

sometime, and his failing health had confined him to a wheelchair. Born on 31

December 1918, he fell just short of his 86th birthday.

Hägg set over a dozen middle distance World records at events ranging

from 1500m to 5000m, including three at both the 1500m and the Mile, one at...

On December 4, the IAAF will decide in Helsinki, the venue for the track and

field world championships in 2005, where the championships are to take place in

2009.

The cities up for selection are Split, Valencia and once again Berlin.

Berlin has already been unsuccessful in the selection process two times, but

just like for the Olympic Games, one single attempt does not suffice to

succeed, but what is rather needed is endurance, staying power, and a bit of

luck.

"10" />

Sporting city...

AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Road Races), the association

of the largest running events in the world and the IAAF ( International

Association of Athletic Federations) publish the trade magazine „DISTANCE

RUNNING“ three times a year (circulation 400,000 per issue), in which the

races of the member organisations are listed. In the newest issue,

September/December 2004, the dates for the races until December 2005 are

listed.

"5" />200 races from 73 countries

AIMS represents 200 races...

Bruna Genovese of Italy came from behind to win the Tokyo Womens Marathon this

morning, Sunday (21 Nov). Genovese, who was 51 seconds behind at 35 km, passed

the leader Ethiopian Elfenesh Alemu at 40.7 km to win with 2:26:34.

Perhaps it is becoming the ‘Italian way’ to win major marathons,

for Stefano Baldini in this summer’s Athens Olympics and Gelindo Bordin

in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, came from behind for famous wins too.

The 17 year-old Tariku Bekele, brother of Ethiopia’s World and Olympic

10,000m champion Kenenisa, won the men’s race, while Kenyan Alice

Timbilil took the women’s category win at the Oeiras International, the

first IAAF Cross Country Permit race of the 2004/2005 season. Everyone already

knows Kenenisa Bekele’s talent, the winner of last year’s race and

of course, the six-time World Cross Country champion. This year he didn’t

come to defend his title (which he won in 2002 and 2003) but his...

The federal board for the organisation for competitions of the German Athletic

Federation (DLV) has reached a decision that many street racers have been

awaiting for quite a while: the statisticians who put together the lists of the

year’s fastest times will be permitted to use the net times.

Net and gross times

Through the use of the transponder/chip timekeeping device that is common at

all large street races, not only the time between the starting shot and the

crossing of the finish (gross...

Just over two months after under-going an operation on his left Achilles

tendon, former quadruple World and double Olympic 10,000m champion Haile

Gebrselassie has confirmed that his “recovery is going well”.

The 31 year-old who is in Amsterdam today for a photo-shoot for his kit

sponsor confirmed that only a matter of two to three weeks after his operation

(9 September) he was back in light training ...

Cross-Country has always had a particular significance in British athletics.

Though the trend for marathons and other road races is booming here as

elsewhere, the increase is not so noticeable in cross-country running and

racing. That is a pity, since lovers of cross-country have found a magical

world.

Earth, forest, hills, up and down and always mud, mud. That is cross-country

tradition and how could it be otherwise? This is how the great ones of British

track and field developed, not just the...

“It is not an Olympic gold medal. But the world saw what she can do:

Paula Radcliffe won the New York City Marathon.“ That was the comment

made by Allan Steinfeld, the Race Director of the running spectacle, to a

question regarding his estimation of Paula Radcliffe’s achievement. The

30-year-old English woman managed to end a catastrophic year with a success

through an enormous exertion of energy. In a super time of 2:23:10h, the third

fastest time of the year, she crossed the finish in Central...

A race that was probably the most significant one for the development of

running in Germany was started in Berlin today. It will be exactly 40 years ago

tomorrow (Monday) that a group of sports students staged the Berlin Cross

Country Race for the first time. While cross country races had not existed

before in Germany there was another breakthrough on the 8th November 1964.

Fun runners had generally not been allowed to enter running events before.

So the event in former West Berlin was one of...

After Olympic disaster had struck twice Paula Radcliffe now staged a major

comeback in the New York City Marathon. The British world marathon record

holder (2:15:25) won the race in 2:23:10. After a dramatic sprint finish she

was just four seconds ahead of Kenyan Susan Chepkemei. It was the closest

women’s finish in the 35 year history of the race. South Africa’s

Hendrik Ramaala won the men’s race in 2:09:28. Meb Keflezighi (US) was

second in 2:09:53 and Timothy Cherigat (Kenya) took third with...

Where else to have a museum dedicated to the marathon, but Marathon? This is

the town, where it all began 2,500 years ago, with the run of the legendary

Pheidippides, to announce the Athenian victory over the Persians. Or, if you

don’t believe that story, what about 108 years ago, when the road from

Marathon to Athens was pressed into use, firstly for the Greek Olympic trials,

then for the inaugural Olympic Games in 1896?

Three months ago

The 4000 contestants in Sunday’s 22nd annual Athens...

New York, USA - As is so often the case these days here, the women’s

version of the ING New York City Marathon (Sunday 7 Nov) seems more intriguing

than the men’s race, especially this year.

Olympic redemption for Radcliffe?

Not only is Britains Paula Radcliffe (holder of the World record at an awesome

2:15:25) competing for the first time since her agonising dropout at 36

kilometres in Athens 11 weeks ago, but she’ll be facing three other top

10 performers on the all-time list: Kenyans Tegla...

Thursday 4 November 2004 New York, 2004 - For the first time since the days of

Bill Rodgers and Alberto Salazar, there are a number of American men who have a

realistic chanced to do well in the ING New York City Marathon (Sun 7

Nov).

Four American in the top 10?

No, they e not about to blow away the Kenyans and other Africans who are

expected to again dominate the 35th running of the race, but there is at least

a possibility that any one of four Americans could finish in the top 10 - which

has...

The citizens of Athens are entitled to feel exhausted after a summer of Olympic

Games, followed by Paralympics. But the most exhausting event of all is still

to come, the Athens Classic Marathon on Sunday.

22nd running of the Marathon to Athens

‘classic’

Paula Radcliffe may not wish to be reminded of why she is running the New York

Marathon the same day. But by the time she lines up in the Big Apple, the

latest results from the course where she blew out so spectacularly less than

three months...

Wednesday 3 November 2004 New York, USA - Usually, its the Olympic also-rans

who come to the ING New York City Marathon hoping to show the world that their

performance at the Games a couple of months earlier was just an off day.

Paula Radcliffe

Everyone knows, of course, that Paula Radcliffe hopes to do just that this

coming Sunday (7 Nov), and almost certainly there will be others. But there

will also be at least a couple of Olympic marathon medallists toeing the line

among the 30,000-plus...

While Berlin clearly is becoming the big favourite for receiving the Track and

Field World Championships in 2009, the German Athletics Association (Deutsche

Leichtathletik Verband (DLV) is adamantly trying to explain that it is not in

that position: “There is no reason for being euphoric,” said DLV

president Clemens Prokop.

But quite the opposite is the case.

Almost nothing now stands in the way. The city of Brussels withdrew its

application for hosting the prestigious, global sporting event....

Johnny Kelley was the legend of the Boston Marathon. 61 times he had run the

classical race from Hopkinton to Boston, winning it twice in 1935 and 1945. No

other runner came ever close to so many Boston Marathon races. On 8th October

Johnny Kelley died aged 97. He lived near Boston.

Born in 1907 Kelley first wanted to become a baseball player. But when he

was ten years old and had just started playing the game a ball hit him right

into the face. That made him change the sport. And in running...

For a day or two it was the story of the Games, and on front pages everywhere. When Paula Radcliffe dropped out of the Olympic Marathon, it was as if a war had been lost. It shouldn’t have been such a surprise.

Favourites falling by the wayside in championship marathons litter the pages of athletics history books. It’s always possible, particularly if the race starts in 35°C of heat.

A performance which could well qualify for the Guinness Book of Records was

achieved by Terefe Yae and Shimeles Molla during the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON on

26th September. It turned out during the analysis of the results that the two

Ethiopians have overtaken at least 9,150 runners during the 42,195 k race.

They entered the wrong start-section

As elite athletes Terefe Yae and Shimeles Molla should have started in the

first of three starting sections and right at the front. But somehow they...

Tuesday 26 October 2004 World Marathon record holder Paula Radcliffe has

changed her comeback plans and will now make her first competitive outing since

her disastrous attempts to become an Olympic champion, by running the ING New

York City Marathon on 7 November 2004.

Radcliffe, the reigning European 10,000m champion had been scheduled to make

a low-key return on the roads at the Run London 10k at the end of November but

decided to change her plans after an encouraging month long training camp...

Close to 25,000 participants for a completely new running event sounds like the

perfect beginning to what should become a long lasting tradition. But actually

the first edition of “Tunnelloppet” in Stockholm last Sunday was

also the very last edition! The solution to this paradox lies in the fact that

the course used never again will be available for running.

Because the major part of the race course stretched through

“Södra Länken” (“The Southern Link”) a

gigantic underground traffic complex...

A year after he was one of the pacemakers in the ING Amsterdam marathon Robert

Cheboror won the 29th edition of the event in the capital of The Netherlands.

The tall Kenyan, who will be 26 on 11 November, crossed the finishline in

the 1928 Olympic stadium in 2:06:23 not only bettering the one-year-old course

record (2:06:39) of compatriot William Kipsang but also setting the fourth

fastest time of the year.

Only Cheborors countrymen Felix Limo (2:06:14, Rotterdam) and Evans Rutto

(2:06:16 in...

The word must have gotten out that the real,- BERLIN MARATHON was opening up

for a new wheelchair sport—hand cycling—as there were quite a few

hand cyclists who made it to the premiere in Berlin.

"5" />Well-known faces

In the end there were just about 140 participants registered. There were

several well-known faces to be seen, hand cyclists who once participated in the

wheelchair race of the MARATHON, several of whom are members of the

BERLIN-MARATHON Jubilee Club: including Friedhelm Müller (16), Urs...

Thursday 14 October 2004 Britain’s David Moorcroft and Christopher

Chataway, two former World 5000m record holders met for a special anniversary

last night at the Kingsmeadow track in Kingston, Surrey.

The date 13 October 2004 was the 50th Anniversary of the occasion on which

Chataway at a London versus Moscow City match at London’s White City

stadium met with the then World record holder and newly crowned European

champion Vladimir Kuts in what turned out to be an epic clash over

5000m.

Kuts...

New record number of participants at the 2nd International Endurance and Sport

Medicine Congress - New demands on medicine: The athlete as a special

patient

More than 800 doctors, sport scientists, and physical therapists met from

September 23-25, 2004, for a three-day exchange of information and experiences

during a supporting event of the 31st real,- BERLIN MARATHON 2004. Its success

went well beyond the expectations of the organisers, who put together this

second congress under the patronage...

Tuesday 12 October 2004 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - In Ethiopia, the term

‘domestic Lion’ is often used to refer to the country’s

national soccer team which has a strange tendency to win matches at the

high-altitude of Addis Ababa stadium only to suffer some of football’s

worst defeats outside its borders. But when told that some people label him as

Ethiopian Athletics’ domestic Lion, Sileshi Sihine, who is a devoted

soccer fan, smiles and says, “But I also win outside

Ethiopia!”

2004 World...

Evans Rutto is the man to beat in the marathon. The Kenyan, who had not been

nominated by his federation for the Olympic marathon, won the Chicago Marathon

in a first class time of 2:06:16. By doing so the 26 year-old has now won all

his three marathon races. It was a year ago when Rutto, who is coached together

with a couple of other Kenyans by Uta Pippig’s coach Dieter Hogen, had

won the Chicago Marathon with an unofficial debut world record of 2:05:50. Then

he had won the London Marathon in...

Saturday 9 October 2004 Australian Benita Johnson, the reigning IAAF World

Cross Country champion and South Africa’s Hendrick Ramaala are the star

attractions of Sundays (10 Oct) BUPA Great South Run 10 miles race in

Portsmouth, England, which has attracted a 15,000 entry.

Johnson targets flat, fast course

The 25 year-old Australian races only a fortnight after she destroyed a world

class field to win the Great North Run half marathon in Tyneside,

England.

”Now Im hoping to run reasonably quick...

16th MINI MARATHON of the schools 2004 – The participants and their

families were enthusiastic 8,023 youth from the Berlin and Brandenburg

schools

Germany’s largest school sporting event, the MINI MARATHON of

the schools, is part of the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON.

Big time event

8,023 youth from Berlin and Brandenburg schools, as well as from schools from

other German states - and individual runners who did not register through their

sport teachers - , have made this “side event“ into a big time...

Friday 8 October 2004 Chicago, USA - “I would be really happy if Chicago

could get the World record back,” said Khalid Khannouchi ahead of

Sunday’s 27th running of the LaSalle Banks Chicago Marathon (10 Sep).

“This race is set for fast times.”

World record target

While everyone is touting the match-up between Khannouchi, who has won the

Chicago race four times, and defending champion Evans Rutto of Kenya,

Khannouchi says that there are at least “five or six guys” who

could win the race.

Four...

Shortly after 2 p.m. on MARATHON Sunday, following the successful completion of their 10th BERLIN MARATHON, the new members were initiated into the BERLIN MARATHON Jubilee Club according to tradition at the Brandenburg Gate on the "Platz des 18. März".

Walkers at the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON 2004 – part of the marathon since

1999

Health-oriented walking continues to grow in importance in Germany.

There was a premiere at the 26th BERLIN-MARATHON on September 26, 1999. The

power walkers participated in the BERLIN MARATHON for the first time.

Hartwig Gauder

One man, once a world renowned athlete, got this initiative rolling. Hartwig

Gauder, who was Olympic champion in the 50 km and received a donor heart in

1997, was the front man in Berlin for the...

Paul Kirui won the 24th Bewag BERLIN HALF MARATHON of SCC-RUNNING on

april 4th, 2004 in 60.40.

25th Bewag BERLIN HALBMARATHON on april 3rd, 2005 - Germanys biggest and

fastest HALFMARATHON with 17.046 participants from 63 countries and more than

100.000 spectators watching the runners

Sunday 3 October 2004

hspace="5" vspace="5" />New Delhi - Kenya’s Paul Kirui (see image, Kirui

winning the 24th Bewag BERLIN HALFMARATHON) became the first man ever to win a

World Half Marathon title on Asian soil when he crossed the...

Sunday 3 October 2004 World 10,000 metres bronze-medallist Sun Yingjie cruised

to victory to win the IAAF World Half Marathon title on Sunday morning in New

Delhi.

Sun Yingjie, fittingly on the first occasion the Championship race

has been held on Asian soil

, won in a Chinese national record time of one hour eight minutes and 40

seconds.

Behind the joint pre-race favourite, Kenyas Lydia Cheromei fought back after

struggling midway through the 13.1miles race, to claim the silver medal in a...

Friday 1 October 2004 Monte-Carlo – Athletes from a record number of 64

nations will contest both individual and team honours at the 13th IAAF World

Half Marathon Championships in the Indian capital of New Delhi on Sunday 3

October.

Last year’s team winners in Vilamoura, Portugal were Tanzania (men)

and Russia (women). 2003 was a disappointing year for Kenya the seven times men

and four times women’s team title winners. Their men were surprisingly

outpaced by Tanzania and their women’s ninth...

The late summer sun was shining on Saturday afternoon at around 1 p.m., warming up the guests at the Inline Village between the Reichstag and Brandenburg It was packed full with participants and visitors, who were relaxing with their first beer and numerous other delicious snacks, sharing their skating experiences.

The cooperation with the police ran perfectly, there were no serious medical

emergencies, and Felix Limo thrilled the crowds a second time at the after-race

party

Well prepared

The participants of the 31st real,- BERLIN MARATHON were well prepared.

Of 28,681 runners who started on Sunday, 28,033 reached the

finish. That means a 97.74 % finisher rate. It was even higher for the

inline skaters on Saturday, with a 98.10 % success rate. Of 6,223 skaters,

6,105 reached the finish at the Brandenburg...

Rüdiger Otto, Managing Director SCC-RUNNING

„Results of the athletes show how fast this course really is. Despite

the bad weather we got some excellent times. Though of course fort the fun

runners conditions were perfect. I am proud that everything worked so well.

There is a saying: After the race we are before the race – meaning we

will start preparing for 2005 right now. I especially want to thank Horst

Milde, our Honorary Race Director, for his help.“

Dr. Willi Heepe, Medical Director

„Concer...

Yoko Shibui became the fifth women in history to break the 2:20 barrier in

women’s marathon running. The 25 year-old Japanese won the 31st real,-

BERLIN MARATHON this Sunday in 2:19:41. Shibui not only broke the famous course

record of Naoko Takahashi (Japan), who became the first women to go sub 2:20 in

Berlin in 2001 (2:19:46). She also broke the Japanese record, which was that

time from Takahashi in Berlin as well. Shibui missed the Asian record by

Yingjie Sun (China) by just two seconds.

"right" />In...

Yoko Shibui was philosophical about the incident which may have cost her an

Asian record in the real,-Berlin Marathon Sunday morning.

As she sped through the Brandenburg Gate with just 200 metres to run to the

finish line, an over-zealous official tried to direct her to the channel that

separated the women from the men finishers.. In doing so, he managed to stand

right in her path, so she had to stop and go around him, causing her to lose

momentum. She finished in 2hr 19min 41sec, just two...

Felix Limo, winner mens Marathon (2:06:44)

Were you sure to win the race?

"Yes I was sure. I have begun at 30 km to intensify the speed but my back

hurt again. Therefore I have reserved somethhing for the last two kilometres

only. "

What were the conditions like?

"The conditions were hard. You have to take care in the curves not to step

into puddles. But otherwise it was all right. "

Do you come back to Berlin?

"I hope I can come again and I then would like to break the world record.

Paul Tergat...

The 31st real,- BERLIN MARATHON was once again an exciting world class running

event with outstanding results. Yoko Shibui became the fifth woman in history

to break the 2:20 barrier in women’s marathon running. The 25 year-old

Japanese won the race in 2:19:41. Shibui not only broke the famous course

record of Naoko Takahashi (Japan), who became the first women to go sub 2:20 in

Berlin in 2001 (2:19:46). She also broke the Japanese record, which was that

time from Takahashi in Berlin as well....

Cecilia Baena, Winner from Columbia (1:17:08)

How were your impressions about your first real,- BERLIN-MARATHON?

„I liked it very much. The course is perfect and the audience is

fantastic. Unfortunately it rained before the start, so the streets were wet at

the beginning of the race. “

Do you want to come next year again to the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON?

„It depends on my sponsors and my coaches. It is a nice race and I

really want to come again next year.”

You are just 17 years old, what have you...

1.000.000 Cups 200.000 Skate audience 180.000 Safety pin 120.000 Bananas 90.000

Programs 52.000 Bib numbers 38.500 sponge 38.000 Warming cloaks 16.000 Square

meters Expo 11.000 Breakfast runner 7.500 kg noodles 5.900 volunteers 2.909

Danish people 2.560 kg medals 909 Times the name Thomas 500 L Olive oil 400 L

Massage oil 395 Doctors and First-aid attendant 360 Masseure 333 Times the name

Juergen 300 Physiotherapists 264 Media representatives 215 Times the last name

Mueller 153 Times the name...

Yoko Shibui, Top Marathon runner from Japan

On the question if she is in shape for a time under 2:20 h?

“Yes, I think I can do it. The weather is okay, only the wind should

not blow too much.”

Preparation for the Marathon in Kunming, China (high altitude training

camp)

“I trained very well in China and had quite good results. About times

I don’t want to talk. Also I can not say what mileage I ran there. My

longest training unit was about 40 km but time will be my secret, like I said

before.”...

Felix Limo, Top runner from Kenya

What do you expect to run when the weather will be good?

„I don’t know a time yet. I want to run as fast as I can and do

my best. “

Where and with whom did you have your preparations? „I have trained

back home in Kaptagat near Eldoret, together with my training group, like James

Rotich. The training was very good and both of my coaches (Patrick Sang und

Joseph Chelimo) were happy. I just competed in one race, the half marathon of

Rotterdam (1:03:09). But I had...

Chad Hedrick, Top Inline-Skater (USA)

Why did you changed from inline skating to ice-skating?

„My biggest dream is to compete at the Olympics. Inline skating

isn’t an Olympic event - therefore I had to decide. Changing to speed

skating is very popular and that is why the decision wasn’t that hard. I

have won after less than two years the world-cup for ice-skating in

Norway.”

Who will win on Saturday and what is your tactic like?

„It is hard to say who will win tomorrow. There are a lot of good...

That is the topic of the 2nd INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS FOR ENDURANCE AND SPORT

MEDICINE which will be taking place from September 23-25 in Berlin.

The increasing lack of activity and the growing number of overweight people

with adipositas have far-reaching consequences for individual health and for

the health system as a whole. At the same time, numerous international studies

show that exercise can serve as a primary preventive measure or ancillary

therapy for almost all illnesses. In light of this...

Sunday’s real,- BERLIN-MARATHON favourite, Yoko Shibui believes it will

take five years to get close to Paula Radcliffe’s world record. Shibui,

who ran her own best when finishing third behind Radcliffe’s previous

world record in Chicago 2002 is in Berlin with another target – the

course record, also the first women’s sub 2hr 20min that her colleague,

Sydney Olympic winner, Naoko Takahashi ran here in 2001.

Radcliffe’s record of 2.15.25, set in London 2002 is just about the

only thing that the...

Christian Wiesenhütter (vice-president IHK)

„The economy power from real,- BERLIN MARATHON is enormous. The amount

of the overall sales volume for Berlin is about 35 million €. There are

increasing numbers of participants not only from northern Europe but also from

the new EU countries in Middle East Europe. This year the chamber of industry

and commerce (IHK) has also some runners and we are looking forward to good

cooperation with SCC-RUNNING and the 2nd International congress for endurance...

“There is a green light for the marathon“, says the new race director of the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON. In other words: Everything is ready for the most spectacular German street race this coming weekend. Mark Milde, who is heading the event in that function for the first time after taking over the position from his father Horst this past March, is optimistically looking forward to the race.

The real,- BERLIN MARATHON belongs to the most spectacular and

top-notch street races in the world. Together with New York, London and

Chicago, Berlin is also one of the largest marathon races in the world. And the

real,- BERLIN MARATHON will defend its position this year as well.

Despite the proximity to the Olympic marathon in Athens, on September 26

there will be an excellent field starting in Berlin in front of millions of

spectators. Leading this field will be Felix Limo and several of his...

The party in Goldrausch last year was, so to speak, for insiders only. This

year for the first time there will be an official After-Skate Party of the

real,- BERLIN MARATHON for Inline Skaters. A spectacular location has been

found in the not yet opened subway station “Reichstag“. The cold

dark rooms are currently being transformed into a unique and atmospheric party

zone. You can expect an unusual and fun evening. The party starts at 9

p.m.—entrance is free for all marathon participants, for...

The Japanese star runner Yoko Shibui, who posts a best time of 2:21:22 (2002 in

Chicago) and is the 10th fastest female marathon runner of all time, is taking

her preparation for the 31st real,- BERLIN MARATHON next Sunday very seriously.

The favourite for the great marathon classic across Berlin arrived in Berlin on

Saturday at the Tegel airport. Her machine from Japan via Frankfurt landed at

8:45 p.m. in Berlin.

Mark Milde and his Japanese favourites

Race Director Mark Milde, who is...

Rüdiger Otto, Managing Director of SCC-RUNNING

Rüdiger Otto expects for the coming real,- BERLIN MARATHON an

‘outstanding and spectacular race’, like the years before.

“The starting signal at the real,- BERLIN MARATHON will be given by

Manfred von Richthofen along with the ‚golden’ women’s

hockey-team from the Olympics. In hopefully good weather the real,- BERLIN

MARATHON will stand beside New York, Chicago, and London in the forefront of

the world.”

Annika Schramm, Spokesperson real,- (main...

Next Sunday’s real,- BERLIN MARATHON will mark the start of a series of

high class autumn marathon races. Two weeks later the LaSalle Bank Chicago

Marathon (10th October) will follow. And on 7th November the New York City

Marathon will be started. These three races traditionally form the highlights

of the autumn races.

Berlin and Chicago

Concerning the results of the elite runners in recent years Berlin and Chicago

were in the centre of the focus. Looking back for a couple of years no other...

The spectator who helped rescue Vanderlei de Lima from an attacker as he led

the Olympic Games marathon last month is to be invited to Brazil to meet the

athlete and receive a special tribute. Lima was able to continue the race and

won a bronze medal.

The tradition - The “Cult Run”- one week beforehand One week before

the 31st real,- BERLIN MARATHON, on Sunday, September 19, 2004, the traditional

“Cult Run” and remembrance run will be jogged on the original

marathon course from 1974, parallel to the Avus highway! The start is at 9 a.m.

at the same spot where it was started in 1974 at Waldschulallee 80 in

Charlottenburg near Mommsen Stadium. Horst Milde, who called the BERLIN

MARATHON into life 30 years ago, will sound the starting shot as is...

On the loneliness of the long distance runner — that is

the motto of two readings on running which will take place as part of this

year’s 31st real,- BERLIN MARATHON, which for the first time will take

place in cooperation with the 4th international literature festival

berlin (ilb).

The slogan is at the same time a reference to Alan Sillitoe

(London), who became famous around the world with his short story

“The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner“,

published in 1959. Since then the (supposed)...

Tonique Williams-Darling and Christian Olsson cruised to half shares of a

Jackpot of one million dollars in ISTAF Berlin, the final of the TDK Golden

League 2004, in front of 61,155 spectators in the ‘blue wonder’,

the German capital’s newly renovated 1936 Olympic stadium.

Christian Olsson was the first of the Jackpot pair to succeed in the task of

accomplishing six straight wins in the TDK Golden League 2004, which was the

requirement for at least a share of the prize.

For the first time, the finals of the World Inline Cup (WIC) will take place

within the framework of the real,- BERLIN MARATHON for inline skaters. The

skaters’ race, which will start at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 25 on

the boulevard Straße des 17. Juni, will be staging top athletes once

again. The most important competition of the year, the 8th race of the WIC

series, is being awaited with great expectation. The real,- BERLIN MARATHON,

with about 8,000 inline skaters, is by far the largest...

The following is a release of the already published report on "The

State of the Sport - July 2004". This article was originally published in

"USATF Road Running Information Center", a subdivision of the US

Track & Field Federation.

With explicit permission from Ryan Lamppa (Running USA Media Director),

the real,- BERLIN MARATHON has been allowed to re-publish this article. The

collection of data, facts, findings, and perspectives is exemplary for runners,

running organisations, as well as for...

In each of the segments of our two 11-part series on the XXVIII Olympic Games

in Athens we dealt with the favourites for the running races starting at 800 m

for both the men and the women, as well as looked at the 104 years of Olympic

history since 1896 in Athens, with a special look at the participation and

successes of the German athletes.

How the favourites can turn into a heap of despair –

was demonstrated by the women’s marathon with Paula Radcliffe. The

Olympics are simply different—once...

The will be an extraordinarily strong elite field at the start of the real,-

BERLIN MARATHON on September 26. Among the 35,000 runners there will be three

Kenyans with world-class best times of under 2:07 hours. This will be the first

time in the history of the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON, which last year produced the

standing world record through the 2:04:55 finish by Paul Tergat (Kenya), that

there will be such a cluster of top athletes of that level of excellence.

“We are pleased to be able to...

Thursday 2 September 2004

Brazilian marathon runner Vanderlei da Lima arrived back in his homeland to an

ovation fit for an Olympic champion yesterday.

Da Lima won the Olympic bronze medal in Athens behind Italian victor Stefano

Baldini but was leading the race with a lead of nearly 30 seconds when he was

rugby tackled by a defrocked Catholic priest.

Though he had been gradually running slower, the incident cost him at least

15 seconds and he was clearly distressed by what happened, and was...

We are publishing this notice in English as well, even though it is

directed at the “local“ runners in Berlin, in order to let everyone

know that this running service is offered at the real,- BERLIN MARATHON.

Interested runners of all nationalities can take advantage of this opportunity

to to help them achieve their desired times!

In the past few years the organisers of the real,- BERLIN MARATHON have

sought out experienced marathon runners to help the “less

experienced“ runners and beginners to...

The real,- BERLIN-MARATHON will offer a wide variety of live information along

with the inline skating and running events on their website

www.berlin-marathon.com. On the days before, during an after the marathon

weekend, the Berlin internet server will likely record over a million

pages visited. The internet preparation for the 2-day event has

already been going on for many weeks.

Alone on Sunday afternoon, several hundred thousand internet pages will be

visited. Most important for those...

On the last day of athletic events inside the Olympic Stadion in Athens

spectators witnessed three great running events. On Sunday the men’s

marathon will be the final event of the games.

Before he had come to Athens Hicham El Guerrouj had been an athlete who was

extremely unlucky at the Olympics. But on the eve of the closing day the

Moroccan managed an historic double which only Paavo Nurmi had achieved before.

Back in 1924 the Finish legend had become Olympic Champion at 1.500 and 5.000...

The very last event of the Olympic Games in Athens ended with a major surprise.

Italian Stefano Baldini won the marathon in a time of 2:10:55. But the event

had seen a major upset. At 36 k a spectator ran onto the road and stopped the

leading runner Vanderlei Lima. After a short break the Brazilian was able to

continue the race and won a bronze medal in 2:12:11. Another surprise was

US-runner Mebrahtom Keflezighi who finished second in 2:11:29. If Lima had not

been stopped he would most probably...

Four years before the Olympics will be held in Beijing Huina Xing sensationally

won the Olympic 10,000 m gold in Athens. In a strong finish the Chinese left

behind her all three Ethiopians. Before the finish the drama about Paula

Radcliffe had continued. Just five days after she had dropped out of the

marathon at 36 k she started in the 10,000 m final. But again the best ever

British long distance female runner was not able to finish the race. The world

record holder at the marathon and European...

While it seems possible that Paula Radcliffe will run in Friday’s 10,000

m final just five days after dropping out of the marathon another Briton could

be on her way to a second gold medal. Three days after winning the 800 metres

Kelly Holmes qualified for the 1,500 m final. She saved some energy during the

semi final and concentrated on the finish. While Russian Natalya Jevdokimova

won the race in a time of 4.04,66 minutes Holmes came in second (4:04,77).

“Until now I have not thought about a...

108 years ago Spiridon Louis became a national hero in Greek by winning the

marathon in the Olympic Games. A lot of stories were written about his race

from Marathon to Athens which then covered a distance of 40 kilometres. Since

the 1908 Olympics in London the distance is 42,195 k. This Sunday’s

men’s Olympic marathon will be run on a similar course as 108 years ago,

starting in Marathon and finishing in the classic Panathinaiko Stadium.

In the last few weeks a couple of more anecdotes were...

There will be a tremendous showdown in Sunday’s 5,000 m final. The

Olympic Champion at 1,500 metres Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco) will battle it

out with 10,000 m champion Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) and Eliud Kipchoge

(Kenya), who won the 5,000 m in the World Championships last year. Kenyans John

Kibowen and Abraham Chebii, who had beaten Bekele and Gebrselassie in last

year’s season, are additional runners to be watched. The Ethiopians will

be in this final with three athletes as well.

„After...

Deena Drossin, who ran to a sensational bronze medal in the Olympic Marathon,

explained what happened after her triumph during a press conference in Athens.

“I went to a small village with my family – I have no idea where I

was, sorry I can not tell you. We went to a very nice restaurant to celebrate

my medal and had a great Greek dinner. When I entered the restaurant I got

standing ovations”, Deena Drossin recalled. She had won the first US

marathon medal in the Olympics since Joan Benoit’s...

The number one middle distance runner of the past century has finally won an

Olympic gold medal. After a fascinating battle against Bernard Lagat on the

home straight Hicham El Guerrouj won the Olympic 1,500 m final. When there were

just 50 metres to go it seemed as if Kenya’s Bernard Lagat would snatch

the gold. But on the very last few metres El Guerrouj was able to turn things

round again. He won with a time of 3:34,18 and had an advantage of just twelve

hundredth of a second. Behind Lagat...

What was probably the most dramatic women’s marathon in the Olympic

history ended with another Japanese triumph. Four years after Naoko Takahashi

became a national hero by winning the event at the Sydney Olympics Japan got a

new sports star: Mizuki Noguchi won the Olympic gold medal. She covered the

classic distance of 42.195 k in 2:26:20. The finish was in Panathinaiko Stadium

– the same arena where Spiridon Louis had won the first Olympic marathon

108 years earlier. World champion Catherina...

The marathon medals and certificates at the real,-

BERLIN-MARATHON

Whether or not Paul Tergat, Kenya’s marathon world record holder, wins

a medal on August 29th at the Olympic marathon in Athens, there will be plenty

of medals dedicated to him on September 26, 2004 in Berlin. 35,000 medals will

be waiting at the finish, showing his portrait and reminding us of his world

record of 2:04:55 from the previous year.

Monday 23 August 2004

Athens, Greece - Practice, they say, makes perfect. The meticulous planning and

practice over the past year by Japans Mizuki Noguchi certainly helped towards

the perfect moment when she crossed the finishing line in the Panathinaiko

Stadium at the end of probably the most gruelling women’s Olympic

Marathon.

Japanese preparation was perfect

Noguchi’s 2:26:20 not only broke the existing course record by five

minutes, but it also broke the resolve of all her rivals, including...

Maria Mutola has booked a place in Monday’s 800 metre final. The athlete

from Mozambique could achieve a unique double. Never before in Olympic history

has a woman won the 800 metres at two Olympic Games. Mutola is the reigning

champion and look strong again, after she had injury problems during the season

that hampered her. She was in control of her semi final, winning in 1:59,30

minutes.

Moroccan Hasna Benhassi also looked strong. She won her semi final in

1:58,59 minutes, beating Jolanda...

Kenenisa Bekele is the new Olympic 10.000 m Champion. Once again the Ethiopian

became the successor of his big idol: Haile Gebrselassie. With a breathtaking

last lap of less than 54 seconds Bekele stormed to the gold medal.

The 10,000 m World Champion and world record holder broke the

Olympic record clocking 27:05,10 minutes.

Gebrselassie had been the holder of the record until Friday night with 27:07,34

from Atlanta 1996. Sileshi Sihine (Ethiopia/27:09,39) won the silver medal and

Zersenay...

THE SITUATION

The fastest marathon runner of all times will be the big favourite in

Athens: Paul Tergat. The Kenyan achieved a dream time in last year’s

real,- BERLIN MARATHON:

He won in a new world record of 2:04:55 and became the first marathoner

to break 2:05. But in an Olympic marathon race everything is possible.

Especially if you take into account the extreme conditions. It will be very hot

when the race will start at 6 pm. Additionally the profile of the course is

hilly.

One of Tergat’s...

Any distance runner would like to set a record, thats only natural. But how do

you do it, since Bekele, Gebrselassie and Tergat dominate the scene? A former

marathon runner of international calibre found the answer. You find a world

record that no-one in Addis Ababa or Kenyas Ngong Hills would be so mad as to

try to waste time doing.

Thats how Geoff Wightman from Britain, possessor of an admirable

personal best for the marathon of 2:13:17 and a participant in the 1990

European Championships in...

Today, Friday, August 13th, the Olympic Games are beginning in Athens.

The women’s marathon will take place on Sunday, August 22nd and the

men’s marathon will be on August 29th.

The classical course from Marathon to Athens has already been presented here

at:

www.real-berlin-marathon.com/news/show/002280

(only in german language)

The favourites for the women’s marathon have also been

presented:

www.real-berlin-marathon.com/world/E/news/show/002272

All that is left is the...

"5" />Only a few weeks to come: On September, 11th 2004 four thousand runners

from more than 40 nations all over the world will run the largest mountain race

in the world. The Jungfrau-Marathon takes place in the heart of the Swiss

Alps.

The race course - rated as the most beautiful marathon course in the world -

starts in Interlaken and finishes after 26.2 miles and 6033 feet difference in

altitude on Kleine Scheidegg at the spectacular base of the world-famous Eiger,

Mönch and Jungfrau peaks.

The real,- BERLIN MARATHON announces the first spectacular commitment for the

race on September 26th. Felix Limo will start on the course that is known for

its speed.

Excellent time of 2:06:14

The Kenyan leads the world rankings for 2004 with the excellent time of

2:06:14, which with certainty will not be beaten before the real,- BERLIN

MARATHON. His best time already makes him the 6th fastest marathon runner

ever.

“We are happy that we have been able to commit such a top athlete for

the real,-...

by Robert Hartmann

Turkey loses a false hero with the doping discovery of the runner

Süreyya Ayhan – Felix Sanchez has stopped panting The sport-crazed

nation Turkey is stuck with a false hero, and just three days after the

discovery of her deception it is clear that her fall is like that from a

skyscraper.

Süreyya Ayhan was banned immediately from competition after she

attempted to deceive the anti-doping world agency WADA with a manipulated urine

sample. Over the past few years the 26-year-old...

Tuesday 10 August 2004 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - The Ethiopian Athletics

Federation (EAF) have confirmed a final squad of twenty-seven athletes for

Athens Olympics.

Tulu returns for last Olympic stint

The highlight of the selections sees two-time Olympic and one-time World

10,000m champion Derartu Tulu make a record-equalling fourth appearance in the

history of the Games, an Ethiopian achievement that she will share with 1968

Mexico Olympics Marathon Gold medallist Mamo Wolde.

Tulu, the Sydney...

THE SITUATION:

She has always set a standard for others to follow. Her first international

success was in 1992, when she beat Chinas Wang Junxia on a snowy Boston Common

to win the junior title at the World Cross-Country Championships in the USA.

The following year it was Wang who was making headlines as she and the other

Chinese women under the tutelage of the controversial coach Ma Junren set world

records and took gold medals at the World Championships in Stuttgart.

"right" />In contrast to the Chinese...

Three world season leading performances and another 2004 best equalled were the

statistical highs, though the drama of a two man 3:27 duel in the 1500m, which

accounted for one of those top marks, was the pinnacle of the Weltklasse Zurich

2004 – TDK Golden League – meeting in the Letzigrund Stadium

tonight. At the end Hicham El Guerrouj was beaten by Bernard Lagat.

Five contenders for the TDK Golden League Jackpot began this meeting but

with the surprising defeat of Virgiljius Alekna in the...

The Berlin sport scientist, Prof. Dr. Gudrun Doll-Tepper, was today re-elected

as leader of the worlds largest sport and sport science organisation.

The election took place this morning during the General Assembly of the

International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE) in

Thessaloniki, Greece. This result ensures that one of the few headquarters of

international sport and sport science organisations will remain in Berlin for

the next 4 years.

"I am very pleased with the...

The 31st real,- BERLIN MARATHON on September 26th is booked out for runners.

Now that the limit of 35,000 athletes has been reached, SCC RUNNING will not be

accepting any more registrations for the running spectacle. The real,- BERLIN

MARATHON will start at 9 a.m. on September 26th on the boulevard Straße

des 17. Juni and will end as it did last year in the area around the

Brandenburg Gate.

For inlineskaters are sufficient starting spots still availabe,

however

For the inline skaters, who for...

The Perfect Distance: Ovett and Coe - The Record Breaking Rivalry

This new book carries the Book Description fully authorised, inside story

of Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coes intense rivalry on the track, which climaxed

at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe presided over the golden era of British

athletics. Between them they won three Olympic gold medals, two silvers, one

bronze, and broke a total of twelve middle-distance records. They were part of

the landscape...

THE SITUATION:

The steeplechase is African property, certainly it belongs to the Kenyans

above all, since one of their runners has been first across the line in the

last five Olympic Games. There’s been the same dominance at World

Championships but what extraordinary scenes there were last year in the Stade

de France in Paris!

"5" />Ezekiel Kemboi was beaten by Saif Saeed Shaheen, running in the colours

of Qatar after the strangest race in the history of the World Championships.

Yet both men come from...

In fourteen days the Olympic Games will be opening in Athens. Each week we have

been and will continue introducing one of the eleven running disciplines, as

well as naming the favourites for the Olympic gold medals.

This series, however, is on the history of Olympic running—about the

past, rich in medals, of the German track and field athletes from both East

(GDR) and West (FRG). While in the past, German track and field athletes have

been very successful at the Olympic Games, following the...

Almost 8000 participants at the traditional City Night by SCC RUNNING –

just one of many records on this July 31st evening.

771 inline skaters at night

771 enthusiastic skaters meant a new record number of participants, which

was honoured by the applause of a record number of spectators (55,000) along

the Berlin course.

The starting shot was heard at 7:30 p.m. sharp. From the beginning, the team

racers from VERO, Salomon, Zepto and FILA put on pressure to form a good

rolling leading group as...

Paul Kigen and Monika Drybulska win the 10k on the Kurfürstendamm

boulevard

A NEW RECORD NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS AND

SPECTATORS

There was a great atmosphere at the 13th edition of the Bewag Berlin

City Night on Saturday evening on the Kurfürstendamm. At the

largest street race of this kind in Germany, the organiser SCC RUNNING

registered a new record number of participants and spectators: with 7,924

runners, inline skaters, walkers, and wheelchair athletes, last year’s

record (7,094) was broken...

Friday 30 July 2004 London - When you’ve won as much, and done as much,

as Haile Gebrselassie, it must be the most daunting of prospects to know, at

31, that you still have the greatest challenge of your athletics life ahead of

you. But that’s what faces the legend from Ethiopia as he prepares to

defend his Olympic 10,000m title in Athens in three weeks time.

“There is no question it would be my greatest

achievement,” said Gebrselassie, speaking in London as he

prepares to race over 5000m at the...

THE SITUATION:

„You can not control the whole world for ever“, Haile

Gebrselassie once said. The Ethiopian 10,000 m runner will come to

Athens to defend his Olympic title. He aims to win this event for a third time

in a row, which would be an unique achievement in the history of the Olympic

Games. But Haile Gebrselassie knows that it will be a tough task to win gold

again. After dominating long distance running on the track for almost ten years

there is a different runner who will be the...

All five TDK Golden League Jackpot contenders won through, and three world

season leads were established in front of a 63,851 crowd at tonight’s

Meeting Gaz de France Paris Saint-Denis, in the Stade de France.

The third TDK Golden League meeting of the year started with five Jackpot

contenders and also ended that way, as Cloete (w HJ), Williams-Darling (w

400m), Sanchez (400mH), Olsson (TJ) and Alekna (DT), all won.

On the track the meeting got underway with consecutive victories for two of...

The win streaks of two of the world’s greatest athletes came to a close

this evening, as quadruple World 1500m champion Hicham El Guerrouj, and Ana

Guevara, the women’s World 400m gold medallist were dealt crushing

defeats at the MGK-Vis Golden Gala, in the Italian capital’s Olympic

stadium.

Five still in the hunt Continuing the hunt for the $1

million TDK Golden League Jackpot tonight were seven of the 12 Bergen meet

winners, and of these five were successful - Tonique Williams-Darling (400m)...

Dear BERLIN MARATHON Jubilee Club members,

We are pleased to send you the newest edition of Running News with

information on everything that is going on with respect to running and the

BERLIN MARATHON.

In our last letter we were a little too brief in informing you about the

changes going on within our organisational structures of leadership.

As you probably know by now, after 30 years heading the BERLIN MARATHON and

40 years organising races (the first cross country race was on November 8,

1964)...

The Berlin Olympic Stadium is shining with a new brilliance. On July 31 and

August 1, 2004, this historical sporting venue will be presented to the public

following four years of top-to-bottom renovation. “We are putting on the

Berlin party of the year”, promised Winfrid Schwank, who became the

director of the Stadionbetreibergesellschaft Olympiastadion GmbH (Olympic

Stadium Management Company) in February 2004.

Football World Championships 2006 with the Finals

In the future, there will be room...

THE SITUATION

Perhaps it is possible to ripen more than once in a sporting lifetime. After

her triumph in the 2003 World Championships in Paris, Berhane Adere is the

clear favourite for the Olympic title, since there is every indication that

Britains Paula Radcliffe will prefer the marathon to the track in Athens.

It is difficult in that case to set other rivals on the same level as Adere,

especially after recalling that magical 30 minutes or so in the Stade de

France. Her compatriot Derartu...

After its successful premiere in 2002, the 2nd INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS

FOR ENDURANCE AND SPORT MEDICINE will take place in cooperation with

the 31st real,- BERLIN MARATHON from September 23-25, 2004.

The focus this year will be:

New demands on medicine: The athlete — a special

patient

Immobility on the one hand, with its health and socio-political

consequences, and sport on the other, which assists one’s individual

fitness, represent the current trends in Germany, as well as a challenge for...

THE SITUATION:

The strongest athlete at 5,000 metres does perhaps not run the distance in

Athens. It was at the beginning of the season when Ethiopias Kenenisa Bekele

broke the world record in Hengelo clocking 12:37,35 minutes. But it had long

been obvious that he will focus on the 10,000 metres during the Olympics. It

seems unlikely at present that Bekele might go for the double.

Two others who were running extraordinary strong at the distance will

probably also not be running the 5,000 metres....

AIMS (Association of International Marathon and Road Races) and the IAAF

(International Association of Athletics Federations) publish the races

organised by its members three times a year in the publication “Distance

Running”. The race events until August 2005 are listed in the most recent

release for May/August 2004 (with a circulation of 400,000).

AIMS represents 172 races from 62 countries from all around the

world.

"5" />Throughout the 82 pages, the greatest races in the world advertise for

their...

The worlds oldest competitive runner, Phillip Rabinowitz of South Africa,

became the fastest 100-year-old 100m runner in the world on Saturday, for the

second time in a week - but this time it is official. Rabinowitz succeeded in

breaking the world best last Sunday, but his feat could not be officially

recorded after a power failure prevented the timer from working.

So he simply decided to try again on Saturday in Cape Town.

"Im ecstatic. He did it. He broke the world record (best) and he broke...

We continue our short series of interviews and mini-features focused on some of

the new names who have made such a dramatic impact on our sport this summer. We

began with Bahrain’s Rashid Ramzi but now we profile the American miler

Alan Webb who the pundits are beginning to label with the same qualities as

American running greats such as Jim Ryun and Steve Prefontaine. Revival of Webb

in the Mile

Reston, Virginia, USA - It took 3:53.42 for Alan Webb to be christened as

the next greatest American...

Three silver medals and one bronze medal for Germany’s women

runners – but the successful series ended in 1988

In seven weeks the Olympic Games in Athens will begin. Each week until then

we will present one of the eleven running disciplines plus one of the hopefuls

for Olympic gold. This new series, however, will look at the past – a

record crowned by many medals for German athletes from both East (GDR) and West

(FRG) Germany. Whilst the in the past German track and fields athletes were

very...

Space is getting limited for the 31st real,- BERLIN- MARATHON on September

25-26, 2004. About 3 months before the event, only 1,500 more runners will be

able to register before the 35,000 limit is reached.

"We are pleased that after the anniversary year that the real,-

BERLIN-MARATHON is still so popular and is an athletic highlight of the year

for many runners", said Race Director Mark Milde.

After last years experieces, this means that within a few weeks the the

real,- BERLIN-MARATHON will be...

After an absence of 68 years, the Olympic flame finally returned to Berlin,

scene of the 1936 Olympic Games. It moved everyone in the truest sense of the

word: the runners permitted to bear the torch, their families and the

spectators who shared in this demonstration of peaceful international sporting

friendship in the run-up to the 28th Summer Olympics in Athens (13–29

August).

align="right" />Many of the relay runners were seasoned Olympic medal winners.

As cool-headed as they may have been beforehand, even...

THE SITUATION:

Besides the 1,500 metres there is another chance for Turkish glory in Athens

in the 5,000. No one would have expected that a couple of years ago. Since she

broke the 5,000 metres world record at the Golden League meeting in Bergen

(14:24,68 minutes) Elvan Abeylegesse is a favourite for Olympic gold. She is

the first ever Turkis world record holder in athletics. Her coach, Ertan

Hatipoglu, compares her with a car: “She has good tyres and a fine and

motor like a sports car.“ He...

Rome, Italy – The win streaks of two of the world’s greatest

athletes came to a close this evening, as quadruple World 1500m champion Hicham

El Guerrouj, and Ana Guevara, the women’s World 400m gold medallist were

dealt crushing defeats at the MGK-Vis Golden Gala, in the Italian

capital’s Olympic stadium.

Five still in the hunt

Continuing the hunt for the $1 million TDK Golden League Jackpot tonight

were seven of the 12 Bergen meet winners, and of these five were successful -

Tonique...

Rome, Italy - Among the numerous stars who will take part in the MGK-Vis Golden

Gala (2 July), the second leg of the TDK Golden League 2004, Hicham El Guerrouj

is probably the one most familiar to the Italian capital.

Famously the 29-year-old Moroccan set two outstanding World records on the

track of the Olympic Stadium in Rome, the 1500m best mark in 1998 and one year

later the fastest ever time in the Mile.

Since then El Guerrouj has won a further three World 1500m titles - in

addition to the...

Monaco - With the deadline for receiving the final bids to host the 2009

edition of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics expiring at midnight on 29

June, the IAAF can now confirm that this edition of the IAAF’s most

important competition will take place in Europe.

When IAAF Council meets in Helsinki on 4-5 December this year they will

consider presentations from Berlin (GER), Brussels (BEL), Valencia (ESP) and

Split (CRO) before selecting one winner.

Originally, when the IAAF sought letters...

In less than two months, the Olympic Games will be opening in Athens. Each week

until then we will be introducing one of the eleven running disciplines, as

well as naming the favourites for the Olympic gold medals.

This series, however, is on the history of Olympic running—about the

past, rich in medals, of the German track and field athletes from both East

(GDR) and West (FRG).

While in the past German track and field has been very successful at the

Olympic Games, following the results of the...

The Olympic Flame that was lit on March 25, 2004 according to tradition in a

grove in antique Olympia and since June 4 has been on a 78,000 kilometre

journey around the world, the first time in the Olympic history, is coming to

Munich (June 29) and Berlin (June 30).

The Olympic Torch Relay was introduced to the Olympic Games for the

first time in Berlin in 1936. The idea and initiative go back to Dr.

Carl Diem, the General Secretary of the Organisation Committee.

Then, a total of 3,075 runners...

THE SITUATION:

This race for gold could well be very close. In contrast to the 800 metres

there is no big favourite in the 1500 women’s. A year ago one would

probably have tended to say that Süreyya Ayhan would be the number one

favourite. But then the Turkish runner, who had surprisingly won the European

Championship in 2002, lost the World Championships final to Tatiana Tomasova of

Russia.

This time Russia will again have potential winners in the race. But it could

also happen that Süreyya...

Alger, Algeria - Even in the absence of Algeria’s premier champions

Djabir Said Guerni (2003 World 800m) and Nouria Merah-Benida (2000 Olympic

women’s 1500m), the international meeting here still produced some

exceptional delights including a remarkable world season’s lead and

several national records (24 June).

In the presence of the President of the African Athletics Confederation (AAC

– CAA) Ahmed Malboum Kalkaba of the Cameroon, 163 athletes representing

25 countries put on a flamboyant show...

Sunday 20 June 2004 Bydgoszcz, Poland - The Russian women ran away with the

womens team crown at the 25th edition of the SPAR European Cup competition

which concluded today. Ed Gordon reports -

Russia romps home There was no way to stop the Russian womens juggernaut as

they amassed 142 points in taking their eighth team crown. Far behind them was

a relatively close battle for second, won by Ukraine (97) over France (92.5)

and Germany (92).

Paula Radcliffe powers to 14:29.11 5000m - European

Cup
...

He has all the natural talent needed to win an Olympic gold medal but it comes

down to tactics. Yuri Borzakovskiy has already shown impressive form in this

Olympic season: having been beaten by Wilfred Bungei, the 2001 World

Championship silver medallist, who ran a world best for 2004 in Seville, the

23-year-old Russian took revenge on the Kenyan in the opening meeting of the

Golden League in Bergen in Norway.

"right" />But the 64,000 dollar question remains the same as before in his

brief career. Does he...

(19 June 2004) - Nairobi, Kenya – With the exception of the men’s

10,000m there were no upsets recorded on the final day of the Kenyan national

championships at the Moi International Sports Centre in the outskirts of the

capital, today. Also, most Athens Olympics qualifying standards once again

proved unreachable despite ideal weather conditions.

Kamathi - more to come at the Olympic trials

2001 World 10,000 metres champion Charles Kamathi won the 5000 metres finals

with a combined display of...

Friday 18 June 2004 Nairobi, Kenya - Selina Kosgei demonstrated that she is

reaching great form and is looking forward to next weekends Olympic trials,

after winning the women’s 10,000 metres title at the Kenyan Championships

in commanding style today.

Kosgei, the reigning Commnwealth Games champion over the distance, clocked

32:49.0 following a thrilling finishing kick which she began 200m out from

home. At that moment she was sandwiched between second placed Irene Kwambai and

World Marathon...

The situation at 1,500 m

Normally there is only one big favourite at 1,500 metres: Hicham El

Guerrouj. For years the Moroccan has dominated middle distances from 1,500

metres. Additionally he has shown his enormous potential at 5,000 metres. At

the world championships in Paris 2003 he had won the 1,500 metre title for the

fourth time in a row. But the 29 year-old has never been Olympic Champion.

"right" />No one could yet get anywhere near to El Guerrouj’s 1,500 m

world record of 3:26,00 minutes from...

Sunday 13 June 2004

Deena Kastor set a course record of 31:44 seconds in winning the Circle of

Friends Mini 10 kilometres road race in New York (yesterday).

Kastor (nee Drossin), USA Marathon record holder (2:21:16) who is building

up to her bid for the Olympic crown this summer, went into the lead just after

the first mile and held on to secure an impressive victory in one of the

strongest domestic fields ever assembled.

She finished 54 seconds ahead of Kate ONeill, with her Athens Olympic...

Friday 11 June 2004 Bergen, Norway – Turkey’s Elvan Abeylegesse

tonight took apart the women’s 5000m World record, which had belonged to

the little known Chinese Jiang Bo since 1997 (14:28.09), improving the mark by

over three seconds to 14:24.68 at the Evergood Bergen Bislett Games.

After a solid two days of heavy rain in Bergen, the sun shone on

Norway’s second city, golden rays which were more than matched by the

sparkling competition at this the opening meeting of the TDK Golden League

2004....

Two years after the surprising triumph of Süreyya Ayhan at the 1,500 m

finals of the European Championships Turkey has another athletics hero: Elvan

Abeylegesse. The 21 year-old runner originally comes from Ethiopia. In the

first meeting of the TDK Golden League she broke the 5,000 m world record in

Bergen on Friday night. After setting the pace herself for more than half of

the race she ran 14:24,68 minutes in front of an ecstatic crowd of 15,000 in

the packed Frana Stadium.

Elvan Abeylegesse...

Thursday 10 June 2004 Bergen, Norway – The second largest city in Norway

after the capital Oslo, Bergen with a population of 230,000, will welcome the

Evergood Bergen Bislett Games, the opening meet of the TDK Golden League 2004

on Friday (11 June) in the newly refurbished Fana stadium.

International flavour

Founded in the 11th century, Bergen in the 13th century was the capital of

Norway and was one of the world’s major ports in the Middle Ages, being

part of the Baltic’s Hanseatic trading...

Dr. David E. Martin PHD - (College of Health Sciences, Georgia State

University, Atlanta/USA) -

AIMS Board of Directors -

Lecture: Royal Society of Medicin, London, April 2004

Dr. Dave Martin is an exercise physiologist and has as well a great interest

in sports history and athletic performances. He ais chairman of sports science

for USA Track and Field, and a Fellow in the American College of Sports

Medicine, and a member of both the Association of Track and Field Statisticians

and the...

Tuesday 8 June 2004 Ostrava, Czech Republic - For the second time in as many

weeks, Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) shattered yet another distance World record to

highlight another brilliant edition of the Golden Spike Super Grand Prix in

Ostrava this evening.

The spectacular performance of Stacy Dragila (USA), who jumped the best ever

outdoor womens Pole Vault mark (4.83m), was the focus of the infield

competitions.

Largely solo effort brings Bekele reward

Just eight days after his sterling 12:37.35...

In

1998, the IAAF created the IAAF Golden League, which was developed as a concept

to unify the elite individual Meetings held in Europe.

The TDK Golden League, comprising seven Meetings rich in athletics

tradition, will be held at the height of the athletics season. For competing

athletes, the concept is simple: win your TDK Golden League discipline at each

TDK Golden League Meeting for a share of the TDK Golden League Jackpot of 50

kilos of gold ingots.

The real,- BERLIN-MARATHON once again...

Resting near the borders with Poland and Slovakia, the Czech city of Ostrava is

an eastern European crossroads, a setting suited perfectly for a meeting in

which many athletes’ roads will cross for the first time this season at

tomorrows IAAF Super Grand Prix meeting (8 June).

Indeed, with numerous notable seasonal debuts, the road to Athens begins in

earnest on Tuesday as the athletics world converges at the Golden Spike Super

Grand Prix. With a one million euro budget and a prize pot of more...

Tuesday 8 June 2004 Monte Carlo, Monaco - Kenenisa Bekele is the first ever

IAAF World Rankings Performer of the Month after his record run in Hengelo.

This new feature of the IAAF World Rankings starts this month and will

honour the best athletes in various categories. At the end of each month a male

and a female athlete will be chosen based on their Performance Scores, and the

athlete with the highest Performance Score will be the “Top Performer of

the Month”. Also, best performances will be...

There are already 35,000 participants registered for the 31st real,- BERLIN

MARATHON. This number includes over 30,000 runners and almost 5,000 inline

skaters. Germany’s most spectacular road race will take place on

September 25 and 26. Skaters and runners can still register until June 11th at

a discounted rate. Up until then, the registration fee for runners is 70 Euros

and for skaters 50 Euros – after June 11 the fees will go up by 20 Euros

until the registration is closed (August 6 for the...

In ten weeks time the Olympic Games in Athens will begin. In the coming weeks

all of the eleven running events will be presented here plus a favourite for

the Olympic Gold. This series starts with the 800 m women today and will end

with the men’s marathon at the start of the Olympic Games.

SITUATION AT 800 M WOMEN

There were no women’s events at the Olympic Games in Athens back in

1896. The first time women were allowed to compete was in 1928. And it was

already then when the 800 m were run....

Two weeks ago the 21st AVON Running Berlin Women’s Run took place in the

Tiergarten Park with 11,142 girls and women participating (running, jogging,

walking, and Nordic walking)—and training for the 22nd Women’s Run

in 2005 has already begun.

Every Saturday at 5 pm interested girls and women can jog through the

Tiergarten Park with the experienced running experts from SCC RUNNING, Dirk

Borgert and Dr. Detlef Kuhlmann. Already on Whit Saturday, about a dozen women

got together for a relaxing run...

The world record attempt by the Ethiopia’s Berhane Adere in the 5000

metres will highlight the seventh edition of the IAAF Grand Prix Regione

Lombardia meeting - IAAF Grand Prix II - in Milan at the Arena Civica Gianni

Brera stadium on Wednesday 2 June.

Adere, who won the World title in Paris St.Denis in the 10,000 metres in

30:04.18 (African record) will be helped in this attempt by the Kenya’s

Isabella Ochichi, a solid specialist with a PB of 14:46.42 set in Hengelo on

Monday night and a sixth...

Arezzo, Italy – Two-time World marathon bronze medallist Stefano Baldini

of Italy and Kenya’s Rita Jeptoo took the honours in the 32nd

"Scalata al Castello" ("Castles Climbing"), road race held

yesterday night in Tuscanys city of Arezzo. It was a very hard race, as the new

course has a 250 metre uphill every lap, just before the finish line. The

course included 12 laps for the men’s race (10km) and 6 laps for the

women’s race (5km) with each lap being 830 metre long.

INDIANAPOLIS – Marking a trend of continued growth, road runners and

walkers raised more than $560 million for charity in 2003, USA Track &

Field (USATF) announced Saturday.

The Marine Corps Marathon has been named the 2003 USATF Charitable Race of

the Year, while the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Race for the

Cure® was honored as 2003 Charitable Organization of the Year. The awards

are an outgrowth of USATF’s ongoing study into charitable running in the

United States, begun in 2002.

C...

The Sempach Wheelchair Marathon in Switzerland, a few kilometres north of

Luzern, celebrated its 10th anniversary on May 22. It was started in 1986, and

every two years it is organized, professionally and with great care, together

with the Paraplegic Foundation Clinic (Klinik der Paraplegiker-Stiftung) in the

nearby small town of Nottwil.

This year, just four months before the Paralympics, the great showdown of

the favourites from all around the world began again as an international test

for...

Eldoret, Kenya - Nineteen-year old boy, Simon Kiptum is the new Rift Valley

Province High schools 10,000 metres champion.

Kiptum, a form four student at Sikinwa secondary school of Trans Nzoia ran a

tactical race clocking 30:10.6 beating 32 other athletes in the first day of

the provincial championships held at the Kipchoge Keino stadium, Eldoret.

Though Trans Nzoia is not known to produce world stars, the student who

takes world Marathon record holder Paul Tergat to be his mentor said he only...

Kenya’s Paul Tergat set one of the most outstanding World records last

year when he became the first man to run a marathon under 2 hours and 5 minutes

but his biggest challenge may yet have to come. Recently appointed as the

United Nations World Food Programme ambassador Tergat is set for the most

important battle of his life, the one against hunger in the world. By Bob

Ramsak

Paul Tergat knows about the importance of a warm meal. Which is precisely

why he’s approaching his recent appointment as...

Irelands Sonia OSullivan proved she still posseses a powerful sprint finish as

she outkicked World 10,000m champion Berhane Adere of Ethiopia to win

yesterday’s Great Manchester 10k (23 May) in the English City which

hosted the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

Training partner Craig Mottram of Australia took the mens race, in which

World Marathon record holder Paul Tergat finished in fourth.

Nairobi, Kenya - The Kenyan Armed Forces Championships ended here today with

promising results in distance running as Kenyans repositioned themselves in the

Athens Olympics countdown.

Seasons leader in the 800 metres Justus Koech posted an impressive time of

1:45.6 to become the first Kenyan to run inside the Olympics qualifying time in

a local race, with Michael Rotich clocking 1:45.8 and Vincent Kemboi

1:46.2.

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...

Glasgow, UK - Lornah Kiplagat sounded a warning to Paula Radcliffe after

yesterday (Sunday 16 May) winning Great Britains biggest women-only 10,000

metres in Glasgow, Scotland for the fifth successive year.

No fears of Radcliffe in Athens

The woman who memorably ended the World marathon record-holders unbeaten

individual sequence in Puerto Rico, says she has no fears about meeting her in

Athens.

"I don mind what event she does," said Kiplagat. "I never

even ask who is going to race against me....

A new record number of participants is again expected at the by far largest

women’s race in Germany, on this Saturday, May 22, in the Tiergarten

Park. So far, already 9,986 women and girls have signed up for the 21st AVON

RUNNING Berlin Women’s Run. This means an estimated 11,000 runners and

walkers can be expected. Last year it was exactly 10,528. In 2003, the 10,000

barrier was broken for the first time.

Traditionally, the runners can chose between two distances at the AVON

RUNNING Berlin...

The world of long distance running has many stories to raise the spirits, but

the career of Fauja Singh is unique. Born into a peasant farming family in

India, he came to Britain eleven years ago and started running aged 89! In this

years Flora London Marathon this very special talent ran 6:07:13 in wet and

cold spring weather. Good for him! But theres more to marvel at. Singh was

already a world record holder in running 5:40:14 in Toronto in 2002 and this

among other fine performances impressed...

Ten years ago Boston Marathon winners were honoured by a reception at White

House in Washington. Multiple winners Cosmas Ndeti (Kenya) and Uta Pippig

(Germany) met the former President of the United States, Bill Clinton, even

more than once and jogged with him in a park. May be the designated President

of the Federal State of Austria remembered this gesture when he decided to

invite the winner and the race director of the 21st Vienna City Marathon for

tea today.

At noontime Vienna’s new course...

Paul Radcliffe will end a two-year absence from British track action at the

Norwich Union British Grand Prix in Gateshead next month.

The sports biggest star has not raced a track meeting in her home country

since the 2002 Commonwealth Games, but will begin her countdown to this years

Olympic Games with a 10,000m on 27 June at the IAAF Super Grand Prix meeting.

Radcliffe is Britains best hope of a medal at the Athens games, and her

presence in the North East will make the Gateshead date the...

Kenyan Samson Kandie and Italian Rosaria Console won the 21st Vienna City

Marathon. Kandie clocked 2:08:35 beating the course record by 13 seconds

despite a very strong wind. It was the biggest marathon win for the 33

year-old. Raymond Kipkoech (Kenya) was second in 2:10:45, Luis Jesus (Portugal)

came in third with 2:11:24. Rosaria Console showed a convincing performance in

the wind beating the marathon World Champion from 2001, Lidia Simon (Romania)

by more than a minute. Running 2:29:22 the 24...

Lidia Simon, one of the world’s top women marathon runners of the last

decade, has chosen Sunday’s 21st Vienna City Marathon to qualify for the

Olympic Marathon in Athens in August. Romania’s national qualifying time

of 2:37:00 should be no hurdle for the national record holder (2:22:54). In its

20 year history the Vienna City Marathon has never before seen such a strong

woman runner as Lidia Simon. Sunday’s marathon will once again be

Austria’s biggest single day sporting event of the year....

It was last Thursday when the dream mile was exactly 50 years ago. Roger

Bannister was the first athlete to run the mile in a sub four minute time on

6th May 1954. But was he really the first? Or was there perhaps a runner back

in the 18th century who achieved this? Click here to read this article which

was published in the English newspaper Observer.

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/athletics/comment/0,10083,1207844,00.html

There were officials in bowler hats and suits, young men in cricket sweaters

and cream blazers with a gold trim. They wore college scarves and old club

ties. People crowded the fringes of the six-lane running track with its small

stand close to the home straight. Dark clouds hung around threatening rain. And

in the background, visible above hedges and houses beyond the final bend, was

the square tower of a church where a St Georges flag fluttered in the breeze.

At six oclock, a gun fired and a...

It was the first time that the ,25 km von Berlin’ finished in

Berlin’s new Olympic Stadium. And the runners seemed to adapt to this

special occasion. After three years of building works the race returned with a

world record: Kenyan Paul Kosgei clocked 1:12:45. It was the first race at the

distance for Kosgei, who had been World Half Marathon Champion in 2002. Rodgers

Rop had set the old mark of 1:13:44 when he had won the ,25 km von

Berlin’ three years ago.

Finally it seems that the Kenyans...

‘Be proud to be an Englishman’ was one of the papers’

headlines

When on that infamous May 6, 1954, Norris McWhirter announced the results on

Iffley Road in Oxford, the spectators only heard the first digit: 3. “I

am certain that not a single person was able to understand the 59.4 seconds.

The crowd just wanted to hear the three,“ said McWhirter in an interview

on BBC. More than 1,000 spectators turned the small stadium that is part of

Oxford University into a madhouse. They had become witnesses...

Fifty years ago on May 6, 1954, young British medical student Roger Bannister

became the first man to run a mile in faster than four minutes. Paced by

training partners Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway, Bannister clocked 3:59.4 at

Oxford Universitys track at Ifley Road, Oxford, England.

It was a barrier-breaking performance some had believed impossible and,

although almost 1000 men have since joined Bannister in sub-4 territory, his

run remains the most celebrated achievement in athletics...

We are pleased to publish the letter sent today from IAAF President Lamine

Diack to Sir Roger Bannister to mark the 50th Anniversary of the running of the

world’s first sub-four minute mile.

Dear Roger,

It was a great pleasure for me to be with you two weeks ago on the occasion

of the London Marathon and although I cannot be in Oxford today, I wanted to

write to you and add my personal congratulations, and those of the World

Athletics Family who I represent, on this very special occasion.

Led by the NOK president Klaus Steinbach, numerous prominent personalities from

the areas of sport, science, and culture will be participating in the Olympic

torch relay through Munich (June 29) and Berlin (June 30). The longest Olympic

torch relay of all times will return after travelling through 33 cities in 26

countries on July 9 to the host country of the Olympic Summer Games (from

August 13-29).

While presenting the programme at a recent NOK press conference in Berlin,

Steinbach said, "I...

"10" />The president of the FIRS (Association of Speed Skaters) met the

chairman of the candidate committee of Paris for the Olympic Games in 2012 in

San Antonio (Texas) in April. Obviously Speed Skating was one of the topics of

their discussion. Philippe Baudillon and Armand de Redinger expressed their

interest to support Speed Skating on its way to Olympia 2012. The first

obstacle will be the IOC meeting in Lausanne in 2005 where the decisions what

sports will be incorporated in the Olympic program...

Kenyans Tegla Loroupe and Christopher Cheboiboch won the Leipzig Marathon on

Sunday 25 April. While Loroupe clocked 2:29:40 to take the womens title,

Cheboiboch, who belongs to the same training group, ran 2:10:16 for the mens

division win. So it was a double celebration for Volker Wagner, their Detmold

based German manager.

It was the first time since reunification that the Leipzig Marathon has had

such an elite field. As a bidding city for the Olympics 2012 extra funds have

been made...

It was probably the biggest surprise of all the spring marathons this season.

In last Sunday’s London Marathon an athlete finished tenth who had

trained like a fun runner just four months earlier. Not only did Tracey Morris

finish tenth in London. By doing so she improved her personal best of 3:39:21

by more than an hour to 2:33:52. But that was not the end of the story: Tracey

Morris was the fastest British runner in London and as she beat the Olympic

qualifying time she was officially...

Frederick Cherono (2:08:38) from Kenya and Helena Javornik (2:31:13) from

Slovenia took the men’s and women’s honours respectively at

today’s Turin Marathon.

Cherono, already known in Italy after last year’s Rome Marathon, set

his new personal best (PB) in 2:08:38 and beat the italian Alberico Di Cecco,

second in 2:09:29. The womens race was won by Helena Javornik (Slovenia) in

2:31:13.

Timothy Cherigat is the winner of the 108th Boston Marathon. While temperatures

soared up to nearly 30° Celsius the 27 year-old Kenyan kept cool and

triumphed in convincing style in 2:10:37. It was Cherigat’s greatest

success so far while it was a second triumph for the group of Kenyans coached

by Dieter Hogen, Tom Ratcliffe and Godfrey Kiprotich within 32 hours. A day

before Evans Rutto had won the London Marathon in an identical convincing

style.

Catherine Ndereba was the fastest women in...

100th anniversary of the Berlin Athletics Association

The Berlin Athletics Association (Berliner Leichtathletik-Verband (BLV))

is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. On November 15, 1904, the

Association of Berlin Athletics Clubs (Verband Berliner Athletik-Vereine

(VBAV)) was founded. The president was Otto Gronert from SC Komet, and the

vice-president was Paul Martin from the Charlottenburg SC 1902, now called SCC

Berlin (and organizer of the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON). The association...

This year’s London Marathon was rated as a dress rehearsal for the

Olympic Games in August since the field was so strong. But in the end there was

a triumph for a runner who was not nominated by the Kenyan federation for the

Olympic Games’ marathon. Evans Rutto stormed into the finish of

Buckingham Palace clocking a world class time of 2:06:18. So this was an

extraordinary triumph for the group of Kenyan runners to which Uta Pippig

belongs as well. All of them are coached by Dieter Hogen. The...

April clearly is the marathon month of the year. And this coming weekend will

be the highlight of the month. While the biggest European marathon will be

started in London on Sunday, the traditional Boston Marathon will follow on

Monday. Additionally in Hamburg Germanys second biggest marathon will be

started on Sunday. About 85,000 runners have entered these three races.

Almost 45,000 are on Londons start list. But Englands superstar Paula

Radcliffe will not be among the runners on Sunday. She...

When Joyce Chepchumba and Margaret Okayo sat next to each other at

yesterday’s Flora London Marathon press conference, it was the closest

the pair have been since the latter made her marathon debut in Chicago in 1999.

Okayo thought she had the race won that day only for Chepchumba, who had

fallen earlier in the race, to outsprint her for a one second victory.

Okayos Athens bound but Chepchumba is not

The two Kenyans go head-to-head on Sunday with the London race spiced up by

the fact one has...

It is still over five months until the 31st real,- BERLIN MARATHON on September

25-26, 2004, but the organisers from SCC RUNNING can already report a rush for

registration by participants from around the world.

Following its success last year, the inline skating marathon, the largest of

its kind in the world, will again take place separately on Saturday, September

25--this time in the morning. The marathon of the runners, power walkers,

wheelchair competitors and, new this year, hand cyclists,...

Following the annoucement a fortnight ago that Paul Tergat had sustained a calf

injury and so would not toe the starting line at next Sunday’s Flora

London Marathon (18 April), the World Marathon record holder has now turned his

full attention to the summer’s Athens Olympic marathon for which he has

already been pre-selected by Athletics Kenya.

Jürg Wirz recently caught up with Tergat and interviewed him

exclusively for the IAAF internet about his injury and of course Athens

London would have...

Nagano, Japan - Moges Taye and Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia easily won the sixth

annual Nagano Marathon, today. Both ran the last part of the course alone, Taye

having broken away from the mens leaders around 13.5Km, and Roba doing the same

after 30Km in the womens race. Taye clocked 2:13:09 while Roba ran 2:28:05.

Shigekatsu Kondo (the fastest Japanese runner in the field) initially led

the race ahead of a chasing pack of seven runners - Josiah Thugwane, Adam

Dobrzynski, Moges Taye, Alemayehu...

The sixth edition of the Nagano Marathon will take place on Sunday 11 April.

The Nagano Marathon was inaugurated in 1999 to commemorate the 1998 Nagano

Winter Olympic Games. This new marathon replaced the old Shinmai Marathon,

which was run in Nagano since 1958. For the first five editions, from 1999 to

2003, the course was point to point with severe downhill at the start of the

race.

The course, which toured the facilities used during the Winter Olympics,

loses 120m of elevation in the first...

Ladies first! The women’s competition…

After a calm race, the world champion in the half marathon in 1995, Hilde

Goovaerts (Barclaycard inLion Girls), led the way for the final sprint by her

team mate and fellow Belgian, Britta von Tournhout, who won ahead of the German

skaters, Tina Strüver (Verducci) and Jana Gegner (Powerslide).

´´Tina Strüver has a really good sprint, ´´

said Hilde Goovaerts after the finish, thus expressing that the 2003 European

Championship bronze medal winner for the...

The Kenyans have once again dominated the Bewag BERLIN HALF MARATHON.

Triumphant at the end of the race, in which a total of 17,046 participants from

62 countries participated (including runners, inline skaters, power walkers,

wheel chair and hand cyclers, as well as school kids running the Bewag 3.5 km

FUN-RUN) was once again last year’s champion, Paul Kirui, in a

world-class time of 60:40 minutes, ahead of the surprisingly strong debutant

Salomon Bushendich (60:42). Christopher Cheboiboch...

Paul Kirui and Joyce Chepchumba led a Kenyan wave of victory in the Bewag

BERLIN HALF MARATHON on Sunday as more than 17,000 runners followed them home.

Kirui won the men’s race for the second year in succession in 1:00:40

while Chepchumba continued her preparations for the London marathon on April 18

with a solid victory in 1:09:49, almost two minutes clear of her compatriot

Maragaret Atudonyang.

"5" />Paul Kirui was always prominent in a lead pack of around 20 runners that

set off along one of the...

During a great weekend for road running Kenyan Felix Limo got the outstanding

result. The 23 year-old won the Rotterdam Marathon in a world-class time of

2:06:14. Despite strong head winds in parts of the race Limo ran the fastest

time of the year so far and additionally broke the course record. That was

quite a legendary mark, because it dated back as far as 1988. It was Ethiopian

Belayneh Dinsamo who had set a world record 16 years ago. His 2:06:50 stood as

a world record for more than ten...

Everything is ready for the highest class race in the history of the Bewag

BERLIN HALF MARATHON. The Kenyans are certain to fight out the victory among

themselves at the 24th edition of the race which will be started on Sunday on

the boulevard Unter den Linden (skaters: 10:20 a.m., runners: 10:40 a.m.). The

question is only: in what time?

"I think I can run it in under 60 minutes, if the pace is good from the

beginning,” announced last year’s champion Paul Kirui at the press

conference for the...

Editors of www.berlin-marathon.com apologize for a mistake that occurred in a

recent press release which was published on our web site. It was stated that

the Lisbon Half Marathon was 40 metres short. The race was won by Rodgers Rop

last Sunday in 59:49 minutes. This happened due to a translation mistake by a

third person involved. In the correct German version it read that the Lisbon

course has an overall drop of 40 metres. This is a well known fact, while of

course we all know that there is no...

Lornah Kiplagat who has been nursing an Achilles injury in recent weeks,

yesterday (Sunday 28 March) won the Parellloop (Pearl Run) in the southern

Dutch town of Brunssum in 14:47, beating Briton Paula Radliffe’s

unofficial world best time for the 5km on the road (14:51; 2003).

It is of course the second time in a matter of weeks that the Kenyan born

Dutchwomen has upstaged Radcliffe, who is the World record holder for the

women’s Marathon.

Zhou Chunxiu won the women’s section of the second Xiamen International

Marathon, a race which also served as the National Championships and Olympic

Trials for the Chinese marathon runners. She clocked 2:23:28. With several

athletes invited from abroad, the competition was of much better quality than

in the inaugural competition last season.

AIMS (Association of International Marathon and Road Races) and the IAAF

publish the running magazine “Distance Running“ three times a year

(circulation 400,000 per issue), in which the races of the member organisations

are listed. In the newest issue, January/April 2004, the dates for 175 races in

over 65 countries are listed for the period until April 2005.

"5" />On 78 colourful pages, the largest races in the world also advertise for

their events. The real,- BERLIN MARATHON and the Bewag BERLIN...

The Bewag BERLIN HALF MARATHON will once more be Germany’s first big

international road race this year. For many athletes it will be a decisive test

for one of the big spring marathons in April like Boston or London. Altogether

about 17,500 participants are expected in Berlin. Among them not only runners

but also inline skaters, power walkers and wheelchair athletes plus pupils who

will run the 3.5 k Bewag FUN-RUN. Among the runners there are the two winners

from last year: Paul Kirui and...

The 24th Bewag BERLIN HALF MARATHON that will start next Sunday on the

boulevard Unter den Linden (skaters: 10:20 a.m., runners: 10:40 a.m.) will

include the highest class athletes ever. SCC RUNNING has already received

15,354 registrations from 62 countries for the by far largest and most

important international race over the half marathon distance of 21.0975km. In

addition to the runners and skaters, this includes power walkers and wheelchair

competitors, as well as 597 starters for the Bewag...

Kenyans Rodgers Rop (59:49) and Joyce Chepchumba (68:11) won the mens and

womens races respectively at this morning’s Lisbon Half Marathon. The

men’s race was particularly fast, but, even so, Paul Tergat’s event

record (59:06) was not beaten.

No one has ever won the Lisbon Half Marathon twice, however last

year’s winner Martin Lel tried hard to reach that goal today. He was

leading the race until the final metres but Rogers Rop didn’t intend to

give him that honour, and passed him just before...

Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele has made the first step on his way to his third

double triumph. In a superb solo run the 21 year-old won the 4 k event at the

first day of the 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Brussels.

Clocking 11:31 minutes he left behind his two countrymen Gebre-egziab

Gebremariam and Maregu Zewdie. On Sunday he will now run the 12 k event as

well. Two years ago Bekele became the first man ever to win both distances at

the World Cross Country Championships. Now he wants...

Kenenisa Bekele has added another unique triumph to his phenomenal cross

country record: For the third time in a row the 21 year-old Ethiopian won both

distances at the 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Brussels. A day

after winning the 4 k race on Saturday the 10,000 m World Champion from Paris

2003 stormed to a second victory in the 12 k race clocking 35:52 minutes.

Bekele is the only man who won both distances in the World Cross Country who

ever won both distances in these...

This is the traditional time of year when bank managers in Addis Ababa greet

the world with a greater than usual air of optimism, as the Ethiopian team

departs for this weekend’s 32nd IAAF World Cross Country Championships,

Brussels, Belgium (20/21 March).

Ethiopia’s double-double World Cross Country champion Kenenisa Bekele

is arguably the greatest runner in the Championships’ history.

Financially he has reaped the benefit too as in the last three editions of the

event - thanks to his second...

"right" />Mountain running has never been more popular! Not only the amount of

participants stabilized on a high level or even increased, but the number of

ambitioned organizers and mountain races did so as well. The World- Masters in

Zell-Unterharmersbach in the Black Forest set new standards with a perfect

organisation, a great atmosphere and 850 participants as well as the

international races, including the six races of the Mountian running Grand-

Prix, the European Championships in Trento or the...

The number one on the list of the year’s world best times will be running

at the 24th Bewag BERLIN HALF MARATHON on April 4: The Kenyan Paul Kirui has

confirmed his participation. The 24-year-old won the Bewag BERLIN HALF MARATHON

last year in a fantastic time of 61:05 minutes, despite the cool weather. This

year, Paul Kirui has already won the half marathon in Ostia (Rome) and improved

his time to the world-class time of 60:22 minutes, which puts him at the top of

the year’s world best times...

Monte-Carlo - The aura of invincibility which Paula Radcliffe wore with such

tight assurance has slipped during her last three races.

While that will disappoint her British supporters, the consequence is that

the senior womens events at the 32nd IAAF World Cross-Country Championships,

Brussels, Belgium (20/21 March 2004) promise to be even more competitive than

in recent years.

Kiplagat has learned from Radcliffes example

Lornah Kiplagat, Kenyan-born, but wearing Hollands colours since marriage...

When you establish a sporting reputation as quickly and as supreme as has

Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele since 2001, it should come as no surprise that

your rivals will focus all their attentions on knocking you back down to size.

There is nothing unfair about it, it is just a reality of life.

Bekele versus the world

Therefore at this weekend’s 32nd IAAF World Cross Country

Championships, Brussels, Belgium, the distance running world will be divided

into two camps, Bekele and the rest of the world.

...

Naoko Takahashi, Japan’s greatest marathon runner ever, will not be able

to defend her Olympic marathon Gold in Athens. The 31 year-old, who has a

status of a national hero back home in Japan, was not nominated for the Olympic

race by her federation. It was four years ago, when she caused enthusiasm

throughout Japan by winning the Olympic marathon in Sydney. A year later Naoko

Takahashi made history, when she won the real,- BERLIN MARATHON and became the

first woman to break the 2:20 barrier....

The position of the Race Director at SCC RUNNING will stay in the family:

starting immediately, Mark Milde takes over the position from his father,

Horst. The 65-year-old Horst Milde, who organised and developed the SCC RUNNING

races for over 40 years and, most of all, led the real,- BERLIN MARATHON and

the Bewag BERLINER HALF MARATHON to be one of the top elite street races in the

world, will take his spot in the Board of Directors of the SCC RUNNING Events

GmbH. Rüdiger Otto will replace Horst...

It was at the real,- BERLIN MARATHON where Japan’s Olympic Champion Naoko

Takahashi clocked the fist sub 2:20 time in 2001. She ran 2:19:46 and wrote

history. Two years later Paul Tergat became the first man to run the classic

distance in a sub 2:05 time. The Kenyan won the prestigious race in 2:04:55. So

the real,- BERLIN MARATHON is renowned for unique performances. Now there are

again news from Germany’s most spectacular road race that are quite

unique. It was officially announced that the...

Jose Rios of Spain won the 59th annual Lake Biwa Marathon in Otsu on Sunday (7

March). In only his second marathon (he did not finish in Rotterdam last year),

Rios the European 10,000m bronze medallist, recorded a debut finish time of

2:07:42.

The race was also a qualifying race for the Japanese Olympic Marathon team.

Finishing second as the first Japanese was Tadayuki Ojima, who could only

finish 7th in Fukuoka Marathon last December. Thus he kept his Olympic hope

alive. Ojima improved his...

The mythical messenger who carried the news of victory from Marathon was

portrayed on the medal for the first BERLIN MARATHON on October 13, 1974.

Certainly, no one knew then that this premiere would be the start of a new era

in running in Berlin.

Again this

year, the event that is well known far beyond the borders of the city will take

place for the 31st time.

And there is no end of the enthusiasm—of both the athletes and the

spectators—in sight. The BERLIN MARATHON is a very successful event,...

Just three weeks before she attempts to recapture the World Cross Country title

in Brussels, Belgium (20/21 March), Britains Paula Radcliffe has suffered an

unexpected defeat by the Netherlands Lorna Kiplagat over 10km on the road in

Puerto Rico.

It was both Radcliffes and Kiplagats first race of 2004, and marked a return

to the scene of the event in which the Briton set her World record performance

12 months ago (30:21), but Kiplagat, who finished fifth at last summers World

10,000m final in...

March 2004 – On the final day of the IAAF World Indoor Championships in

Budapest four more running events were on the schedule – and all of them

had African winners. It was South Africa’s Mbulaeni Mulaudzi who won the

800 metres in 1:45,71 minutes. In race without any European or American runner

(last year’s World Champion David Krummenacker was absent – Rashid

Ramzi of Burundi took second place in 1:46,15. Brazilian’s Osmar Barbosa

dos Santos was third in 1:46,26.

For dos Santos it was a reward...

Kenyan Bernard Lagat won his first IAAF World Championship title in Budapest.

But it was not in his usual event, the 1500 metres. Instead Lagat took the

3,000 m title in style. In a tactical race the 29 year-old clocked 7:56,34

minutes to win in front of Rui Silva (Portugal/7.57,08) and Markos Geneti

(7:57,87). The Ethiopian had been nominated on short notice as a reserve for

Haile Gebrselassie. Ethiopians superstar had cancelled his start due to an

injury.

“I am absolutely happy with this win...

On Saturday and Sunday the finals in the middle and long distance events will

take place at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Budapest. If you want to

be informed quickly about the races from 800 metres to 3,000 metres click on

www.berlin-marathon.com

The 24th Bewag BERLIN HALF MARATHON will take place on a new course on April

4th. The new attraction will be the start and finish area that will now be on

the Schloßplatz, the old palace grounds, on Karl-Liebknecht-Straße

(start) and the boulevard Unter den Linden (finish). Previously, the start was

on the Karl-Marx-Allee and the finish on Alexanderstraße.

"We are pleased that, together with the authorities, we have been

successful in relocating the start and finish to the...

Kenenisa Bekele crowned the high-class indoor meeting in Brimingham with a new

5000 m world record. The 21 year-old Ethiopian was the first athlete to dip

under 12:50 minutes indoors. He stormed into the finish after 12:49,60 minutes.

Bekele had been double world cross country champion in 2003 and 2002 and

additionally won the 10,000 metres at the world championships in Paris last

August.

Bekele beat Haile Gebrselassies former record by less than a second in

Birmingham. Gebrselassie, twice the...

The real,- BERLIN MARATHON will remain again this year a two-day event. The

31st edition of the most spectacular German race will take place on September

25-26. Following discussions with the Senate Administrations for City

Development, Education, Youth, and Sport, with the police, and with the

Association of Retail Trade, it has been settled that the inline skaters for

the second time will be able to have their own race on Saturday, after the

debut in 2003.

“We are happy that, together with the...

Saif Saaeed Shaheen or Stephen Cherono, what name do I have to use? The answer

came immediately, “In Kenya I am Stephen Cherono.” A lot has

changed in the life of the 21 years-old Kenyan born Qatari in the last six

months, but one thing remains, he still has a lot of dreams, probably more than

ever.

The first one this year is that he wants to give Kenenisa Bekele a hard time

when it comes to the short course race at the World Championships in

Brussels.

Jürg Wirz recently interviewed Saif Saaeed...

by Robert Hartmann

Eldoret, Kenya. They are nine children and youth between the ages of 10 and

19. Their homeland is the south of the Sudan, where, following a civil war

between the Arab north and the primarily Christian south, which broke out in

1983, recent peace talks have led to a so-far happy end, albeit fragile. There

has been a truce since September, and these young people also hope anxiously

for a good future in the end. They hope to finally be able to return to their

parents and...

Stuttgart, Germany - In a brilliant display of solo running, Ethiopia’s

Berhane Adere ran alone for the final three kilometres of the women’s

5000m at the Sparkassen Cup meeting this evening and blazed to a World indoor

record of 14:39.29.

Her time was more than eight seconds under the previous record of 14:47.35

by Gabriela Szabo of Romania, achieved five years ago in Dortmund.

Adere appeared to be dissatisfied with the pace being set by Yuliya Krevsun

of Ukraine and later by Alesya Turova of...

The high-class Olympic qualifying race for Japans marathon women ended with a

triumph for Naoko Sakamoto in Osaka. The 23 year-old, who was fourth in the

World Championships in Paris in 2003, should now have secured her place in the

Olympic team for Athens. While the silver medal winner from Paris, Mizuki

Noguchi, gained automatic selection for Athens, it is still an open question

who could take the third place in Japans prestigious Olympic marathon team.

In tough weather conditions with...

Nairobi, Kenya - World marathon record holder Paul Tergat destroyed a field

boasting many of Kenyas finest in the mens long course race at the 24th Armed

Forces Championships today.

A day after the United Nations Rome-based World Food Programme appointed him

as its Goodwill Ambassador (click here for yesterdays story), the five times

World Cross Country Champion was urged on by awe stuck fans and officials to an

amazing victory, executed with a superior game plan without equal.

On a cool fine...

Belfast, UK - World Marathon record-holder Paul Tergat returned to the city

that witnessed the last of his five world cross country victories, running a

controlled race to win the - IAAF permit - Belfast International today.

Tergat didn’t hit the front until the closing stages but always seemed

in command in his final cross country race of the winter. Having abandoned

plans to chase a record sixth World cross title, Tergat was looking to return

to winning ways in Belfast before returning to his...

SCC-RUNNING proudly announced a new annual record for its events. In 2003 the

Berlin organisers started 15 different events with exactly 123,778 entrants.

For the first time more than 120,000 athletes were registered. In comparison to

2002 this means an increase of roughly 15 percent. “It is the most

successful year in our history of running events“, race director Horst

Milde said. It was 40 years ago when he started the first Cross Country Race in

Berlin. From then on until the end of last year...

What is the position

of the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON internationally?

Hiroaki Chosa: “The real,-BERLIN-MARATHON is well known as the fast

course to the elite runners. At the same time, this marathon has been

successful in developing sub events such as inline skating as well as power

walking which generate interest from various people. The organizer is always

challenging cooperated with the government of Germany as well as the city

council to satisfy various needs of the runners. Therefore the...

Registration for the 31st real,- BERLIN MARATHON 2004 was opened on the

internet on January 1, 2004 at 00:01 a.m. Following last year s spectacular

success with the world record time by Paul Tergat (KEN) and the two-day event,

with the skaters on Saturday and the runners on Sunday, the organizers from SCC

RUNNING have again applied for the weekend of September 25-26, 2004 with the

Berlin authorities.

Last year there were more than 45,000 athletes from 99 countries on start.

Registration is...

The last victors of the running year 2003 were honoured at the Mommsen Stadium

at the 28th Berlin Pilsner New Years Eve Run organised by SCC RUNNING, also

known as the “Donut Run“.

The “next to last“ victors were the participants of the costume

competition. The most intricate mens costume went to Achim Schulz, who appeared

as a pregnant bird, while the best womens costume went to Waltraud Born, who

was dressed as a clown. The costume contest shortly before the start is

becoming more and more...

Newcastle, UK - Ethiopian teenagers took the honours in today’s Great

North Cross Country - IAAF Permit - meeting, beating world class fields over a

muddy course in the north east of England.

Sileshi Sihine, who turns 21 later this month, kicked away from Kenyas World

5000m champion Eliud Kipchoge in a race that saw World half and marathon

record-holder Paul Tergat beaten as much by the conditions as the

opposition.

The women’s race also came down to the closing stages as two late

additions to...

What has begun in Sao Pualo back in 1925 has meanwhile developed worldwide. It

is difficult to estimate but probably many more than one million runners took

part in all the races that were staged worldwide on New Years Eve. In Germany

alone about 100,000 athletes started at roughly 100 races on New Years Eve. But

it was in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo were once again the most spectacular

race was started. About 13,500 runners took part in the 15 K race in front of

enthusiastic spectators. And...