FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Top female runners and top skaters at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON,
which sets a sign this weekend as the world's largest marathon
since the start of the pandemic
- Strong field of inlineskaters
- Top elite runners at the start
- #restartskating and #restartrunning
- Course records clearly in sigh
Once again make sporting history
Today's press conference by SCC EVENTS, organisers of the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON, generated strong media interest with the central themes
being the elite women runners and top inline skaters. That was hardly
surprising since this coming weekend all eyes will once again be fixed on
Berlin. After seemingly endless months of self-denial, the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON makes its comeback with #restartskating and #restartrunning
on the street's of the capital as the biggest marathon worldwide since the
start of the pandemic. The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON will - this time even
before the starting gun has gone off.
Jürgen Lock in his role as CEO of SCC EVENTS made clear during the press
conference what significance the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON had not only for the
endurance sport community but society as a whole. "Months ago we set
ourselves the challenge of organising a BMW BERLIN-MARATHON this autumn
which would be safe for all participants. This we've achieved brilliantly
as a team. The event possesses a clear relevance for the current situation
and how it will develop over the next few weeks. We want participants to be
able to stand on a start line again and see smiles and laughter." SCC
EVENTS has clearly set down a decisive marker with the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
after months of self-denial and social distance. Human beings acquire
confidence and develop trust through sport, inhibitions are broken down.
Values such as open-mindedness, tolerance and acceptance can at last be
revived. On the road to normality society needs these emotions. Lock
emphasised that these steps so far were by no means easy.
The circumstances of the pandemic including furlough presented barriers for
SCC EVENTS which were overcome by its own internal team and in dialogue
with external specialists. This was how SCC EVENTS developed a
sophisticated hygiene concept which eventually became the basis for the
event and which guarantees a safe BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. "A very good,
mutually confident partnership with the city, in particular the Senate's
department for Interior Affairs and Sport, made it possible that we could
hold our event this weekend," explained Jürgen Lock and thanked all
partners and other civil authorities in Berlin. The Berlin hygiene concept
of SCC EVENTS is founded upon the principle of the "Drei Gs / Three Gs":
anyone who enters an event must either be vaccinated, have recovered or
produce a negative PCR test and be able to show the relevant documentary
evidence. Spectators on the course will be requested to maintain social
distance and wear a mask covering nose and mouth. Although Germany will be
holding its General Election this coming weekend but, after months of
co-ordinating with the institutions, the event organisers do not foresee
problems. Over 30 additional crossing points should guarantee problem-free
access to the voting stations which are stationed on the race route (a
practice was tried and successfully tested four years ago when political
elections and the marathon again coincided). More details can be found on
the interactive map.
The RUN FOR JOY - Campaign underlines the high bar set in stirring the
emotions for this first race in the AWMM series after the start of the
pandemic, it offers participants and the entire community a means to
experience, participate and enjoy a whole range of activities at the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON in all its many aspects. The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON has
aroused a big surge of interest not only among the 500 media
representatives accredited but also among mass and elite sports people.
Around 25,000 participants will be expected on the start line for Sunday's
race day (approx. 3,000 inline skaters on Saturday) including some absolute
stars of the running world, all united in the motto: "At last we can all
stand on the start line together. But in safety!"
Strong Field in the biggest Inline Skating Marathon worldwide
"Victory in Berlin is for a skater like a gold medal at the World
Championships. It's the race we all dream about and gives us the motivation
to give everything in training every day," confessed Jason Suttles of
Belgium at the press conference for inline skaters. The 20-year-old Suttles
is one of the highly regarded rising stars of the sport. He will be
competing for the POWERSLIDE MATTER INTERNATIONAL on Saturday alongside the
multiple winner Bart Swings of Belgium as well the German winner in 2019,
Felix Rijhnen. Pascal Briand of France made his dream come true in the very
first edition of inline skating race at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON in 1997.
These days he is team manager of POWERSLIDE MATTER INTERNATIONAL.
Here's what he predicts for Saturday: "I'm expecting that the tempo for the
first 20 kilometres will be crazily fast and that all the teams will be
launching solo attacks. The course record of Bart Swings of Belgium, 56:49,
set in 2015, could be broken this year." Alongside POWERSLIDE MATTER
INTERNATIONAL the EOSKATES WORLD TEAM have been in strong form recently and
include the reigning European Marathon champion Nolan Beddiaf of France and
so has his compatriot Doucelin Pédicone for the Rollerblade Speed Team.
"I've prepared very well for Saturday. A fast race would suit me," says
Pédicone. The competition among the women skaters will be no less intense.
Among a strong field the Belgian Sandrine Tas and Germany's Katharina
Rumpus both compete in the colours of POWERSLIDE MATTER INTERNATIONAL and
should be strong challengers for the individual title. But any would-be
champion will have to beat the claims of the European Marathon champion
Marine Lefeuvre of France and the EOSKATES WORLD TEAM.
Hiwot Gebrekidan sets sights on Course Record
The women's race at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON on Sunday is looking
increasingly like an attack on the course record. The best time to date was
set three years ago when the Kenyan Gladys Cherono ran 2:18:11.
Half-a-dozen women will be on the start line who have run under 2:25 and
among them is the Ethiopian Hiwot Gebrekidan, the fastest women in the
world this year thanks to her personal best of 2:19:35 in winning the Milan
title in April. She will be making her debut in the Abbott World Marathon
Majors Series of which the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON is a part. In the light of
the continung Corona pandemic the number of starters for this year has been
considerably reduced. Around 25,000 runners are expected on the starting
line on Sunday. The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON will take place under strict
hygiene rules. Any participant on the start line must have been vaccinated,
or recovered from the virus or be able to produce a negative PCR Test. Over
90% of runners entered from Berlin have been vaccinated. Spectators on the
course will also be requested to maintain social distance and wear a mask
covering nose and mouth. "I've been preparing for the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
for a long time and want to run my personal best on Sunday, "said Hiwot
Gebrekidan at Thursday's press conference in Berlin. When pressed as to
what pace she would like, the 26-year-old answered: "I'd actually like to
hold back in the first half. But I nevertheless plan to go through halfway
in just under 69 minutes." Such a split at halfway would put Hiwot
Gebrekidan not only in contention for the course record but also the
Ethiopian national record, currently held by Worknesh Degefa with her time
of 2:17:41 in Dubai in 2019.
Her fellow Ethiopian Shure Demise also has a personal best in her sights.
She is a highly experienced marathon runner, having run a dozen of them.
"I've spoken with other women runners and know what a fast course is
Berlin. I have high expectations for myself and want to break my personal
record," said Shure Demise, whose best currently stands at 2:20:59 and
could well go under 2:20. 2:20 remains a breakthrough target for women in
the marathon," said the race director Mark Milde, adding in response to
Hiwot Gebrekidan's announcement of going for a super-fast time at halfway:
"We'll have to wait and see what times are actually run. But a pace like
that would certainly make it possible. And a course record would be great."
A woman who has been a late addition to the elite field in Berlin but is
capable of a surprise is Fancy Chemutai. The Kenyan has a best of 2:24:27
and will be running only her second marathon. If she were able to convert
her enormous potential to good effect in the classic distance she may well
be in contention for the win. Her half marathon best of 64:52 makes her the
seventh fastest woman at the distance of all time. No other woman on the
Berlin start list has such a fast half marathon performance.
Rabea Schöneborn takes aim for Personal Best
Rabea Schöneborn from the local club LG Nord Berlin will be running a
marathon for the first time in her home town. The 27-year-old improved her
best to 2:27:03 in April in her second race at the distance, missing
selection for the Olympics by just nine seconds. This inadvertently created
the opportunity of turning that preparation to potentially good effect at
the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. "Berlin is definitely a highlight, I'm really
looking forward to Sunday. Up to now I've only had the experience of elite
marathons but now I can see and feel what's like to be part of a big city
marathon. Having spectators will definitely give me a lift," said
Schöneborn. The Berlin athlete hopes to take advantage of the fast course
and what look likely to be excellent weather conditions to improve her best
time. "I always try to hold back a little so I can run the second half
faster. That's also the plan on Sunday," explained Schöneborn.
Nevertheless, she is still looking at a fast halfway split: "Something
between 73:10 and 73:20 is the plan."
Event week schedule of the 2021 BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
MARATHON EXPO
- Date: from September 23 to September 25, 2021
- Clock: from 3.30 p.m. (Sept 23) / other Opening hours here
- Topics: All participants pick up their race kits in person at the
EXPO; participants who have not been vaccinated against Covid19 or
recovered from the disease receive the mandatory pre-race PCR test there;
information from national and international exhibitors about lifestyle,
sports, wellness, health and nutrition; official collection of the BMW
BERLIN MARATHON
- Place: former airport Tempelhof; Platz der Luftbrücke 5, 12101 Berlin
Press conference Elite athletes Part 2
- Date: September 24, 2021
- Clock: 11.00 a.m.
- Participants: Elite runners men (Kenenisa Bekele [ETH], Guye Adola
[ETH], Philipp Pflieger), Manuela Schär, Merle Menje, Marcel Hug, Daniel
Romanchuk Jürgen Lock (CEO SCC EVENTS), Mark Milde (Race Director)
- Topics: Hygiencal concept, EXPO, Outlook for the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
weekend, Presentation of the Elite runners (men) and Elite wheelchair
athletes and handbiker, general topics, wheather forecast
- Place: Hotel InterContinental, Room "Pavillon"
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON Inline skating 2021
- Date: September 25, 2021
- Clock: 3.30 p.m.
- Topic: Start
- Place: Straße des 17. Juni
Press conference winner Inline skating
- Date: September 25, 2021
- Clock: ca. 6.30 p.m.
- Participants: Winner of the 2021 BMW BERLIN-MARATHON Inline skating
- Place: Hotel InterContinental, Room "Pavillon"
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON 2021
- Date: September 26, 2021
- Clock: first start 8.50 a.m. (more starting times)
- Topic: Start
- Place: Straße des 17. Juni
Press conference Winner Running, wheelchair competition and handbikers
- Date: September 26, 2021
- Clock: ca. 12.30 p.m.
- Participants: Winner of the 2021 BMW BERLIN-MARATHON (Running,
wheelchair, handbike)
- Place: Hotel InterContinental, Room "Pavillon"
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