The Berlin Marathon approaches its fiftieth anniversary subsequent 12 months and has established itself as one of many quickest marathon programs on the earth.
It’s no shock that the Berlin Marathon has hosted extra world data (12) over 26.2 miles than any single marathon course in historical past. The whole elevation acquire is simply 241 ft (73m) whereas the elevation loss is 260 ft (79m).
Out of these 12 world data set within the German capital, three are held by girls and 12 by males.
Christa Vahlensieck was the primary lady to set a world document in Berlin (2:34:48 in 1977) whereas Eliud Kipchoge holds the present males’s mark (2:01:09 in 2022).
Eliud Kipchoge (Getty)
Kipchoge is aiming to win the Berlin Marathon for a document fifth time and would overtake Haile Gebrselassie within the all-time standings.
The 38-year-old Kenyan additionally has ambitions to change into the primary particular person in historical past to say three Olympic marathon gold medals in Paris subsequent summer time. He’s tied on two golds with Waldemar Cierpinski (Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980) and Abebe Bikila (Rome 1960 and Tokyo 1964).
In a latest interview with AW, Kipchoge said that “Berlin felt like residence”.
Under, we’ll look again at his two world data in Berlin plus the ten others set for the reason that marathon’s inception in 1974.
Christa Vahlensieck (2:34:48) – 1977
Christa Vahlensieck received an astonishing 21 marathons throughout her profession.
In 1973, she turned the primary ever German to finish the marathon in below three hours (2:59:26) nevertheless it was two years later when Vahlensieck left her footprint on the worldwide stage.
That season she broke Julie Brown’s world 10,000m document with 34:01.4 – a mark that stood till 1977. Vahlensieck additionally shattered compatriot Liane Winter’s world marathon document, clocking 2:40:16 in Dülmen.
The world document modified palms twice between American Jacqueline Hansen (2:38:19) and France’s Chantal Langlacé (2:35:15) earlier than Vahlensieck regained it in Berlin in 1977.
The German turned the primary feminine athlete to go sub 2:35 in historical past after clocking 2:34:48 on residence turf.
It was the primary world document set on the Berlin Marathon at a time when the gap was being pushed to be included within the Olympics. That occurred seven years later at LA 1984.
Ronaldo da Costa (2:06:05) – 1998
When Ethiopia’s Belayneh Dinsamo set a world document of two:06:50 in Rotterdam in 1988, no man might beat the mark for 10 years.
That was till Brazilian Ronaldo da Costa ran an unbelievable 2:06:05 in Berlin in 1998.
Not solely did Da Costa change into the primary particular person to ever cross the 40km mark in below two hours however he was additionally the primary ever South American – male or feminine – to carry the world marathon document. He nonetheless stays the one one at the moment.
Ronaldo da Costa in London (Getty)
Da Costa additionally completed sixteenth within the 10,000m on the Atlanta 1996 Olympics and his highest different end in a serious marathon was additionally Berlin, when the Brazilian fifth in 1997.
Tegla Loroupe (2:20:43) – 1999
Tegla Loroupe created historical past in Rotterdam in 1998 when she turned the primary African lady to carry the world marathon document.
The Kenyan’s 2:20:47 within the Dutch metropolis improved Ingrid Kristiansen’s mark of two:21:06, which had lasted an unbelievable 13 years.
Loroupe wasn’t glad with only one world document although. On the Berlin Marathon in 1999 she clocked 2:20:43 and replicated Kristiansen in breaking her personal document.
It was some profession for Loroupe who was additionally a double world 10,000m bronze medallist, triple particular person world half marathon champion and two-time winner of the New York Metropolis Marathon.
Naoko Takahashi (2:19:46) – 2001
On the flip of the millennium, the world belonged to Naoko Takahashi.
The Japanese runner turned Olympic marathon champion at Sydney 2000, in an Olympic document time of two:23:14. Such was the pace, it remained the mark to beat on the Video games till London 2012.
Then, in 2001, Takahashi ran a world document of two:19:46 in Berlin. She was the primary feminine athlete in historical past to go sub 2:20 and beat earlier record-holder Tegla Loroupe by greater than eight minutes.
Nonetheless, her world document was somewhat short-lived as Kenyan Catherine Ndereba ran 2:18:47 precisely per week later on the Chicago Marathon.
Paul Tergat (2:04:55) – 2003
Paul Tergat was imperious on the monitor, highway and grass.
The Kenyan claimed two Olympic 10,000m silver medals in 1996 and 2000, was a triple world 10,000m silver medallist and a five-time world cross nation champion.
Throughout his monitor profession, Tergat broke the world 10,000m document with 26:27.85 in Brussels in 1997.
Tergat was additionally a world record-holder over the half-marathon however in 2003 he created headlines over the globe when he did that over double the gap.
Paul Tergat on the Berlin Marathon (Getty)
On the Berlin Marathon, Tergat ran 2:04:55, breaking the earlier document by 43 seconds. He turned the primary man to additionally go beneath 2:05.
Extremely, he wasn’t the one one in that race who achieved the feat although. Tergat claimed victory in Berlin in 2003 however by only one second to fellow Kenyan Sammy Korir, who was remarkably a pacemaker within the occasion.
Haile Gebrselassie (2:04:26/2:03:59) – 2007/2008
Haile Gebrselassie is taken into account one of many all-time greats within the sport.
A double Olympic and quadruple world 10,000m champion, four-time winner on the World Indoors and a person world half marathon champion, Gebrselassie has a very inspirational CV.
The Ethiopian set a mind-boggling 27 world data throughout in his profession and two had been within the marathon.
Each of these marks had been recorded in Berlin. The primary was in 2007 when Gebrselassie ran 2:04:26 and shaved 29 seconds off Paul Tergat’s document.
After withdrawing from the marathon on the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Gebrselassie as an alternative signed as much as the Berlin Marathon once more and have become the primary particular person ever to interrupt the two:04 barrier over 26.2 miles.
Patrick Makau (2:03:38) – 2011
Patrick Makau was the particular person to finally higher Haile Gebrselassie’s world document.
The Kenyan – a double particular person cross nation silver medallist and group champion – clocked 2:03:38 within the German capital in 2011.
That 12 months, Makau dominated and beat compatriot Stephen Kwelio by over 4 minutes.
Makau’s world document would final 4 years and was the primary of 4 Kenyans within the 2010s and past to interrupt the mark in Berlin.
Wilson Kipsang (2:03:23) – 2013
An Olympic marathon bronze medallist at London 2012, Wilson Kipsang was favorite to win the gold medal nevertheless it as an alternative went to Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich.
Motivated by that end result, Kipsang travelled to Berlin a 12 months later within the type of his life.
Wilson Kipsang (Mark Shearman)
The Kenyan not solely delivered Eliud Kipchoge’s solely marathon loss within the German capital however clocked an unbelievable 2:03:23, shaving 15 seconds off the earlier mark from Patrick Makau.
Kipsang has 5 main marathon wins in his profession.
Nonetheless, in 2020 Kipsang was banned for 4 years for doping offences, after an preliminary provisional suspension by the Athletics Integrity Unit for ‘whereabouts failures and tampering or tried tampering of samples’.
Dennis Kipruto (2:02:57) – 2014
After seeing two fellow Kenyans break the world marathon document in Berlin, Dennis Kipruto joined the membership in 2014.
Kipruto ran a time of two:02:57 in Berlin and have become the primary particular person in historical past to interrupt the two:03 barrier.
The 12 months earlier than he had set course data in each Tokyo (2:06:50) and Chicago (2:03:45), the latter being the then quickest ever marathon time on US soil.
Nonetheless, these achievements had been outmoded by his world document in Berlin a 12 months later.
His 5km splits had been: 14:42, 14:42, 14:46, 14:26, 14:32, 14:30, 14:09, 14:42.
He additionally ran the second half in an astonishing 61:12.
Eliud Kipchoge (2:01:39/2:01:09) – 2018/2022
The place do you even start with Eliud Kipchoge?
Nonetheless going sturdy at 38, the Kenyan is aiming to win a record-breaking fifth Berlin crown, with the long-term intention of turning into the primary ever particular person to win three Olympic golds over 26.2 miles.
Kipchoge will little doubt after all have the world document in the back of his head, given his final two instances had been set in Berlin.
The primary got here in 2018 when Kipchoge clocked 2:01:39, bettering Dennis Kipruto Kimetto’s mark by an awe-inspiring one minute and 18 seconds.
Eliud Kipchoge (NN Working)
Final 12 months, Kipchoge created much more historical past in Berlin when he tantalisingly practically broke 2:01 and ended up with a time of two:01:09.
That’s the present world document and solely Kelvin Kiptum has obtained close to it, when the 23-year-old ran 2:01:25 on the London Marathon again in April.
What is going to occur in Berlin in 2023?
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