News Archive

News Archive

Participation Record and Top Athletes at the 26th Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON

On Sunday the 26th Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON will be started with a new participation record and an international elite field. While there were 18,331 athletes in last year’s edition, there will be an expected figure of around 20,000 this year. With that the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON is the seventh biggest race of its kind in the world. Among the total number are runners as well as walker, wheelchair athletes, hand biker and inline skater. Furthermore the participants of the 3.5 k Vattenfall FUN-RUN, the Kids Race and the Skating Kids Cup are among that total number. For the first time the Vattenfall Berlin Nordic City Walk will be staged on a 6.8 k course.

The Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON will feature the best elite field in its history. The most spectacular commitment is that of US marathon star Deena Kastor. She will use the 26th Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON as a dress rehearsal for her start at the Flora London Marathon. The 33 year old had won the bronze medal in extremely hot conditions at the Olympic marathon in Athens in 2004. Last year the US marathon record holder (2:21:16 hours) bettered the national half marathon record as well. With her personal best of 67:53 minutes Deena Kastor has exactly the identical time as the second top runner at the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON: Edith Masai. The Kenyan won the Gold medal at the World Cross Country Championships three times in a row (2002 - 2004). Kastor and Masai are both able to better the current course record of 68:22 minutes.

But there is also a German runner with very good chances at the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON – which will be impossible in the men’s race. Luminta Zaituc is the defending champion. The 37 year-old won in 71:04minutes in 2005. Her goal is a time of sub 70 minutes and she will try to improve her personal best of 69:35. „I am happy that I can compete again in Berlin,“ said Luminita Zaituc, who additionally finished second in last year’s real,- BERLIN-MARATHON.

There will be a world record holder in Berlin, who is not unknown here: Paul Kosgei won the ,25 km of Berlin’ in the world record time of 1:12:45 hours in 2004. Recently the Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie ran faster but there are doubts if the record will be ratified. 27 year-old Kosgei has the fastest half marathon time in the field as well. In Newcastle he won in 59:58 minutes in 2002. In the same year he was World Half Marathon Champion. If Paul Kosgei is in his best shape, the course record could be in danger. Since 2001 the Spaniard Fabián Roncero holds it with 59:52 minutes. Another Kenyan favourite is Joseph Ngolepus. The 30 year-old Kenyan has a personal best of 60:56 minutes and was runner up last year. 2001 he was the surprise winner of the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON. Currently in good shape is another Kenyan: Evans Cheruiyot finished second at the half marathon in Ostia (Rome) in 60:12 minutes a month ago.

.

FIGURES AND DATES FOR THE 26th Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON

as of Monday, 27th March 2006

Expected overall participation: 20.200

PRE-REGISTRATIONS: 18.893 from 67 nations

 

15.937

 

Runner

 

11.286

 

Men

 

4.651

 

Woman

 

1.512

 

Skater

 

966

 

Men

 

546

 

Woman

 

7

 

Handbiker

 

5

 

Men

 

2

 

Woman

 

5

 

Wheelchairs

 

3

 

Men

 

2

 

Woman

 

332

 

Nordic Walker

 

74

 

Men

 

257

 

Woman

 

700

 

FUN-RUN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

400

 

Kids Race

 

 

 

 

 

STATS OF THE RUNNERS:

1.708 runners come from 67 nations (non Germans)

Most common nations:

 

410

 

Netherlands

 

85

 

USA

 

57

 

Sweden

 

256

 

Denmark

 

71

 

Italy

 

55

 

Poand

 

228

 

England

 

58

 

Austria

 

50

 

France

The development of the Vattenfall BERLIN HALFMARATHON since 1999:

 

1999

 

4.763

 

Participants

 

2002

 

14.709

 

Participants

 

2000

 

8.137

 

Participants

 

2003

 

17.692

 

Participants

 

2001

 

11.584

 

Participants

 

2004

 

17.046

 

Participants

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2005

 

18.331

 

Participants

The figures include FUN-RUN and Kids Race.

 

TOP Men

 

Bib.

 

Name

 

First name

 

Age

 

Nation

 

PB

 

in

 

2

 

Paul

 

Kosgei

 

27

 

KEN

 

59:58

 

1. Newcastle-South

 

3

 

Lawrence

 

Kiprotich

 

20

 

KEN

 

60:30

 

3. Mailand 05

 

4

 

Evans

 

Cheruiyot

 

25

 

KEN

 

60:14

 

2. Rom-Ostia 06

 

5

 

Joseph

 

Ngolepus

 

30

 

KEN

 

60:56

 

1. Den Haag 03

 

7

 

Silas

 

Kirui

 

24

 

KEN

 

61:07

 

1. Prag 05

 

8

 

Benson

 

Barus

 

25

 

KEN

 

61:14

 

1. Nizza 05

 

14

 

Ernest

 

Kipyego

 

27

 

KEN

 

61:58

 

4. Berlin 05

 

16

 

Charles

 

Ngolepus

 

 

 

KEN

 

62:25

 

6. Berlin 05

 

17

 

Moses

 

Masai

 

 

 

KEN

 

62:48

 

8. Berlin 02

 

18

 

Ernest

 

Kimeli

 

19

 

KEN

 

62:29

 

2. New Jersey 05

 

19

 

Abraham

 

Tandoi

 

31

 

KEN

 

62:37

 

1. Knittelfeld 03

 

20

 

Azat

 

Rakipav

 

37

 

BLR

 

62:56

 

7. Saint-Denis/Paris 03

 

25

 

Jussi

 

Utriainen

 

27

 

FIN

 

63:45

 

3. Houston 04

 

26

 

Martin

 

Söderberg

 

29

 

SWE

 

64:47

 

 

 

32

 

Joel

 

Mwaura

 

 

 

KEN

 

Debüt

 

 

 

35

 

Lennart

 

Sponar

 

25

 

GER

 

66:48

 

Griesheim

 

50

 

Tom

 

Scharff

 

21

 

GER

 

Tempo

 

GRR-Preisträger 2006 (s. Programmheft)

As at: 27th March 2006

 

TOP Women

 

Bib.

 

Name

 

First name

 

Age

 

Nation

 

PB

 

in

 

F1

 

Luminita

 

Zaituc

 

37

 

GER

 

69:35

 

2. Luxemburg 04

 

F2

 

Deena

 

Kastor

 

33

 

USA

 

67:53

 

1. Philadelphia 05

 

F3

 

Edith

 

Masai

 

38

 

KEN

 

67:53

 

1. Nizza 01

 

F6

 

Melanie

 

Kraus

 

31

 

GER

 

69:36

 

2. Luxemburg 99

 

F8

 

Beatrice

 

Omwanza

 

32

 

KEN

 

69:47

 

 

 

F10

 

Florence

 

Chepkurui

 

22

 

KEN

 

70:40

 

 

 

F11

 

Mary

 

Ptikany

 

28

 

KEN

 

70.18

 

1. Den Haag 05

 

F12

 

Monika

 

Drybulska

 

26

 

POL

 

73:34

 

2. Pila 02

 

F15

 

Jenny

 

Johannesson

 

29

 

SWE

 

78:23

 

 

 

Inline-Skating TOP Men

 

T1

 

Atkins

 

Sutton

 

Sieger 2005

 

71

 

GBR

 

Team Orthomol-Sport

 

T2

 

Zschätzsch

 

Daniel

 

Deut. Nat.-mannschaft, Skater des Jahres 05

 

82

 

GER

 

Team Creative-Rollerblade

 

T3

 

Begg

 

Wayne

 

Internationaler Favorit, Weltcupstarter

 

83

 

NZL

 

ZEPTO Skate Team

 

T4

 

Rubick

 

Clemens

 

Deut. Nat.-mannschaft, Sieger German Blade Challenge 05

 

85

 

GER

 

VERO-Powerslide Team

 

T5

 

Krempl

 

Bernhard

 

Skater des Jahres 04

 

84

 

GER

 

ALPA Speed Team

 

T6

 

Wieduwilt

 

Nico

 

Deutsche Nationalmannschaft, Weltcupstarter

 

82

 

GER

 

ZEPTO Skate Team

 

T7

 

Van Loon

 

Jan

 

NDL Top-Skater, Weltcupstarter

 

85

 

NDL

 

ZEPTO Skate Team

 

T8

 

Grandgirard

 

Mathieu

 

Mehrfacher Französicher Meister und Europameister

 

76

 

FRA

 

Team Creative-Rollerblade

 

T9

 

Schwierz

 

Matthias

 

Deut. Nat.-mannschaft

 

84

 

GER

 

ZEPTO Skate Team

 

Inline-Skating TOP Woman

 

X1

 

Gegner

 

Jana

 

Berlin, Siegerin 2005

 

85

 

GER

 

ZEPTO Skate Team

 

X2

 

Bak

 

Sarah

 

Siegerin German Blade Challenge 2005

 

83

 

GER

 

Team KIA Motors Germany

 

X3

 

Strüver

 

Tina

 

Deut. Nationalmannschaft, Team Europameister 2005

 

85

 

GER

 

Team KIA Motors Germany

 

X4

 

Gehring

 

Friedericke

 

Deutsche Meisterin Halbmarathon 2004

 

79

 

GER

 

Experts Race Team

 

X5

 

Wieduwilt

 

Sandra

 

Deut. Nationalmannschaft, Team Europameister 2005

 

86

 

GER

 

Powerslide Racing Team

 

X6

 

Van Tournhout

 

Britta

 

Siegerin 2004

 

83

 

BEL

 

Team KIA Motors Germany

 

X7

 

Rossow

 

Sabrina

 

Deut. Nationalmannschaft

 

86

 

GER

 

Experts Race Team

 

X8

 

Kessler

 

Denise

 

Deut. Nationalmannschaft

 

86

 

GER

 

Team KIA Motors Germany

 

X9

 

Frik

 

Anette

 

 

 

78

 

GER

 

ZEPTO Skate Team

 

X10

 

Neuling

 

Franziska

 

 

 

87

 

GER

 

Team C-Quadrat

 

MEDIA-INFORMATION

 

Press Center:

 

 

 

Opening Hours for the Press Center:

 

Radisson SAS Hotel
Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 5
10178 Berlin
Saal Rubin
Telephone: 030 – 23828 8901
Fax: 030 – 23828 3770

 

 

 

Friday, 31st March: 10 am to 6 pm
Saturday, 1st April: 11 am to 7 pm
Sunday, 2nd April: 8 am to 8 pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further Press Conferences in the Radisson SAS Hotel, Room Rubin:

 

Friday, 31 st March 2006
Topic: Top Athletes
11 am expected time: 12:15 pm

 

 

 

Sunday, 2 nd April 2006
Press Conference with Winners
expected time: 12:15 pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Media Contact:

 

Marisa Reich
Telefon: 0178 – 68 29 568
E-Mail: marisa.reich@scc-running.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Race-Director:

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Milde 0179 – 394 82 76

 

 

 

 

 

ONLINE MEDIA-SECTION

From now on the media section of the webpage of SCC-RUNNING will have a new password.

You may reach the locked media section here:

www.scc-events.com/general/presse.en.php

User name: media / Password: running

Here you’ll find all relevant information of all the events of SCC-RUNNING. Certainly you’ll also find information about the 26th Vattenfall BERLIN HALFMARATHON.