2023: Preview

Event
Magazine
All the info
for your
weekend
in Berlin!
The stars
The course
The party
Alle Infos
für dein
Wochenende
in Berlin!

© Lena Giovanazzi
Franziska Giffey
Welcome to the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARA-
THON, now in its 42nd edition!
With a striking course running
right through the heart of Berlin,
this traditional race is considered
one of the fastest and
most popular running events
of its kind. It’s one of our city’s
largest international sporting
events and a race that draws
both athletes from all over the
world and crowds of Berliners
Message from the
Governing Mayor of Berlin
cheering from the sidelines.
More than 30,000 runners
from over 120 different countries
took part last year, more
than 22,000 of whom made it
to the finish line at Brandenburg
Gate despite the unusually
cold weather. In another
fine example of the city’s internationality
and openness
and its appeal as a sports capi-
– 3 –

tal, a third of them came from
abroad.
This time, too, running fans from
across the globe have signed up
for this classic Berlin half-marathon,
again including many
top athletes. Sheila Kiprotich
Chepkirui from Kenya set a new
women’s record for the course
– 1:05:02 hours – in last year’s
race. And I’m confident that
we’ll see more records being
set this year as well, whether
it’s personal bests for recreational
athletes or world-class performances
by those at the very
top. I’ll be crossing my fingers
for all of the participants – may
they all reach the finish line and
run a race that meets their expectations.
In this spirit, I would like to
wish all of the competitors and
all of the spectators a wonderful
42nd GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON in the German
capital. My special thanks
go to the organizers and the
many volunteers whose commitment,
year after year, makes
this remarkable Berlin
sporting event possible.
Franziska Giffey
Governing Mayor of Berlin
– 4 –

Christian Jost
Welcome to the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARA-
THON!
Every year at the beginning
of spring, the international
endurance sports community
meets in Berlin and celebrates
the start of the season with
hand cycling, wheelchair racing,
skating and running at the
GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON. Of course, global
crises and the war in Ukraine
are on everyone‘s mind. With
participants from 131 nations,
we are once again providing evidence
that peaceful coexistence
is very much possible. In this
way, we are sending a clear signal
of peace and understanding.
Message
from the
Organisers
Jürgen Lock
When the signal sounds for the
start of the GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON on April 2,
2023, the worries of the participants
can step aside for a
few hours and the common
experience of peaceful community
that unites everyone
can take the stage. Anyone
who has ever stood amidst the
throng of competitors understands
what a very special moment
that is.
This is the day that all that
winter training pays off. It is rewarding
both for athletes who
are participating in this event
for the first time, as well as for
those who are launching their
athletic endeavors with their
– 6 –

»
Anyone who has ever stood amidst the throng of runners
knows how, at that moment, individual concerns disappear,
and the community experience takes the stage.
first major competition. Everyone,
whether top international
athletes or recreational
athletes, will become part of
the 35,000, who arrive each
with their own personal motivations,
but also a shared joy
in moving. As the organiser of
the GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON, SCC EVENTS lives
out its core values: cosmopolitanism,
tolerance and
acceptance. Through the symbolic
rainbow on the race bib,
we share an expression of our
core values. We want to raise
awareness, but also demonstrate
that all participants are
welcome at our events. There
is no room for hostility, racism
or homophobia at our events.
The issue of sustainability
at large events, which has
been in the spotlight for years,
continues to be of urgent
concern. In cooperation
»
– 7 –

with the Fraunhofer Institute
and a company for bio-based
reusable systems, SCC EVENTS
has succeeded in developing a
reusable cup with the highest
standards for both nature and
athletes. The patented cup will
be used for the first time at
the GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON 2023. The cooperation
with the WWF and
the Berliner Stadtmission was
also intensified. At the GREEN
LINE booth at the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON
EXPO, you can learn a lot of interesting
facts about the cups,
as well as other aspects of our
GREEN LINE. We would like to
thank all our partners, including
Generali and adidas, and
the more than 1,500 volunteers,
without whom the 42nd
GENERALI BERLIN HALF MA-
RATHON would not be possible.
We would also like to thank
the Berlin Senate and the Berlin
authorities for the trust
they have placed in us, which
has made it possible for us to
present the international face
of the German capital to the
world through a peaceful major
sporting event once again.
On behalf of SCC EVENTS, we
wish you every success and lots
of fun at the GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON 2023.
Christian Jost & Jürgen Lock
Managing Directors of SCC EVENTS
– 8 –

wünscht allen Läufer*innen
viel Erfolg beim großen:
– 9 –
Höffner Möbelgesellschaft GmbH & Co. KG • Am Rondell 1 • 12529 Schönefeld

Content
LIVESTREAM
ON APRIL 2ND
STARTING AT
9:25 AM
CLICK HERE
28 The event weekend
What takes place when and where? And
where does the course go? All the important
information at a glance.
38 The elite race
About 35,000 participants are expected
at the start in the Tiergarten between the
Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column
on April 2nd. The field at the front is better
than ever before in the history of the race.
We are presenting the favourites.
64 German hopes
With Deborah Schöneborn, one of the
best German road runners will start at the
GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON. And
she has a home game. We would like to introduce
you to the Berliner, but also to many
other runners from Germany and Berlin who
are good for fast times.
82 The city
Berlin, this fascinating city where everyone
can do their own thing, has so many exciting
and entertaining things to offer beyond the
course. An overview.
10

94 The hobby runners
Also
Skydiver at 62. Three generations from one
family. And an influencer with 1.5 million
followers. We are sharing three of 35,000
stories from the main field here.
112 We‘re hiking!
At a new event, you‘ll get to know the beautiful
area in the north-east of Berlin near Bernau.
Find out more about the HIKING HERO, which
covers 44 kilometres of trails.
132 The preparation
The training is done. Now it‘s important to be
well rested for the start of the half marathon.
You can read about what is really important in
the last 72 hours before the race here.
142 On wheels
The inline skaters are eagerly awaiting the
GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON. For them
it is the first big event of the year. Read all about
the magical moments when the inline scene in
Berlin awakens from hibernation.
14 — The most beautiful photos from the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON 2022
72 — Diversity: How the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON is committed to diversity
158 — Equipment: How the new Ultraboost Light has become 30 percent lighter
166 — Imprint and organisation of the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON 2023
11

42ND GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON
The biggest.
The most spectacular.
With you. Thanks to you!
Germany‘s biggest and most
spectacular half marathon
will start on the grand boulevard
Strasse des 17. Juni on
April 2. And finally, we will be
back to a GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON like we knew
it before the COVID pandemic.
Around 35,000 runners have
registered for the 21.0975-
km competition. They come
from 131 different nations. The
42nd GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON has never been
more international. The race is
also one of the biggest races
worldwide over this distance.
The race was fully booked weeks
before the registration deadline
at the beginning of March.
It is now returning to its pre-
COVID pandemic dimensions. In
2019, the previous record number
of entries was just under
36,000 athletes. In addition to
the runners, the inline skaters,
wheelchair ath-letes and hand
cyclists will also be competing
on April 2. These races will start
at 9:30 a.m. and thus well before
the first wave of the running
event, which is scheduled for
10:05 a.m.. For all of the events,
the finish line will be shortly
after the athletes have passed
through the Brandenburg
Gate on the Strasse des 17 Juni.
The GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON is not only one of
the biggest but also one of the
top races worldwide. With the
Kenyans Felix Kipkoech and
Alex Kibet, the winners of the
last two editions will face off.

W H AT E V E R Y O N E
This medal
D E S I R E S
awaits everyone who
finishes the
42nd GENERALI
BERLIN HALF
MARATHON.
But their compatriot Sabastian
Sawe may be the runner to beat.
The Ethiopian Tsigie Gebreselama,
who recently won the silver
medal at the World Cross Country
Championships, will start as
the women’s favourite. Among
others, the German aces Johannes
Motschmann and Deborah
Schöneborn, as well as the
young hopeful Blanka Dörfel,
will start for Marathon Team
Berlin. On the following pages
you can read everything about
your half marathon in Berlin
and what‘s happening around
the race in the capital. Let‘s
start with some of the best pictures
from previous years. Time
to get inspired and motivated!

Anticipation
When the sun rises over the east
side of Berlin early in the morning
on April 2, everything will be ready
for a great 42nd GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON.

At 10:05 am, the fastest runners
will set out on the course. And
after them, about 35,000 others
will start in five waves on the grand
boulevard Strasse des 17. Juni.

ISOTONISCH
VITAMINHALTIG
KALORIENREDUZIERT
MEHR INFOS >>

Celebrate and be celebrated:
Runners love this just as
much as the spectators do
along the 21.0975 kilometres
through Berlin.
Anticipation

Wenn kurz When nach the dem first Start runner die Siegessäule passiert
wird, steigt approaches die Stimmung the finish bei allen line, Teilnehmer:innen
des the GENERALI excitement BERLINER at the HALBMARATHON, ...
Brandenburg Gate rises.

Anticipation
The rhythm of Berlin: now that COVID
has lost its viscious grip, there are
more music groups along the
route to get the runners
motivated.

Finally, participants and spectators
can be close to one another again.
Just like before the COVID pandemic.

Anticipation

The Brandenburg Gate in view,
the TV Tower at your back.
That’s all you need to release
the endorphins in your body
on the last few metres.
Anticipation

And then it‘s over. Everyone who
runs through the Brandenburg
Gate is a winner. Now they can
simply enjoy the last metres to
the finish.

Your programme for
the half marathon
weekend

FRIDAY, MARCH 31
Former Tempelhof Airport
HALF MARATHON EXPO 11:00 am to 8:00 pm
Berlin-Tempelhof | Platz der Luftbrücke 5
SATURDAY, APRIL 1
Former Tempelhof Airport
HALF MARATHON EXPO 9:00 am to 6:30 pm
Bambini Run
11:00 am
presented by ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg
KidsSkating
1:00 pm
Berlin-Tempelhof | Platz der Luftbrücke 5
✆ HOTLINE
+49 (0) 30 30 12 88 10
Friday, March 31: 10:00 am to 8:30 pm
Saturday, April 1: 8:30 am to 7:00 pm
Sunday, April 2: 7:30 am to 3:00 pm
SUNDAY, APRIL 2
Strasse des 17. Juni
Start Inline Skating
9:30 am
Start Wheelchair & Hand Cycles 9:55 am
Start Running (1st wave) 10:05 am
Start Running (2nd wave) 10:21 am
Start Running (3rd wave) 10:35 am
Start Running (4th wave) 10:50 am
Start Running (5th wave) 11:10 am
Livestream
9:25 bis 1:00 pm
with René Hiepen on YouTube: @SCCEVENTSTube
Festival Hall Kreuzberg
Closing party
8:00 pm
Admission: 5 Euro
Berlin-Kreuzberg | Am Flutgraben 2
M A R K
Y O U R
C A L E N D A R S
GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON 2024
>>> APRIL 7, 2024

THE ROUTE
The hot spots
and monuments

The 21.0975-kilometre route
Texte: Christian
through
Ermert
Berlin
& Anja Herrlitz
is a very special kind of
sightseeing tour. As you run, you will pass the most striking sights of
the German capital. The beautiful Gendarmenmarkt square with the
French and German cathedrals is a hot spot two kilometres before the
finish. You can read about what else awaits participants and the
spectators along the course here.
Texte: Christian Ermert | Fotos: privat

THE ROUTE
There is no tourism organisation
that brings you past as
many historical and cultural monuments,
no matter how speedy
the tour is, as this race. With the
CHARLOTTENBURG PALACE
KM 4|5
Victory Column at your feet and
the Brandenburg Gate at your
back, the first few metres are
brilliant. Then you passthe Technical
University, head around
Ernst-Reuter-Platz, and then run
four kilometres straight ahead
to Charlottenburg Palace. Here,
where the route takes a sharp
left towards Bismarckstrasse, the
popular samba band Alegria do
Samba will be loudly drumming.
Many spectators and fans know
this and come to this hot spot to
cheer on the runners.
Before turning onto Berlin‘s
most popular shopping boulevard,
Ku‘Damm, the course runs
for about three kilometres with
a short detour past the idyllic
Lietzensee lake. A short climb is
followed by a few hundred metres
„downhill“ along Kantstrasse,
where you can pick up speed
for the rest of the journey. On
Ku‘Damm, the beats of the live
musicians increase, more and
more people line the route, the
atmosphere rises. Past the Kaiser
Wilhelm Memorial Church,
the route goes straight across
Wittenbergplatz, home of the
famous department store
KaDeWe, and Nollendorfplatz
to Potsdamer Strasse. Behind
KM 15|16
POTSDAMER PLATZ
»
Marieke Fiona Wittneben vom WWF

MEMORIAL CHURCH
KM 11|12
metres. These proceed as if in
a frenzy along the magnificent
Unter den Linden boulevard to
the Brandenburg Gate, before
passing through the landmark
of Berlin‘s separation 150 metres
before the finish. It is hard
to imagine a more emotional finish.
The course is flat and particularly
fast, so it‘s always good
a good race for an attempt to
top your personal best. In addition,
the course is very specta-
BERLIN PALACE
KM 18|19
Potsdamer Platz, you approach
the centre of Berlin with the
TV Tower towering over everything
at Alexanderplatz. With
Germany‘s tallest building (368
m) behind you, you make your
way through the centre of Berlin
past Checkpoint Charlie, the
Berlin Palace and the Gendarmenmarkt.
The most beautiful
square in Berlin with the Schauspielhaus
concert hall, the
French Cathedral and the German
Cathedral is a turbulent
hot spot of the route. From here
it‘s straight onto the final kilotor-friendly;
many points can be
easily reached by underground
or S-Bahn or by bike.
– 33 –

Droysenstr.
COURSE MAP
B I G G E R
GENERALI BERLINER HALBMARATHON
Sonntag, 2. April 2023
Streckenplan/Course Map
M A P
Schloß
Charlottenburg
Wittenbergplatz
Richard-Wagner-
Platz
Schloßstraße
4
Otto-Suhr-Allee
A100
Kaiserdamm
Wundtstr.
5
3
6
Neue Kantstr.
Bismarckstraße
Kaiser-Friedrich-Straße
7
10
8
Kantstraße
Kurfürstendamm
2
Zoologischer
Garten
11 12
1
Ernst-
Reuter-
Platz
Gedächtnis-
Kirche
Tauentzienstr.
9
18
Kilometer
Querungsmöglichkeit für PKW
Crossing for Vehicles
Achtung, Gefahrenstellen Skater!
Attention
Erste Hilfe
First Aid
KM 5: Wasser +
Water/Te
KM 10,5: Wasser +
Water/Te
KM 14,5 Wasser +
Water/Te
KM 17,5: Wasser +
Water/Te
– 34 –

KM 5: Wasser + Tee + Maurten Drink Mix 160
Water/Tea and Maurten Drink Mix 160
KM 10,5:
KM 14,5
KM 17,5:
Wasser + Tee
Water/Tea
Wasser + Tee + Maurten Hydrogel 100 + Bananen
Water/Tea + Maurten Hydrogel 100 + Banana
Wasser + Tee + Maurten Drink Mix 160 + Bananen
Water/Tea + Maurten Drink Mix 160 + Banana
Cheering
Point
Cheering Point
adidas
Hauptbahnhof
An der
Urania Urania
Siegessäule
13
Lützowufer
Lützowufe
Straße des 17. Juni
START
f
14
ZIEL
FINISH
Potsdamer Str.
Brandenburger Tor
21
Potsdamer Platz
Unter den Linden
Leipziger Str.
16
15 17
Potsdamer Platz
Wilhelmstr.
20
19
Kochstr.
Berliner
Dom
Mühlendamdamm
Friedrich-
straße straße
Gertrauden-
straße straße
Karl-L
Karl-Liebknecht-Str.
18
Spittelmarkt
Alexanderstr.
Fernsehturm
Grunerstr.
Tee + Maurten Drink Mix 160
a and Maurten Drink Mix 160
Tee
a
Tee + Maurten Hydrogel 100 + Bananen
a + Maurten Hydrogel 100 + Banana
Tee + Maurten Drink Mix 160 + Bananen
a + Maurten Drink Mix 160 + Banana
Cheering
Point
Cheering Point
adidas
Cheering Point
GENERALI
Cheering Point
Maurten Gel Depot
– 35 –

PASSING TIMES
KILOMETRES
LEADING INLINESKATERS
LEADING HANDBIKERS
LEADING RUNNERS
LAST RUNNERS
LOCATION
Start 09:30 09:55 10:05 11:28 Straße des 17. Juni vor Großer Stern
1 09:31 09:57 10:07 11:37 Straße des 17. Juni | Klopstockstraße
2 09:32 10:00 10:10 11:46 Straße des 17. Juni | Einsteinufer
3 09:34 10:03 10:13 11:56 Otto-Suhr-Allee 42
4 09:35 10:06 10:16 12:05 Otto-Suhr-Allee 144
5 09:37 10:09 10:19 12:14 Schloßstraße 26
6 09:38 10:12 10:22 12:24 Wundtstr. 46
7 09:40 10:15 10:25 12:33 Neue Kantstraße 28
8 09:41 10:17 10:27 12:42 Droysenstr. 4
9 09:43 10:20 10:30 12:52 Kurfürstendamm 142
10 09:44 10:23 10:33 13:01 Kurfürstendamm 63
11 09:46 10:26 10:36 13:10 Kurfürstendamm 31
12 09:47 10:29 10:39 13:20 Tauentzienstr. 7 a
13 09:49 10:32 10:42 13:29 Nollendorfplatz 2
14 09:50 10:35 10:45 13:38 Potsdamer Straße 97
15 09:52 10:38 10:48 13:48 Potsdamer Str. 33
16 09:53 10:40 10:50 13:57 Wilhelmstr. 97
17 09:54 10:43 10:53 14:06 Leipziger Str. 30
18 09:56 10:46 10:56 14:16 Getraudenstr. 10-12
19 09:57 10:49 10:59 14:25 Französische Straße 33a-c
20 09:59 10:52 11:02 14:34 Französische Str. | Friedrichstraße
21 10:00 10:55 11:05 14:44 Straße des 17. Juni | Ebertstraße
Finish 10:00 10:55 11:05 14:44 Straße des 17. Juni
– 36 –

Foto: ® skynesher / iStockphoto
DEIN LAUF.
DEINE CHALLENGE.
Sichere dir dein Charity-Ticket für großartige Laufevents:
wwf.de/charity-run
Der WWF ist offizieller Charity-Partner des GENERALI BERLINER HALBMARATHON.
Laufend aktiv für den Schutz unserer Wälder!

THE ELITE RACES
The best
line-up
in history
The winners of the past two years. A Kenyan with a super-fast
best time of 58:02 minutes. The runner-up in the
cross-country world championships. Plus some of the best
Germans. On the following pages you can read about the
top runners who will be taking off on the super-fast, super-flat
course, barely taking a glance at the many sights
between the Victory Column and the Brandenburg Gate.
Texte: Jörg Wenig
No time, as they will be on the hunt for international top
times and top placings.

It is unlikely that last year‘s winner Alex Kibet will
be running alone at kilometre twelve shortly after
passing the Memorial Church, as he did in 2022,
given the strong line-up on April 2.

THE ELITE RACES
Texts: Jörg Wenig
The men’s winners from the
past two years and a female
runner who is in absolute
top form: the 42nd GENERA-
LI BERLIN HALF MARATHON
promises another world-class
race through Berlin‘s city centre.
With the Kenyans Felix Kipkoech
and Alex Kibet, we will
see the return of two athletes
who won the GENERALI BER-
LIN HALF MARATHON in 2021
and 2022 respectively. The
fastest runner on the start
list, however, is their compatriot
Sabastian Sawe, who has
a world-class time of 58:02
minutes. Meanwhile, an Ethiopian
woman will enter the
race as the favourite: Tsigie
Gebreselama was runner-up
in the world cross-country
championships a few weeks
ago. Results lying somewhere
in the range of the course
records of 58:42 minutes and
1:05:02 hours are quite possible,
provided the weather conditions
are right. The German
road running scene is currently
stronger than ever before.
A number of top national runners
will start at the GENERA-
LI BERLIN HALF MARATHON.
Among them are Johannes
Motschmann and Deborah
Schöneborn, two athletes who
run for the Marathon Team
Berlin of the organising club
SC Charlottenburg.

Die Gruppe ist bekannt für besondere Servicequalität, ihre einzigartigen Unterkünfte
mit oftmals historischer Architektur, ihre Liebe zum Detail
und ihre erstklassigen kulinarischen Angebote.
The Group is known for special quality of service, its unique accommodations often
with historic architecture, its attention to detail and its first-class culinary offerings.
– 41 –
#onlyintitanic
titanic-hotels.com

THE MEN‘S RACE
The field of runners
has never been better
Four runners with best times
of under 59 minutes and two
others who have already broken
the hour barrier—the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON has
never been so strong in terms
of absolute top times. Sabastian
Sawe leads the start list with a
personal record of 58:02. However,
the Kenyan ran this time as
he won the traditional Rome-Ostia
Half Marathon. The course of
this race has a slight downhill slope,
so the times do not find their
way into the official best and
record lists. Philemon Kiplimo is
number two on the Berlin start
list with a time of 58:11 minutes.
The Kenyan finished fifth in Valencia
in 2020.
The last two winners will
be at the start
Sabastian Sawe and Philemon
Kiplimo will also have to contend
with two compatriots who
won the GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON in the past
two years, each achieving personal
best times of under 59
minutes: in 2021 Felix Kipkoech
ran 58:57 minutes in the
German capital and celebrated
what is still the biggest victory
of his career. In freezing cold
conditions, Alex Kibet crossed
the finish line at the Brandenburg
Gate as the winner in
58:55 minutes a year ago—a
very respectable time considering
the weather conditions.
– 42 –

Alex Kibet finished in 58:55 minutes at the Brandenburg
Gate in 2022. This is the second fastest time in the history
of the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON. In order
to achieve that time, he ran the 21.098 kilometres with
an average pace of 2:47 minutes per kilometre ...
The fastest times in Berlin
Time Runner Country Year
58:42 Eric Kiptanui KEN 2018
58:55 Alex Kibet KEN 2022
58:56 Patrick Makau KEN 2007
58:57 Felix Kipkoech KEN 2021
59:07 Paul Kosgei KEN 2006
59:14 Dennis Kimetto KEN 2012
59:14 Leonard Komon KEN 2014
59:14 Abraham Cheroben KEN 2014
59:15 Wilson Kiprop KEN 2012
59:22 Ezekiel Chebii KEN 2012

Dominic Lobalu and Gemechu
Dida are the other two runners
who have already finished under
an hour with best times
of 59:12 and 59:21 minutes respectively.
While Dida comes
from Ethiopia, Lobalu comes
from South Sudan and lives as
a refugee in Switzerland. He is
part of the Swiss Refugee Team
of the title sponsor GENERALI.
Strong group of
German athletes
The runner who was surprisingly
the fastest German athlete a
year ago is returning to the GE-
NERALI BERLIN HALF MARA-
THON: Johannes Motschmann
finished tenth in 2022, improving
his time to 1:01:45 hours.
This also currently makes him
the tenth-fastest German half
marathon runner of all time.
The 28-year-old leads a group
of strong national athletes. Samuel
Fitwi Sibhatu (Silvesterlauf
Trier), who clocked 1:01:56
in Dresden in 2021, also has a
best time of under 1:02 hours.
However, both have already
run a marathon in the past two
months, so it remains to be seen
how quickly they can recover.
Hendrik Pfeiffer (TK Hannover/best
time: 1:02:05 h), Sebastian
Hendel (LG Braunschweig/1:02:28
h) and Aaron
Bienenfeld (SSC Hanau-Rodenbach/1:022:33
h) also have
good chances in the fight for
the position of the best German
runner in Berlin. Philipp
Pflieger (Marathon Team Berlin/1:02:50
h) will also return to
the GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON. Erik Hille (LG Telis
Finanz Regensburg/1:04:29
h) and the just 21-year-old Tom
Förster (LG Voigtland/1:04:50
h) complete the field of top German
runners.
– 44 –

Half marathon bests
MEN’S RECORDS
WOMEN’S RECORDS
Course record
58:42 Eric Kiptanui (KEN) 2018
World record
57:31 Jacob Kiplimo (UGA)
Lissabon/POR (2021)
European record
59:13 Julien Wanders (SUI)
Ras Al Khaimah/UAE (2019)
German record
1:00:09 Amanal Petros (TV Wattenscheid)
Valencia (2021)
Berlin record
1:00:59 Amanal Petros (SCC Berlin)
Ras Al Khaimah/UAE (2023)
Course record
1:05:02 Sheila Kiprotich Chepkirui (KEN) 2022
World record
1:02:52 Letesenbet Gidey (ETH)
Valencia (2021)
European record
1:05:15 Sifan Hassan (NED)
Kopenhagen/DEN (2018)
German record
1:05:18 Melat Kejeta (Laufteam Kassel)
Gdynia/POL (2020)
Berlin record
1:07:58 Uta Pippig (SCC Berlin)
Kyoto/JPN (1995)
Johannes Motschmann was
surprisingly the fastest German
last year in 1:01:45 hours.

THE FAVOURITE
SABASTIAN SAWE
From a no-name
to a champion
runner
When Sabastian Sawe
shows up at the start,
the organisers and spectators
can expect to be delighted.
Time and again, the Kenyan
provides spectacular results.
But it was a year ago
that the now 28-year-old ran
in his first race in Europe. He
thus took the step into international
road running very
late, which almost always requires
the help of a manager.
In the years before, Sabastian
Sawe ran sporadically in national
races in Kenya, but on
the track and not longer than
5000 metres.
Starting late in his international
career, however, Sabastian
Sawe immediately created
a sensation. He won the
Seville Half Marathon in January
2022 as a “no-name”
in a world-class time of 59:02
minutes. This was a course
record, a world best time for
the year and one of the fastest
half marathon debuts of
all time—it would be hard to
beat that debut. And a few
weeks later, Sabastian Sawe
ran exactly one minute faster:
at the traditional Rome-Ostia
Half Marathon, he pulverised
the course record and trium-
– 46 –

© imago images/Pressinphoto
Sabastian Sawe set his best performance of 58:02 minutes at the Rome-Ostia
Half Marathon.
phed in 58:02 minutes, well
over a minute ahead. This is
his personal best. But because
the course of the race in
Italy slopes slightly, the time
cannot be included in the official
best lists. „This was only
my second race in Europe. I
am happy to have achieved
such a time,“ said Sabastian
Sawe, who ran two more half
marathon races last year. In
Valencia he finished sixth in
59:23 minutes, then he won in
Manama (Bahrain) in December
with another top course
record of 58:58 minutes.
Sabastian Sawe also caused
a stir in the summer: At the
track and field meet in Brussels,
he won the hour race
with a distance of 21.250 kilometres.
While he was not able
to keep up the world record

© imago images/Belga
pace he had set in the hot
temperatures of 27 degrees
Celsius, it was enough for a
world best time over 15,000
metres. Sabastian Sawe passed
this point in 41:51.64 minutes.
He thus took the world
best time from none other
than Haile Gebrselassie. The
Ethiopian superstar had run
42:18.7 minutes in Ostrava in
2007.
As the last of the favourites
to be signed for the starting
field of the GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON, it would be
no surprise if Sabastian Sawe
crossed the finish line at the
Brandenburg Gate first.
At the track and field meeting in
Brussels, Sabastian Sawe missed
the hour world record in the heat
of summer in 2022, but set a best
time over 15,000 metres.

THE GERMAN HOPE
JOHANNES MOTSCHMANN
A marathon ace
thanks to Corona
Exactly four weeks before
the GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON, Johannes
Motschmann ran a personal
best at the Tokyo Marathon.
He improved there to a time
of 2:11:30 hours after having
run a pace for a target time
of under 2:10 for much of the
race. In the final third, however,
Johannes Motschmann
was no longer able to maintain
this pace. The time between
the marathon in Japan and
the race in Berlin is really too
short, but the 28-year-old still
wants to head to the start at
the GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON.
How much is possible so
shortly after the Tokyo
Marathon?
One should certainly not set
the expectations too high in
view of the extremely short
regeneration phase, following
what was probably the best
performance of his career for
Johannes Motschmann in the
race over the „half distance“
in Berlin a year ago. To everyone’s
surprise, he was the
best German runner at that
time, overtaking the German
record holder Amanal Petros
and running a strong best
time of 61:45 minutes. In the
summer, the greatest suc-
– 50 –

– 51 –
© imago images/Andreas Gora

cess of his career followed:
At the European Championships
in Munich, Johannes
Motschmann was part of the
German team that won the
silver medal in the team classification.
In 16th place in the
individual classification with
a time of 2:14:52, he was the
third-best German runner in
midsummer temperatures.
The COVID pandemic
brought him to the
Marathon
The fact that Johannes Motschmann,
who studies medicine
at the University of
Bochum and used to be a
3000-metre hurdler, ran his
first marathon in 2020 was related
to the COVID pandemic
and the corresponding lockdowns.
„Actually, I wanted to
compete in cross races, but
they were all cancelled due
to the pandemic,“ Johannes
Motschmann says. „I always
had it in my head that one day
Top runners in Berlin 2023
Runner Country Time
Sabastian Sawe KEN 0:58:02
Philemon Kiplimo KEN 0:58:11
Alex Kibet KEN 0:58:55
Felix Kipkoech KEN 0:58:57
Dominic Lobalu SSD 0:59:12
Gemechu Dida ETH 0:59:21
Zerei Mezngi NOR 1:00:01
Ali Chebures UGA 1:00:53
Johannes Motschmann GER 1:01:45
Samuel Fitwi Sibhatu GER 1:01:56
Hendrik Pfeiffer GER 1:02:05
Sebastian Hendel GER 1:02:28
Aaron Bienenfeld GER 1:02:33
Philipp Pflieger GER 1:02:56
I would run a marathon. That
then became my new challenge
in autumn 2020.“
He ran his debut in Vienna in
December 2020 and impres-
– 52 –

© imago images/Sven Simon
In 2022, Johannes Motschmann celebrated his greatest success to date: at the
European Championships in Munich he finished 16th in the marathon and won
silver with the German team led by European champion Richard Ringer. Since
then, he has been a popular guy for selfies.
sed with a time of 2:14:38. In
October 2021, Motschmann
improved to 2:12:18 hours in
Rotterdam. This performance
was enough to allow him to
compete at the European
Championships and since
then, the marathon has been
the focus for Johannes Motschmann.
– 53 –

THE GERMAN HOPE
HENDRIK PFEIFFER
Top times with
a new club
lot has changed for Hendrik
Pfeiffer since he last A
participated as a pacemaker at
the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
in Berlin at the end of September
2022: the 30-year-old has
been running in a new jersey
since the beginning of the year.
He no longer runs for his longtime
club TV Wattenscheid but
for TK Hannover. He has now
made a new home in the capital
of Lower Saxony, where
the organisers of the Hanover
Marathon have also offered
the journalism student some
professional prospects. And
Hendrik Pfeiffer is also to become
the figurehead of a new
running project of the Lower
Saxony Athletics Association,
as they plan on building up a
strong running team there.
Since the European Championships
in the summer of 2022,
with a 24th place finish in Munich
in August and a silver medal
in the European Cup with
the German marathon team,
Hendrik Pfeiffer has also taken
over his own training. His coach
of many years, Tono Kirschbaum,
continues to support him
in an advisory capacity.
Hendrik Pfeiffer specialised in
the marathon early on. In 2016,
he caused a sensation when
he finished third in the 42.195
kilometres at the Düsseldorf
Marathon with a time of 2:13:11
hours, which provided a „last
minute“ Olympic qualification.
But the dream of starting at
the Games had to wait. Due to
serious heel injuries, he first
missed the Olympics in Rio and
– 54 –

Hendrik Pfeiffer gets
fit in Kenya for the
GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON.

then also missed out on the
European Championships in
Berlin in 2018. After two operations,
however, Hendrik Pfeiffer
made a successful comeback in
2020: In Seville, he ran his current
best time of 2:10:18 hours,
with which he qualified for the
Olympics in Japan. In Sapporo,
where the Olympic marathon
races were held in 2021, he finished
50th. In 2022, Hendrik
Pfeiffer ran to the biggest victory
of his career to date: he
won the Hanover Marathon and
finished with the second-fastest
time of his career in 2:10:59.
This was followed by the European
Championship marathon
in Munich, where he was not in
top form due to a bout of COVID
during his training, but he still
won the silver medal with the
German team.
Siesta time for this running
couple Iten: Hendrik
Pfeiffer and Esther Jacobitz
weren’t just training
partners for weeks in
Kenya—the winner of the
half distance at the Cologne
Marathon 2022 will
attack her half marathon
best time (1:15:53 h) in
Berlin, just like her boyfriend
plans to do.

29.07.2023
berlin-citynight.de

THE WOMEN‘S RACE
Under 1:05 hours
for the first time?
With the signing of Tsigie
Gebreselama, race director
Mark Milde and the women’s
athlete manager, Christoph
Kopp, and their team
may have just hit the bull‘s
eye. The young Ethiopian surprised
everyone by winning
the silver medal at the World
Cross Country Championships
in Bathurst, Australia, in February.
In addition, the 22-year-old
is the fastest runner on
the start list of the GENERA-
LI BERLIN HALF MARATHON
with a best time of 1:05:46
hours. The World Cross Country
Championships success
suggests that Tsigie Gebreselama
is in good shape to significantly
beat her best time
over the „half distance“. It is
possible that for the first time
in the history of the GENERA-
LI BERLIN HALF MARATHON a
woman could achieve a time of
under 1:05 hours. That would
make it the fourth course record
in a row. In 2022, Kenyan
Sheila Kiprotich Chepkirui
crossed the finish line at the
Brandenburg Gate in 1:05:02
minutes.
Five others with best
times under 1:09 hours
The competition for Tsigie Gebreselama
will be strong, however,
as two Kenyans with personal
records between 1:06:30 and
1:07:30 hours have been signed:
Betty Kibet (best: 1:06:37 h) and
Ludwina Chepngetich (1:07:30
h). Three other female athletes
have best times of under 1:09
hours.
– 58 –

Sheila Kiprotich Chepkirui
narrowly missed her first
sub-1:05 time in Berlin last
year, but she set a new
course record in 1:05:02.
The fastest times in Berlin
© imago images/Andreas Gora
Time Runner Country Year
1:05:02 Sheila Kiprotich Chepkirui KEN 2022
1:05:15 Joyciline Jepkosgei KEN 2021
1:05:21 Nancy Meto KEN 2021
1:05:45 Sifan Hassan NED 2019
1:05:50 Joyce Chepkemoi KEN 2022
1:06:34 Irene Kimais KEN 2022
1:06:48 Viola Chepngeno KEN 2022
1:07:16 Edith Masai KEN 2006
1:07:32 Valary Aiyabei KEN 2021
1:07:34 Deena Kastor USA 2006

One German runner in the
elite field of the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON
has already achieved a time
of under 1:10 hours: Deborah
Schöneborn improved to
1:09:41 in Seville in January
and then ran the marathon
in Seville in February with a
best time (2:25:52 h). If the
Berliner manages to recover
fully despite the very short
time gap, she could achieve a
top 10 finish in her home city.
Blanka Dörfel is also competing
for Marathon Team Berlin.
The 20-year-old junior
hopeful, who has already clocked
1:11:54 in the half marathon,
is now looking to bounce
back after foot problems
last year. Laura Hottenrott
(PSV Grün-Weiß Kassel/best
time: 1:10:49 h) could also
play a key role.
The Marathon Team Berlin of
the organising club SCC Berlin
has three more runners at the
start: Lisa Hahner (best time:
1:14:05 h), who is returning to
running and competing in her
first major international race
in years. They will be joined
by Katja Fischer (1:15:18) and
Christina Gerdes (1:16:28).
„Mocki“ returns
Mariya Mazurenko, a top Ukrainian
athlete who runs for SCC
Berlin, will also be at the start.
She has a half marathon best
of 1:13:43, which she set within
her 25K race, which she won in
Berlin in 2022. A former champion
also returns to Germany‘s
biggest half marathon: 42-year-old
Sabrina Mockenhaupt,
who has ended her competitive
career but is still fit, won the
race in 2009 in 1:08:45.
– 60 –

© imago images/Camera4
Sabrina Mockenhaupt won the Berlin half
marathon in 2009. The 42-year-old has
now ended her competitive career, but
she will be participating again in Berlin.
Top Female Runners Berlin 2023
Runner Country Year
Tsigie Gebreselama ETH 1:05:46
Betty Kibet KEN 1:06:37
Ludwina Chepngetich KEN 1:07:30
Samantha Harrison GBR 1:08:12
Sarah Lahti SWE 1:08:19
Yalemget Yaregal ETH 1:08:58
Deborah Schöneborn GER 1:09:41
Laura Hottenrott GER 1:10:49
Faith Kimutai KEN 1:10:54
Blanka Dörfel GER 1:11:54
Thea Heim GER 1:13:26

THE FAVOURITE
TSIGIE GEBRESELAMA
© imago images/USA TODAY Network
Damn young.
Damn fast.
Ethiopia and Kenya are
constantly producing new
world-class runners from an
almost endless pool of talent.
Tsigie Gebreselama belongs
to the latest generation of
top Ethiopian athletes. Only
22 years old, she already
has a number of world-class
performances under her
belt. She ran the best race
of her young career only a
few weeks ago: At the World
Cross Country Champion-

ships—probably the toughest
race in the world due to the
enormously strong competition—Tsigie
Gebreselama won
the silver medal. This success
in Bathurst, Australia, makes
her the top favourite for the
GENERALI BERLIN HALF MA-
RATHON. In addition, Tsigie
Gebreselama is also the fastest
runner on the start list
with her half marathon best
time of 1:05:46 hours.
The impressive performance
at the World Cross Championships
suggests that the
young athlete could run the
half marathon much faster
than before, possibly breaking
the course record and
becoming the first athlete
to achieve a time under 1:05
hours in Berlin. „I work hard
every day and get stronger
through my training. That is
why I am succeeding, which I
am very happy about,“ Tsigie
Gebreselama wrote on her Instagram
page. Unlike most of
Ethiopia‘s top runners, who
pretty much remain out of
the spotlight, she makes an
effort to post in English. At
home in Addis Ababa, she is
trained by her husband and
coach Daniel Gidey.
As a 20-year-old, she managed
to qualify for the 2021
Olympics in the 10,000 metres
with a world-class best
time of 30:06.01 minutes. However,
she was unlucky at the
Tokyo Games and had to retire
due to injury. „I was very
disappointed. But one day I
will be back at the Olympics,“
said Tsigie Gebreselama, who
competed in her first international
road race in Turkey
in November 2019. She won
the 15-kilometre race, which
is held alongside the Istanbul
Marathon. Last year, Tsigie
Gebreselama ran her first half
marathon, finishing second in
Copenhagen with a top time
of 1:06:35. Just over a month
later, she improved her time
in Valencia to 1:05:46, again
finishing second.

THE GERMAN HOPE
DEBORAH SCHÖNEBORN
Debbie Schöneborn ended the year
2022 with a great success: she won
the New Year‘s Eve run in Trier. And
she started 2023 off just as successfully,
with personal best times
over the half and full marathon
distances, both in Seville.
– 64 –

Enjoying her
hometown
Deborah Schöneborn, who
starts for the Marathon
Team Berlin of the organising
club SCC Berlin, already
showed strong form this year
and set two new personal best
times. The now 29-year-old
Berliner first improved her PR
at the Seville Half Marathon in
January to 1:09:41 hours, staying
under the 70-minute mark
for the first time and thus moving
up to eleventh place in the
list of the fastest German runners
of all time over this distance.
About a month later, she
returned to Seville and also ran
a personal record in the marathon.
With a time of 2:25:52
hours, „Debbie“ Schöneborn
has already taken an important
step towards qualifying for the
2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Although the time gap between
the marathon in Spain
and the GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON is actually
too short at six weeks, Debbie
Schöneborn will run on April
2. „I can‘t miss a start at the
Generali BERLIN HALF MARA-
THON, it‘s one of my favourite
races. It‘s always something
very special to run in a big
race in your hometown,“ says
the runner, whose twin sister
Rabea Schöneborn is competing
in the Hanover Marathon
a week earlier.
In the last few years, the Schöneborn
twins have developed
strongly in parallel. They
move in almost identical performance
ranges. Both were
– 65 –

Deborah (right) and her twin Rabea Schöneborn start together for Marathon
Team Berlin. But only Debbie runs the half marathon. Rabea hopes to come
closer to qualifying for the 2024 Olympics at the Hanover Marathon.
part of the German team that
surprisingly won the bronze
medal at the World Half
Marathon Championships in
Gdynia (Poland) in 2020 and
both ran strong races at the
European Championships
in Munich last year. Debbie
Schöneborn finished tenth
and Rabea followed in twelfth
place. Together with the German
team, they won the Marathon
European Cup, which
was integrated into the European
Championships. Debbie
Schöneborn had already proved
to be a strong championship
runner the year before:
She finished a strong 18th at
the Olympic Games, after narrowly
beating her sister in the
qualifying round in the battle
for the third German starting
spot.
– 66 –

IM
TEAM
ANS
ZIEL
25. Mai 2023
Brandenburg an der Havel | Packhofgelände
4 x 5 km-Staffel mit anschließendem Picknick teamstaffel-brandenburg.de
– 67 –

LOCAL HERO
BLANKA DÖRFEL
Talent on
the rise
From trampolining to running
and then straight to
the top: that was the first phase
of Blanka Dörfel‘s athletic
career. As a teenager and junior,
the now 20-year-old set
a series of personal best times
that culminated in two remarkable
half-marathon results in
2021. In Dresden, Blanka Dörfel
ran the 21.0975 kilometres for
the first time in an elite-only
race in the middle of the CO-
VID lockdown. In the longest
race of her career to date, she
immediately broke the German
record in the under-20
age group with a time of 1:12:31
hours. About half a year later,
she even increased this best
time to 1:11:54 in Hamburg, making
Blanka Dörfel the second-
fastest junior (under 20) in the
world in 2021. And she had
improved the original German
record time of Miriam Dattke
(1:15:50 h) by almost four minutes.
That‘s worlds apart, even
with the new, performance-enhancing
running shoe models.
Foot problem halts
rocket-like ascent
Spring of 2022 was actually
supposed to be the start of
the next stage of her career,
as she successfully completed
her A-levels (Abitur) in
Cottbus. Without the school
load, it became much easier
to concentrate on competitive
sport. Blanka Dörfel lived
in the Cottbus sports boarding
school for over seven years.
– 68 –

Blanka Dörfel is considered one of
Germany‘s greatest running talents
and competes for the Marathon
Team Berlin of SCC Berlin. The club
is the organization behind the
GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON and the BMW BERLIN-
MARATHON. The half marathon
is the first really big race for the
20-year-old in a long time,
after foot problems slowed
her down in 2022.
© imago images/Beautiful Sports

In 2021, Blanka Dörfel celebrated
a big victory when she won the
5000 metres on the track at the
German Under 23 Championships
at the age of 19.
© imago images/Beautiful Sports
– 70 –

The GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON was on the schedule
as the first big race of the
season. But a foot problem got
in the way of Blanka Dörfel’s
plans. For about three months
she was unable to compete at
all, and in the second half of
the year she only was able to
run a few races.
Primary goal for 2023:
The U23 European
Championships in Finland
„We didn‘t want to take any
risks and were always keeping
an eye on the overall situation.
After all, the first thing now is
to build a basis for a long career,“
explains her coach Dieter
Hogen.
Now the GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON is back on
Blanka Dörfel‘s competition
schedule again. And just a few
weeks before the start on April
2, everything is looking good
for the young hopeful. For the
first time, she prepared for
the new season with Dieter
Hogen‘s training group in New
Zealand. The GENERALI BER-
LIN HALF MARATHON was not
a special focus in the training
planning, because the main
goal this year is the European
Championships for the under-
23s in Finland this summer.
Blanka Dörfel could compete
there in the 5000 metres. But
the runner has done enough
endurance training in New
Zealand to be able to run a
good GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON. „I am looking forward
to the half marathon and
hope for a great event,“ says
Blanka Dörfel. „I‘m glad that
I‘m healthy and injury-free
now. And if everything goes
right on April 2, I hope to run a
personal best.“
© imago images/Beautiful Sports
– 71 –

Together in
DIVERSITY

Texte: Christian Ermert & Anja Herrlitz
A
nyone who has ever waited
in their starting block at
the GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON for the redeeming
shot and looked to the left
and right will never forget this
uplifting feeling. Surrounded
by people who all feel the same
asphalt under their shoes, have
the same path ahead of them
and want to reach the same
goal, but also who couldn‘t be
more disparate, they immediately
set off on their journey
through the diverse Spree
metropolis. Different expectations,
running styles, body
shapes, nationalities, average

speeds and emotions—but
all are athletes who will pass
through the Brandenburg Gate
just before the finish line after
almost 21 kilometres. The
GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON is also a celebration
of diversity. All athletes and
spectators at the start, along
the course and at the finish
are cordially invited to join in
the celebration. No racism, no
hostility and no violence will be
tolerated in this colourful togetherness.
Everyone is called
upon to make the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON
the peaceful and harmonious
event that everyone looks forward
to.
Membership in the Alliance
Against Homophobia
Since the adidas Runners
City Night in July 2022, SCC
EVENTS has been a member
of the Alliance Against Homophobia
as a sports event organiser.
With 130 member organisations,
the Berlin alliance
SCC EVENTS team member Jochen Schmitz (3rd from
right) and Stephanie Kamen (2nd from right) received
the certificate of membership in the Alliance Against
Homophobia from the hands of Governing Mayor
Franziska Giffey (3rd from left).
– 74 –

is one of the largest networks
of different organisations and
companies in Germany, which
is actively committed to equal
rights for everyone, including
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender
and intersex (LGBTI*)
people, in all areas of society.
At the beginning of December,
SCC EVENTS received
the membership certificate
from the Governing Mayor of
Berlin, Franziska Giffey. SCC
EVENTS joined the Alliance
Against Homophobia with
the aim of organising LGBTI*-
friendly events in the future.
First modifications for a step
in this direction were already
implemented in 2022. Further
steps forward will follow very
soon. News on this is always
available at www.scc-events.
com. You can read in the next
pages about how Noah Heckhoff,
who works for the Alliance
Against Homophobia,
is preparing for his start at
the 21 km race through the
capital. Enjoy!
– 75 –

Running
under
the
rainbow
Among the 35,000 who will be
at the start of the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON,
there will be an official „envoy“
of the LSVD, the Lesbian and
Gay Association of Berlin-Brandenburg:
Noah Heckhoff. The
26-year-old is running his
first half marathon.
– 76 –

O
ut on the road, says Noah Heckhoff, no
one cares whom or how he loves. The
amateur runner emphasises, that is both
good and right. It should never be an issue.
But—and the student teacher knows this all
too well—it sometimes still is made into one.
Noah Heckhoff has been involved in the
„Lesbian and Gay Association Berlin-Brandenburg“
(LSVD) for two and a half years.
And even though Berlin is a comparatively
open city, the 26-year-old and his fellow
campaigners have their hands full: „It still
exists, the discrimination, the intimidation—
and also the fear.“
WER LÄUFT DENN DA?

As a balance to his studies and
work, Noah runs. He has been
running for five years. Not to win
competitions, but for the fun of
it, to clear his head—and for his
health. That he will now run his
first half marathon at the beginning
of April (and in an ‘official’
capacity) “just happened”, the
activist smiles: „I‘ve known for a
long time that a half marathon
would come for me at some
point. Why now of all times? Let‘s
put it this way: I am comparatively
the ‚most running‘ person in
our alliance organisation.“
It goes without saying that we
can “live openness together”
Of course, it would be wrong to
reduce Noah Heckhoff to just
the „running representative“
of the LSVB. He is responsible
for social issues. His central
task is the coordination of the
collaborations far beyond the
boundaries of its own LSVD
„target groups“ to lobby and
raise awareness. In the „Alliance
Against Homophobia“,
founded in 2009, not only civil
society initiatives and institutions
but also cultural and
sports associations, business
leaders and political stakeholders
are to be gathered under
one flag—the rainbow flag. Because
diversity, acceptance,
tolerance and integration only
work if they are supported
and lived by all sectors of society.
The goal is that „living
openness together“ becomes
a matter of course—so self-evident
that you don‘t even have
to mention it specifically anymore.
Running, Noah knows, is a great
metaphor for this. Because
that‘s exactly how it works:
„Sure, everyone runs separately,
but nevertheless everyone
has the same dream, a
common goal. That creates a
common, positive energy: we
run, laugh—and sometimes
suffer—together, as a community.
This energy pushes ever-
– 78 –

yone. And it doesn‘t matter
where the person comes from
or how they define themselves.“
Easily recognisable in the race
carrying the rainbow flag
This is exactly why Noah Heckhoff
will run the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON as
a running ambassador for the
LSVB. Well visible and recognisable—with
a rainbow flag: „Because
it is immensely important
to show that queer people—no
matter if lesbian, gay, trans* or
whatever—are welcome.“ And—
put the other way round, „to
show those who still don‘t want
to accept us as equals that it
is they who are less welcome
here.“
This messaging, the alliance coordinator
emphasises, is what
comprises the „commitment“
of an association, a company
or an organisation: Not the signature
under a charter, but how
the commitment is lived. „The
fact that SCC EVENTS, the organisers
of the half marathon
and marathon in Berlin, are part
of the ‚Alliance Against Homophobia‘
is important,“ emphasises
the amateur runner. „It sets
an example, gives courage—and
opens a door to sport for trans
people that many people don‘t
even consider.“ Among other
things, because unlike team or
indoor sports, everyman running
events require little to no
infrastructure. What sounds ba-
– 79 –

nal is often a hurdle for trans
people: „The question of changing
rooms, showers or toilets,
for example. Or the question of
in which category—i.e. as a man
or as a woman—someone can
participate, or of where these
people appear in the results. It‘s
about someone feeling invited
and included.“ With running,
those barriers can fall away.
Raise awareness
through running
Even at running events, the infrastructure
issues—apart from
shower containers—are often not
serious issues. In the list of results?
Yes, even at the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON there
is—so far—no „diverse“ gender
classification. But Noah emphasises
that it is about something
other than the immediate and
150 per cent implementation of
all demands and concerns. „It‘s
about awareness. It‘s about something—someone—moving,
thereby motivating others and
taking them along. It‘s about talking
openly with each other—and
setting out on the path. Step by
step.“
The community can
give so much strength
Like running, a marathon, a half
marathon—every run—begins at
the start line and ends at the
finish line. In between are thousands
of steps. Full of ups and
downs—and the experience of
how energising and strength-giving
the community of all those
along the way. And then you feel
how this positive energy also
flows over to the spectators:
Next time maybe they will be
inspired to join in too, intrigued
by an atmosphere that is particularly
colourful and cheerful,
where they see and feel that
everyone is welcome: under the
rainbow flag.
– 80 –

2. Juli 2023
Das Event für Radsportbegeisterte
The Power of Berlin.
JETZT
ANMELDEN!
Follow us @VeloCity.Berlin
www.VeloCity.berlin
#WeRideBerlin

BERLIN, BERLIN!
Beyond the
race course
This fascinating city, where everybody can do his thing, has so much
excitement and entertainment to offer: show and history, nightlife,
theatre, pubs, cabaret, jazz clubs, restaurants, urban neighborhoods
and green islands, museums, monuments and sights, shopping malls
and art markets. We show you where to go.
– 82 –

© Adobe Stock/ David J. Engel
SIGHTSEEING
Aquarium Berlin
www.aquarium-berlin.de
Where you can watch piranhas at feeding time, graceful jellyfish as they
dance weightlessly or alligators digesting as they sleep. You can admire
this fascinating world of marine animals, reptiles and amphibians up
close at the aquarium, which was opened in 1913.
– 83 –

SIGHTSEEING
Berlin,
mauermuseum.de
Checkpoint Charlie
© Adobe Stock/Jiortola
The most well-known border crossing point between West and East,
represents significant events in world history, secret agent whodunnits,
tragic escapes and joyful moments. Discover the whole story in the
Mauermuseum – Museum Haus am Checkpoint Charlie.
Museumsinsel
museumsinsel-berlin.de
The island in the middle of the
city‘s historic quarter, one of the
most important museum complexes
in the world. In the Old National
Gallery, the Old and New Museum,
the Bode Museum and the Pergamon
Museum, there is something
for every museum lover.
© Tom Schulze
84

Berlin from above
© Adobe Stock/Sliver
TV Tower: Towering
over the city at 368m,
it is the highest building
in Germany. The
restaurant sphere
makes a full 360° rotation
every hour at a
height of 207m.
tv-turm.de
© Adobe Stock/Laiotz
Victory Column: The
walkable column
offers a fantastic
panorama view on Berlin‘s
centre and is only
300m from the start of
the GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON.
Funkturm: Enjoy the
breathtaking views
over many of Berlin´s
sights and into
the Grunewald forest
from the 126mhigh
outlook platform.
funkturm-messeberlin.de
Topography
of Terror
This documentation
centre on the crimes of
the National Socialists
is one of the most frequented
places of
remembrance in Berlin
with over one million
visitors.
www.topographie.de
© Adobe Stock/Thomas Röske
Olympic Stadium
A professional guide
takes you on a 60-
minute tour of the
stadium, to areas not
otherwise open to the
public.
olympiastadion.berlin
© Camera4/Wiedensohler
Berlin!

SIGHTSEEING
Berlin,
© Adobe Stock/Kreativ4insider.com
gedaechtniskirche-berlin.de
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
The historic church and the remains of the tower that was destroyed in
World War II are a world famous monument to peace.
brandenburg-gate.de
Brandenburg Gate
The 20-meter triumphal
gate is considered
a symbol of reunified
Germany. The border
between East and West
Berlin ran through here
during the division of
Germany.
© Adobe Stock/Sborisov
86

Route 100 double-decker bus
Go on a journey of discovery through the city centre with the Route 100
double-decker bus. On the route between Zoologischer Garten and Alexanderplatz,
the highlights line up like a string of pearls. The box seats
with the best view are the window seats on top at the very front.
EVENT TIPS: CULTURE
© imago images/Bernd Elmenthaler
Thursday, March 30
Comedy: Quatsch Comedy Club | Quatsch Comedy Club (8:00 pm)
Show: Romeo & Julia - Liebe ist alles | Musical Theater des Westens
(7:30 pm)
Theater: Dirk und ich | Deutsches Theater Berlin - Box und Bar (7:30 pm)
Friday, March 31
Comedy: Quatsch Comedy Club | Quatsch Comedy Club (8:00 pm)
Show: Romeo & Julia - Liebe ist alles / Musical im Theater des Westens
(3:00 pm & 7:30 pm)
Show: Stars in Concert | Estrel Showtheater (8:00 pm)
Oper: Aida | Deutsche Oper Berlin (7:30 pm)
Concert: Lawrence Clark Jazz 5tet; „Jazz from New York City“|
Badenscher Hof Jazzclub & Restaurant (8:15 pm)
Saturday, April 1
Comedy: Quatsch Comedy Club | Quatsch Comedy Club (7:00 pm)
Show: Romeo & Julia - Liebe ist alles | Musical im Theater des
Westens (3:00 pm & 7:30 pm)
Theater: Passagier 23 | Berliner Kriminaltheater (4:00 pm & 8:00 pm)
Show: Stars in Concert | Estrel Showtheater (8:00 pm)
Sunday, April 2
Comedy: Quatsch Comedy Club | Quatsch Comedy Club (7:00 pm)
Show: Romeo & Julia - Liebe ist alles | Musical im Theater des Westens
(2:30 pm & 7:00 pm)
Show: Stars in Concert | Estrel Showtheater (5:00 pm)
Monday, April 4
Comedy: Mad Monkey - The Show | Mad Monkey Room (8:30 pm)
Concert: Die HauptstadtTenöre - Von acht bis zehn in Spreeathen |
Schlosspark Theater (8:00 pm)
Classical Concert: Beethoven: His Early Violin Sonatas |
Zitadelle Spandau (6:00 pm)

SHOPPING
Berlin,
© Adrian Schulz
Mall of Berlin
mallofberlin.de
The heart of the heart - the highly prominent location in the city of Berlin
is absolutely unique and offers huge potential. A touristic highlight
and a Mecca for fashion and lifestyle.
– 88 –

© Adobe Stock/Robepko
KaDeWe
kadewe.de
The Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) is one of the most famous shopping
paradises in the world. You will find things here that you cannot
find anywhere else - especially in the gourmet department.
© imago images/Fotostand
EVENT TIPS: SPORT
Berlin!
Sunday, March 26
Basketball: Bundesliga
Alba Berlin vs. Brose Bamberg | Mercedes-Benz-Arena (6:00 pm)
Friday, March 31
Handball: 2nd Bundesliga
VfL Potsdam vs. HC Empor Rostock | MBS Arena Potsdam (7:00 pm)
Saturday, April 1
Soccer: Bundesliga
1. FC Union Berlin vs. VfB Stuttgart | Alte Försterei (3:30 pm)
– 89 –

FOOD & MORE
Berlin,
lon-mens-noodle-house.business.site
Lon Men´s Noodle House
Small snack restaurant with that
certain something. Noodles, tofu
and meat specialities from Taiwan.
Always well frequented, but
somehow there‘s always a free
table. You can also find the best
Asian soups in Berlin here.
El Reda
el-reda-restaurant.com
Very authentic Lebanese restaurant on the outskirts of Moabit, the part
of Berlin with the highest percentage of immigrants. The diversity of
the diners is unsurpassed, as are the dinners, either plated or handheld
shawarma in bread.
rueyamdoener.de
Rüyam Gemüse Döner
Very trendy & fantastically
delicious, guests even accept a
half-hour wait. Word of the quality
has gotten around, and the
walls are inscribed with notes of
gratitude.
mutterhoppe.de
Mutter Hoppe
Big plates, honest beers. If
you love German and regional
cuisine, Mother Hoppe‘s in the
Nikolai Quarter in the heart of
Berlin is the place to go. Also ideal
for larger groups, preferably with
advance booking.
– 90 –

mommsen-eck.de
Mommseneck - the house of 100 beers
Your jaw will drop when you see the list of famous guests who have dined
here. The traditional Charlottenburg pub, which opened in 1905, has
hosted such illustrious guests as Franz Kafka, Bertold Brecht, Marlene
Dietrich, Robert Koch, Romy Schneider, Udo Jürgens and many other German
icons. Draft beer bubbles out of 15 taps, and German specialties from
Berliner Eisbein (pork knuckles) to Königsberger Klopsen (meatballs) are
on a menu filled with hearty regional cuisine. This treasure is just off the
course of the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON, so foot-weary halfmarathon
finishers can treat themselves to a delicious pork knuckle and
a frothy beer after the race. Cheers!
TIP
© Adobe Stock/Hanohiki
Berlin!
Lost something?
→ Berlin‘s municipal
lost property
Tempelhof, Platz der Luftbrücke,
to the right of the
main entrance to the former
Tempelhof airport
where the HALF MARA-
THON EXPO takes place
+49 (0) 30 902 773 101

www.jumphouse.de/berlin
Jumphouse Berlin
With more than 4,000 m2 of
space for over 120 trampolines in
ten different fun and action areas,
the whole family can let off some
steam. Register ahead of time.
www.schokowerkstatt-berlin.ritter-sport.de
Ritter Sport Schokowerkstatt
Chocolate tastes delicious. Homemade chocolate with all of your favorite
ingredients tastes even better. If you want to try it out, go to the Bunte
SchokoWelt by Ritter Sport (register ahead of time online!).
legolanddiscoverycentre.de
Legoland Discovery Centre Berlin
At the Legoland Discovery Centre, there’s lots to learn about the little
bricks made by the world’s biggest toy manufacturer. Of course, both
young and old can also build to their heart’s content.
Berlin!
– 92 –

SCC EVENTS would like
to thank its official
sponsors and partners
for their kind support
Der Polizeipräsident in Berlin | Berliner Feuerwehr
Verlag Der Tagesspiegel GmbH | Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG)
ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg | Mall of Berlin | WWF Deutschland GmbH
Bezirksamt Mitte von Berlin
Berliner Tiefbauämter: Mitte-Tiergarten, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf,
Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain
Renault Retail Group Deutschland GmbH Niederlassung Berlin
Höffner Möbelgesellschaft GmbH & Co. KG
Senatsverwaltung für Inneres und Sport
Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung und Umwelt Abt. III — Geoinformation
Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 Organizing Committee gGmbH
Berliner Leichtathletik Verband e.V. | alle Medien

DAGMAR NÖHRING
At age 62, this Berliner still likes
jumping out of planes. Her comfortable
running pace is five minutes per kilometre.
So far, she has only ever run on
her own. At the GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON, the amazing woman will
head out to the starting line of a major
race for the first time ever.
Who’s that
running?

The GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON is one of the biggest
half marathon events in the
world. We would like to introduce
you to three of the almost
35,000 people who will be at the
starting line on the grand boulevard
Strasse des 17 Juni.
Texte: Christian Ermert & Anja Herrlitz
The issue is the point of
view—it determines the
perspective. And thus also the
focus. Not only for Dagmar
Nöhring—but for many, many
runners: When you see others
while running, you initially
only look at their backs, their
shoulders and legs in front of
you. Maybe at their heads and
knees at the same height. But
do you look behind you? Or
even at those who are not moving
at all? Exactly. No.
Even if one knows that the
benchmark for the average fitness
and health level in society
is what you see on the subway,
hardly anyone looks at it that
way. Because people all have
different perspectives. Even if
you don’t find yourself on that
subway. For example, your perspective
might be different if
you cycle to work every day. It’s
easy to overlook the fact that

cycling five kilometres to and
from work twice a day is more
exercise and more sport than
the Average Joe and Jane get.
Especially if, like Dagmar Nöhring,
you have done sports all
your life, exercised and kept fit:
At some point, this point of reference
is lost, the focus is lost.
No one lives by comparison, by
statistics. Of course, Dagmar
Nöhring knows that she is 62
years old. But that is reflected
neither in her view of the world
nor in her way of experiencing
it. And, without any coquetry:
Dagmar Nöhring does not look
at all like one might think a
62-year-old should look.
The first half marathon should
remain under two hours
Quite apart from that, there
probably are not too many
women (or men) who run their
first half marathon at this age.
And there are even fewer who
are likely to stay well under two
hours. And certainly not many
who have never before participated
in a running competition.
Like this Berlin woman who
works as a dental assistant in
several practices—and considers
it all “quite normal, hardly
worth mentioning”.
Running as Plan B
for ballet training
But first things first. Dagmar
Nöhring never actually wanted
to run a half marathon:
Competitions, the pressure to
perform and everything that
goes with it don’t interest her.
Not anymore. No wonder: the
woman who “immigrated” to
Berlin from Saxony-Anhalt at
the age of 25 was not a track
athlete as a child or teenager—
but rather a ballet dancer. But
what she learned from ballet
would benefit her throughout
her life.
Ballet means not only discipline,
precision and body control
at the highest level, but also
and above all a passion: Dag-
– 96 –

... Dagmara Nöhring runs like a gazelle. That’s what
the friend she met while running discovered, and then
persuaded her to take part in her first competition at
the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON. In addition to
running, she kayaks and cycles, does Callanetics every
day and periodically does a tandem parachute jump.
The only reason she doesn’t jump alone is because she
doesn’t have the time to learn.
At
62...
mar Nöhring wanted to dance
again in Berlin. She looked for
and found studios, but quickly
discovered that the available
times fit in poorly with her
working hours and everyday
life. “Plan B” emerged about
20 years ago. Running—the absolute
opposite of timetables
and schedules.
– 97 –
WHO’S THAT RUNNING?

There are, by the way, also
plans C to X, Y and Z. In Dagmar
Nöhring’s case, these include—among
other things—
long weekend cycling tours on
a sport bike (in summer, mountain
biking in the mountains),
daily Callanetics (“a substitute
for ballet”) and—hold on—skydiving.
“Only tandem, I don’t
have the time to learn it myself.”
Oh, yes: she also goes
kayaking. “But no long tours.
Three hours at the most—I can’t
sit still longer than that.”
Prenzlauer Berg as a
running district
That’s why she runs. Twice a
week, and almost always along
the same route. It’s a little over
ten kilometres long. A few hills
or at least inclines are included.
The woman from the Berlin district
of Prenzlauer Berg usually
runs without a watch, but always
at a comfortable pace. Easy and
relaxed—around 50 minutes. Uh:
Has it been mentioned here that
Dagmar Nöhring is 62 years
old? At least that’s what it says
in her passport ...
A friend convinced her to
run a half marathon
It was on one of these runs
that she met Anke. “She approached
me because ‘she
thought I run like a gazelle’.”
Since then, the two women
have been running together:
Anke, the psychotherapist, is
a marathon runner. Among
other events, she has finished
the New York Marathon.
Eventually, it had to happen:
Anja persuaded Dagmar to register
for the Generali Berlin
Half Marathon. Just for fun.
Dagmar agreed out of friendship,
but she initially was “not
very euphoric: I only run for myself.
For me and my head, without
pressure or a competitive
thought—and never in a crowd.”
And she almost always just runs
the house circuit: ten, eleven kilometres,
including hills.
– 98 –

But she knows that without
specific preparation, such a
stunt can backfire. So, every
now and then she puts in
longer runs: 17 kilometres. At
a relaxed, chatty pace, she
needs “about 1:33 hours”.
Dagmar Nöhring accepts with
a friendly smile that many
others—even those who are
much younger, including both
men and women and by no
means only “rookies”—would
euphorically hyperventilate at
that time.
Without a thought
of competition
But because she doesn’t have
any need to compete with anyone,
doesn’t want to beat anyone,
it doesn’t matter to her
that she will probably easily
fall under the two-hour mark,
which for many is often downright
“magical”, especially for
the first half marathon: “I run
to enjoy myself. I’m now looking
forward to it, but I will
wait and see what happens.”
The compelling next question
here is: “And then?” Dagmar
Nöhring waves it off: “I have
‘ballet feet’. Two meniscus
operations. My orthopaedist
suggests that even 20 kilometres
is not a good idea. But
this one will be fine.” Even if
the long-distance novice can’t
(yet) hear, see or feel it herself,
this “no” out of common
sense already has a certain
resonance. Long-distance
runners know this well. Very,
very well: appetite comes
with food.
Always. Especially if, like
Dagmar Nöhring, you know
what that hunger feels like:
“If I don’t run for a few days,
I almost feel guilty. I then
have a guilty conscience—
even though no one forces
me to run. Isn’t that strange?”
No, not at all: that, too, is a
question of point of view, focus
and perspective.
WHO’S THAT RUNNING?

WHO’S THAT RUNNING?
It is well known that the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON is a race
for both old and young. The
Taysis are taking this literally:
Haluk, Deren and Kilian are grandfather,
father and grandson—and
they will take the start together.
3
generations
Kilian Taysi (17)
T he idea is charming. The
three Taysis say with a
laugh that they would have
flirted with it too, of course.
Briefly. For an 81-, a 51- and a
17-year-old not only to start together
in a half marathon but
also to finish at the same time
is a little unrealistic. Especially
when two of the three are tackling
the 21.0975 kilometres in
competitive mode for the very
first time. “Kilian will hopefully
be faster than me,” smiles Ha-

Haluk Taysi (81)
1
running dream
Deren Taysi (51)
ELMINA SAKSI
Die Schwedin war zuletzt schnellste Frau
beim Marathon im türkischen Antalya.

luk Taysi, “I’m 81, he’s 17.” But
Kilian emphasises that he will
be even more proud of Haluk
at the finish. But, the teenager
adds, he is already proud: Who
has a grandfather who still dares
to run a half marathon?
And he is proud of his dad, who
used to run public races with
his grandfather as a youngster,
then had to stop due to health
reasons, but who is now getting
the family running again?
The three generations of Taysis
show that you are never too
old, too grown-up or too young
to turn a whimsical, flippant
idea into a dream—and then
make it come true.
In 1976, the senior put on running
shoes for the first time
The Taysis have been running
since time immemorial. Well,
more precisely, since 1976,
when Haluk, the senior, put on
running shoes for the first time.
He started running to clear his
head of office work and his du-
In the 80s, Haluk Taysi ran many races
and also the Berlin Marathon.

ties at a large aircraft manufacturer.
Jogging was not yet a
popular sport back then. There
were many “funny” comments
from the roadside. He didn’t
care. On the contrary, in 1978 he
and his colleagues founded the
first running club in Weiher in
southern Hesse, and from then
on has run regularly in public
and other races—and has run
enough kilometres to make it
around the world more than twice
in total. Twice he finished full
marathons—at a time when this
was still a niche within a niche:
Haluk Taysi ran the Berlin Marathon
in the early 1980s. “There
were at most 5,000 people at
the start.” Deren was also in
the audience: “I still remember
how Richard von Weizsäcker,
who later became the German
president, gave the starting signal.
He was mayor at the time.
Deren already knew what running
meant: his father Haluk
had taken him along starting
at an early age. “We went to
public runs on many Sundays.
I loved it and enjoyed it.” The
souvenir photos of father and
son with finisher medals have
places of honour in the family
photo gallery. Haluk ran—even
on business trips: Whether Tokyo,
the USA or Singapore—his
running shoes always travelled
with him. His son also ran,
even one time with his father
at the Nürburgring race track—
but at some point his interest
declined: Party age. Studying.
Then, 25 years ago, a move to
the Heidelberg area. Family. Career
(also in the aircraft industry).
The usual reasons. Then,
a few years ago, a nasty illness:
chemotherapy. Then knee problems—and
finally the decision to
start again. From scratch. “First
I managed five kilometres. Then
ten. Then twelve. My brother-inlaw
in Berlin, a marathon runner
himself, said: “If you can do
twelve, you can do a half marathon.”
That was at the beginning
of the COVID era.
WHO’S THAT RUNNING?

The seeds had been sown. Kilian
was also running. He is a boxer—you
need stamina for that.
The brother-in-law from Berlin
used to run with him early
in the morning when he was
visiting. That did it: At some
point Kilian said, “Hey, dad, if
we want to do this, we should
sign up soon.” And because the
Taysis are family people, the
idea of taking their grandfather
along was obvious. Haluk
resisted. “I’m 81!”
Grandpa resists at first—
and then registers secretly
But an older runner is also a
runner: “I signed up secretly—
I wanted to surprise them.”
Such secrets rarely last long
in a family: runners talk to runners
about running. Always:
grandson and son have been
training according to a colleague’s
plan, sometimes doing
15 or 18 kilometre runs—and
Kilian has been adding on a
few extra laps: he has experienced
the distance. “Kilian
will probably outrun us at the
start,” says Deren—and hopes
that the youthful exuberance
and euphoria of the 35,000
runners won’t throw him for a
loop: You win or lose a half or
full marathon in your head: “I
hope I don’t catch up with him
after 15 kilometres” The father
wishes his son only the best—
just as he does his father, Haluk,:
“I’ll make sure I finish the
first seven kilometres in less
than an hour. Then that times
three.” Grandfather knows
exactly what will motivate
him—apart from the party on
and along the course: his son
and grandson waiting for him
at the finish line. The pride,
the jubilation and the celebration
afterwards. Together with
everyone else, of course—but
especially with the most important
people in the world:
the ones you love. Family.
WHO’S THAT RUNNING?

Haluk Taysin and his son Deren present their finisher medals forty years ago.
They want to repeat that on April 2nd.

WHO’S THAT RUNNING?
I N S TA G R A M
S TA R
Under the name thefashionjogger, Lisa
Migliorini is a running superstar on Instagram.
Sure: marathon world record holder
Eliud Kipchoge has even more followers
with 2.1 million—but when it comes to
fashion and style while running, the
29-year-old Italian is clearly ahead.
Rocking Berlin with
1.5 million fans
Even though Lisa Migliorini
always preaches to her
followers that—not only in running,
but in life in general—it’s
all about having a positive attitude,
enjoying what you do
and putting your heart and
soul into it, there is one thing
she also knows: being first sometimes
pays off. Not only at
the finish, but also at the start.
Because even though millions
of young women—it feels like it,
at least—are posing as running
ambassadors on Instagram today,
one thing is fact: Lisa Migliorini
was there before them.
“When we invented The Fashion
Jogger in 2016, we were
it. Sure: elite athletes had Insta
profiles—but a project like ours
didn’t exist yet.”
That was—and still is—the success
of the 29-year-old from

– 107 –
CHRISTIAN GIZA

the Milan area: she invented
what so many female influencers
imitate today when they
post pretty but by no means
always authentic photos. And
with five-figure followers, they
feel like rock stars—and sometimes
even act like it. Lisa
Migliorini is above that. She
doesn’t need starlet airs or dubiously
deep “cleavage shots”
to get noticed: The fashion jogger
has one and a half million
followers on Instagram alone.
That’s more fans than Munich
has inhabitants.
Lisa Migliorini is—unlike many
Insta-starlets—not a poser: Lisa
runs. Really and truly. She runs
a lot, also really clean—in the
sense of “technically correct”.
And also really fast. In other
words: damn fast: 37 minutes
and 23 seconds is her “PB”,
her personal best, for a 10K.
She ran her fastest half marathon
in 1:23:07 hours. That was
2018 in Milan. Thus far—because
it’s well known that Berlin is
a good place for new PBs.
“I want to whet people’s
appetites for healthy exercise”
And thousands more follow
her on Facebook, Youtube, Tik-
Tok and her blog site on her
journey through the world of
active, but also fashion- and
style-conscious running. “I
don’t just want to show pretty
pictures, but also to whet
people’s appetites for healthy
exercise, for running itself.”
WHO’S THAT RUNNING?
– 108 –

Inspiring conversations
with Eliud Kipchoge
That is not the reason, however,
that attracted the runner
to the start of the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON on
April 2: “I have been to Berlin
before, as a spectator at the
marathon.” It made a lasting
impression. Firstly, because
Berlin is Berlin. But also—
again, firstly—because of the
atmosphere surrounding the
BERLIN-MARATHON. Third—actually,
first again—”because I
was able to chat with Eliud Kipchoge”.
About what? Clearly:
about running and their shared
love of running.
It is hardly surprising then
that in Berlin the fashion jogger
plans to (and undoubtedly
will) bring this passion closer
to her fans. But because the
young woman is also a very
disciplined and intelligent
runner, her longest distance
is currently—still—the half marathon.
Lisa knows: the way
to the whole thing is through
the confidence and security
of the half-distance. That’s
why she is planning her path
to the marathon very precisely.
Step by step: “If everything
goes well, I’ll run my first marathon
in New York.” But let’s
start at the beginning of the
story.
Graduation instead
of a running career
Lisa Migliorini discovered her
passion for running as a child.
She set more than respectable
times on the track at her
club. But instead of aiming for
an uncertain career as an elite
runner with a certain expiry
date at some point, she graduated
as a physiotherapist
and osteopath—and simply
ran for the fun of it. In 2017,
she and her boyfriend Fabio
Cerutti discovered social networks.
Lisa and Fabio saw
what was there—and what was
missing. And they developed
Lisa Migliorini runs really fast.
– 109 –

a concept. The Fashionjogger:
Pictures and tips on training,
injury prevention, styling and
fashion for running. “People
want to look good. Not only
when they go out and in everyday
life, but also when they
are doing sports.”
Running Influencer
as a full-time job
What sounds logical today, no
one had quite formulated like
that in 2016, let alone implemented
it. The Fashionjogger
went online in 2017: Boom!
Lisa laughs: “We wouldn’t
have dared dream back then
that it would go through the
roof.” Today, The Fashionjogger
is a full-time job: Lisa gives
interviews, wrote a book—
unfortunately only available in
Italian—is a model and cover
model for countless international
running and lifestyle magazines,
travels the world—and
runs.
Staying authentic is key
You have to make time for that,
she says. Also because authenticity
is important to her: “I am
one hundred percent transparent:
anyone can follow my runs
and my training on Strava.” Or
follow her in Berlin when she
tackles the 21.0975 kilometres—where
she has a big goal:
To run with that smile she wears
on her face in—almost—all
her pictures. “Of course, there
are moments when running
is hard, tiring and exhausting.
You’re allowed to swear sometimes.
But no matter how hard:
I’ll try to smile at least during
the last kilometres. Because
running, because reaching the
finish line, is so wonderful.”
WHO’S THAT RUNNING?

IN BERLIN
KANNST DU
ALLES TRAINIEREN.
SOGAR DEINE
GÄNSEHAUT.
365 Tage national und
international erstklassiger Sport.
AOK Nordost
Die Gesundheitskasse.

A SPECIAL EVENT
Is your interest
spiking?
We‘re hiking!

A different kind of marathon. SCC EVENTS is offering a
premiere of a very special kind on Saturday, September 30:
extreme hiking with that marathon feeling. Only six
days after the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, the first
HIKING HERO on a 44-kilometre circuit through the
beautiful surroundings of Bernau will become the next
breathtaking event.

Hiking connects us and is
enormously communicative.
All age groups and fitness
levels can participate. Experience
your personal challenge as
a joint mission with like-minded
people. Enjoy every step through
nature, do something good for
your body and mind and experience
the wonderful feeling of
crossing the finish line after 44
kilometres in front of the historic
backdrop in Bernau. You can become
a HIKING HERO!
Bernau: a town with
charm and history
According to legend, it was the
delicious beer that prompted
Margrave Albrecht the Bear
to found Bernau around 1140
(Berlin is around 100 years
younger). It was also the art
of brewing that brought fame
and prestige to the town in the
Middle Ages. The charming
start and finish area is only 30
minutes from the main railway
station of the Spree metropolis.
What could be more natural
than to crown a visit to the
Spree metropolis with a marathon
hike through Brandenburg?
www.hiking-hero.de
R E G I S T E R
SEPTEMBER 30,
2023
N O W
BECOME A
HIKING HERO!

© AdobeStock/ArTo
© AdobeStock
The small town of
Bernau is located a few
kilometres northeast
of Berlin‘s city limits.
Large parts of the up to
eight-metre-high town
wall with its round
towers and town gates
have been preserved
from the Middle Ages.
Experience Bernau and the Barnimer Feldmark on foot
© AdobeStock
The special highlight:
Werneuchen
At the aid station
at kilometre 26 in
Werneuchen, the
athletes are not
only greeted with
food and drinks,
but also lively
music with a DJ,
party and a good
vibe.

HIGHLIGHTS 2023
Must Runs
D
L
H
B
Berlin
(& Rides)
by
Brandenburg

MAY 13, 2023
Die wichtigsten
Lauf-Events in der
Hauptstadt und im
Brandenburger Umland
Be yourself
berliner-frauenlauf.de
Germany‘s biggest women‘s run is the party of the year for 18,000 participants
in the heart of Berlin. The routes lead through the Tiergarten
between the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column.
Course lengths
10 km for runners, walkers and Nordic walkers
5 km for runners, walkers and Nordic walkers
500 m/1,000 m Bambini Run

MAY 25, 2023
To the
finish
with a team!
teamstaffel-brandenburg.de
In a relay quartet on a beautiful loop through historic Brandenburg an
der Havel. The celebratory TEAM event in the middle of summer.
Course lengths
4 x 5 km relay race
approx. 500 m/1,000 m Bambini Run
– 118 –

JUNE 25, 2023
Refreshingly
different
www.swimrun-rheinsberg.de
Run through the forest or past Rheinsberg Castle and swim through the
crystal-clear lakes of the surrounding area—this is the ultimate nature
experience!
Course lengths
approx. 21.4 km SwimRun | approx. 11.3 km Sprint SwimRun
approx. 4.4 km SuperSprint SwimRun (trial distance for newbies)
approx. 0.9/1.8/2.7 km Youth SwimRun
approx. 500 m/1,000 m Bambini SwimRun

JULY 2, 2023
We ride
Berlin!
velocity.berlin
The new exciting cycling event along Berlin‘s magnificent boulevards,
past the capital‘s landmarks to the finish at the Brandenburg Gate.
Course lengths
60 km bike race City
100 km bike race City
Youth and bambini race
VeloCity

AUGUST 27, 2023
Test your
fitness
berliner-generalprobe.de
A few weeks before your planned autumn marathon, do you want to test
your form and see if everything is going as planned? You can do that at
the Berlin Road Race—The Dress Rehearsal . You will run a half marathon
or quarter marathon on a fast course.
Course lengths
21.0975 km | 10 km | 500 m/1,000 m Bambini Run
ADDITIONAL SCC EVENTS
Berliner Wasserbetriebe 5x5 km TEAM-Relay June 7-9, 2023
adidas Runners City Night July 29, 2023
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON September 23-24, 2023
HIKING HERO September 30, 2023
Berlin New Year‘s Eve Run December 31, 2023

Become a
GREEN
ATHLETE!

At the GENERALI BERLIN HALF-MARATHON, ecological responsibility and
sustainable action in sport and especially in the planning and implementation
of the events lie very close to the hearts of all involved. Together
with the WWF as official charity partner, the organisers are working to
minimise the event‘s carbon footprint. This only works when the participants
help out too! Under the keyword GREEN LINE you will always be
taken directly to news and information on the topic of sustainability. So,
wherever you see GREEN LINE written, SCC EVENTS will be conducting its
events sustainably! On the following pages you will find concrete examples
of sustainable action at the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON.

SUSTAINABILITY
GREEN LINE EXPO stand
Within the framework of the EXPO,
the GREEN LINE themes will be
made tangible for all visitors, together
with the WWF, the Berliner
Stadtmission and title partner
GENERALI. For the first time, the
lounge in the area where the starting
documents are handed out will
be turned into a sustainable information
area with lots of valuable
sustainable tips from experts and
the community. There will be information
about ecological commitment,
a drawing and a photo
campaign, in which all runners
can declare their commitment to
a GREEN RUNNING lifestyle. During
the GREEN Talks, professional
runners and experts will provide
insight into how you too can easily
become a GREEN athlete.
»
WHAT‘S GOING ON AT THE BOOTH?
THE PROGRAMME
AT THE GREEN LINE EXPO
STAND IS AVAILABLE HERE.
@berlinerhalbmarathon
Reducing emissions
In the interest of the environment,
more and more participants
of the GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON are traveling
by train instead of by car.
The organisers are aware that
not everyone will be able to
avoid travelling by air, so they
are all the more pleased about
all those who compensate for
their flight emissions and thus
reduce the ecological footprint
of the event. Your race bib entitles
you to use public transport
in Berlin on the day of the
GENERALI BERLIN HALF MA-
RATHON in the AB tariff zone
between 5:00 am and 7:00 pm.
This way you can get to the
start comfortably, safely and
sustainably.
We want to test and implement resourcesaving
concepts for events together with SCC EVENTS.
And we want to motivate runners to combine their
sporting challenge with a fundraising campaign.
Because only if we all become active can we
shape a future in which people and nature
live in harmony with each other.
Marieke Fiona Wittneben from WWF
»

Thanks to the baling press, heat foils
can become raw materials again.
Thinking in cycles
Another good example for the
conservation of resources and
the reduction of waste at the
GENERALI BERLIN HALF MA-
RATHON is the foil baler. This
makes it possible for the used
heat foils that are handed out in
the post-finish area to be pressed
into bales and returned. The
recovered raw material can be
used to produce new heat foils
again.
100 per cent
green electricity
The topic of green energy is also
omnipresent at the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON. That
is why the organisers are in constant
exchange with their partners
and service providers with the
aim of using innovative energy
concepts during and around the
event. For example, since 2020,
only green electricity has been
supplied from all fixed power
connections. Certainly, the near
future will offer even more solutions
for efficient energy sources.

SUSTAINABILITY
If you run long distances, you
have to drink a lot! Providing
participants with sufficient fluids
along the course is a top
priority in Berlin. Reusable instead
of disposable is the order
of the day—and it is one of the
challenges which SCC EVENTS
has been paying great attention
to for years.
The problem: Until now, it has
not been possible to use commercially
available reusable
cups made of hard plastic, as
they pose a considerable safety
risk for participants. If even
a few cups end up on the street
instead of in the bin, they become
a tripping hazard in no
time. Broken hard plastic cups
also pose a high risk of injury
with their sharp edges.
This year, for the first time,
the GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON will be testing the
use of a completely new reusable
cup that poses no risk. This
returnable cup was developed
especially for SCC EVENTS by
experts from Rhein Waal University
of Applied Sciences
and the company CUNA, in cooperation
with the Fraunhofer
Institute. Thanks to six predetermined
breaking points and
the newly developed material,
this innovation is not only the
answer to replacing PET and
cardboard cups at the catering
stations. The new cup is also
produced from a granulate
that consists mainly of vegetable
waste. If the cup becomes
defective after use or reaches
the end of its service life after
up to 300 rinses, it can be 100
per cent recycled and the material
made into new cups.
Another advantage: the cup
has particularly good flight
characteristics. This is a much
better way to ensure that the
cups really do land in their intended
containers after use.
– 126 –

The use of reusable drinking cups poses
major challenges for race organisers. In
Berlin, a completely new model is being
tested at the half marathon by SCC EVENTS
together with the WWF.
T E S T
T H E M
Y O U R S E L F !
SHORTLY BEFORE
POTSDAMER PLATZ
AT SUPPLY POINT 3,
THE USE OF NEW CUPS
WILL BE TESTED.
High-tech for
reusable cups
– 127 –

© imago images/Metodi Popow
SCC EVENTS and the Berliner
Stadtmission have
been working together since
2022. At the GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON as well as at
the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON,
the Berlin City Mission collects
well-preserved running shoes,
jackets, jogging gear & co.
at the EXPO as well as in the
starting area, in order to pass
them on to those in need. This
gives you the opportunity to
stay warm in the pre-start zone
on race day and then turn the
clothes you brought with you
into clothing donations shortly
before the starting shot. Well-
Clothes and shoes collected
at the GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON are
distributed by the
Berliner Stadtmission
to those who can make
good use of the donations.

Helping where
the shoe pinches
© Ralf Günther

»
Anyone who keeps warm before the
start with clothes that they no
longer need afterwards can turn
them into a clothing donation for
the Berlin City Mission while still
in the starting area.
kept sports shoes will be accepted
at the GREEN LINE STAND
at the HALF MARATHON EXPO.
While some people still have
well-preserved sports shoes
lying unused in their wardrobe,
others are in urgent need of
them. It‘s the same with sweatpants,
hoodies and jackets.
Every day, up to 150 needy people
come to the clothing store
of the Berliner Stadtmission to
select shoes and various items
of clothing—from underwear to
»
coats. When the temperatures
are low, the numbers rise—predominantly
men, most of them
who live on the streets. „Unhoused
people walk many kilometres
every day because they
lack money for public transport.
Many of them have sore
feet and urgently need shoes,
as well as clothes,“ explains
Barbara Breuer, press officer
at the Berliner Stadtmission.
„Our aim is to help in an unbureaucratic
way and to provide
– 130 –

Donate shoes at the GREEN LINE
STAND at the HALF MARATHON EXPO
The Berliner Stadtmission is happy
to receive donations! Sports
shoes and sneakers, streetwear
such as sweatshirts, hoodies and
jogging trousers are especially
in demand at the Berliner Stadtmission‘s
clothing store. You can
donate shoes at the HALF MARA-
THON EXPO. All donations should
always be in good and washed
condition—as if you were giving
them to friends! The Berlin City
Mission has neither the financial
nor the time resources to repair
or clean donations.
any person who cannot afford
clothing because they are without
housing.“ The need is immense,
the clothing store on
Lehrter Strasse has to be completely
restocked several times
a week. More than 500 pairs of
shoes, 700 pairs of trousers,
hoodies and jackets find new
owners here every week.
A clean piece of clothing or a
pair of sports shoes means
much more than just providing
the bare necessities. It is
also about giving people back
a piece of dignity. „Being unsheltered
is associated with great
shame, and those who are
without a roof over their heads
may not want to be recognised
as such in society,“ says Breuer:
„We are convinced that
clean and non-defective clothing
can positively strengthen
the self-esteem of our guests.“
– 131 –

PERFECT PREPARATION
Your training is complete. You are
waiting for the race to finally get
started. So here are a few good
tips for you for the final 72
hours before the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON.
– 132 –

Countdown
to the start
– 133 –

The countdown begins with a lot of rest
THURSDAY, MARCH 30
In the last week of preparation, you should have already reduced your
training volume significantly. No new changes now. This is also called
the “tapering phase”. This will not only give your head a break, but resting
will also increase your performance. When you shift down a gear
after a hard workout phase, you increase the storage of carbohydrates
in your body. Your body can then recover. Your psyche is ready to do
great things. Any hard training just before the race would lower your
performance. Now the countdown to the start begins.
– 134 –

12:30 p.m.: For lunch, it’s time to
start increasing your carbohydrate
intake once again in order to arrive
at the starting line with a full carb
load. Preferred foods from now on
should be pasta, rice or potatoes.
Full storage in your muscles and
liver will increase your endurance.
In addition to the increased carbohydrate
intake, you should also increase
your fluid intake in the last
few days before the half marathon.
A balanced water intake is one of
the keys to a successful race.
7:30 p.m.: For dinner you should have something tasty again with lots of
carbohydrates. And preferably with water or a fruit spritzer. It is time
now to avoid any alcoholic beverages.
10:00 p.m.: In the last week before the competition, you should try to get
enough sleep and rest. So go to bed early and sleep in!
– 135 –

Arrive and take care of all formalities at the Expo
FRIDAY, MARCH 31
7:00 a.m.: Early Friday morning is the ideal time for those arriving by
car to make their way to Berlin. Weekend traffic jams usually don’t start
until around noon. Those who can get here early will save themselves a
lot of stress and can start the half marathon weekend more relaxed.
– 136 –

2:30 p.m.: Now is a good time to
pick up your race documents After
that, you can leisurely enjoy the
expo.
7:30 p.m.: Treat yourself to a delicious, carbohydrate-rich meal at one of
Berlin’s beautiful restaurants. You’ll find a few tips here in this EVENT
Magazine. And then get to bed early: The second to last night before the
race is crucial to be fresh on day X. Get a good night’s sleep.
– 137 –

Stretch your legs and plan your race
SATURDAY, APRIL 1
9:00 a.m.: Start the last day before the race with a hearty breakfast, and
then stretch your legs a bit - it doesn’t matter whether you jog three
kilometres or just go for a walk. But it shouldn’t take longer than 20 to
30 minutes, otherwise you’ll burn up energy that you won’t have on race
day.
– 138 –

2:30 p.m.: Take a little siesta or a
moment to plan your race. First
of all, if you haven’t already done
so, you should calculate a realistic
finish time. This works well with
the formulas that the U.S. training
scientist Pete Riegel created
in the 1970s on the basis of empirical
studies. You can calculate
realistic target times for the half
marathon based on your current
times for shorter distances.
5,000-metre time x 4.667
10,000-metre time x 2.223
Once you’ve set your goal time,
define the split times you want
or the heart rate zone you want
to run at. Many runners “race”
best at a steady pace as much as
possible. However, during a half
marathon or marathon, it’s not always
easy to maintain your target
split times in the first few miles.
Take this into account when planning
your run and allow for slower
times for the first few kilometres.
After a few thousand metres, the
field has usually already spread
out considerably, and you can run
your own race without any problems.
– 139 –

Pasta party and setting the alarm clock early
SATURDAY, APRIL 1 & SUNDAY, APRIL 2
7:00 p.m.: Even if you’ve been eating a high-carb diet for a few days - the
classic pasta the night before the race is both good for you and fun. But
of course it can be potatoes, rice or bread again, if you prefer. You can
also treat yourself to a beer or a glass of wine if you like. Some people
find this helps them to relax before an exciting day.
11:00 p.m.: Would you like to sleep, but can’t? Don’t worry: The last night
before the race is not the most important. Very few people are able to
sleep for seven or eight hours straight. There is nothing you can really
do about the anticipation. In addition, the alarm clock will be going off in
the early hours of the morning as the race starts at nine o’clock.
– 140 –

8:00 a.m.: Depending on the length
of your journey to the start, set
off now in the direction of Tiergarten.
By public transport, of course.
Take a sports drink, a banana or a
muesli bar with you to replenish
your energy.
8:45 a.m.: A tricky issue on race
day is going to the bathroom. The
line in front of the port-a-potties
in the starting area is often
long. At the same time, everyone
is on edge because no one wants
to hear the starting shot be fired
while still at the porta-potties.
The ideal situation would therefore
be to take care of your business
in peace and quiet at home or in
the hotel. But that doesn’t always
work - especially since you will be
hydrating before the race. So plan
a pit-stop buffer time of 15 minutes
before the start.
7:00 a.m.: Get up at least three
hours before the start, as that’s
how long your body needs to be
fully functional.
7:30 a.m.: Even if you’re not a
breakfast person, you should still
eat something light and rich in
carbohydrates. Classics: wholegrain
toast with honey or muesli
with a few fruits - basically, eat just
as you would before a normal training
session.
9:00 a.m.: Time to gradually make
your way to the starting blocks. If
you want to warm up, it is better to
do so before you enter the fenced
in area, where there‘s more space.
10:05 a.m.: The race starts with the
shot of the starting gun, but your
net time is not taken until you
cross the starting line. So there’s
no need to be overly hectic when
you start running. Just remember
to start your watch when you cross
the starting line. Let’s go, have fun!
– 141 –

The race
on wheels

Spring,
wind,
freedom
– 144 –

Let‘s roll again! On April 2, 2023,
skaters will be rolling through the
streets again—at the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON Inline
Skating!
It is a magical moment when
the inline scene awakens from
hibernation and celebrates the
start of the season—in the middle
of the capital, past countless
sights, with the finish line just
behind the Brandenburg Gate!
Pure sightseeing on wheels
From the start in Tiergarten
park on the grand boulevard
Strasse des 17. Juni, the lines of
skaters take off. From here, the
tour leads past the Victory Column
and Charlottenburg Palace,
along the famous boulevard
Ku‘damm, the squares at Potsdamer
Platz and Leipziger Platz,
along the Gendarmenmarkt with
its cathedrals to the finish line
just past the Brandenburg Gate.
#RESTARTSKATING
– 145 –

INLINESKATING
HALF MARATHON EXPO
at Tempelhof Airport
Before the skaters take off
on Sunday morning, they will
check in at the former Tempelhof
Airport, where all participants
will receive their starting
documents.
KidsSkating: Streets free
for the youngsters
On Saturday afternoon, KidsSkating
will offer starting opportunities
for kids up to age
13, in aged competitions with
distances from 500 to 2,000
metres. All kids can take part,
even beginners are welcome,
because the most important
thing is to have fun on wheels!
Those who want to get a taste
of competition without any
pressure can start in the „Beginner“
category without timekeeping.
Scooter races
for everyone!
Whether on a kickboard or
scooter, with two or three
wheels - everything is allowed
in the scooter race. A double
start is also possible: first on
skates, then with the scooter.
A P R I L 1: K I D S S K AT I N G
STARTS AT 1 PM!
REGISTRATION ON
SITE UNTIL 30 MINUTES
BEFORE THE START
STARTING FEE:
5 EUROS
– 146 –

GERMAN INLINE CUP: You can score a lot of points here!
The GENERALI BERLIN HALF-
MARATHON is also the traditional
start of the GERMAN INLINE
CUP (GIC), the most important
European race series. And this is
by no means just for the professionals.
Fitness skaters can also
get their money‘s worth at the
five races in Germany and Austria
and collect points toward the
DATES
overall victory with every start.
There is also a separate classification
for the fastest teams in
the fitness and speed categories,
in which women‘s, men‘s
and mixed teams can start. The
grand finale of the GIC is, as always,
at the BMW BERLIN-MA-
RATHON, this year on September
23, 2023.
– 147 –

INLINESKATING
Course records Men: Bart Swings 29:38 (2021) | Women: Sandrine Tas (BEL) 36:12 (2021)
FELIX RIJHNEN
Born: 1991
Place of residence: Darmstadt
Team: Powerslide World Team
Club: ERSG Darmstadt
Profession: Police Superintendent
Greatest successes on the ice
1st place World Cup mass start 2022
Participant Olympic Games Beijing 2022
Greatest successes on the road
World Champion Marathon 2018
Winner BMW BERLIN-MARATHON 2019
Winner GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON 2014, 2015, 2022
– 148 –

The hunt for
success begins
The GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON is the classic
season opener for the elite
skaters—and thus also for Josie
Hofmann and Felix Rijhnen
of the Powerslide World Team.
Both are returning to Berlin as
last year‘s winners and have the
best chance of repeating their
success.
Felix Rijhnen with his first
World Cup victory on ice
After surprisingly qualifying for
the Olympic Games in Beijing
two years ago, Rijhnen once
again caused a sensation this
past winter: the first World Cup
victory for the Darmstadt native
in speed skating in the mass
start and thus the end of a long
dry spell for the German Speed
Skating and Short Track Association
(DESG). The journey on the
ice is getting better and better
for the 32-year-old, and that‘s
exactly how he will start the season
on wheels—as the favourite.
Maybe even with a new track record!
In 2021, together with Bart
Swings (BEL), he managed to finish
under the magic hurdle of
30 minutes for the first time, in
29:38 minutes. One thing is clear,
however: the competition never
sleeps.
– 149 –

C A L E N D A R S
INLINESKATING
M A R K
Y O U R
GENERALI
BERLIN HALF
MARATHON
ON APRIL 7, 2024
© imago images/Pro Shots
Mass start on the ice:
The perfect stage for inline skaters
More and more inline skaters are celebrating great successes on the ice. The
best example is Bart Swings. The Belgian serial winner of the BMW BER-
LIN-MARATHON secured the gold medal in the mass start at the Winter
Olympics in Beijing. This format is perfect for inline skaters to make full use
of their tactical know-how from the road competitions. In contrast to the
usual individual distances on ice, in the mass start it is important to position
oneself optimally in the field, to always keep an eye on the opponents and to
be able to react as fast as lightning on the track or in the sprint to the finish.
– 150 –

Natur, Sport und
Kultur vor den
Toren Berlins
Auf rund 230 Kilometern verläuft die Flaeming-
Skate durch Wälder, Wiesen und Felder, fernab
von störendem Straßenverkehr. Die zwei bis
drei Meter breite Bahn aus feinstem Asphalt
führt vorbei an idyllischen Dörfern und Städten
im Niederen Fläming und Baruther Urstromtal.
www.aeming-skate.de
– 151 –

INLINESKATING
„Full of excitement
for Berlin“

26-year-old Josie Hofmann from Gera
(Powerslide World Team) also takes
on the balancing act of inline skating
and speed skating—and that too with
increasing success. Last season she
qualified for the World Cup on ice for
the first time and secured a permanent
spot in the German national team.
How do you reflect on the past ice
season?
I am particularly proud of my
consistent performances on
skates, my 3rd place (B group) in
Stavanger/Norway and my start
in the A group in Heerenveen/
Netherlands. I was able to build
up a very good fitness level over
the last summer. I will bring this
basis with me into the 2023 inline
season.
What has changed in your training?
Not that much has changed. In
the summer I continue to train at
home in Gera. In winter, I now train
at the Olympic Training Centre in
Berlin. I think this step was right
and important. I‘m still studying
and will be running for the Powerslide
Team again next season.
Here‘s what follows as the inline
season continues in Berlin
July 29, 2023
adidas Runners City Night
The perfect introductory race
Register now!
Known as the „Ku‘damm without a
speed limit“, the adidas Runners City
Night is a very special summer highlight.
It‘s a 10-kilometre race along Berlin‘s
most popular shopping mile. Fitness skaters
can use the race as a relaxed introduction
to the sport, while the pros will
be fighting for position and engaging in
high-speed duels. The registration deadline
is July 17, 2023.
September 23, 2023
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
The world‘s largest inline marathon
Register now!
The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON offers a
perfect stage for different motivations.
While ambitious skaters can reach for
new personal best times, fitness skaters
can simply take it easy and enjoy
the sightseeing tour through the capital.
Most importantly: there are still
race entries available—in contrast to the
runners‘ marathon, which is already
fully booked. The registration deadline
is August 24, 2023.

INLINE-SKATING
And what are your plans for the
start of the season on wheels?
The half marathon will be my
first race of the inline season.
So it will serve as my assessment
of where I stand. After
my victory last year, I naturally
have high expectations of
myself. But I want to use the
atmosphere of the spectators
in Berlin to simply test my own
performance with a lot of fun
and just enjoy it. This year I
will try to qualify for the European
Championships. Unfortunately,
I had to cancel this last
year, despite sufficient performances,
because it didn‘t fit
into my competition calendar
on the ice. I‘m looking forward
to being on the streets of Berlin
again soon!
JOSIE HOFMANN
Born: 1996
Place of residence: Erfurt
Team: Powerslide Racing
Club: ESC Erfurt
Occupation: Student (Prevention
and and health management)
Greatest successes on the ice
German Champion Mass Start 2020
Participant. Neo-Senior World Cups 2019/20
Qualification for the World Cup 2022/23
Greatest successes on the road
World Champion Relay 2016
3rd place EM Marathon 2019
Participation in World Games 2017
Winner GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON 2022
© imago images/Karina Hessland
Josie Hofmann ran to second place behind Claudia Pechstein in the 5000
metres at the German Speed Skating Championships in Erfurt this year.

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13. 05. 2023
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R E G I S T E R
N O W
BMW BERLIN-
MARATHON
INLINE SKATING
SEPTEMBER 23, 2023
THERE ARE STILL
RACE ENTRIES
AVAILABLE!
10 reasons why you should definitely take part in
the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON Inline Skating!
#1 Cross the start line with AC/DC Hells Bells
#2 Goosebumps at the finish line behind the Brandenburg Gate
#3 Keep rolling on, when runners have to stop for a break
#4 A fresh breeze instead of a stinking cloud of sweat
#5 Lots of energy saved by skating in the slipstream
#6 Same distance, half the time
#7 Party vibes with a DJ at the back of the field
#8 Perfect belly-legs-buttocks workout
#8 Better than any dating platform
#10 Nonstop party after the race

Are you still
running or
already rolling?
While the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON is fully booked for
runners, there are still starting places for the inline
race—and newcomers only pay half price.
Share your passion for inline
skating and register for the
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON Inline
Skating together with
your friends, colleagues, family
members or neighbours. It‘s
even more fun together—and
you can also save money together!
According to the motto „Come
on, I‘ll show you“, marathon
newcomers only pay half price
if they are recruited by a full
payer (must already be regis-
tered for BMW BERLIN-MARA-
THON Inline Skating). The only
condition: It must be the first
time the marathon newcomer
is participating in the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON Inline Skating.
M O R E
I N F O
GREAT
DISCOUNTS FOR
MARATHON
NEWCOMERS
– 157 –

EQUIPMENT

Favourite shoe
made lighter
The Ultraboost from Adidas has been one of the most popular running
shoes for years. In the latest version, it has now lost 30 percent in weight.
And that‘s without any negative impact on the cushioning, comfort and
bounce that runners love about the Ultraboost. Read on to find out how
Adidas achieved this masterpiece called the Ultraboost Light.

NEW: THE ULTRABOOST LIGHT FROM ADIDAS
The Ultraboost from Adidas
has always been excellently
cushioned while offering optimal
stability, making it just
as suitable as an entry-level
shoe as it is as an everyday
companion for marathon or
half-marathon preparation.
Comfort, support, reactivi-
ty—everything is perfect. The
combination of the reactive
Boost cushioning foam, which
celebrates its tenth birthday
this year, the abrasion-resistant
rubber sole from Continental,
the stylish design and
the perfect fit make millions
of runners swear by the Ultra-
– 160 –

boost. The only point of criticism
was the weight: with 338
grams in men‘s size 42, the
Ultraboost was no lightweight
among running shoes—most
comparable models have remained
easily under the 300
grams mark for a long time.
That‘s history with the new Ultraboost.
And because it has become
almost 40 grams lighter,
it also bears this quality in its
name. Instead of the current
year, Adidas has added a “Light”
behind the Ultraboost. The shoe
has lost exactly 39 grams—and
that without losing any of its
usual qualities. How can something
like this be achieved? By
improving the cushioning foam,
which has always been used abundantly
in the Ultraboost and
thus creates that typical feeling
of energy return and bouncing
with every step. Ten years after
the introduction of its innovative
cushioning material, Adidas
has managed to make the
Boost foam lighter while fur-
ther improving the cushioning
properties and energy return.
The secret lies in the small pellets
of plastic, which experts call
thermoplastic polyurethanes—
TPU for short. The Boost foam
is created from such pellets,
which are processed into cohesive
damping material. With the
latest generation of the Boost
material, it has been possible
to aerate the foam better, altering
the material and making it
significantly lighter.
And so the Ultraboost Light has
a weight advantage that is clearly
noticeable when running—
all the more so on longer runs.
30 percent less weight is significant.
Of course, the Ultraboost Light
also comes with all the Adidas
technologies that make it
the ultimate training shoe for
almost all areas of use. The
Primeknit+ upper provides breathability,
maximum comfort
and an optimal fit. The Natural
Performance rubber sole of-
– 161 –

fers optimal traction for a safe
running in all weather conditions.
And the revised Linear
Energy Push System connects
the midsole and outsole to
create a perfectly reactive rolling
feel. And last but not least,
the Ultraboost Light also has
a ten percent lower CO 2
footprint
than previous versions.
Adidas calculates this from the
extraction of the raw materials
through processing and packaging
to the end of the product
life cycle in accordance with
the internationally recognised
ISO 14067 standard. So: If you
are still looking for a new running
shoe before the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON, the
Adidas Ultraboost Light is the
perfect choice.
THE ULTRABOOST LIGHT FROM ADIDAS
– 162 –

EQUIPMENT
The ADIZERO Series
The right shoe
for every need

The Adidas shoes from the
ADIZERO series are legends.
Haile Gebrselassie set
his world records with them at
the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
in the noughties. Since the
ADIZERO Adios Pro carbon
shoe has been available, it
has been used to win medals
repeatedly at the Olympic
Games, World Championships
and European Championships
and to improve a whole host of
records. In 2022, runners won
eight world championship titles
with ADIZERO running shoes
and broke two world records.
In half of all major international
marathon races, the winners
were wearing ADIZERO
shoes. Amanal Petros set the
German record in the marathon
to 2:06:27 hours in the
ADIZERO Adios Pro in December
2021. At the European
Athletics Championships in
ADIZERO TAKUMI SEN 9
The shoe for shorter road
distances. World records over five
and ten kilometres have already
been run in them.
ADIZERO ADIOS PRO 3
ENERGYRODS technology makes
this carbon shoe the fastest
marathon and half marathon
model in Adidas history.
ADIZERO SL
A training shoe that helps you reach the next level.
Features technologies originally developed for the fast
record-breaking shoes, but
–
at
164
a
–
much lower price.

Munich last summer, three
runners—Deborah and Rabea
Schöneborn and Miriam Dattke,
who came fourth in the
individual race—ran to gold
with the German women‘s marathon
team in the Adizero
Adios Pro. In spring 2023, the
complete series will be available
in completely new, fresh
colours. Speaking about the
new ADIZERO series shoes, Peres
Jepchirchir, 2021 Olympic
ADIZERO BOSTON 11
The training shoe for every day,
for pretty much any pace and any
distance. Features top
cushioning and ENERGYRODS
made of fibreglass, which provide
a running feeling that is very
close to that in a carbon shoe.
marathon champion and former
world record holder in the
half marathon, says: „My training
and competition calendar
is constantly changing in terms
of distance lengths, intensities
and training goals. That‘s why
it‘s super important to have
different shoes to suit different
types of training and competitions.
That‘s exactly what the
ADIZERO range offers me.“
ADIZERO PRIME X STRUNG
The first Adidas shoe with STRUNG upper.
Plus lots of LIGHT-STRIKE PRO cushioning
foam, so the midsole is five centimetres
high. Official records cannot be set in these
shoes because the construction does not
comply with the rules of the athletics
associations. But together with the ENERGY-
RODS , all elements of the shoe allow you to
push your personal limits.
– 165 –
ADIZERO ADIOS 7
The well-cushioned and super-light
alternative to the carbon shoe for all
distances up to the half marathon. With
the Energy Torsion System from Adidas.

Organisation
Promoter
Sport-Club Charlottenburg e.V.
Organiser
SCC EVENTS GmbH
Olympiapark Berlin
Hanns-Braun-Straße/Adlerplatz
14053 Berlin
Tel. 030 – 301 288 10
Fax 030 – 301 288 20
www.scc-events.com
Management & Team Leading
Managing Directors
Christian Jost, Jürgen Lock
Director Event Management
Mark Milde
Director Operations
Carsten Humrich
Director Participant Management &
Marketing | Digital
Antje Jüntgen
Director Sponsoring
Jennifer Barthel
Team Leading Media Relations & Editorial
Robert Fekl, Jochen Schmitz
Team Leading Operations
Michael Gerlach
Team Leading Participant Management
Judy Kumutat
Team Leading Marketing | Digital
Nadia Dagher
Team Leading Finance
Aike Fokkena
Team Leading Event Management
Antje Paschke & Sven Alex
Public Affairs
Yvonne Meißner
Human Relationships
Philip Lehmann
Organisational team
GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON
Participant Management
Sylvia Ackermann, Linda Baumgart,
Sarah Hecker, Antje Jüntgen, Philipp Kadow,
Judy Kumutat, Jasper Lock, Anja Lüthke,
Britt Munzlinger, Anja Reisner, Laura Tapia,
Marc Goldmann
Elite Athletes Hospitality
Philipp Kadow, Nadine Mietke,
Carsten Helterhof
EXPO
Sven Alex, Aleksandra Brevda,
Katharina Holle, Oliver Simon
Broom Wagon
Christian Löw
Results Services
mika:timing
Event Management
Sven Alex, Rick Gaedke, Nadine Mietke,
Mark Milde, Antje Paschke, Oliver Simon
Gathering Poin
Bastian Klemke
Shuttle Service
Gabi Mahn, Mario Mahn
Green Line
Wolfgang Weising
Wheelchair drivers/Handcyclists:
Errol Marklein, Ulrich Anke
Volunteers Management
Ralf Burzlaff, Noah Löffler, Vivian Schneider
Inlineskating
Rick Gaedke, Gerte Buchheit
Clothing Drop-Off
Peter Fielhauer, Yves Imbert,
Christiana Imbert, Joachim Zschaler
Poncho hand-out
Alexander Horn
Marketing | Digital
Nadia Dagher, Mareike Dehmel, Johannes Dinter,
Stephanie Fahnemann, Anika Günther,
Janis vom Hoff, Katja Lange, Antje Jüntgen,
Stephanie Kamen, Sabrina Krause,
Marcus Mahlo, Markus März, Anika Semmer

Media Relations & Editorial/Media Center
Max Bodenstab, Gerte Buchheit,
Frauke Constantin, Vincent Dornbusch,
Robert Fekl, Diana Putzu, Jochen Schmitz,
Thomas Steffens, Jakob Wartchow, Jörg Wenig
Sponsoring
Nicole Altenhof, Philipp Altmeppen,
Jennifer Barthel, Sabrina Bernardo,
Pablo Haigis, Katharina Holle,
Lukas Motschmann, Ines Rentsch,
Dominik Rosenau, Lara Vogel
Massage Services
Matthias Vogel
Finance
Aike Fokkena, Antonella Giglio, Simone Schmidt,
Marcel Reppien, Heike Krone
Public Affairs & Human Relationships
Yvonne Meißner, Marion Strolz, Philip Lehmann
Sports & Medicine
Angela Hänsel, Fabian Köppe,
Priv. Doz. Dr. med. Matthias Krüll,
Dr. med. Margrit Lock, Simone Salzger,
Medical Team SCC EVENTS
Music/Course
John Kunkeler
Police Head of Operations
PD Drexler
Protocol/VIP
Marion Strolz, Rotraud Zylka
Announcer
Jonas Frank, Dr. Karsten Holland
Start
Marcel Heß, Steffen Kirner
Course
Gunnar Hamel, Gregor Pfennig
Course Measuring
John Kunkeler, Gregor Pfennig
Aid Stations
Max Roy, Jette Kasper
Operations
Oliver Bach, Ümit Cakmak, Christian Fahr,
Michael Gerlach, Daniel Hoppe,
Carsten Humrich, Dani Jenke, Maik Machals,
Robert Müller, Achim Rau, Janin Reinhardt
Mascot Fridolin Flink
Sarah Hecker, Max Bodenstab, Tim Herrmann
Medical Service
Johanniter Unfallhilfe e.V.
Versorgungsspunkte
5 km: Nordberliner Lauffreunde
Leading: Jörg Busche
10 km: SCC-Langstreckler
Leading: Klaus Boesang
14 km: Betriebssportverband Berlin e.V.
Leading: Lutz Berthold
17,5 km: Birkenheide
Leading: Gunter Gerstenberger
Finish: ABC Zentrum Berlin
Leading: Kai-Thomas Arndt
Medal hand-out: Dirk Richter
IMPRINT
Event Magazine
GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON
Publisher
SCC EVENTS GmbH
Responsible for Content
Christian Jost, Jürgen Lock
Production
DLM RunMedia GmbH, Köln
Editorial Team
Vincent Dornbusch, Jochen Schmitz,
Christian Ermert, Jörg Wenig, Anja Herrlitz,
Tom Rottenberg, Gerte Buchheit
Graphics
CNG sports & media GmbH, Köln
Photos
If no other copyright is remarked:
SCC EVENTS, SCC Skating, Petko Baier,
Annegret Hilse, sportografen, Sebastian Wells,
Tilo Wiedensohler, Norbert Wilhelmi

Good luck!
Where running
almost feels
like flying.