2024: Review

FINISHER
MAGAZINE
THE EVENT
IN PICTURES

MY HALF MARATHON
SAMUEL FITWI
Berlin. Rome.
Paris.
Samuel Fitwi from Silvesterlauf
Trier e.V. was the fastest
German at the 43rd GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON with
a ninth-place finish. With a time
of 61:33 minutes, he improved
his personal best time, which he
set a year ago in Berlin (61:44
minutes), by eleven seconds.
This qualified him for the half
marathon at the European Athletics
Championships in Rome on
9 June. This stellar athlete, who
has already been nominated for
the Olympic marathon in Paris
on August 10, explains here
how he experienced the race to
his new best time and what he
thinks is possible at the European
Championships and the
Olympics.
– 3 –

MY HALF MARATHON
SAMUEL FITWI
The GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON was
another great event. I got to
experience it once before in
2023, but this year the atmosphere
was even better because
the weather attracted even
more people to the streets.
But it was a bit too warm for
us runners. I wanted to finish
with a time between 60:00
and 60:20 minutes. So, the
German record of 60:09 minutes
would have been within reach.
I was doing well up to the
16th kilometer, but then I realized
that I wouldn‘t be able to
achieve such a time. Over the
last six kilometers, I concentrated
on finishing as the first
After his strong performance at the
GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON,
Samuel Fitwi is very optimistic about
the upcoming summer of running with
the European Championships and the
Olympic Games.

German and under the European
Championship standard
of 61:40 minutes. Although I‘m
not one hundred percent happy,
I‘m pleased that it worked
out and that I can now plan to
run the half marathon at the
European Athletics Championships
in Rome in June as well
as the Olympic marathon in
Paris in August.
Preparation at altitudes
above 2600 meters
My preparation at an altitude
of over 2600 meters in
Addis Ababa went well. I am
delighted to have found such
a strong training group there.
I also have friends living
in Ethiopia‘s capital who, like
me, fled our home country of
Eritrea over ten years ago. I
meet up with them from time
to time when I‘m in Addis Ababa.
I will definitely be training
in Addis Ababa again in
preparation for the European
Championships. For the phase
between the European Championships
and the Olympics,
it hasn‘t yet been decided
where training will take place.
Summer is the rainy season
in East Africa. But I definitely
want to join a strong group
again; that‘s very important
for me.
I‘m also very happy to be able
to train so well and run so fast
now. Before 2023, I was ill and
injured a lot. I‘m grateful to
have found Dr. Jens Enneper
in Cologne, a doctor who has
guided me so well that I‘ve
hardly been injured for two
years. That is the basis for my
success.
Germany can win gold at the
European Championships
If Germany has its strongest
team at the start of the European
Half Marathon, we can
win the team gold medal. A
medal is definitely my goal. It‘s
much harder to make a prediction
for the Olympics. I just
– 5 –

With the European Championship qualification
in the bag, ninth place is also a reason
to celebrate: Samuel Fitwi was the first
German to reach the Brandenburg Gate.
want to be optimally prepared,
give my best and then try to
run with the rhythm changes
that will occur due to the undulating
profile of the marathon
course. I‘m already excited
to be part of the biggest
sporting event in the world. I
hope that friends and family
from all over the world will be
lining the course in Paris. And
then I‘m also looking forward
to coming back to the Eifel
region, to Gerolstein, after
the Olympics, where so many
friends live who supported me
so much after I fled Eritrea
and arrived in Germany.
– 6 –

Content
R E L I V E : T H E
H
I G H L I G H T S
10 The best photos
This is how beautiful the 43rd GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON was. The 22 best
photos from the race weekend in the capital.
52 An Overview
Who were the fastest runners? How high was
the proportion of women? How did TV presenter
Kai Pflaume and football world champion
André Schürrle do? All the answers!
68 At the top
It was too warm for the hoped-for records.
Nevertheless, the fastest runners delivered
exciting races. And with Samuel Fitwi
and Melat Kejeta, two Germans were
particularly impressive.
84 Friends from around the world
Over 30,000 runners crossed the finish line
behind the Brandenburg Gate. Over a third
of them came from abroad. We spoke to
some of the finishers who are sharing their
half marathon happiness with you in this
magazine.
8

132 The race on inline skates
Despite an acrobatic performance at the finish
line, Felix Rhijnen was beaten by Frenchman
Beddiaf Nolan. We deliver all the details.
142 The 50th marathon awaits you
The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON will take place
for the 50th time on 29 September 2024.
Numerous very special events are planned to
mark the anniversary. Which ones? Find out here.
146 Who‘s that running?
In the event magazine, we introduced Team
Diabetes from Portugal, Halil Tazeoglu and Silke
Krull. This is how the GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON went for them.
IMPRINT
Finisher Magazin 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,
Gerte Buchheit, Christian Ermert,
Jörg Wenig, Anja Herrlitz, Tom Rottenberg,
Marleen Neumeier
Graphics
CNG sports & media GmbH, Köln
Photos
Petko Beier, Vincent Dornbusch, Marvin Güngör,
Steffen Hartz, Achim Kindler, Andreas Schwarz,
die sportografen, Sebastian Wells (OSTKREUZ),
Thomas Wendt, Tilo Wiedensohler (camera4),
Jean-Marc Wiesner
9

THE BEST PICTURES

M O R E
E X P O
P H O T O S
For many, this is how their exciting
half marathon weekend in Berlin began:
off to the EXPO to pick up their
starting documents, sign the wall and
take a memento photo.

THE BEST PICTURES

B A M B I N
I
P H O T O S
M O R E
One of the best moments at every big running weekend
in Berlin organised by SCC EVENTS: when kids are free to
experience the joy of movement at the Bambini Run at the
former Tempelhof Airport.

THE BEST PICTURES
Past meets future: At the Bambini Run at Tempelhof Airport,
the course looped around one of the „candy bombers“ used
by the Western Allies to supply Berliners with food in 1948
and 1949 during the Berlin blockade by the Soviet Union.

Races on inline skates have also been
part of the GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON program for the kids for
years.

ISOTONISCH
VITAMINHALTIG
KALORIENREDUZIERT

THE BEST PICTURES
The GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON is now also a
regular date on the calendars of more and more running
groups from all over Europe, who come to Berlin with large
teams and use the event to meet up with other groups.

Wenn in Berlin der Frühling erwacht, ist es Zeit
für den GENERALI BERLINER HALBMARATHON.
Auch wenn die Temperaturen dieses Mal - wie
schon 2022 - nicht wirklich frühlingshaft waren
genoss man das Rennen vorbei an der Gedächtniskirche
und den vielen anderen Sehenswürdigkeiten
wie hier auf der Tauentzienstraße.
19

THE BEST PICTURES
Buzzer instead of gun: Franziska Becker,
Berlin State Secretary of Sport, gave the
starting signal for the first wave of the
fastest runners.

THE BEST PICTURES
Founded in Berlin, the Kraft Runners now have offshoots in
many German cities, and naturally they sent many runners to
the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON. The running crew‘s
motto is their own word creation: #geilballern© (full adrenalin
and fun running). The Kraft Runners proved just how good
they are at taking a group photo before the start on the lawn
in front of the Bundestag.

You can turn a helmet into a mohawk . One of the 1025
skaters who registered for the GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON 2024.

THE BEST PICTURES
M O R E
R A C E
P H O T O S

The Tiergarten park has rarely been as
green as it was on this warm 7 April
during a GENERALI BERLIN HALF MA-
RATHON, when tens of thousands set
off on their 21.0975-kilometre journey
through the capital.

THE BEST PICTURES
Merle Menje in a racing wheelchair provided a
top athletic performance: with her time of 50:37
minutes, the 19-year-old set a new German half
marathon record and also left the men‘s field
completely behind her. She had to go almost the
entire race alone—like here in front of the Humboldt
Forum in the rebuilt Berlin City Palace. „It was very
tough today. But since I‘m training very well at the
moment, the record was my goal,“ she said at the
finish.

THE BEST PICTURES
When you see a bunny showing
his love of running, it‘s
half marathon time in Berlin.

Releasing the pure joy of life
and running. Easy to do in
Berlin.

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
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
Feels.Like | K-TEL Communications GmbH | Shokz | Sony Pictures
Berliner Leichtathletik Verband e.V. | alle Medien

THE BEST PICTURES
Did the water from the spray bottle actually provide
any cooling relief to the runners when it was
over 20 degrees and sunny? Doubtful. But the
gesture counts and shows that people in Berlin
are thinking about how to provide support from
along the course.

THE BEST PICTURES

At the Berlin City Palace, almost 19 kilometers
are under your belt. Time to start practicing for
the cheers at the finish at the Brandenburg Gate.

THE BEST PICTURES
Providing the right motivation through
music—you can do that in 2024 even
without instruments.

THE BEST PICTURES

For many, it‘s one of the greatest moments of all:
once you‘ve crossed the Brandenburg Gate, there
are only a few meters left to the finish line.

The finisher‘s medal around
their neck, the Brandenburg
Gate behind them, warmed
by a poncho. Is there any
better selfie motif?

But even more beautiful than
selfies are the pictures that
make you almost run into
the photographer‘s arms
along the way...

THE BEST PICTURES
The pacers also feel joy at the finish line when
they have done their job and led lots of runners
to their desired half marathon times.

THE BEST PICTURES

SUPERHALFS
PHOTOS
This is the first year that the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON
2024 became part of the SuperHalfs. This is a series of six prestigious
half marathon races in Lisbon, Prague, Copenhagen, Cardiff, Valencia
and now Berlin. Anyone who completes each of the races in Portugal,
the Czech Republic, Denmark, Wales, Spain and Germany at least once
within a maximum of 60 months receives a very special medal. In
Berlin, some who had already finished the other five half marathons
completed their SuperHalf series and received the super medal on the
spot.

If you still have the strength to carry someone after a half marathon, you
are certainly ready for the next big run. And there are plenty of them in
Berlin, as a look at www.scc-events.com reveals.

Foto: ® skynesher / iStockphoto
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IST VOR DEM LAUF!
Jetzt Charity-Startplatz sichern:
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Laufend aktiv für den Schutz unserer Wälder!
#Run4Nature

THE BEST PICTURES
This is how finishers celebrate themselves and the
top runners: In the Festsaal Kreuzberg, presenter
Dr. Karsten Holland welcomed the winners and
runners-up on stage and the party-loving runners
on the dance floor.

M O R E
PA RT Y P H O T O S

THE 43RD EDITION: AN OVERVIEW
A sunny
day for
running
The 43rd GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON was the biggest ever: exactly
32,989 finishers were counted at the Brandenburg Gate. And the unusual
summer weather in April is also likely to have attracted more people to line
the course than at any of the 42 previous editions. Together with the athletes,
they celebrated one of the biggest sports festivals in Europe.

AN OVERVIEW
Happy faces wherever you looked. That’s what running events are all about.
Especially the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON.
Very rarely has there been
a GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON where the
spectators along the course
were dressed for summer as
they cheered on the athletes.
While they enjoyed the warm
temperatures, the conditions
were challenging for the
runners. The anticipated top
athletic records fell by the
wayside despite the record
crowds. The unusually high
temperatures reaching well
over 20 degrees Celsius dashed
any hopes of seeing the
top times that had been predicted.
– 54 –

Smiles. Even at the thought of the suffering in Ukraine. Running events like the
GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON are always symbols of hope.
The Kenyan favorite Daniel
Ebenyo won in 59:30 minutes
ahead of his compatriots
Amos Kurgat (59:42) and
Isaia Lasoi (59:47). The best
German runner was Samuel
Fitwi (Silvesterlauf Trier), who
achieved a personal best time
of 61:33 minutes in ninth place,
beating the standard for
the European Championships
in Rome in June by seven seconds.
There was a big surprise
in the women’s race: The
19-year-old Ethiopian newcomer
Tekle Muluat triumphed
in 66:53 ahead of her compatriot
Ftaw Zeray, who crossed
– 55 –

AN OVERVIEW
At the EXPO, 531 used but still usable running shoes were collected, which the
Berlin City Mission uses to help those in need.
the finish line at the Brandenburg
Gate in 67:22. Third and
best German was Melat Kejeta
(Laufteam Kassel), who set
a German best time for the
year with 67:26.
But the 43rd GENERALI BER-
LIN HALF-MARATHON did set
participant records. The first
of these was set even before
the start: 38,712 runners, 1025
skaters, 15 handcyclists and
11 wheelchair athletes from
134 nations were registered—
more than ever before. “The
running boom continues, as
evidenced by the 15,000 runners
who started in Berlin for
the first time,” explains Jürgen
Lock, Managing Director
of organizer SCC EVENTS.
There were 33,629 athletes at
the start, 32,989 of whom finished
their events, which is a
good 17% more than in 2023.
On half marathon Sunday,
– 56 –

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for the first time more than
30,000 runners crossed the
finish line at the Brandenburg
Gate at the GENERALI BER-
LIN HALF MARATHON. The
number of finishers increased
by a good 2,000 compared
to the previous record from
2019. Back then, 28,670 runners
reached the finish line.
This makes the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON
one of the biggest races in
the world over the 21.0975-kilometer
distance.
Generali remains title sponsor
for at least three more years
On the sidelines of the event,
Stefan Lehmann, CEO of Generali
Deutschland AG, announced
the extension of the
title sponsorship contract:
“I am delighted that Generali
Deutschland has been able
to extend its commitment as
title sponsor of the GENERA-
LI BERLIN HALF MARATHON
for a further three years. Together
with our partner SCC
EVENTS GmbH, we want to
continue to develop this event
in the coming years,” he said.
“The GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON brings together
tens of thousands of people
from a wide variety of backgrounds
year after year. We
are firmly convinced of the integrative
power of sport.” His
company participated with
more than 100 employees
entering the race from eight
European subsidiaries. “Together,
we are taking a stance
as an insurer, employer and
corporate citizen by standing
up for diversity, integration,
democracy and tolerance. We
also want to motivate people
to adopt a healthier and more
sustainable lifestyle with our
‘Generali moves Germany’
initiative. Running promotes
physical and mental health
and thus has a preventive
effect against the most common
widespread diseases,”
– 58 –

The Generali red will continue to characterize Germany’s
largest half marathon. Like here when the
fastest German, Melat Kejeta, crossed the
finish. The title sponsor will remain on
board for at least another
three years.
explained the CEO.
Jürgen Lock, in his role as
Managing Director of SCC
EVENTS, was delighted that
Generali Deutschland AG
would be continuing its commitment
as title sponsor for
at least three more years:
“The mutual understanding
of such important topics as
comprehensive sustainability
(economic development,
social justice, environmental
protection), activating move-
– 59 –

ment and creating emotions
at an event that brings generations
together strengthens
this important partnership.”
Together with the WWF as the
official charity partner, the
organisers have been working
for years to make their running
events more sustainable.
Sustainable running is
well received
A crucial aspect of this is also
involving the participants—something
that was particularly
successful in 2024: in collaboration
with the Berlin City Mission,
the shoe donation at the
HALF MARATHON EXPO collected
well-preserved running shoes
for unhoused Berliners and
others in need in the region.
This resulted in 531 pairs of
shoes, almost 100 percent
of which were suitable to be
passed on. In comparison: 156
pairs were donated a year
ago. Immediately before the
start, the participants donated
over 650 kilograms of
used sportswear to the City
Mission, 98 percent of which
can be passed on to those in
need. With regular clothing
donations, the proportion of
usable clothing usually lies
between 20 and 50 percent.
The privilege of runners
“We have to keep reminding
ourselves that we are in an
absolutely privileged situation,”
explained Jürgen Lock.
“For a large number of people
in Berlin, simply having a
roof over their heads is by no
means a given. All the more
reason for us to hope that our
joint initiative with the Berlin
City Mission will help to restore
a little dignity to those
who are unhoused.”
– 60 –

We would like to thank the 2,650 volunteers
who made the GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON such a great event.

I N G
C L O T H
C O L L E C T I O N
655.5
kilos of used clothing,
which the participants
had used to keep warm
before the start, were
collected to be passed on to
those in need. 98 percent
of these items
were usable.
S A F E T Y P I N S
163,520
safety pins were
distributed to
participants to
attach their
race numbers.
E N E R G Y PA C K S
38,000
Gel 100 energy
gels from Maurten
were consumed
along the way.

B A N A N A S
33,000
33,000 bananas were
provided for the participants.
3800 of these were
left over and donated to
the Berliner Tafel food
bank for people
in need.
90,000 reusable cups were used at two
refreshment points. These are cleaned
and reused. True to the motto: „Follow
the green line—working together for a
more sustainable half marathon.“
F E W E R
C U P S
11.6
percent fewer drinking
cups made from recycled
PET were needed for the
water supply compared to
2023. This was despite the
number of participants
increasing by 17.3
percent.

Finisher emotions
with TV star and
world champion
– 64 –

TV presenter Kai Pflaume
and soccer world champion
André Schürrle were two
of the celebrities who joined
the participants at the 43rd
GENERALI BERLIN HALF MA-
RATHON. In 1:41:14 hours, the
2014 world champion crossed
the finish line a good half a
minute ahead of TV presenter
Kai Pflaume (1:41:51), who was
accompanied on the 21.0975
kilometers by former running
aces Philipp Pflieger and Ingalena
Schömburg-Heuck. „The
atmosphere along the course
was incredible. It was lots of
fun,“ the presenter enthused
about the race. For Kai Pflaume,
the atmosphere in Berlin
was even comparable to the
New York Marathon, which he
also finished last year accompanied
by Philipp Pflieger. For
Kai Pflaume, running and the
fitness behind it is now part of
his job: „The shows are getting
longer and longer, so I have
to be fit.“ Political Berlin was
also represented at the half
marathon by CDU Secretary
General Carsten Linnemann
and Young Liberals chairwoman
Franziska Brandmann.

INCLUSION
The inclusion run, which took place in cooperation with the Donnersmarck Foundation,
saw 38 participants and supervisors tackle the final 1.5 kilometres of
the original course. The start was one of the course highlights, the grand square,
Gendarmenmarkt. The German Para-Athlete Championships took place over the
full 21-kilometre course.
Top ten nations*
Country
Percent
Germany 63.1
Denmark 8.2
Great Britain 3.2
Poland 3.1
Netherlands 2.5
Norway 1.7
Italy 1.6
Spain 1.5
France 1.4
Ireland 1.3
*) according to the percentage of
the total number of registrations 1.3
Running is a lifetime sport and keeps you young:
a total of 21 participants—five female and 16 male
runners—over age 80 reached the finish line. They
required between 2:26:50 and 3:29:52 hours to
complete the 21.0975 kilometers.
– 66 –

42
percent of
participants are
now women. Last year,
the figure was
40 percent.
T R E N D : R I S I N G
Only one shares a name with a friendly weasel
Fridolin Flink is the name of the mascot of
half marathon organizer SCC EVENTS.
The friendly weasel provided support
to many of the finishers. And exactly
one of them had the same name as
the mascot: Fridolin. He finished
in 1:47:05 hours in 5111st place.
Four finishers from Sweden,
Germany and Austria had
the surname Berlin.

THE ELITE MEN‘S RACE

Record hopes
melted away
Daniel Ebenyo had big plans for the fast Berlin course: the Kenyan tried to attack
the world record. But in the end, under the warm skies of Berlin the world
half marathon runner-up finished in 59:30 minutes, almost two minutes slower
than Jacob Kiplimo’s (Uganda) best time of 57:31 set three years ago in Lisbon.
Nevertheless, Daniel Ebenyo‘s dominance created excitement along the course.
Texts: Jörg Wenig

Winner Daniel Ebenyo was only close to the rest
of the field at the start. He set off so quickly
that he was alone with his pacemaker after just a
few metres.
– 70 –

– 71 –
D
aniel Ebenyo‘s first split
times were well below those
for the world record time of
57:31. Running behind pacemaker
Bravin Kiptoo (Kenya),
Ebenyo broke away immediately
after the start and soon
ran well ahead of his rivals. The
duo passed the 5km mark in
a super-fast 13:28, indicating
a time of under 57:00. To put
this in perspective, the German
best 5K time on the road is
13:31. The fast pace was clearly
too much for the rising temperatures,
however, and this was
to take its toll as the race progressed.
By the 10km mark, the split
time of 27:29 was already missing
the mark for the world
record range, and pacemaker
Kiptoo dropped out of the race.
From then on, Daniel Ebenyo
ran alone at the front and continued
to lose time, keeping
the year‘s best time (58:24)
and the course record (58:42)
out of reach. In the final seven

DAS THE ELITE RENNEN MEN‘S DER RACE FRAUEN
Top Ten Men 2024
Runner Country Time
1. Daniel Ebenyo KEN 59:30
2. Amos Kurgat KEN 59:42
3. Isaia Lasoi KEN 59:47
4. Benard Biwott KEN 60:21
5. Bravin Kiprop KEN 60:29
6. Diego Estrada USA 61:05
7. Robert Koech KEN 61:27
8. Victor Kimutai KEN 61:29
9. Samuel Fitwi GER 61:33
10. Selvarolo Pasquale ITA 61:57
kilometres, Daniel Ebenyo‘s
lead dwindled enough to put
himself back in a tight race.
But the Kenyan pulled it off at
the finish, winning with a time
of 59:30, twelve seconds ahead
of Amos Kurgat. Samuel
Fitwi also started off with surprising
record ambitions. He
launched an attack on the German
record of Amanal Petros
(Marathon Team Berlin/60:09)
in the hopes of becoming the
first German to run under an
hour. After a 5km split of 14:09,
which would translate to a finish
time of 59:40, Fitwi reached
the 10km mark in 28:32.
That was close to the German
record. But even Samuel Fit-
– 72 –

wi was unable to keep up the
pace. At the 15km mark, the
clock showed 42:58, suggesting
a final time of just under
60:30. He then slowed down
considerably, and Amanal Petros‘
time was quickly out of
reach. Nevertheless, he improved
his personal best time to
61:33 minutes, which sufficed
for the European Championship
standard of 61:40.
Fitwi runs at a record
pace until the half
„I actually wanted to attack
the German record and at least
run a 60-minute time. We were
still looking good at kilometre
ten, but then it got too warm,
and after 16 kilometres nothing
was functioning anymore,“
said Samuel Fitwi. „I‘m
happy that I at least achieved
a personal best and the European
Championship standard.
Ninth place is also a good re-
sult in this race in Berlin.“ The
next best Germans were Aaron
Bienenfeld (SSC Hanau-Rodenbach)
in twelfth place in 62:34
and Johannes Motschmann
(Marathon Team Berlin), who
finished 14th in 62:46. Hendrik
Pfeiffer (TK Hannover) was
15th in 63:05, and Simon Boch
(LG Telis Finanz Regensburg)
finished 17th in 63:32.
Strong German field
„I‘m satisfied because it was
a tough race,“ said Johannes
Motschmann, who was the best
German two years ago in Berlin,
when he ran his personal
best of 61:45. „There was a particularly
strong German field at
the start this time, so third place
amongst the Germans is a
good result for me.“ Johannes
Motschmann will now compete
in the London Marathon on 21
April, where he hopes to break
2:10 for the first time.
– 73 –

THE ELITE WOMEN‘S RACE
A first victory
The women‘s race also quickly
demonstrated that it
was too warm for records this
time in Berlin. During the first
few kilometres, the split times
of the leading group still suggested
a final time of under
65:00 minutes, which would
have meant a course record
(65:02). Melat Kejeta was initially
close to the European
record of Dutchwoman Sifan
Hassan (65:15). Her own German
record stands at 65:18.
But by the tenth kilometre, all
record hopes were gone. The
Ethiopians Tekle Muluat and
Ftaw Zeray had taken the lead
and passed this mark after
31:25. This split meant a potential
final time of 66:15. Melat
Kejeta had fallen back a little
and was fifth with an intermediate
time of 31:34, which suggested
a time of around 66:35.
As a result, it became more about
victory and podium spots
than record times. With just
under five kilometres to go,
Tekle Muluat pulled away from
Ftaw Zeray and ran to a clear
victory in her second ever race
– 74 –

THE ELITE WOMEN‘S RACE
Top Ten Women 2024
Runner Country Time
1. Tekle Muluat ETH 66:53
2. Ftaw Zeray ETH 67:22
3. Melat Kejeta GER 67:26
4. Winnie Kimutai KEN 68:41
5. Lauren McNeil GBR 70:10
6. Clara Evans GBR 70:11
7. Miriam Dattke GER 71:01
8. Eva Dieterich GER 71:15
9. Lelise Wakweya ETH 71:59
10. Philippa Bowden GBR 72:15
Tekle Muluat had already established
her solo lead by the time they reached
the city palace and ran unchallenged
to her first major victory in her second
race outside Ethiopia.
© imago images/Camera4

outside Ethiopia. She finished
in 66:53, 29 seconds ahead of
Zeray. Melat Kejeta made up
two spots at the beginning of
the second half of the race and
finished third in 67:26.
As the second-best German
runner, Miriam Dattke (LG Telis
Finanz Regensburg) showed
an upward trend with a
seventh-place finish in 71:01
after a few recent disappointing
races. In eighth place,
Eva Dieterich (LAV Stadtwerke
Tübingen) surprised everyone
with a good half marathon
debut in 71:15. Kristina Hendel
(LG Braunschweig/72:31) finished
eleventh, Esther Pfeiffer
(Hannover 96/72:32) twelfth
and Deborah Schöneborn (Marathon
Team Berlin/73:12) finished
15th. Once again, it was not
Rabea Schöneborn‘s (Marathon
Team Berlin) day. Deborah‘s
twin sister dropped out of the
race prematurely after kilometre
15. But she was not the only
elite athlete who did not finish
in the difficult conditions. Top
European runners such as Fabienne
Schlumpf (Switzerland)
and Sofiia Yaremchuk (Italy)
also dropped out.
Miriam Dattke made her way back
to her old strength in the Tiergarten
park. In 71:01 minutes, she was the
second-best German, finishing in ninth
place.

gratuliert allen Läufer*innen
zur Teilnahme am großen:
HÖFFNER,
DIE GANZE WELT
DES WOHNENS
SCHON 24× IN
DEUTSCHLAND.
www.hoeffner.de
Höffner Möbelgesellschaft GmbH & Co. KG • Am Rondell 1 • 12529 Schönefeld

MELAT KEJETA & TEKLE MULUAT
Well known

The German favourite Melat Kejeta
was not surprised by the
strength of the winner Tekle Muluat.
The two know each other
well, as they train together in
Ethiopia.
Tekle Muluat was the unexpected
winner of the 43rd
GENERALI BERLIN HALF MA-
RATHON. As one of the last top
athletes to be registered for the
race by her Italian manager Gianni
Demadonna, the Ethiopian
was the first to cross the finish
line at the Brandenburg Gate.
„I‘m very happy to have won
because I never expected it,“
said Tekle Muluat. The 19-year-old
newcomer first competed
outside her home country
around a month before the
fast

MELAT KEJETA & TEKLE MULUAT
race in Berlin. She finished second
in the traditional Rome-
Ostia half marathon in 67:41
minutes. Now Tekle Muluat improved
to 66:53 minutes in her
first major victory.
Kejeta on the winner:
„She is very fast“
Melat Kejeta was not surprised
by the strong performance of
her former compatriot: „I know
Tekle because we trained together
in Addis Ababa,“ said the
Ethiopian-born German record
holder (65:18) from the Kassel
running team. „We have the
same manager, Gianni Demadonna,
and are therefore in the
same group. Tekle joined about
three months ago. I‘d already
seen in training that she has
very good basic speed. When
we did 100m sprints, she was
always ahead of me.“
Melat Kejeta had hoped to

at least achieve a time under
67:00 minutes, but even
though she finished third in
67:26, she was not dissatisfied
with her race in view of the
high temperatures. After all,
she achieved a German best
time for the year and placed
third in the European best list
for the year.
„Overall, I‘m happy with my
performance. It went very well
at the start, but then it got hot
and a bit windy. I had to slow
down,“ said Melat Kejeta. „The
atmosphere in Berlin was very
good again; I like running here.“
She won the race in 2018. Back
then, she was still running as an
Ethiopian and a time of 69:04
minutes was good enough to
win. A year later, she was granted
German citizenship.
Melat Kejeta will now return to
the training camp in Addis Ababa
with her almost two-year-
old daughter to prepare for the
two major summer highlights.
„When I‘m training, my nanny
looks after my daughter,“ says
Melat Kejeta.
The dream of an Olympic
medal lives on
She is one of the favourites
over the half marathon distance
at the European Championships
in Rome in June and
could achieve a very good result
in the Olympic marathon
in Paris. She came sixth in the
marathon at the 2021 Games
in Japan. „I have decided not
to run the Boston Marathon in
April so that I can concentrate
fully on the Olympic Games,“
said Melat Kejeta. „We have
a strong German team at the
European Championships in
Rome. And, of course, I would
love to win a medal at the
Olympics in Paris.“
– 81 –

REGISTER
Do it
again!
This way to your registration for the
44th GENERALI BERLIN HALF SMARATHON
on 6 April 2025
www.generali-berliner-halbmarathon.de
83

After the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON, the whole
world knows the runners who finished first. But there are so
many more winners at every race—even when they may not
be the fastest. We met some of them at the finish line and
were inspired by their emotions.
Texts: Christian Ermert, Anja Herrlitz, Marleen Neumeier
Photos: Andreas Schwarz

A time to
make friends

Alexander started running a year ago, and he dropped 25 kilos. Since then,
running has meant quality of life, fun and a sense of community for him. The twometre
man comes from Vienna, Austria, works in Berlin and is in love with both
cities. It was his first ever half marathon. Alexander wanted to run it here in Berlin
with his friends. And it was wonderful—the highlight of his day: crossing the finish
line. With that success, the beautiful course and the great weather rounded out a
perfect day for Alexander.
– 86 –

First the full marathon, then the half: Celina from Potsdam. „I took part in
the marathon here in Berlin last year and then absolutely had to sign up for the
half marathon,“ said the Brandenburg native. The half marathon was harder for
her than the marathon, as she started out with a fast pace. Despite a strong time
of 1:36:24, Celine did not achieve a personal best, but she was still satisfied. The
sports-loving police officer always finds the atmosphere in Berlin remarkable:
„Once again, it was awesome.“
– 87 –

LDNSELECT: This is a running crew from London, to which these three belong.
It was their first time at the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON, and they stayed
in Berlin for six days. „We are proud of our results, and the event is very well organised,“
the trio agreed. Their highlights were the atmosphere and the loud crowds
everywhere.
– 88 –

If you run as an empty bottle, you can‘t feel like one: Paul wore the sponsor‘s
costume on the streets of Berlin for the first time. „The run was supposed to be relaxed,
but in the end it was more like ‚all out‘,“ he said. Even though the bottle outfit
is light, there is no ventilation. Pretty tough in the heat. Paul comes from Berlin,
works as an insurance salesman and is training for the triathlon. Even dressed as a
bottle, he found it fun to run with lots of cool people in his hometown. And: „You‘d
do anything for a race entry, wouldn‘t you?“
– 89 –

Sandra and Ana Sofia travelled to Berlin from Valencia. And were surprised by
the high temperatures. It was the Spaniards‘ first time in Berlin. „It was fantastic,“
said Sandra. Her friend works for the Valencia Marathon. Just five hours after the
race, they were already on the plane back home. The crowds along the course and
the atmosphere among the runners were the best things about the 43rd GENERA-
LI BERLIN HALF MARATHON for them.
– 90 –

Das Radrennen in Berlin
4. AUGUST 2024
Erlebe die Hotspots der
City auf freier Strecke!
JETZT ANMELDEN!
Follow us @VeloCity.Berlin
www.VeloCity.berlin

Best performance in the best half marathon: Sarah is originally from the UK and
moved to Brandenburg to be with her husband. She is convinced that the GENERA-
LI BERLIN HALF MARATHON is the best half marathon in all of Europe. „Best atmosphere,
best course, really simply the best.“ And the environmental consultant
herself was the best she has ever been at her third half marathon in Berlin: she ran
a personal best time of 1:47:19. And she was simply thrilled.
– 92 –

Shirtless, he left his dad behind: Jan-Erik from Bielefeld got into running through
his father. The two started running together relatively early on. In Berlin, Jan-Erik
was the first to finish with a time of 1:48:33. One day before his birthday, the twenty-year-old
ran his fifth half marathon—four of his finishes were in Berlin. At the
finish line, the sports management student from the Cologne Sports University
happily waited for his father to share a celebratory beer.
– 93 –

She knows what makes you happy: running without stress and listening to
your body. Laura from Berlin has often taken part in SCC EVENTS runs and also
runs marathons. This time, the special needs teacher ran without a specific target
time: „It was really fun. I listened to my body and adapted my pace to the heat. With
the warm weather, there were even more people on the course than before and the
atmosphere was even better.“
– 94 –

Andrey comes from Russia but has lived in Berlin for a long time. For him, the
race day went perfectly, even better than he expected. The clock stopped for him
at 1:34:02 hours. The programmer was well prepared for the warm weather. Andrey
is an experienced amateur runner with a passion for running and has already completed
countless half marathons—including many in Berlin. He trains here as often
as possible and usually runs his laps in the Grunewald forest.
– 95 –

Lara-Isabell actually prefers swimming to running ... But the triathlete from SCC
Berlin has now completed the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON for the third
time. The budding primary school teacher is planning even more: she is so excited
about the atmosphere that she wants to run 42.195 kilometres for the first time
at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. It is different at triathlons: „There are always
stretches without an audience during the cycling segment. And in the swim, you‘re
completely alone.“
– 96 –

His first half marathon outside the UK was a great experience for Peter from
near Cambridge: „I enjoyed every second of this event. There was a lot of support
from the spectators, which was great fun. It was fantastic to see so many people
here,“ said the banker about his great day in Berlin. Compared to his half marathons
in Great Britain, there were a lot more people out and about on the streets
of Berlin.
– 97 –

Christopher from Manchester ran his tenth half marathon in Berlin, even
though he is actually a triathlete. Having already run the full marathon in the German
capital, this year was his first time for the half. In addition to the ten half
marathons, he already has 16 full marathons under his belt. He runs three times a
week with his running club and also goes cycling and swimming. In Berlin, he was
particularly impressed by the fantastic scenery and the many music bands along
the route.
– 98 –

Das Sport-Event in Rheinsberg!
30.06.24
#erfrischendhärter
Folge uns auf @sccevents
swimrun-rheinsberg.de
– 99 –

Lars from Berlin usually runs his five-kilometre laps in the forest with his
dog in the morning. Now the GP has run his first half marathon. And his time is
impressive: He clocked in at 1:46:02 hours. He didn‘t expect that. „The feeling was
incredible. The crowd is really amazing. It pushes you even harder,“ beamed Lars.
– 100 –

#Running is the motto of Carina and her friend, who ran their first half marathon
together in Berlin last year. They are always found in pairs at all their races.
And the duo is inseparable—they also play on the same handball team. What do the
business IT specialist and the legal clerk from near Hamburg think of the GENERA-
LI BERLIN HALF MARATHON? „It was mega. Great atmosphere. It was awesome.
We got hooked today.“
– 101 –

Volker and Andreas have been taking part in the GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON almost every year for 16 years. They always run together in training
and also in the competition, overcoming their inner couch-potatoes. At 62
and 59 years old, they are above the average age of the running crowd: „But that
makes it even more interesting for us to run at the front.“ They both say that they
serve as pacemakers for each other in the competition.
– 102 –

It‘s not often that someone starts the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON
with a medal around their neck. This was the case for Marie-Luise, as she had run
the Prague Half Marathon the day before. After the industrial mechanic from near
Lübeck finished there in 2:01 hours, she travelled to Berlin by train and ran a time
of 1:58:32 hours. The 31-year-old is totally crazy about running and already ran the
Tokyo Marathon in March.
– 103 –

Over too much wine at Christmas dinner, Ruben and Christian came up with
the idea of running the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON together. It was
their first 21.0975K run. Ruben pushes Christian, who is in a wheelchair due to a
congenital handicap. „It was great. Sure, it was exhausting, but that‘s normal. The
best thing today was doing the race with Christian. The experience was brilliant. I‘m
grateful that I was able to do it,“ said Ruben after the race.
– 104 –

Aissatou was born in Guinea and has lived in Germany for 27 years. „To be honest,
it was too hot for me today. But I still enjoyed running because I love Berlin,“
she said about her run. For the Berliner, running is not about the distance, but simply
about doing what she loves. And she loves running because it makes her happy.
– 106 –

The Running Crew London was invited by the Berlin Braves to get to know
the running scene here. „We had a great time here! The people are very nice and
welcoming.“ They paced each other to new personal bests on the streets of Berlin.
After the half marathon, the Londoners stayed on for a few days to see the city,
enjoy good food and relax.
– 107 –

Ilaria celebrated her first half marathon afterwards with a picnic in the sun.
Originally from Italy, she now lives in Berlin. Her goal at the première: simply to
cross the finish line. Which was clearly an understatement, as she finished in a
remarkable 1:44:41 hours. The highlight of the race for the saleswoman were the
people along the route: „The loud cheering and the great community were simply
great fun.“
– 108 –

Zerrin and Andreas have run the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON several
times before—but this year was their first time together as a couple. „It
was great. The atmosphere was fantastic. Berlin was great. The runners were all in
good moods. That gave me such a lift. It was so motivating. I still have power,“ said
Zerrin enthusiastically at the finish. The two Berliners pushed and motivated each
other, which worked really well. For the couple, running means freedom, a good
mood and lots of endorphins.
– 110 –

Even though Florian didn‘t achieve his desired best time, the Munich native
thoroughly enjoyed his first half marathon in the German capital. „The atmosphere
is so incredibly good in Berlin. I just enjoyed it so much.“ And in 1:53:09
hours, he still managed to stay clearly under two hours. „I was the most amazed by
how often people shouted my name along the course.“
– 111 –

The GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON is almost a family tradition for
Uwe and Sophia. This is the fifth time father and daughter from the south of Denmark
have run the half marathon in Berlin together. They would also like to run the
full marathon but have not yet been able to win a race entry. For the dentist and the
journalist, the run was almost „a bit like a survival run“ due to the warm temperatures.
The 27-year-old and the 64-year-old are delighted with the good organisation,
the many refreshment stations and the musical support.

Marina has almost 100,000 followers on Instagram as @marathon.princess.
And she has already competed in races all over the world in crazy costumes. She
was simply thrilled with the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON: „Super, super
cool run. Great atmosphere. Berlin simply never fails. Whether it‘s the whole marathon
or half of it. There are always so many people that every pace is represented.
All speeds feel welcome here, and it‘s just great fun.“
– 113 –

Carmen gave Juan Manuel the trip and the race entry for his 50th birthday,
which they celebrated in Berlin. They always run together everywhere. The warm
weather was no problem at all for the Spaniards. „This is our first time in Berlin, and
we really like it here. The people are in a good mood and very friendly.“
– 114 –

www.berlin-citynight.de

Running half marathons in other countries has always been a dream of Maryna
from Ukraine. And the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON was the first event
outside of Ukraine for the Kiev native. The journey by train took the accountant 24
hours. „It‘s obviously very complicated to get here, but it‘s possible.“ The morning
after the race, Maryna travelled back to her family in Kiev.
– 116 –

Filip from Poland was on course for a personal best in Berlin for the first 18
kilometres, but then he had to pay tribute to the warm temperatures and had
to battle with cramps. The sales director from Poznan was aiming for 2:10 hours
at his second start in Berlin, but he ended up clocking 2:18:52. Nevertheless, Filip is
happy: „It‘s always wonderful here.“ His highlights were the downhill after the turnaround
and the Tiergarten with its fresh air.
– 117 –

Big city instead of forest was the motto for Diana and Tina for the first time.
The Erfurt women are members of the Walschberg Runners and usually like to run
on the Rennsteig mountain trail. Instead of running up and down through the Thuringian
forests, they were now running through the crowds in the German capital.
The best thing for Diana and Tina was the atmosphere along the route. The two
train together and also crossed the finish line together in Berlin. Their time was
stopped at 2:04:26 hours. Diana and Tina thought it was „tough, but cool“ and will
definitely be back.
– 118 –

With onefactory, Florian and Jakob want to show that repurposed factories
can make a valuable contribution to fighting climate change. The two work as
architects and production planners for factories. The GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON was their first big running event: „It was a great experience and with
the perfect weather—you can‘t imagine anything better.“ The highlight for both of
them was the atmosphere of the all the wild people, the sensational city and the
many bands along the route that carried them to the finish line.
– 119 –

From minus two degrees in Sweden to summer temperatures in Berlin—that
was a bit tough for Eva Lena. The 62-year-old had already travelled to Berlin twice
for the marathon. Now the Berlin Half Marathon has also won her over. „I enjoyed
it, and I‘m happy.“ She runs twice a week at a running club in Stockholm. She particularly
likes the running events in Berlin because the course is flat and the roads
are wide.
– 120 –

Anyone who thinks Cornelius is a hardcore Hertha fan is wrong. He wore the
eye-catching jersey to be more visible to family and friends. Cornelius is a true
Berliner and grew up in the northern part of the city. Today he lives and trains in
Wedding and Pankow. Although the business administration student already knows
Berlin very well, the cool city scape gave him a huge boost. The 21.1K distance has
always been his goal, and it was actually really fun.

Half marathon instead of Kölsche Meile (Cologne Mile) was the motto for Lucia
and Holger from Team Kölsche Meile. A Cologne Mile is 11.11 kilometres. In Berlin,
however, they had to run ten kilometres more. The two of them still had fun: „Holger
always acts silly on the course when he has to adjust to my pace. Sometimes
he runs a bit backwards, sometimes he has to jump around somewhere.“ Lucia is
still happy with her 2:23:04 time. She also ran the full marathon in Berlin last year
and always loves the atmosphere of the people and the catering for the runners.
– 122 –

The first half marathon after nine full marathons: Dimitryo from Ukraine has
had a completely new experience. He had already run the full 42.195-kilometre distance
at the Dead Sea in Israel, in Kiev, in Paris and also twice in Berlin. He has lived
in Berlin with his family since 2015 and works as an engineer. „The race was fantastic,“
enthused Dimitryo, even though he experienced one of the hottest races yet
(even hotter than his race in the Israeli desert at the Dead Sea).
– 123 –

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2024
Must Runs
D
L
H
B
Berlin
(& Rides)
by
Brandenburg

4 MAY 2024
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
park between the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column.
Course lengths
10K for runners, walkers and Nordic walkers
5K for runners, walkers and Nordic walkers
500m/1000 m Bambini Run

14-16 MAY 2024
One for all—
all for one
berliner-teamstaffel.de
“The team is everything!” is the motto on the three hottest relay days
of the year, when runners will once again complete lap after lap in the
centre of Berlin between the Victory Column and Bellevue Palace.
Course lengths
5 x 5K relay race
approx. 500m/1000m Bambini Run
eam Relay
– 126 –

23 MAY 2024
Finish as part
of a team!
teamstaffel-brandenburg.de
In a relay quartet on a beautiful lap through historic Brandenburg an der
Havel. This is a wonderful TEAM event in the middle of summer.
Course lengths
4 x 5K relay race
approx. 500m/1000m Bambini Run

15 JUNE 2024
Out into nature
A different kind of marathon—the hiking event on the outskirts of Berlin.
Enjoying hiking together through the beautiful Brandenburg countryside
is a great way to connect and communicate. Become a hiking hero!
Course length
44K
hiking-hero.de

30 JUNE 2024
Refreshingly
different
www.swimrun-rheinsberg.de
Run through the forest and past the Rheinsberg Castle and swim through
the crystal-clear lakes—the ultimate nature experience!
Course lengths
approx. 21.4K SwimRun | approx. 11.3K Sprint SwimRun
approx. 4.4K SuperSprint SwimRun (starter distance for newbies)
approx. 0.9/1.8/2.7K Youth SwimRun/Family Fun SwimRun
approx. 500m/1000 m Bambini Run

27 JULY 2024
The fastest night
On the super-fast course of the Ku‘Damm, best times happen frequently.
The mega-cool summer highlight on Berlin‘s shopping boulevard with
samba bands, cheering zones, hot spots and enthusiastic fans becomes
a party mile.
Course lengths
10K inline skating
5K running
10K running
berlin-citynight.de
City Night

4 AUGUST 2024
We ride
Berlin!
velocity.berlin
The new spectacular cycling event along Berlin‘s boulevards, past the
capital‘s landmarks to the finish line at the Brandenburg Gate.
Course lengths
60K City Cycle Race
100K City Cycle Race
Kids & Youth Races
ADDITIONAL SCC EVENTS
Berlin Road Race Generalprobe 25 August 2024
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON 28-29 September 2024
Berlin New Year‘s Eve Run 31 December 2024
Berlin New Year‘s Run 1 January 2025

Fantastic start
to the season

Full commitment down to the last centimetre: Despite an
acrobatic performance, Felix Rhijnen (right) has to admit
defeat to Frenchman Beddiaf Nolan.

THE INLINE SKATING RACES
The inline skaters also celebrated
their season opener at the
GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARA-
THON. They had one advantage
in the early summer temperatures:
on wheels, a cool breeze is
always a good thing. The skaters
didn‘t mind the warm weather.
More than 1,000 participants
enjoyed perfect conditions on
the streets of the capital. Nolan
Beddiaf and Laura Files were
particularly fast and led the race
of the pros to the finish.
T
he men‘s race was characterised
by many breakaway attempts
right from the start line.
Above all, Felix Rijhnen (Powerslide)
from Darmstadt looked for
every opportunity to leave the
field behind him. Eventually, a
group of four formed with Nolan
Beddiaf (France/TAX RACING),
Felix Rijhnen, Alexander Bastidas
(Venezuela/Team Roller A4)
and Livio Wenger (Switzerland/
Arena Geisingen CCN Team). „At
the halfway point, it became clear
that Felix and I still had a bit
more power, so from then on we
rode in pairs,“ said Beddiaf, summarising
the course.
The top three men in 2024
Place Skater Time
1. Beddiaf Nolan (FRA/FR SKATES TAX RACING) 30:13
2. Felix Rijhnen (GER/POWERSLIDE World Team) 30:13
3. Alexander Bastidas (VEN/SRC Berlin eV) 31:24

SPEED WITHOUT COMPROMISE.
REVV BOA ® 125
beeindruckender High-End-Skate,
der beide Welten perfekt vereint: Fitness und Race.
www.rollerblade.com

THE INLINE SKATING RACES
In the final sprint to the finish,
the Frenchman narrowly beat
Rijhnen (both 30:13 min). „The
final sprint was ten metres too
long for me today. Nevertheless,
I‘m very happy with my
season opener and I‘m very
confident going into the next
races,“ said Rijhnen. Third place
went to Alexander Bastidas
(31:24 min/Team Roller A4)
from Venezuela, who has lived
in Berlin since 2016. „For me as
a South American, the winter
in Berlin is always very tough,
so today‘s conditions were perfect,“
said Bastidas, who competed
in the GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON for the first
time in 2009.
Laura Files successful
at Berlin premiere
In contrast to Bastidas, it was
the first participation for both
Laura Files (Team Bayern) and
Leni Sommer (Skate Club Allgäu).
„I‘m very happy to finish
right at the front at my first
start in Berlin,“ said winner
The top three women in 2024
Place Skater Time
1. Laura Files (GER/Team Bayern) 38:57
2. Leni Sommer (GER/Skate Club Allgäu) 38:58
3. Claudia Pechstein (GER/SCC Skatin Berlin) 38:58

SKATE
2024/25
JUL 27.
2024
SEP 28.
2024
APR 6.
2025
RUN FAST
SKATE FASTER!
WWW.SCC-EVENTS.COM
THESE EVENTS ARE SCC BERLIN EVENTS, ORGANISED BY SCC EVENTS.

Laura Files (38:57 min). Debutant
Leni Sommer won the
women‘s mass final sprint by a
wafer-thin margin against the
experienced skater and speed
skater Claudia Pechstein (SCC
Skating) (both 38:58 min).
The GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON was also the opening
race of the GERMAN IN-
LINE CUP. In addition to the
professionals, there is also a
separate fitness classification:
the top spots were filled by
Kevin Massa (Italy) ahead of
Adrian Gumanita (Romania)
and Eduardo Chittofrati (Italy),
while Melanie Bayrhof won the
women‘s race ahead of Sophie
Kämpfer (both Germany) and
Anna Zanetti (Italy).

Honour where honour is due: Winner
Laura Files celebrates in the final
metres, while her competitors
behind her fight for second place.

THE RACE OF THE FITNESS SKATERS
1.025 inline skaters took to the
start line on the grand boulevard
Strasse des 17. Juni. You will find
more pictures in the photo gallery.
I N L I N E
P I C T U R E S
M O R E
– 140 –

– 141 –

ANN
IVERSARY
THE
VIDEO
Join the
Journey!
This year is a very special one! The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON will be
celebrating its 50th anniversary at the end of September! Whether
on or off the course—you can look forward to a special festival with a
unique programme, countless highlights and an unforgettable marathon.
– 142 –

28./29. SEPTEMBER 2024

50TH BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
GET
BUDDY
BEAR
Your
marathon
buddy!
The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
introduces: Buddy Bear, the
super sporty anniversary bear.
The Berlin artist Andrej Wolff
has designed the 22cm bear.
It uniquely depicts the many
highlights of the BMW BER-
LIN-MARATHON‘s 50-year history.
At the same time, Buddy
Bear himself is also a Berlin
success story! For more than
20 years, the hand-designed
bears have symbolised a cosmopolitan
Berlin, tolerance,
acceptance and international
understanding like no other
souvenir—key values to which
the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
has also been committed for
many years.
– 144 –

MOVE!
Opening Ceremony at
the Brandenburg Gate
Marathon legends, exceptional
athletes, trailblazers—the anniversary
weekend will kick off
with a grand opening ceremony
at the Brandenburg Gate. A great
stage programme with live
bands and international stars
will celebrate half a century of
the marathon in Berlin with all
its emotional highlights.
Welcome to a very
special meeting place
At the Brandenburg Gate, the
symbol of German reunification,
the BMW BERLIN-MARA-
THON and its fascinating history
can be experienced in the
days leading up to the race:
MOVE creates a meeting place,
a space to linger and enjoy,
with an exhibition, catering and
a wide range of sporting and
cultural activities. You’re in for
a surprise!
RACEENTRIESAVAILABLEHERE

DIABETES TEAM PORTUGAL
Fábio Marques, Fernando Santos and Alexandre
Silva (from left) wanted to realise
their dream of each earning a SuperHalf
medal together in Berlin. But Marques had
to pull out shortly before the start.
Who was
that running?

After months of training and long anticipation, a brutal misfortune—
a misfunctioning insulin pump (for the first time ever) kept Fábio
Marques from „Diabetes Team Portugal“ from starting. But even
though that might sound like a defeat: Anyone who can do that,
make the smart decision to withdraw, at a race like the Berlin Half
Marathon that is part of one’s dream and aspirations, is a winner.
Texts: Tom Rottenberg
Naturally, Fábio Marques was
disappointed. Really disappointed.
Even though he knows
he can try again next year, that
doesn’t ease the disappointment.
Even though the 36-yearold
soft adverts specialist endured
and experienced pretty
much every negative emotion on
Sunday morning in Berlin, he was
smart and sensible enough to
take one very important phrase
to heart.
This is still repeated like a mantra
just before the start of big
races—but hardly anyone listens
to it anymore: „There are
a thousand races—but you only
have one healthy body.“ If you
don‘t feel 100 per cent fit, the
message goes, you should make
the most difficult decision a runner
can make—and withdraw—no
matter how long and intensively
you have prepared for and looked
forward to a race.
Fábio Marques was fit. Top fit.
In the best shape of his life. He
had talked about that in the
event magazine in the run-up
to the GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON: The race should
have been the crowning glory of
his „Super Half“ series. Marques
wanted to be one of the very
first to win a medal in this race
series, which was extended to
include six European half marathons
for the first time this year.
After Lisbon, Valencia, Copen-
WHO WAS THAT RUNNING?

hagen, Prague and Cardiff, Berlin
is now part of it too. While the
regulations state that you had
to finish the first five within 36
months, Marques had already
„collected“ the five in less than a
year. Berlin was to be the cherry
on top in 2024.
Even with diabetes you can
run a good half marathon
As if that wasn‘t achievement
enough, the 36-year-old family
man from Coimbra, a city in the
heart of Portugal, was running
with a message: Fábio Marques
has Type 1 diabetes. Together
with his compatriot Fernando
Santos, who also suffers from
diabetes, he wanted to demonstrate
in Berlin that it is possible
to run a half marathon with
diabetes. If you are, and this is
important, as the saying goes
among diabetics, „well regulated“.
With this message, Marques,
Santos and Alexandre Silva, the
president of „Diabetes Team
Portugal“ (who is not diabetic
himself), wanted to encourage
other diabetics in Berlin: If you
keep a close eye on your insulin
levels and have a small and
inconspicuous insulin pump
– 148 –
WHO WAS THAT RUNNING?

on your waistband that works
automatically, many things
are possible. For example, running
at times and speeds that
also inspire respect in non-diabetics:
Even amateur runners
without any health issues know
how hard finishing a half marathon
under an hour and a half
can be ...
For the first time, the
insulin pump malfunctioned
But a few minutes before the
start, Fabio checked his pump
again. Routine: he felt great—but
there was something wrong with
the pump. A quick check with
the medical team: the runner
was fine, but the pump didn‘t
seem to be working as it should.
No-one could say quickly what
the problem was—or whether or
how seriously it could affect the
run: The device, which keeps the
blood glucose level in balance
via the insulin supply, had never
displayed even the slightest error
message before.
One of the
toughest decisions
It was, says Fábio Marques,
one of the toughest decisions
of his life: the starting line, his
dream, in front of him and then
having to turn around. Instead
of running off in the direction
of the Victory Column, he walked
to the suburban railway
with slumped shoulders—and
waited for his colleagues at the
hotel: What, if not this, does
defeat feel like?
It was especially hard when
his friends, his team-mates,
come home beaming and with
medals: Alexandre Silva, the
head of the club, had improved
his personal best time by
ten minutes in an „exhausting
but fantastic race in a beautiful
city with a fantastic crowd“,
„but above all: finishing under
two hours!“. Fernando Santos,
however, missed his best time
of 1:25:31 hours: He had to—not
least because of the high temperatures—slow
down halfway

due to a rise in blood sugar
levels, but that made him only
beam more brightly when he
was presented with the „SuperHalf“
medal.
Nevertheless, Silva and Santos
were certain that the real winner
of the day was Fábio Marques:
„Saying ‚no‘ is sometimes
hard. Really hard. Having to
give up on a dream that is within
your grasp is brutal. Infinitely
hard. Obeying your head, your
reason, even though everything
in your heart and soul
beckons you to „do it, try it“,
takes willpower. It takes discipline—especially
when you
know for sure that you were
ready to do it. And the pump
had never failed before.
It takes a lot of strength not
to start. An enormous amount
of strength. Not everyone has
that—with or without diabetes.
But Fábio Marques had it. And
even if he was close to tears
with anger and disappointment
on Sunday—this is exactly what
winners look like.
– 150 –

25. August 2024
Jetzt anmelden!
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berliner-generalprobe.de

WHO WAS THAT RUNNING?

HALIL TAZEOGLU
„They were
cheering for me!“
The fact that Halil Tazeoglu is in a wheelchair doesn‘t stop the
doctor from Essen from saying that he „runs“. The GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON was his very first race—and it began
(and ended) as a huge party for the 34-year-old.
The first „wow moment“
came just after the Victory
Column. And then it lasted for
several kilometres: „The wheelchairs
started out before the
runners,“ says Halil Tazeoglu.
And smiles: „I really stepped
on the gas, but of course I can‘t
keep up with racing wheelchairs
in my everyday wheelchair.“
At about the Victory Column,
his speedy wheelchair and
handcycle colleagues were
gone—and Halil Tazeoglu was
alone. But that‘s not true—and
that was precisely the 34-year-old‘s
„wow moment“: „I had
the course to myself—and there
were thousands of people lining
the course supporting me: They
were cheering for me!“
That continued for kilometres.
And even though the radiologist
from Essen knew, of course,
that he wasn‘t in the lead at the
Berlin Half Marathon, it was „an
– 153 –

indescribable feeling. Especially
as it was the first half marathon
I‘d ever run.“
When the legs do not
develop as they should
Wait: „Ran“? Doesn‘t it say
„wheelchair“? Halil Tazeoglu understands
the interjection. He‘s
used to the questioning raised
eyebrow. Not least because he
had already spoken about it here
ahead of the GENERALI BERLIN
HALF MARATHON. And the doctor
emphasised then as well:
„For me, it‘s running.“ If only because
this is exactly how he has
been „running“ since his childhood:
Halil‘s legs did not develop
as they should. Therapies, orthopaedic
aids, training—all of this
characterised his mobility for
years. Until, just before starting
university, it became too much
for him: „I realised that the time,
effort and pain would never be
WHO WAS THAT RUNNING?

in reasonable proportion to the
result.“ So Halil Tazeoglu is in a
wheelchair—but he runs. „Also,
because the word ‚drive‘ sounds
too technical to me, too much
like a passenger.“
Halil Tazeoglu is everywhere
The doctor at Essen University
Hospital is certainly not
a passive „passenger“: when
his friends head for the mountains
or the Eiffel Tower, he is
there, too, of course. When
the lift goes on strike in Paris,
Halil slides down the stairs on
the seat of his trousers: „So
what?“ When the idea of running
in Berlin popped up on holiday
last autumn, it was clear
that the man in the wheelchair
would be just as involved as
his friends. Although he hadn‘t
done any intensive „running
training“ up to that point, the
Berlin Half Marathon was to be
the 34-year-old‘s first competition.
His goal: „To arrive with a
smile.“
But Tazeoglu would never have
dared to dream that this smile
would start at the Victory Column
and continue through the
entire race. „It was great. All
the way through.“ In his euphoria,
he briefly failed to understand
what was being shouted
at him from a race control car
that suddenly appeared next to
him. „They asked me to move
out of the centre.“
When the elite rush by
Why? „The elite runners were
following the car,“ laughs the
Duisburg native. „When they
fly past: Mega!“ The wheel-racing
doctor only found out
afterwards that he was even
briefly part of the live TV broadcast.
What he realised immediately:
Neither the elite athletes nor
the runners coming after them
viewed his wheelchair on the
course as an obstacle for even
a second: „So much cheering!
So many thumbs up! So much

laughter, motivation and encouragement!
It‘s amazing!“
And cheers and praise are not
a one-way street: „Of course
I cheered back! It makes me
proud to be part of such a movement.“
Goose bumps crossing under
the Brandenburg Gate
The radiologist does have a
little difficulty with the word
„pride“: „I don‘t like using it for
myself: it sounds vain.“ But not
even he wants to deny that it is
more than justified to get goosebumps
after 21 kilometres
when you pass through the
Brandenburg Gate. Especially
because the race was no walk
in the park: „It‘s also uphill. And
cobblestones aren‘t fun. But
that‘s just like life: You have to
dig deep every now and then—
and slow down a little from
time to time. Then you can do
anything.“ Sometimes you can
do it even faster than you dreamed
of: the man from Essen finished
in 1:48:35 hours—he had
previously, somewhat hesitantly,
suggested 2:05 hours as his
„optimistic dream goal“.
It‘s no surprise that he wants
more: „I‘ve heard about this
‚SuperHalf‘ half marathon series.
But as beautiful as Prague
is, they invented the cobblestones
there...“ Shortly after the
Berlin finish line, yet still far
off in the distance at the very
edge of his radar, the 34-yearold
smiles as he thinks about
the word „marathon“.
However, Halil Tazeoglu emphasises
that it is still too early
to make such announcements:
„I first have to come to terms
with what I have achieved. It‘s
almost unrealistic, like a film,
but I know it‘s real! I was there
myself!“
WHO WAS THAT RUNNING?

WHO WAS THAT RUNNING?
„My goal was the finish,“ Silke Krull told herself
and anyone who wanted to listen before her very
first half marathon. The fact that she did so well
on the way there, far better than she had dreamed,
makes the Berlin native not only happy,
but also audacious. And ambitious: „I could have
done better—I now know that for next time.“
Much better than
I dreamed of
There was almost a tear at
the beginning. At the end,
too.“ And this despite the fact
that Silke Krull is not one of
those people who are „built
very close to the water“. But
when the Berliner stood in her
starting block, as thousands of
people around her peacefully
and joyfully counted down
to the start of the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON,
it was „an incredibly great,
strong emotion“, says Silke
Krull—still visibly moved.
No wonder. After all, the 21 kilometres
that followed were the
very first half marathon for the
optician, who grew up in Berlin.
What‘s more, it was the first
ever running competition for
the mother of an eleven-yearold
daughter. And the 46-yearold
would never have imagined
– 158 –

– 159 –
SILKE KRULL

in her wildest dreams that this
run would be so fantastic. „It
wasn‘t exhausting at all,“ the
half-marathon novice lets slip
at one point while chatting. And
the fact that she says this in
such a relaxed and fluffy manner
is a huge surprise to her.
You can see and hear it in her
voice.
Pride, euphoria
and jubilation
Of course Silke Krull knows very
well that the 21 kilometres were
exhausting, demanding and
tough: A half marathon is not something
you do on the side. But
sometimes, when everything goes
so much better than planned,
that‘s exactly how it feels. There
is only pride, euphoria and jubilation.
And the first idea is to do just
the same thing again—but probably
even faster. Because now you
know what you‘re getting yourself
into. But you also know you‘ve got
what it takes. And that you can do
it well.
That isn’t as clear before you do
it. How could it be? That is how it
felt for Silke Krull: when she talked
about her dream of running
21 kilometres a few weeks before
the GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON, she had four or five
years of „jogging for her health“
under her belt. Running laps for
the sake of it, not for the joy of
running. Five kilometres, rarely
more: a friend of her daughter
triggered the idea of running
longer distances: „Last autumn
there was a 5.4K children‘s run
over 5.4K. I thought, if they can
do that, I‘ll try to run a little more.“
No sooner said than done. And:
just three days later, the Berlin
native ran her first ten kilometres.
But what now?
Running is fun
She took courage—and signed up
for the GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON 7 April 2024—a big
task. Especially when you don‘t
have any experienced runners
around you. The optician took a
– 160 –
WHO WAS THAT RUNNING?

systematic approach to the project:
she searched for and found
a 12-week training plan on Instagram,
stuck to it—and quickly realised
that she was finding running
easier. But above all, she began to
enjoy it—recharging her batteries
for her mind and everyday life.
Do not build up pressure
She deliberately didn‘t set herself
a time target for the half
marathon: „Arrive at the finish
and still be able to laugh,“ was
her motto. The fact that she was
constantly asked how long she
wanted to be on the road „really
annoyed me. It built up pressure.
But what was the point?“
The new long-distance runner
was all the happier when everything
went perfectly on 7 April:
The staging, the atmosphere on
and off the course. „That motivates
you!“ So much so that she
was surprised when the woman
running next to her cheered:
„Look: 20K! 20K!“ Silke Krull smiles:
„I had to look twice. But: Wow,
I was super happy.“

Of course, the run was quite exhausting:
„At the Brandenburg
Gate, I was really happy that it
would soon be over. But then the
emotions kicked in. This cheering
from deep inside. This feeling:
‚Great, you‘ve really done
it!“ Then I looked at the clock:
2:22:41. Even more joy: „But I still
would have been over the moon
with a three in front: My goal was
the finish.“
See you next year!
That‘s the right way to do it: At
the first competition, you can‘t
know what you can achieve,
what you‘re capable of. And this
surprising joy, this euphoria and
this pride then pave the way for
the next step: „I can very well
imagine running the GENERALI
BERLIN HALF MARATHON 2025.
But: next time, I will be more concerned
about my time.“
Emotions just before the
finish. Every runner realises:
it‘s over.
WHO WAS THAT RUNNING?

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