Frankfurt Marathon

Summary

The Frankfurt Marathon (official name as of 2016: Mainova Frankfurt Marathon, until 2015: BMW Frankfurt Marathon, until 2010: Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon) is a marathon which has taken place every year in Frankfurt am Main since its inception in 1981. It is the longest-established city marathon in Germany[1] and in terms of the number of finishers, Germany's second-largest. It is organised by the agency motion events.

Frankfurt Marathon
Logo
DateOctober
LocationFrankfurt am Main, Germany
Event typeRoad
DistanceMarathon
Primary sponsorMainova
Established1981
Course recordsMen's: 2:03:42 (2011)
Kenya Wilson Kipsang
Women's: 2:19:10 (2019)
Kenya Valary Aiyabei
Official siteFrankfurt Marathon
Participants10,553 (2019)
10,620 (2018)
7,984 (2022)
9,665 (2023)

History edit

 
Finisher medal from 2010 marathon
 
At the first km of the 2004 marathon
 
Around 14.5 km into the 2013 race
 
Lead runners and timing car, 2015
 
Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich winning the 2011 marathon

Five years after the first New York City Marathon, it was decided that the time was right to launch marathons within German cities. The OSC Hoechst 1960 athletics club organised the first Frankfurt Marathon in 1981, with Hoechst itself serving as the main sponsors. During the course of the same year, the Berlin Marathon and the Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon were also run for the first time.

Despite the number of finishers continually rising from 2588 in its first year to 7297 in 1985, Hoechst stopped organising the event. As a consequence, the marathon did not take place in 1986. In 1987 the city of Frankfurt and the athletics department of Eintracht Frankfurt reinstated the race. The date was moved to October and the Messegelände (exhibition grounds) became the new site for the start and finish.

The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.[2][3]

Course edit

The start of the course is on the Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage next to the iconic Messeturm. Upon reaching the Platz der Republik the course turns left into Mainzer Landstrasse. After a lap of the Taunusanlage athletes return to the start of the course and continue onwards to the Bockenheimer Warte, before going to the Alter Oper via Bockenheimer Landstrasse. The course then continues along Reuterweg and Bremer Strasse in a northerly direction as far as the Westend Campus at the University of Frankfurt, before returning to Opernplatz via Eschersheimer Landstrasse and the Bockenheimer Anlage. Continuing into Junghofstrasse the course heads into Roßmarkt then past the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the Eschenheimer Tor and the Friedberger Tor before turning south towards and over the Alte Brücke over the River Main which brings the athletes into the suburb of Sachsenhausen on the southern side of the river. Athletes then run parallel to the Main in a westerly direction into the suburbs of Niederrad and Schwanheim. The only notable ascent on the course occurs at the bridge back over the Main in Schwanheim, and the participants continue westwards to the Bolangaropalast in Hoechst, Frankfurt's most westerly suburb. Athletes then turn back towards the city centre and run through the suburb of Nied via the Mainzer Landstrasse. The Galluswarte can be seen after 34 kilometres and the Alter Oper after 36. The course then continues along Taunusstrasse [de] (English: Taunus Street) and Kaiserstrasse past the Taunusanlage and then the Roßmarkt is negotiated for the second time to Eschenheim. The last three kilometres go back past the Alter Oper and via the Platz der Republik into the Festhalle, where athletes run the last few metres on a specially-laid red carpet before crossing the finishing line.[4]

The Hammering Man is regarded as an unofficial symbol of the race.

Winners edit

Key:   Course record

Year Men's winner Time[a] Women's winner Time[a]
2023   Brimin Kipkorir (KEN) 2:04:53   Buzunesh Gudeta (ETH) 2:19:27
2022   Brimin Kipkorir (KEN) 2:06:11   Sally Chepyego Kaptich (KEN) 2:23:11
2021 cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic
2020 cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic[2]
2019   Fikre Bekele (ETH) 2:07:08   Valary Aiyabei (KEN) 2:19:10
2018   Kelkile Gezahegn (ETH) 2:06:37   Meskerem Assefa (ETH) 2:20:36
2017   Shura Kitata (ETH) 2:05:50   Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:23:35
2016   Mark Korir (KEN) 2:06:48   Mamitu Daska (ETH) 2:25:27
2015   Sisay Lemma (ETH) 2:06:26   Gulume Tollesa (ETH) 2:23:12
2014   Mark Kiptoo (KEN) 2:06:49   Aberu Kebede (ETH) 2:22:21
2013   Vincent Kipruto (KEN) 2:06:15   Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:22:34
2012   Patrick Makau (KEN) 2:06:08   Meselech Melkamu (ETH) 2:21:01
2011   Wilson Kipsang (KEN) 2:03:42   Mamitu Daska (ETH) 2:21:59
2010   Wilson Kipsang (KEN) 2:04:57   Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:23:25
2009   Gilbert Kirwa (KEN) 2:06:14   Agnes Kiprop (KEN) 2:26:57
2008   Robert Kiprono (KEN) 2:07:21   Sabrina Mockenhaupt (GER) 2:26:22
2007   Wilfred Kigen (KEN) 2:07:58   Melanie Kraus (GER) 2:28:56
2006   Wilfred Kigen (KEN) 2:09:06   Svetlana Ponomarenko (RUS) 2:30:05
2005   Wilfred Kigen (KEN) 2:08:29   Alevtina Biktimirova (RUS) 2:25:12
2004   Boaz Kimaiyo (KEN) 2:09:10   Olesya Nurgaliyeva (RUS) 2:29:48
2003   Boaz Kimaiyo (KEN) 2:09:28   Luminita Zaituc (GER) 2:29:41
2002   Eliud Kering (KEN) 2:12:32   María Abel (ESP) 2:26:58
2001   Pavel Loskutov (EST) 2:11:09   Luminita Zaituc (GER) 2:26:01
2000   Henry Cherono (KEN) 2:10:40   Esther Barmasai (KEN) 2:31:04
1999   Pavel Loskutov (EST) 2:12:37   Esther Barmasai (KEN) 2:33:58
1998   Abel Gisemba (KEN) 2:11:40   Angelina Kanana (KEN) 2:31:38
1997   Michael Fietz (GER) 2:10:59   Katrin Dörre-Heinig (GER) 2:26:48
1996   Martin Bremer (GER) 2:13:38   Katrin Dörre-Heinig (GER) 2:28:33
1995   Oleg Otmakhov (RUS) 2:12:35   Katrin Dörre-Heinig (GER) 2:31:31
1994   Terje Næss (NOR) 2:13:19   Franziska Moser (SUI) 2:27:44
1993   Stephan Freigang (GER) 2:11:53   Sissel Grottenberg (NOR) 2:36:50
1992   Steffen Dittmann (GER) 2:12:59   Bente Moe (NOR) 2:32:36
1991   Herbert Steffny (GER) 2:13:45   Linda Milo (BEL) 2:35:11
1990   Konrad Dobler (GER) 2:13:29   Kerstin Preßler (GER) 2:34:13
1989   Herbert Steffny (FRG) 2:13:51   Iris Biba (FRG) 2:33:14
1988   Jos Sasse (NED) 2:13:15   Grete Kirkeberg (NOR) 2:35:44
1987   Lindsay Robertson (GBR) 2:13:30   Annabel Holtkamp (FRG) 2:45:21
1986 not held[5]
1985   Herbert Steffny (FRG) 2:12:12   Carla Beurskens (NED) 2:28:37
1984   Dereje Nedi (ETH) 2:11:18   Charlotte Teske (FRG) 2:31:16
1983   Ahmet Altun (TUR) 2:12:41   Charlotte Teske (FRG) 2:28:32
1982   Delfim Moreira (POR) 2:12:54   Heidi Hutterer (FRG) 2:36:38
1981   Kjell-Erik Ståhl (SWE) 2:13:20   Doris Schlosser (FRG) 2:47:13

Multiple wins edit

By country edit

Country Total Men's Women's
  Kenya 27 18 9
  Germany 22 8 14
  Ethiopia 12 5 7
  Norway 4 1 3
  Russia 4 1 3
  Netherlands 2 1 1
  Estonia 2 2 0
  Sweden 1 1 0
  Portugal 1 1 0
  Turkey 1 1 0
  United Kingdom 1 1 0
  Belgium 1 0 1
  Switzerland 1 0 1
  Spain 1 0 1

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b h:m:s

References edit

  1. ^ Wenig, Jörg (2009-10-14). Defending champion Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot heads up deep fields in Frankfurt. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-10-15.
  2. ^ a b "Mainova Frankfurt Marathon 2020 will not take place". 11 August 2020.
  3. ^ "The Frankfurt Marathon has also now been cancelled". 12 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Marathon - mainova Frankfurt Marathon". mainova Frankfurt Marathon. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Untitled".

External links edit

  • Official website
  • Association of Road Racing Statisticians entry