The top national athletes of the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
Melat Kejeta at the GENERALI Berlin Half Marathon 2024 © SCC EVENTS / Petko Beier
Over 50,000 runners from more than 150 nations will come to Berlin on the last weekend in September. They will all take part in the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON 2024, organised by SCC EVENTS. Top international runners such as Tadese Takele, Ronald Korir and Kibiwott Kandie will compete in the men's race. Tigist Ketema, Genzebe Dibaba and Yebregual Melese are among the favourites in the women's race (for more information, see news from 15.08.2024) - unfortunately, Rosemary Wanjiru had to cancel her participation. “I am extremely disappointed but I hope to return to Berlin again in the future to finish by the Brandenburg Gate.”, Wanjiru let organiser SCC EVENTS know.
However, there are also top-class representatives among the national athletes in the fields.
Melat Kejeta wil be returning to Berlin
A top German runner will be competing in Berlin on 29 September. Melat Kejeta (Laufteam Kassel) will be returning to the Spree for the first time since their debut races in Berlin. In 2019, Melat Kejeta surprised everyone by finishing sixth with a time of 2:23:57. This is still the fastest marathon debut time by a German runner. Melat Kejeta has been by far the strongest German marathon runner in recent years. In 2021, she achieved an outstanding sixth place at the Olympic Games in Sapporo (Japan) after sensationally winning the silver medal at the World Half Marathon Championships a year earlier.
Kejeta returned last year after taking a break to have a baby. In January 2024, she improved her time to 2:21:47 in Dubai. This qualified her for the Olympic marathon in Paris in August. At the Games, she had to pull out of the race early due to stomach problems. Now the 31-year-old wants to impress with a good race at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.
After several other top German runners cancelled at short notice due to injury, the national field will be rounded off by Melina Wolf (2:31:08 hours, LG Region Kalsruhe), Tabea Themann (2:31:33 hours, Turnerbund Hamburg Eilbeck) and Thea Heim (2:33:25 hours).
Hendrik Pfeiffer ran 2:08:48 at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON 2023 © SCC EVENTS / Victah Sailor
Hendrik Pfeiffer and Abraham's marathon comeback
A year ago, Hendrik Pfeiffer (TK Hannover) took a big step forward at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON: With a time of 2:08:48, he improved significantly and stayed under 2:10:00 for the first time. This was not enough for the Olympic qualifying time, so he made another attempt in January 2024. In a brilliant race without a pacemaker, he clocked 2:07:14 in Houston (best time) and finished third. In the end, he was ten seconds short of securing Germany's third Olympic starting place. In April, Hendrik Pfeiffer put in another very strong performance. He finished seventh in the London Marathon in 2:10:00 hours. It was the best placing by a German athlete in the men's race in London since 1988.
Filimon Abraham from LG Telis Finanz Regensburg caused a sensation at the Barcelona Marathon in spring 2023 with a top time of 2:08:22 hours, which crowned him the second-fastest German marathon runner of all time at the time. Injuries then made life difficult for him. For his marathon comeback, he chooses the fast roads in the German capital.
Haftom Welday, Sebastian Hendel and Johannes Motschmann
Haftom Welday made his sporting breakthrough in 2021. Berlin played a decisive role in this. He used the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON to achieve an enormous improvement of a good four minutes to 62:47 minutes. This is still his personal best. At the end of September 2021, he returned to the Spree for the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON and ran his marathon debut in 2:13:47. One year later, he achieved an impressive improvement to 2:09:06 at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. This earned him a nomination for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. In Hungary, Welday was the best German runner in a heat race, finishing 14th. This year, the athlete from TB Hamburg Eilbeck confirmed his good form. In February, he ran 2:08:29 in Seville and then set his personal best in the half marathon in Hamburg.
In spring 2023, Sebastian Hendel (LG Braunschweig) pushed his best time to 61:52 minutes at the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON and in autumn of the same year he ran 2:10:14 hours at the marathon in Munich. He impressively beat the 2:10:00 time in Hamburg this spring. Hamburg this spring. With 2:08:51 hours, Hendel moved up to ninth place on the list of the fastest German marathon runners of all time.
A personal best and an exceptionally strong placing at the London Marathon in April 2024 should give Johannes Motschmann plenty of confidence for the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. In London, the MARATHON TEAM BERLIN athlete finished ninth in 2:10:39, the fourth-best time ever achieved by a German runner in the men's race of the classic event. On the fast Berlin course, his goal in terms of time is to run under 2:10:00 for the first time. Johannes Motschmann spent four weeks at an altitude training camp in St. Moritz and elsewhere preparing for the capital city race.
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1.) Johannes Motschmann
Fotocredit: SCC EVENTS_Petko Beier
2.) Hendrik Pfeiffer
Fotocredit: SCC EVENTS_Victah Sailor
3.) Haftom Welday
Fotocredit: SCC EVENTS_Petko Beier
4.) Sebastian Hendel
Fotocredit: SCC EVENTS_Petko Beier
5.) Melat Kejeta
Fotocredit: SCC EVENTS_Petko Beier
