EN
The start of the first Berlin people's marathon "Berliner Volksmarathon" in 1974 ©Sportmuseum Berlin – AIMS Marathon-Museum of Running
„50 years of the BERLIN MARATHON“ – THE ANNIVERSARY on 29 September 2024. The search for the „finishers“ of 1974 and their 2024 program
In some of our last press releases, we reported on our search for the finishers of the 1974 edition of the BERLIN-MARATHON – the premiere on October 13, 1974 (first officially: „First Berlin People’s Marathon“) – 286 runners from 4 countries started at the premiere in 1974 at Waldschulallee 80 in Charlottenburg – 244 of them crossed the finish line.
On September 29, 2024, around 50,000 participants from more than 140 countries are expected at the start on „Strasse des 17 Juni.
Peter Bartel – a finisher from 1974, who came up with the idea for this private „Search for the Finishers“ campaign – was able to track down 33 finishers in an extensive search .
These include the two 1974 winners Günter Hallas (LG Nord) and Jutta von Haase (LG Süd), Bernd Hübner, Peter Bartel, Reinhard Ketelhut and an American Martin W. Teague from Glen Ellyn, Illinois USA.
Günter Hallas, the winner of the „1st Berlliner Volksmarathon“ in 1974 – after the first lap at the refreshment point at the Mommsenstadion – Excerpt from the newspaper „Telegraf“ – Photo: © Horst Milde
Martin W. Teague successfully took part in the1974 marathonas a member of the US allied forces, returned to Berlin in 1998 to take part in the 25th anniversary of the race and now wants to start again at the 50th BERLIN MARATHON to round off his running career
Martin W. Teague at the finish line of the „1st Berlin People’s Marathon“ in 1974 – Rotraud Zylka holds the medal (see below) in her hand to hand it out to the finishers. Rotraud Zylka is still present at many running events today! – From the photo album of Jane Teague (USA)
He will be the only one of the 1974 finishers competing on September 29. He is currently training intensively with friends from the Chicago Marathon in order to finish looking good in Berlin.
The entry form for the SCC’s „1st Berlin People’s Marathon“ on 13.10.1974 – Photo: Horst Milde
In 1974, he had the starting number „6 “ at the premiere – Mark Milde, Race Director of the BERLIN-MARATHON – promised him the number „6“ again, which is actually always reserved for the top runners.
Peter Bartel and 1974 winner Günter Hallas want to take part in the 50th marathon in 2024, but not as runners but as walkers
Front of the 1st medal of the Berlin People’s Marathon – Photo: Horst Milde
Reinhard Ketelhut, actually Prof. Dr. med. habil. Dr. rer. nat. Prof. h.c. Reinhard G. Ketelhut took part in the 1st BERLIN MARATHON (189th in 4:49:00) in 1974 as a student of sports science and mathematics at the Free University of Berlin (FU Berlin).
His subsequent impressive career (see attached pdf „Curriculum Vitae“ – in German) with many national and international awards, honors and prizes could not be greater and more successful. It almost predestines him to speak about the positive health functions and effects of running and the marathon.
13 years after his start at the 1st BERLIN-MARATHON in 1974, Dr. Ketelhut examined runners before and during the BERLIN-MARATHON in 1987 see attachment (pdf): „Fitness in the fit: does physical conditioning affect
cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged marathon runners? – see attachment (pdf – in German): „The influence of training quality and performance on cardiovascular risk factors in marathon runners“ and (see attachment (pdf – in German): „Elevated diastolic blood pressure at rest – hypertension in marathon runners“?
Ketelhut 2024 -0- Fitness in the fit_- Does_physical_conditioning
Ketelhut 2024 1 Curriculum vitae 1CV
Ketelhut 2024 -2- Influence in marathon runners – Risk factors
Ketelhut 2024 -3- Hypertension in marathon runners – CARDIOVASC
Prof. Dr. Ketelhut was not only a runner, but was also active in other sports:
He was particularly successful in judo, where he competed in one of his last fights against Dieter Gruschwitz, a former well-known journalist at SFB and later head of sports at ZDF (television).
Norbert Schulze (born in 1955) is the youngest of the 1974 BERLIN MARATHON finishers at the age of 70, while Charly Schöttler (born in 1929) is the oldest of the surviving finishers at the age of 95.
- The plans (selection) for joint activities of the 1974 finishers:
- Photo opportunity at the start of the 1974 BERLIN-MARATHON – Waldschulallee 80
- Invitation of the finishers to the „Marathon Prayer“ in the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on 28.9.2024 (day before the marathon)
- Invitation to a joint meeting/dinner on August 28 at the „Eierschale“ – Podbielskiallee – Patron or donor: Wilfried Köhnke, the 47-time record holder/finisher of the BERLIN-MARATHON
- Possibly an invitation to the BERLIN-MARATHON grandstand, etc.
Jutta von Haase (left), the winner of the 1st Berlin People’s Marathon after the first lap at the Mommsenstadion and Bernd Hübner – far right. (in Rowing Club Brandenburgia kit) – the later record-breaking finisher of the BERLIN MARATHON – Photo: private
The finishers of the 1974 event were the pioneers in the field of marathon running for „everyone“.
Since its foundation in 1974, the BERLIN MARATHON has developed very slowly at first, but then rapidly from 1981 with the change to the city center of Berlin (West), the start at the Reichstag and the finish on the Kurfürstendamm.
With its large number of participants and its 13 world records, the BERLIN-MARATHON is an attraction and icon in the international sports calendar, a figurehead for Berlin and Germany.
This is not a press release from SCC Berlin, SCC Events or BERLIN-MARATHON
Horst Milde
The YouTube video by Prof. Helmut Winter with Horst Milde about the history of the BERLIN-MARATHON (1974) and the cross-country race on Teufelsberg (1964):
Mit dem Laden des Videos akzeptieren Sie die Datenschutzerklärung von YouTube.
Mehr erfahren
