The 60th Berlin Cross-Country Race celebrated its anniversary on November 9, 2024 – Back to the roots in Grunewald – Horst Milde reports

The first three over 4 km – Photo: Horst Milde

2024 is the year of anniversaries and the “round birthdays” of Berlin’s major running events: 50 years of the BERLIN MARATHON (1974), 40 years of the Berlin Half Marathon (1984), 40 years of the Berlin Women’s Women’s Run (1984), 40 years of the Berlin 10 km “Lauf dem Kurfürstendamm” (1984), and on November 9, 2024, it will be the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Cross-Country Race (1964).

This race has taken place at various locations over the past few years. After the site at Teufelsberg (an artificial hill in Berlin), then on the Maifeld and the equestrian stadium of the Olympic Park – then in Döberitz outside Berlin. However, this area was not accepted by the runners. And now, after 2022, it will be back in Grunewald for the third time

Winner Timo Göhler with bike companion Rainer Podlesch at the finish – Photo: Horst Milde

Heiko Schilff from the athletics department of SCC Berlin organized the 60th Berliner Cross-Country-Lauf. It is thanks to him that this traditional Berlin running event has been successfully revived

Heiko Schilff (far left) of the SCC athletics department organized the race. Debbi Schöneborn (901 far right) – Photo: Horst Milde

The top three in the 9.0 km race with Rainer Podlesch – Photo: Horst Milde

At the start of the race, the temperature was 3 degrees Celsius, it was dry, the sun was shining at times, and the running course in the Grunewald forest was full of autumn leaves, which was pleasant for the runners. The participants were positive about the running challenges of the course, which was cross-country and demanding for the runners.

The short results of the 60th Berlin Cross-Country Run of the SCC on November 9, 2024:

The most prominent winner was Deborah Schöneborn, a multiple German cross-country champion and Olympian, who covered the 9 km course in 34:32..

Debbie Schöneborn on her last lap – Photo: Horst-Dieter Bellack

SCC CROSS COUNTRY results

 

Results SCC CROSS COUNTRY – 09.11.2024
4km Crosslauf (U16 bis Erwachsene)
Rg	Name	Verein	Zeit
1	Janne Schommler	LAC Ruppin e.V	00:15:28
2	Jasper Proschitzki	OSC Berlin	00:15:37
3	Domenic Poganiatz	Kienberger SV e.V	00:16:23
Rg	Name	Verein	Zeit
1	Mathilda Sarota	SCC Berlin	00:20:55
2	Madeleine Lewin	SCC Berlin	00:21:43
3	Diana Barlem Dos Santos	Berlin	00:22:24
9km Crosslauf (U18 bis Erwachsene)
Rg	Name	Verein	Zeit
1	Timo Göhler	SCC Berlin	00:31:47
2	Marcel Vesper	SCC Berlin	00:32:10
3	Christian Krannich	SCC Berlin	00:32:40
Rg	Name	Verein	Zeit
1	Debbie Schöneborn	SCC Berlin	00:34:32
2	Dawn Domaschk	Berlin Track Club	00:36:40
3	Jule Arwinski	SCC Berlin	00:38:54
letzte Runde (4km)
Rg	Name	Verein	Zeit
1	Oliver Schieb	SCC Berlin	00:01:11
2	Janne Schommler	LAC Ruppin e.V	00:01:12
3	Mathis Heinke–Beziat	ASV Berlin	00:01:14
Rg	Name	Verein	Zeit
1	Madeleine Lewin	SCC Berlin	00:01:16
2	Diana Barlem Dos Santos	Berlin	00:01:42
3	Mathilda Sarota	SCC Berlin	00:01:49
letzte Runde (9km)
Rg	Name	Verein	Zeit
1	Timo Göhler	SCC Berlin	00:01:08
2	Marcel Vesper	SCC Berlin	00:01:12
3	Laurids Koster	SCC Berlin	00:01:13
Rg	Name	Verein	Zeit
1	Debbie Schöneborn	SCC Berlin	00:01:15
2	Dawn Domaschk	Berlin Track Club	00:01:21
3	Isabella Fischer	SCC Berlin Triathlon	00:01:32

Wilfried Köhnke wins M 75 – Foto: Horst-Dieter Bellack

 

Berlin Marathon specialist Wilfried Köhnke (47-time finisher) – Photo: Horst-Dieter Bellack

The winners of the race 1964, Bodo Tümmler (European Champion in 1966 in Budapest over 1500m and Olympic bronze medalist in Mexico) over 9.0 km in the “Cross des Asse” and Rainer Podlesch in the fun run over 4.9 km (world champion in track cycling and multiple German champion) were present.

Podlesch accompanied the cross-country runners over 9.0 km from the start to the finish in the stadium with his cycling training team, the Zehlendorfer Eichhörnchen

Rainer Podlesch’s training team accompanied the 9.0 km runners – Photo: Horst Milde

Wolfgang Paech (641) ran his 57th cross-country race.

 

Wolfgang Paech (641) – Foto: Horst-Dieter Bellack

Roland Winkler (yellow), who took part in the legendary 26th Berlin Cross-Country Race on November 12, 1989 (three days after the fall of the Berlin Wall), was also present at the start.

Roland Winkler (center), Wolfgang Paech (right) and Horst Milde (left), founder of the Cross-country race in 1964 – Photo: Horst-Dieter Bellack

In the year of the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, the Berlin Cross-Country Race takes on a special significance. The Berlin Cross Country Race of the SCC at Teufelsberg, a traditional (West) Berlin event with 25 editions, became the first sporting event that suddenly took center stage after the fall of the Wall, because here runners from East (GDR) and West (Federal Republic of Germany) were able to pursue their sport together again after 28 years of separation, without having to request anyone’s permission.

But what is much more important in this context is the following:

In the afternoon, after the end of the cross-country race on November 12, 1989, at around 4:00 p.m., we (Roland Winkler from East Berlin, Gerd Engel + from Stendal, Dr. Detlef Dalk+ from Zepernick and Olaf Pilz, as a companion) met at my home at Tempelhofer Damm 192 for coffee and cake.

We decided to organize the first all-Berlin NEW YEAR’S RUN on January 1, 1990! Start at 2:00 p.m., starting point Straße des 17. Juni, between the Victory Column and Entlastungsstraße (which no longer exists today). It was to be a symbolic start for the runners from both parts of Berlin after the long years of separation

Youthful enthusiasm after the last fast lap at the finish line – Photo: Horst Milde

And on September 30, 1990, the 17th Berlin Marathon was supposed to run through both parts of Berlin and through the Brandenburg Gate. The Berlin Cross-Country Run on November 12, 1989 was the trigger and initiator for the New Year’s race and the Berlin Marathon through both parts of Berlin in 1990.

Excerpt from the „Tagesspiegel“ of November 13, 1989 – Photo: Horst Milde

Unfortunately, the importance of running on these days of remembrance is never mentioned

Welcome sign at the 60th anniversary… simple and modest… just like in 1964 – Photo: Horst Milde

During these revolutionary days, people from the west and east of Germany who had been separated for decades immediately came together through running. See also the SCC New Year’s Run on January 1, 1990 and the 17th Berlin Marathon on September 30, 1990 (Reunification Marathon).

Running has also made sporting and historical world history in Berlin.

Results with the last lap:

https://www.strassenlauf.org/va_ergebnisse.php?id=865&match=2 

Horst Milde

YouTube video of Prof. Helmut Winter with Horst Milde about the history of the cross-country race at Teufelsberg (1964) and the BERLIN MARATHON (1974): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEGve18Drf8