Charlotte Teske – awarded with the GRR-Award in 2015 for her Lifetime Achievement and the Boston Marathon victory prize from 1982

On November 27, 2015, some of top runners were honoured during the annual German Road Races (GRR) general assembly in Duisburg.

As already reported, Charlotte Teske (ASC Darmstadt) was presented with the GRR Lifetime Award. With her invitation she received a side request to bring some mementos with her from her successful athletic career to donate to the Berlin Sports Museum, similar to the successful request made at the recent AIMS Gala.

Together with Christa Vahlensieck, who won the GRR Award in 2013, Teske, from Darmstadt, Germany, was a pioneer in the German running and marathon scene.

Charlotte Teske competed at the Olympic Games (1984), at World and European Championships, and was German Champion a total of 14 times. Her personal bests range from 8:58:05 (3000 m) to 15:19,54 (5000 m) and 32:00.26 (10.000 m), all the way to 1:25:44 (25 km) and 2:28:32 (Marathon), most of which were also German records.

Her greatest success was celebrated in 1982 with her victory at the 86th Boston Marathon in 2:29:33 hours.

She had many other international successes, including: the Miami Marathon (champion in 2:29:01), Osaka/Japan (second) and New York City/USA  (third). In Germany she celebrated victories in the marathon in Frankfurt (1982, 1984), Hamburg (1987, 1988), at the 13th BERLIN MARATHON on September 28,1986, with a new course record in 2:32:10 and Munich (1990), as well as winning the Paderborn Easter Run and the Darmstadt City Run (six victories).

Her victory in Boston should receive a little bit of extra attention here, since this is a unique experience for every athlete and since Charlotte Teske brought along a surprise from her victory in 1982 with her to Duisburg.

Charlotte Teske competed in the famous Boston Marathon on April 19, 1982. Tom Derderian described the race in his book “Boston Marathon”:
“Everyone hailed the three-time winner of the New York City Marathon, Grete Waitz, as the outstanding favourite to take the 1982 Boston Marathon. She wanted to win; not only that, she wanted to set a new world record. … Waitz ran surrounded by male runners. … By the 17-mile mark of the Boston race she had a 2:23 marathon going. Second place, Charlotte Teske, ran far behind, as if she were in her own race…. She ran alone, hugging the side of the road, minutes behind. But she did not know how painful it would be for Waitz. Heartbreak Hill felt good to Waitz. She liked hills and ran them well. … It looked like nothing could go wrong. But pain in her quadriceps muscles, which had begun on the long downhill, became unbreakable. … She stepped off the course. She could run no more. …

Someone called an ambulance, and it whisked Waitz off to the hospital. From there she took a taxi to her hotel. Teske never got the word that she was the first woman. It is hard to believe that no one in the crowd shouted ‘First woman,’ but with a limited command of English, perhaps Teske did not understand the announcement. She ran the last have mile to wild cheering, and the last 100 meters with the roar of the crowd—a crowd roaring for first place, but she thought she was finishing second. She could not savour the moment as it occurred.

Charlotte Teske won, but she hadn’t seen Waitz drop out and didn’t know she was first. Just past the finish a policeman told her that, incidentally, she had one. She really had had no idea. Suddenly elation filled her, but she said she felt ‘very sorry’ for Waitz and that ‘I didn’t really beat her.’”

This commentary demonstrates the modesty that has always accompanied Charlotte Teske.

Charlotte Teske is one of the very few Germans who have been able to win in Boston. Paul de Bruyn won the men’s race in 1932, and, in the women’s race, Liane Winter won in 1975 and Uta Pippig won in 1994, 1995 and 1996.

And just like she surprised everyone in Boston, so she did again when she appeared on stage to receive her prize – and presented the GRR presenters with a spectacular watch. It was the prize from Boston!

The prize – a “SEIKO WINNER’S TROPHY” – was a gift for the Berlin Sports Museum Berlin – “AIMS-Marathoneum”.

According to Charlotte, the prize was more fitting for a museum than for her living room. Indeed, it will be a nice addition to the prize pocket watch from Paul de Bruyn from the race in 1932 that is already on display in the museum, along with the “No. 1” race number belonging to the four-time Boston Marathon winner, Bill Rodgers.

For the Berlin Sport Museum, this great piece is a fabulous addition to the collection. Charlotte’s commentary about her race in Berlin today: “I was probably the last amateur in Boston; I paid for my flight, accommodations, everything on my own, and there was no prize money. One year later, the big prize monies were introduced!”

That makes this prize even more valuable. Teske’s generosity toward the museum was demonstrated with an encore, when she also presented the museum with the famous 100-year anniversary Boston Marathon jacket from 1996.

Günter Zahn, a successful runner and final torch bearer for the 1972 Olympics in 1972, who was recognized as the “Trainer of the Year” 2015, also promised the GRR organisers that he too will soon provide the Berlin Sports Museum something special from his athletic career.

Horst Milde

 

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The AIMS Marathon-Museum of Running – Presentation

 

More information about "The Artifact of the Month":

“The Artefact of the Month” No I. – Rare museum artefacts from the Berlin Sports Museum – AIMS Marathon Museum of Running – The Starting Pistol – Horst Milde reports

Artefact of the Month” No. II. – Museum Rarities from the Berlin Sports Museum – AIMS Museum of Running – The New York City Marathon – Current Gifts – Horst Milde Reports

“The Artefact of the Month” III. – Rare museum artefacts from the Berlin Sports Museum – AIMS Marathon Museum of Running – Dr. David Martin (Atlanta, GA) and his donations to the Berlin Sports Museum – AIMS Marathon Museum of Running – Current Donations – Horst Milde reports

"The Artefact of the Month" IV. – Museum Rarities from the Berlin Sports Museum – AIMS Museum of Running – Wim Verhoorn / NED and his Gifts to the Berlin Sports Museum – AIMS Marathon Museum of Running – Current Gifts – Horst Milde Reports

"The Artefact of the Month" V. – Museum Rarities from the Berlin Sports Museum – AIMS Museum of Running – Bernd Hübner / Berlin and his Gifts to the Berlin Sports Museum – AIMS Marathon Museum of Running – Current Gifts – Horst Milde Reports

"The Artefact of the Month" VI. – Museum Rarities from the Berlin Sports Museum – AIMS Marathon Museum of Running – The “Golden Shoe” from the AIMS/ASICS World Athlete of the Year Award. Horst Milde Reports

Berlin Sports Museum – "AIMS Marathon Museum of Running" receives the "David E. Martin Collection" – The "Artefact of the Decade"!

"The Artifact of the Month" VII. – Museum Rarities from the Berlin Sports Museum – AIMS Marathon Museum of Running – Victah Sailer and his donation. Horst Milde Reports

"The Artifact of the Month" VIII. – Museum Rarities from the AIMS Marathon Museum of Running – Berlin Sports Museum – Tokyo Marathon and Athens Classic Marathon – Horst Milde Reports

"The Artifact of the Month" IX. – Museum Rarities from the AIMS Marathon Museum of Running – Berlin Sports Museum – The PUMA Sprint Spike from Usain Bolt – Horst Milde Reports

"The Artifact of the Month" X. – Museum Rarities from the AIMS Marathon Museum of Running – "Big guys of running", the World Marathon Majors – Horst Milde Reports

"The Artifact of the Month" XI. – Museum Rarities from the AIMS Marathon Museum of Running – The addition for the "David E. Martin Collection" – The "Artefact of the Decade"! – Horst Milde reports

"The Artifact of the Month" XII. – Museum Rarities from the AIMS Marathon Museum of Running – Henryk Paskal donates his valuable collection to the Berlin Sports Museum – Horst Milde reports

The “Artifact of the Month” XIII. – Rare museum artifacts from the Berlin Sports Museum/AIMS Marathon Museum of Running – Documents from a race that didn’t happen – Sandy Sislowitz and the New York City Marathon 2012 – Horst Milde reports

"The artefact of the month" XIV. – Rare pieces from the Berlin Sports Museum/AIMS Marathon Museum of Running – Gothenburg visits the Museum – Report by Horst Milde

“The artifact of the month” XV. – Rare artefacts from the AIMS Marathon Museum of Running/Berlin Sports Museum – The “Breathtaking Jerusalem Marathon” and Miri Fiengold – Report by Horst Milde

“The artifact of the month” XVI. – Henk Vos – a man of passion – and his painting from the COMRADES Marathon for the AIMS Marathon Museum of Running in Berlin

“The artifact of the month” XVII – MEXICAN MARATHONS AND HALF MARATHON DONATE ITEMS TO THE AIMS MARATHON MUSEUM OF RUNNING – By Horst Milde

“The artifact of the month” XVIII – The AIMS MARATHON SYMPOSIUM and the DONATIONS TO THE AIMS MARATHON MUSEUM OF RUNNING – By Horst Milde

“The artifact of the month” XIX – The "ATHENS MARATHON. THE AUTHENTIC” and the DONATIONS TO THE AIMS MARATHON MUSEUM "MARATHONEUM" – By Horst Milde

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