AIMS Board Meeting in Rio de Janeiro/Brazil Adresses Numerous Important Decisions for the Future

The regular meeting of the AIMS Board of Directors (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races)   took place on October 12, 2008 in Rio de Janeiro/Brazil, parallel to the 12th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. 

This meeting not only served to prepare for the 13th AIMS World Congress in Sao Paul in April 2009, but also dealt with additional future activities of AIMS.

The positive development of the worldwide running organisation continues to be accompanied by its constant growth. Currently 264 events from 83 countries are included in the organisation, and the 300th membership is expected in the beginning of 2009.

A close cooperation exists between AIMS and the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations), with no less than three AIMS Board Members (Hiroaki Chosa, Francisco Borao and Hugh Jones) on the IAAF Road Running Commission (who were on constant duty during the World Half Marathon Championships).

Roberto Gesta de Melo, President of the Brazilian Athletics Association, did not miss the opportunity to give a special welcome to the members of the AIMS Board during its meeting and expressed his great pleasure in having the running organisation as a guest in his country.

During the AIMS meeting, AIMS President Hiroaki Chosa/Japan drew special attention to the new world record set by Haile Gebrselassie (2:03:59) at the BERLIN-MARATHON.  He honoured the successful implementation of this event: the Berlin race has hosted six world records since 1998 (seven since its inception), which naturally is a point of pride for AIMS, of which the BERLIN-MARATHON is a member.  

Upcoming AIMS activities include the 2nd AIMS/IAAF Symposium on November 8, 2008 in Marathon/Greece – in connection with the 26th Athens Classical Marathon (ACM) on November 9.  After its successful premiere, close to 50 AIMS event organisers will be present in the birthplace of the marathon, where they will join renowned speakers from around the world to discuss the development and perspectives of the sport of running.  The sport of running thus returns to the location of its legendary origin.

For the past several years, AIMS has been responsible for the management of several social and athletic developmental programmes for running for children in the poorer countries in Africa and Asia, including programmes in Kigali, in the Sahara and in Ethiopia.  In November 2008, over 3,000 children will compete in the Ethiopia Run; AIMS will be supporting this event by providing financial support for medals, certificates, and t-shirts.

In 2009, a children’s race in Potosi/Mexico will be introduced, and races in Kigali and in the Sahara will continue to be supported. AIMS is also involved in organising a children’s race in Angola in cooperation with the local school administration there.

The local event organiser CORPORE will put together an exemplary kids’ race in an impoverished part of Sao Paolo/Brazil on the occasion of the 17th AIMS World Congress in that city (April 2-4, 2009), in order to encourage other event organisers to do the same and to offer children a chance to get involved in organised sports and help them escape the harsh realities of daily life.

In Sao Paulo, the worldwide organisation will of course also be dealing intensively with the athletic, organisational, and medical aspects associated with the development of the sport of running.  One emphasis will be how to provide rapid medical services to participants in running events, as will be the topic of prevention.

In 1994, the Berlin Sports Museum was given the additional title of “AIMS Marathon Museum of Running”, and last year AIMS was able to provide financial support for the museum as well. This venue for the collection in the Berlin Olympic Park is an official museum of the state of Berlin, with a strong emphasis on international running. Through the donation of materials and objects from numerous international and national event organisers, runners, track and field athletes, and collectors has provided for the museum’s unprecedented collection on the sport of running. The AIMS Marathon Museum of Running in Berlin is a “pearl and a treasure” for the running organisation, which will continue to draw attention through future standing exhibits and activities.

The major donators for the Sports Museum include Dr. David Martin/USA, who provided valuable posters, medals, t-shirts, and photos, and Wim Verhoorn/Netherlands, who supplied the museum with numerous race invitations and souvenirs from around the world.

Following the world record in Berlin by Haile Gebrselassie in 2:03:59, Dr. David Martin (University of Atlanta), the AIMS statistician, predicts the first time that a marathon will be finished in under two hours will not be until the year 2015.

Horst Milde
AIMS Board of Directors