Renowned German official and manager Kopp dies

World Athletics is deeply saddened to hear that Christoph Kopp, one of Europe’s most influential and experienced road running officials and managers, died in his hometown Berlin on Friday (28) at the age of 75.

A former sprinter and decathlete, Kopp worked as a coach and later became head of athletics at the renowned club SCC Berlin. When city marathons gained traction in Europe in the early 1980s, Kopp became the voluntary sporting director and then general manager of the Berlin Marathon. He developed the event into a high-class international race and established connections of which the Berlin Marathon still benefits today. 

Kopp was also president of the Berlin Athletics Federation between 1999 and 2004 and was involved in Berlin’s bids for the World Athletics Championships, which the city then staged in 2009.

As an elite field coordinator, it was Kopp who developed the Berlin Marathon into one of the world’s leading races, and he did the same with the Frankfurt Marathon and the Berlin 25km race. He also recently worked for marathons in Hannover, Linz and Munich, as well as road races in Paderborn, Berlin, Würzburg and Dresden.

In 2020 it was Kopp and his International SportService (ISS) Team who organised the first elite races during the pandemic in Germany. He was then involved in most other German races during the lockdown.

One of the nicest and most reliable people you could meet, and always ready to help, Kopp had the courage to try things that seemed impossible.

Kopp also managed a large number of top German road runners and international athletes with his team at Berlin’s ISS. His International SportService will now be continued by his son Philipp Kopp and his long-term employee Sandra Wolter. 

 Source: World Athletics