RUNNING GERMANY – German Road Races (GRR) names its award winners for 2013 – Maya Rehberg and Philipp Reinhardt win the GRR „Nachwuchs“ Prize for up-and-coming athletes in 2013 and Christa Vahlensieck is honoured for her life achievement with the 2013 GRR Award

German Road Races (GRR) presented the award winners at this year's GRR annual meeting in Berlin (November 29-December 1). The promotion of young runners is a major interest of the organisers of Germany's largest running events.

The award for the best up-and-coming female runner in 2013 was presented to Maya Rehberg (SC Rönnau 74), who received it for the second time in a row (2012). One week after receiving the GRR award in 2012, the multi-faceted runner from Schleswig-Holstein won bronze at the European Cross-Country Championships in Budapest; she played a major part in winning the silver medal with the DLV women's junior team, and in the summer the German youth record-holder also won bronze at the U20European Steeplechase Championships.

The men's up-and-coming winner in 2013 is Philipp Reinhardt (SV Einheit 1875 Worbis), who is also a Steeplechase specialist. The 19-year-old was German champion in the 3000m and Steeplechase, and he placed 4^th at the U20 European Championships in Rieti (Italy). 


Carmen Rehberg (SC Rönnau 74) was named Trainer of the Year 2013, who helped lead her small club in Schleswig-Holstein to numerous medals. She is not only in part responsible for the many successes of her daughter Maya, but also led her son Stig to the 2011 Cross-Country Championship title and to a spot in the national team. 

Alfred Langenbrunner and Hermann Biedermann (both of Turngemeinde Würzburg von 1848) received the GRR Prize for excellent organisational achievements. Under the leadership of Langenbrunner and Biedermann, the Würzburger Residenzlauf has developed into one of the fastest 10k races in the world.

 

For the first time, German Road Races presented the GRR Award for "Athletic Life Achievement". It is intended to honour excellent athletic achievements, but also the character and personality of the recipient.

 

The winner was Christa Vahlensieck (Barmer TV 1846 Wuppertal).


Now 65 years old, she is considered to be a pioneer for marathon running for women. In Waldniel in 1973, under the guidance of Ernst van Aaken, she became the first German woman to finish a marathon under 3 hours, with a time of 2:59:26. One year later she improved her time at the Boston Marathon, setting a new European best time of 2:53:00. Also in 1974, she won the race at Baldeneysee in Essen in a time of 2:42:38.

Unfortunately, the time was not recognised as a world record as the course was 745 m too short. She set the world record a year later, however, in 1975 in Dülmen, with a time of 2:40.15. In 1975, the first female victor of the German Marathon Championships that took place as part of the Schwarzwald Marathon was, of course, Christa Vahlensieck, who set a course record that still stands with a time of 2:45:43.

In 1977, she bettered the world record as the winner of the German Championships that this time took place as part of the Berlin Marathon, with a time of 2:34:48.

She also set eight other world records in: the 1-hour race, 10,000m, 20km, 25 km and 100 km; and she was German Champion 11 times in: the marathon (1975-1978, 1980), 25 km (1977-1980), 15 km (1988) and cross-country (1978).

Over the course of her impressive running career, she won a total of 21 marathons by 1989, including the Peace Marathon in Kosice five times.

 

German Road Races e.V. (GRR)

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