WANTED: 38 Berlin FINISHERS from the 1974 Berlin Marathon (1st Berlin People’s Marathon on 13 October 1974) are still wanted

The two winners of the 1st Berlin Marathon (Berlin People’s Marathon) on 13 October 1974, Jutta von Haase (LG Süd) and Günter Hallas (LG Nord), were present at the „Heritage Plaque“ ceremony of the World Athletics Association (honouring the BERLIN MARATHON and the city of Berlin for more than 130 years of athletics in the city) in the Rotes Rathaus on 1 November 2023.

The winner of the BERLIN MARATHON Jutta von Haase 1974 (far left) and the winner Günter Hallas 1974 (third from left) – Ingo Sensburg (second from right) three-time winner between 1974-1980 and Uta Pippig (far right) three-time winner from 1990 onwards – Horst Milde (second from left) – Photo: Laura Donath/Senate Chancellery Berlin.

In the year of the 50th anniversary of the BERLIN MARATHON (29 September 2024), Peter Bartel (finisher from 1974) and Horst Milde (founder of the BERLIN MARATHON) are looking for the remaining Berlin FINISHERS of the 1974 premiere event on a private initiative – in addition to the two winners.

Back then, 286 races started at Waldschulallee 80 in Charlottenburg and 244 finished.

Today, the participants from that time are all 50 years older. Finding them is a difficult endeavour, as only their surname and first name can be published due to data protection regulations.

Peter Bartel, who came up with the idea for this campaign, is not only a marathon runner but also an ultra-runner, which means that nothing can knock him down so easily. He has been able to identify 29 races (from Berlin) in countless phone calls so far.

There is also a US American who has registered with the organisers to run in the 50th BERLIN-MARATHON. He served in the US Allied Brigade in 1974 and raced in the premiere. He is still so fit that he wants to be back at the start in Berlin 50 years later. Winner Günter Hallas wants to try again, but this time he wants to walk!

Many of the finishers must be around 90 years old today – and some will certainly have already passed away.

38 races are still being looked for. The names are listed below.

34 FINISHERS 1974 (30 men and 4 women) have been „identified“. Their contact details are known – and they can be contacted.

Anyone who can provide relevant information about the participants listed below, please contact Peter Bartel (Tel: 030-401 59 33 – Mobile: 0151 1026 4722)

If possible, we would like to meet up with the finishers from 1974 – in the forefield of the 50th BERLIN-MARATHON – and exchange remembrances.

Horst Milde and Peter Bartel

Peter Bartel
Fuchssteinerweg 33
13465 Berlin-Frohnau
Phone: 030-401 59 33
Mobile phone: 0151 1026 4722
E-mail: peter-bartel@peter-bartel.de

These are the finishers from 1974 who are still being sought:

Wolfgang Birkner – Wolfgang Papenfuss

Philipp Buttler     – Frank Paul

Wolfgang Dost     – Dr Jürgen Peters

Eckhard Hammer – Ralf Press

– Klaus Rebhuhn

Dr Horst Herzog   – Heinz Redemann

Günter Jackstiess

Peter Kausch

Elfriede Kayser       – Horst Riedel

Dietrich Kühnel

Rainer Lippert

Hermann Lüttringhaus – Dr Heinz Schul(t)z

Günter Magerl     – Norbert Schulze

Gerd Mette           – Dietrich Sickert

Albert Milz

– Lieselotte Steglich

Klaus Neubecker

Bernd Nitsche       – Uwe Thal

Gustav Pasch

Kurt Pallaschke   – Joachim Vigelius

Wolfgang Pallaschke  – Gregor Vnoucek

Martin Wendel            – Albrecht Wolf(f)

Horst Zettlitz

Astrid Ziezold             – Hans-Joachim Zoch