Press Release - Berlin Marathon - 9/26/21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
	
            Successful #restartrunning at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
	
- Thrilling men's race
- Awesome women's debut
- Rainbow start gate as a signal

It beamed and how it beamed and with it beamed the 24,796 participants of 
the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON 2021. The writing is on the animated rainbow start 
gate, which had a very special task inside at the #restartrunning of the 
biggest marathon since the beginning of the pandemic. Together with the 
runners and partners, SCC EVENTS as the organizer of the BMW 
BERLIN-MARATHON sent out a signal for cosmopolitanism, tolerance and 
acceptance to the world with the rainbow start gate. Values for which the 
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON including its endurance sports community has stood for 
years. Thus emotionally charged, the recreational and top athletes set off 
on their 42.195-kilometer journey in sunshine and 18 degrees Celsius.

The top-athletes results

Ethiopians Guye Adola and debutant Gotytom Gebreslase won the BMW 
BERLIN-MARATHON in warm weather conditions. 30 year-old Adola, who was 
second in Berlin four years ago, clocked 2:05:45. While Bethwel Yegon of 
Kenya took second place at Brandenburg Gate in 2:06:14 it was not the day 
of Kenenisa Bekele. The Ethiopian superstar attacked the world record of 
Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge, who ran 2:01:39 in Berlin in 2018, in the first 
part of the race but then had to settle for third with 2:06:47.

Philipp Pflieger was the best German runner with 2:15:01 in 16th place.  
With temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius during the final part of the 
race any hopes for record times faded. However Gotytom Gebreslase ran a 
superb debut marathon. The 26 year-old surprised the favourites and ran the 
third fastest time of the year with 2:20:09.  Hiwot Gebrekidan took second 
in 2:21:23 and Helen Tola completed an Ethiopian podium with 2:23:05.

Germany's Rabea Schöneborn finished ninth with 2:28:49. The 47th edition of 
the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, which is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors 
Series, took place under strict hygiene regulations. 

Follow the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON on Facebook and Instagram. 

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