Frankfurt Marathon
Logo
DateOctober
LocationFrankfurt am Main, Germany
Event typeRoad
DistanceMarathon
Primary sponsorMainova
Established1981
Course recordsMen's: 2:03:42 (2011)
Kenya Wilson Kipsang
Women's: 2:19:10 (2019)
Kenya Valary Aiyabei
Official siteFrankfurt Marathon
Participants10,553 (2019)
10,620 (2018)
7,984 (2022)
9,665 (2023)

The Frankfurt Marathon (official name as of 2016: Mainova Frankfurt Marathon, until 2015: BMW Frankfurt Marathon, until 2010: Commerzbank Frankfurt Marathon) is a marathon which has taken place every year in Frankfurt am Main since its inception in 1981. It is the longest-established city marathon in Germany[1] and in terms of the number of finishers, Germany's second-largest. It is organised by the agency motion events.

History

Finisher medal from 2010 marathon
At the first km of the 2004 marathon
Around 14.5 km into the 2013 race
Lead runners and timing car, 2015
Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich winning the 2011 marathon

Five years after the first New York City Marathon, it was decided that the time was right to launch marathons within German cities. The OSC Hoechst 1960 athletics club organised the first Frankfurt Marathon in 1981, with Hoechst itself serving as the main sponsors. During the course of the same year, the Berlin Marathon and the Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon were also run for the first time.

Despite the number of finishers continually rising from 2588 in its first year to 7297 in 1985, Hoechst stopped organising the event. As a consequence, the marathon did not take place in 1986. In 1987 the city of Frankfurt and the athletics department of Eintracht Frankfurt reinstated the race. The date was moved to October and the Messegelände (exhibition grounds) became the new site for the start and finish.

The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.[2][3]

Course

The start of the course is on the Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage next to the iconic Messeturm. Upon reaching the Platz der Republik the course turns left into Mainzer Landstrasse. After a lap of the Taunusanlage athletes return to the start of the course and continue onwards to the Bockenheimer Warte, before going to the Alter Oper via Bockenheimer Landstrasse. The course then continues along Reuterweg and Bremer Strasse in a northerly direction as far as the Westend Campus at the University of Frankfurt, before returning to Opernplatz via Eschersheimer Landstrasse and the Bockenheimer Anlage. Continuing into Junghofstrasse the course heads into Roßmarkt then past the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the Eschenheimer Tor and the Friedberger Tor before turning south towards and over the Alte Brücke over the River Main which brings the athletes into the suburb of Sachsenhausen on the southern side of the river. Athletes then run parallel to the Main in a westerly direction into the suburbs of Niederrad and Schwanheim. The only notable ascent on the course occurs at the bridge back over the Main in Schwanheim, and the participants continue westwards to the Bolangaropalast in Hoechst, Frankfurt's most westerly suburb. Athletes then turn back towards the city centre and run through the suburb of Nied via the Mainzer Landstrasse. The Galluswarte can be seen after 34 kilometres and the Alter Oper after 36. The course then continues along Taunusstrasse [de] (English: Taunus Street) and Kaiserstrasse past the Taunusanlage and then the Roßmarkt is negotiated for the second time to Eschenheim. The last three kilometres go back past the Alter Oper and via the Platz der Republik into the Festhalle, where athletes run the last few metres on a specially-laid red carpet before crossing the finishing line.[4]

The Hammering Man is regarded as an unofficial symbol of the race.

Winners

Key:   Course record

Year Men's winner Time[a] Women's winner Time[a]
2023  Brimin Kipkorir (KEN) 2:04:53  Buzunesh Gudeta (ETH) 2:19:27
2022  Brimin Kipkorir (KEN) 2:06:11  Sally Chepyego Kaptich (KEN) 2:23:11
2021 cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic
2020 cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic[2]
2019  Fikre Bekele (ETH) 2:07:08  Valary Aiyabei (KEN) 2:19:10
2018  Kelkile Gezahegn (ETH) 2:06:37  Meskerem Assefa (ETH) 2:20:36
2017  Shura Kitata (ETH) 2:05:50  Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:23:35
2016  Mark Korir (KEN) 2:06:48  Mamitu Daska (ETH) 2:25:27
2015  Sisay Lemma (ETH) 2:06:26  Gulume Tollesa (ETH) 2:23:12
2014  Mark Kiptoo (KEN) 2:06:49  Aberu Kebede (ETH) 2:22:21
2013  Vincent Kipruto (KEN) 2:06:15  Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:22:34
2012  Patrick Makau (KEN) 2:06:08  Meselech Melkamu (ETH) 2:21:01
2011  Wilson Kipsang (KEN) 2:03:42  Mamitu Daska (ETH) 2:21:59
2010  Wilson Kipsang (KEN) 2:04:57  Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:23:25
2009  Gilbert Kirwa (KEN) 2:06:14  Agnes Kiprop (KEN) 2:26:57
2008  Robert Kiprono (KEN) 2:07:21  Sabrina Mockenhaupt (GER) 2:26:22
2007  Wilfred Kigen (KEN) 2:07:58  Melanie Kraus (GER) 2:28:56
2006  Wilfred Kigen (KEN) 2:09:06  Svetlana Ponomarenko (RUS) 2:30:05
2005  Wilfred Kigen (KEN) 2:08:29  Alevtina Biktimirova (RUS) 2:25:12
2004  Boaz Kimaiyo (KEN) 2:09:10  Olesya Nurgaliyeva (RUS) 2:29:48
2003  Boaz Kimaiyo (KEN) 2:09:28  Luminita Zaituc (GER) 2:29:41
2002  Eliud Kering (KEN) 2:12:32  María Abel (ESP) 2:26:58
2001  Pavel Loskutov (EST) 2:11:09  Luminita Zaituc (GER) 2:26:01
2000  Henry Cherono (KEN) 2:10:40  Esther Barmasai (KEN) 2:31:04
1999  Pavel Loskutov (EST) 2:12:37  Esther Barmasai (KEN) 2:33:58
1998  Abel Gisemba (KEN) 2:11:40  Angelina Kanana (KEN) 2:31:38
1997  Michael Fietz (GER) 2:10:59  Katrin Dörre-Heinig (GER) 2:26:48
1996  Martin Bremer (GER) 2:13:38  Katrin Dörre-Heinig (GER) 2:28:33
1995  Oleg Otmakhov (RUS) 2:12:35  Katrin Dörre-Heinig (GER) 2:31:31
1994  Terje Næss (NOR) 2:13:19  Franziska Moser (SUI) 2:27:44
1993  Stephan Freigang (GER) 2:11:53  Sissel Grottenberg (NOR) 2:36:50
1992  Steffen Dittmann (GER) 2:12:59  Bente Moe (NOR) 2:32:36
1991  Herbert Steffny (GER) 2:13:45  Linda Milo (BEL) 2:35:11
1990  Konrad Dobler (GER) 2:13:29  Kerstin Preßler (GER) 2:34:13
1989  Herbert Steffny (FRG) 2:13:51  Iris Biba (FRG) 2:33:14
1988  Jos Sasse (NED) 2:13:15  Grete Kirkeberg (NOR) 2:35:44
1987  Lindsay Robertson (GBR) 2:13:30  Annabel Holtkamp (FRG) 2:45:21
1986 not held[5]
1985  Herbert Steffny (FRG) 2:12:12  Carla Beurskens (NED) 2:28:37
1984  Dereje Nedi (ETH) 2:11:18  Charlotte Teske (FRG) 2:31:16
1983  Ahmet Altun (TUR) 2:12:41  Charlotte Teske (FRG) 2:28:32
1982  Delfim Moreira (POR) 2:12:54  Heidi Hutterer (FRG) 2:36:38
1981  Kjell-Erik Ståhl (SWE) 2:13:20  Doris Schlosser (FRG) 2:47:13

Multiple wins

By country

Country Total Men's Women's
 Kenya 27 18 9
 Germany 22 8 14
 Ethiopia 12 5 7
 Norway 4 1 3
 Russia 4 1 3
 Netherlands 2 1 1
 Estonia 2 2 0
 Sweden 1 1 0
 Portugal 1 1 0
 Turkey 1 1 0
 United Kingdom 1 1 0
 Belgium 1 0 1
 Switzerland 1 0 1
 Spain 1 0 1

Notes

  1. ^ a b h:m:s

References

  1. ^ Wenig, Jörg (2009-10-14). Defending champion Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot heads up deep fields in Frankfurt. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-10-15.
  2. ^ a b "Mainova Frankfurt Marathon 2020 will not take place". 11 August 2020.
  3. ^ "The Frankfurt Marathon has also now been cancelled". 12 August 2020.
  4. ^ "Marathon - mainova Frankfurt Marathon". mainova Frankfurt Marathon. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  5. ^ "Untitled".

External links

Marathon races in Germany
World Athletics Label Road Races
Categories