Reunion of finishers from the first Berlin Marathon

In 1974, 286 runners took part in the race, 244 of whom crossed the finish line (finishers).

On Wednesday, 25 finishers from the 1974 premiere met in the “Eierschale”. Peter Bartel had privately searched through the 1974 results list since January 2024 to find more finishers after the winners Günter Hallas (LG Nord) and Jutta von Haase (LG Süd), who are still living.

Karl-Heinz Schöttler was the oldest participant at the age of 93. A total of 33, including two women, of the runners at that time were found after an extensive search, also with the help of the media.

These were the participants of the meeting (in alphabetical order): Peter Bartel; Knut Beckmann; Jörg Bredendiek; Gerd-Volker Busche; Dieter Eifler; Bernt-J. Giese; Jutta Von Haase; Günter Hallas; Bernd Hübner; Reinhard Ketelhut; Peter Kupke; Jürgen Lange; Günter Loeser; Eberhard Meyer; Horst Mohr; Günter Mulzof; Manfred Reschke; Michael Schimmel; Karl-Heinz Schöttler; Klaus-J. Schuhr; Norbert Schulze; Helmut Sordon; Alfred Spychalla; Ingrid Winter; Ernst-Dieter Wüstenhagen.

Apologies came from these participants who do not live in Berlin or had other reasons for not being present: Michael Heine; Hans-Jürgen Kräft; Henry Knauth; Manfred Kuczynski; Willi Kurella; Uwe Meseberg; Thomas Strauch and Martin W. Teague (USA).

The circle of participants in the Eierschale included Horst Milde, founder of the BERLIN-MARATHON and chairman of the SCC athletics department, who supported the search for finishers from the very beginning, and Rotraud Zylka, who was the department’s sports director in 1974 and handed out the medals at the finish line at that time – and who still actively supports the organization of the BERLIN-MARATHON and the ISTAF as a volunteer to this day.

Not a finisher from 1974, but the record finisher of the BERLIN-MARATHON was Winfried Köhnke, who has finished the BERLIN-MARATHON 47 times to date – replacing Bernd Hübner, who was the top finisher for many years.

Günter Hallas and Jutta von Haase – the winners from 1974 – were also present at this extraordinary meeting, much to everyone’s pleasure.

The career of 1974 finisher Reinhard Ketelhut, who took part in the premiere as a student at the Freie Universität Berlin (FU Berlin), is also extraordinary. 13 years after his start at the 1st BERLIN-MARATHON in 1974, Dr. Ketelhut examined runners before and during the BERLIN-MARATHON 1987 as a medical doctor and wrote the research reports: “The influence of training quality and performance on cardiovascular risk factors in marathon runners” and: “Elevated diastolic blood pressure at rest – hypertension in marathon runners”? And now, as Prof. Dr. Dr. Reinhard Ketelhut – internist, sports physician, he was one of the 74 finishers in the “ Eierschale”.

Martin W. Teague (USA), was a member of the US Berlin Brigade Allied Marathon Team in 1974. He started with ten of his US colleagues at the premiere, nine of whom finished. He registered with the organizer SCC Events to run the 50th race. He will be at the start with starting bib “6” as in 1974. Martin W. Teague lives near Chicago and is being prepared for his start in Berlin by his colleagues from the Chigago Marathon. In addition to Martin W. Teague, Uwe Meseberg, registered with SCC Events as a runner, as well as the winner Günter Hallas and Peter Bartel as a walker (runner) have also registered. Martin W. Teague (USA) will now receive the bib number “6”, which he received from Horst Milde in 1974 and which is reserved only for TOP athletes, from race director Mark Milde.

Wilfried Köhnke had the idea of presenting a commemorative medal to the 1974 finishers. Rotraud Zylka, as in 1974, handed over the medal and hung it around the necks of the surprised veterans. The back of the medal bears the name and starting time from 1974.

Journalists and press photographers were allowed to attend the ceremony an hour later. The local RBB television station documented and interviewed several of the participants.

Helmut Winter was also present to film the event. The unique meeting was recorded with a video camera
to provide future generations with a remembrance of the pioneers of the Berlin Marathon.

The finishers‘ meeting of the 1974 participants was a highly emotional and touching encounter with their own sporting past. All those who were present will remember this extraordinary reunion for a long time – and we would like to thank the innovative organizers for bringing the remembrance back to life.