Berlin Marathon honours Kenyan marathoners at race turns 50

In Berlin

Just behind the iconic Brandenburg gate, a few meters to the finish line of the Berlin Marathon, is a makeshift one-storey building that hosts a temporary museum for the Berlin Marathon.

On Sunday, Berlin Marathon will celebrate its 50th anniversary, marking half a century since its inception in 1974.  To mark the historic moment, organisers, SCC events, have set up a Museum with a wide array of artefacts, photographs, and multimedia presentations, that represent key moments across the five decades that have made the marathon a world-class race it is today. 

By Thursday, hundreds of sports tourists, from all over the world were already flocking at the museum. While the museum pays tribute to the extraordinary feats that have characterised the race over the years, the images and artefacts of Kenyan athletes are in almost all the sections, from the photo gallery, to the medals displays and even the signed running shoes.

A tour of the museum reveals the special place that Kenyan athletes hold in the race, and groups of tourists can be seen marveling at photos or artefacts of Kenyan athletes.

Read: Little-known runner Esikon relishes battle with big stars in Berlin Marathon

An iconic photo of Kenya’s marathon great, Eliud Kipchoge, draped in the Kenyan flag from the shoulders down, standing arms-akimbo while facing the enthusiastic crowed, is among the greatest attractions at the museum.

While I was inside the museum, I saw excited tourists point to the photo of Kipchoge and mention his name. The photo was taken in 2018,  just after the two-time Olympics champion had crossed the finish line in a world record time of two hours, one minute and 39 seconds, becoming the first man to run the marathon in under two hours and two minutes.

Kipchoge later lowered that world record in Berlin to 2:01:09, making him the second and the only other man besides Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie, to set two world records in the marathon in Berlin.

Kipchoge also holds the record of majority wins in Berlin, having triumphed here five times. A signed water bottle he used to hydrate during last year’s edition, which he won, is also on display.

Kipchoge’s image also appears prominently on the medals wall, where all medals given to all the finishers, are photographed.

Other top Kenyan athletes whose images are on the medals wall includes, the 2008  Olympic champion the late Samwel Wanjiru, current women-only marathon world record holder; Peres Jepchirchir among others.

Another centre of attraction at the museum is the signed, actual shoes, that Patrick Makau wore while winning the 2011 edition of Berlin Marathon in a world record. He is among retired athletes invited to be part of the 50th anniversary celebrations.

“I feel very happy to have been given this great honour. Berlin is special to me, I won in 2010 and when I came back in 2011, I was aiming for the world record. The crowed here is so amazing, they turn up in large numbers and cheer the athletes on. I feel very happy to be back in Berlin,” Makau told Nation Sport on Saturday after addressing the press conference in at Hotel Intercontinental Berlin where athletes and guests invited for the Marathon are being hosted.

Makau set a world record of 2:03:38 here in 2011.

Tegla Loroupe, who was the first Kenyan to break a World record in Berlin, when she clocked 2:20:43 to win the 1999 edition, is also among the Kenyan athletes honoured in the Museum. She is here to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the  race.

“Kenyans started winning in Berlin in the mid-1990s and they have ever since dominated the Berlin course. Out of the 13 world records broken here, seven have been by Kenyans. They are a great part of the history of this race,” Berlin Marathon Race Director Mark Milde said.

Dennis Kimetto, Wilson Kipsang and Paul Tergat are other Kenyan athletes who have shattered the world record in the Marathon on the flat Berlin course.