For the 21st time, the people of Rostock were able to witness what is probably one of the toughest running competitions. The Stadthafen, the banks of the Warnow River in Gehlsdorf, the IGA Park – on Saturday evening, these places were all under the sign of the marathon. Once again this year, the Warnowtunnel was a central landmark.
First-class runners from all over the world took advantage of the just over 42-kilometre course to measure their skills against other top athletes and to push their own performance limits. As the fastest runner, 52-year-old Markus Mey reached the finish line at the city harbour after 2:48 hours. Actually, he had not planned to start here, but he wanted to have a look, he said to the amazement of the press representatives. As the fastest woman, Laura Michel from Rostock celebrated her second victory and praised the scenery of the tunnel crossing: “It’s always something special to run through this tunnel.” First-time participant Peter Bergmann reported: “Legs good, sun was there and it wasn’t too warm. But running through the tunnel, that does take grit.” The athletes had to overcome an ascent of 3.5° there. The Warnowtunnel was not only part of the running course, but also the starting point for the half marathon. At 7:55 p.m., more than 1,000 runners set off on this interesting course in high spirits. A total of 1,913 participants were registered for the event. A record number of participants was only just missed.
The Warnowtunnel would like to thank the organiser BMS Die Laufgesellschaft for the good organisation and congratulates all participants on their outstanding performance.
