FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Generali Munich Marathon: Another Major German Race Goes Ahead:
Marathon triumph for Hirschhäuser and Harrer in Munich's Olympic Stadium
Alexander Hirschhäuser and Corinna Harrer won the GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON
and took the national championships which were included in the race. The
event was the third race in Germany to go ahead with more than 10,000
runners during the Corona pandemic. In the past two months Berlin's half
marathon and marathon races were staged successfully in the capital.
Similar to Berlin Munich organisers had provided a detailed hygiene concept
and got the go ahead from the relevant authorities in Munich just a month
ago. Including events at 10 k and the half marathon distance 10,659 runners
from 85 nations took part in the 35th edition of the GENERALI MUNICH
MARATHON. The traditional race, which started and finished in Munich's
iconic Olympic Stadium, is a World Athletics Label Road Race.
While it was not possible to assemble an international elite field at such
short notice the German marathon championships were included last minute in
the GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON. In fine but very cool conditions at first, it
was Alexander Hirschhäuser, who took the lead from Tom Thurley before the
30 k mark. The 29 year-old was then never challenged and clocked a personal
best of 2:18:38. "I am proud that I kept going despite some bad patches,"
said Alexander Hirschhäuser, who indicated that he will try to snatch a
place on the German marathon team for the European Championships which will
be held in Munich next summer. Anthony Tomsich, who has US and German
citizenship and lived in Germany recently, came through from sixth place at
half way to take second in 2:19:30. "It was a great race, something we all
missed for so long," said Anthony Tomsich. Theo weeks after dropping out of
the Berlin Marathon Philipp Baar was third in 2:21:03.
Corinna Harrer moved clear of Isabel Leibfried at around 35k in the women's
race. The former European Indoor 3,000 m silver medallist (2013) clocked
2:43:11 to take the German marathon title for the first time. "To win the
German Championship race in front of a home crowd is amazing. It was
thrilling to run into the Olympic Stadium for the finish," said the 30
year-old Corinna Harrer. Behind second placed Isabel Leibfried, who clocked
2:44:09, Switzerland's Andrea Meier took third in 2:46:58.
"It was a great event with superb atmosphere," said Race Director Gernot
Weigl. For the first time the GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON is among the Label
Road Races of the international athletics federation World Athletics. "We
have decided to develop the international potential of our race much
stronger than in the past. Clearly the city of Munich is a major
international tourist destination. And there could not be a better
opportunity for runners to visit this great Bavarian city than for the
marathon," said Gernot Weigl, who intends to establish the GENERALI MUNICH
MARATHON as a top international elite road race as well. From 2022 onwards
he will therefore cooperate with an established elite race coordinator.
The fact that the Munich Olympic Games from 1972 will be 50 years ago in
2022 might further boost the attractiveness of the GENERALI MUNICH
MARATHON, which will be staged on 9 October next year. While the current
course is much more attractive and has little in common with the route the
athletes took in 1972 the main feature is the same: the start and finish in
the Olympic Stadium.
Just a few days ago organizers of the GENERALI MUNICH MARATHON were able to
announce further good news. Italian company Generali, which is already
involved in a number of international road races, has renewed their
contract with the event in Munich. "With regard to our goal to develop the
race further internationally we are delighted that Generali shares our
aims, continues to support us and has committed to the title sponsorship
for another three editions until 2023," said Gernot Weigl.
More information is available online at: www.generalimuenchenmarathon.de
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