2500 Years of the Marathon – A festive ceremony in Mainz on May 7, 2010 by the DLV – A preview by Horst Milde
The exhibition by the Berlin Sports Museum – “AIMS Marathon Museum of Running” will then be moved on Saturday, May 8, to the Rheingoldhalle for the expo of the Novo Nordisk Gutenberg Marathon Mainz, so that all of the participants in the marathon will get the opportunity to enjoy it too.
A unique anniversary will be taking place in the year 2010: “2500 Years of the Marathon”. In 490 BC, the Battle of Marathon took place, and the legend goes that a Greek soldier-runner carried news of the Greek victory over the Persians to Athens – and then collapsed and died. Greece will be celebrating the 2500-year anniversary of this legendary run with official festivities in 2010; the 28th Athens Classic Marathon (ACM) will, of course, be celebrating too at their event on October 31, 2010. ©SEGAS/AIMS
A unique anniversary will be taking place in the year 2010: “2500 Years of the Marathon”. In 490 BC, the Battle of Marathon took place, and the legend goes that a Greek soldier-runner carried news of the Greek victory over the Persians to Athens – and then collapsed and died. Greece will be celebrating the 2500-year anniversary of this legendary run with official festivities in 2010; the 28th Athens Classic Marathon (ACM) will, of course, be celebrating too at their event on October 31, 2010.
The German Athletics Association (DLV) will also be honouring the anniversary of “2500 Years of the Marathon” with a festive celebration on May 7, 2010 during the Novo Nordisk Gutenberg Marathon Mainz and the German Marathon Championships. It will thus be honouring a sport that has had great societal significance, as both an elite sport and as one for the masses, and a sport that has functioned as an important role model for all areas of athletics.
The preparations for the celebration are well underway. The Gutenberg Mainz Marathon, together with the city of Mainz and the Rhineland-Pfalz Sports Federation (LSB) are sharing the financial and organisational planning and implementation of the celebration.
The celebration will begin at 6 p.m. on May 7, 2010, in the “Museum of Antique Ships”, Neutorstrasse 2b, in Mainz. One could hardly have chosen a better venue, as the museum demonstrates the presence of history through its relics from the Antiquities up to the modern age.
The highlight of the celebration will be a lecture by sport historian Prof. Dr. Norbert Müller (Mainz) speaking on the historical development of the marathon and the opening of the travelling exhibition created by the Berlin Sports Museum – “AIMS Marathon Museum of Running”, “2500 Years of the Marathon”.
The DLV, the city of Mainz, the Rhineland-Pfalz Sports Federation (LSB) and the Gutenberg Marathon in Mainz have invited honorary guests from the areas of politics, business, sports and media to this extraordinary event, to emphasise the unique significance of the sport of running for society.
Of course the most important names in the German world of the marathon and running are invited too – those who have left their marks nationally – and internationally – over the past few decades, including Liane Winter, Christa Vahlensieck, Charlotte Teske, Katrin Dörre-Heinig, Ulrike Maisch, Sabrina Mockenhaupt, Luminita Zaituc and Irina Mikitenko (for the women) and Waldemar Cierpinski, Stephan Freigang, Jörg Peter, Lutz Philipp, Herbert Steffny, Ralf Salzmann, Eckard Lesse (for the men), and the trainers Wolfgang Heinig, Klaus Kegel, Lothar Pöhlitz, Lothar Hirsch and Winfried Aufenanger.
“2500 Years of the Marathon” in Mainz will be a unique event and experience for the sport of running and for the general public, in which the history, present and past of the sport will be presented. We will continue to provide updated information about the event as we draw closer.
The exhibition by the Berlin Sports Museum – “AIMS Marathon Museum of Running” will then be moved on Saturday, May 8, to the Rheingoldhalle for the expo of the Novo Nordisk Gutenberg Marathon Mainz, so that all of the participants in the marathon will get the opportunity to enjoy it too.
This exhibition is available for use by other event organisers and athletics associations upon inquiry.
Horst Milde
Das Museum für Antike Schifffahrt Mainz
Novo Nordisk Gutenberg Marathon Mainz
Landessportbund Rheinland-Pfalz 1950 - 2010
Landeshauptstadt Mainz
28. Athens Classic Marathon 2010
2010 -The anniversary year “2500 Years of the Marathon”
HISTORIE - 2010 - Das Jahr eines einmaligen Jubiläums - 2500 Jahre MARATHON
