The nose and Achilles tendon took Rainer and Andreas out of the race early on. That was to be expected, say the two runners from Bobenheim-Roxheim in the Palatinate, who started the 21st Gutenberg Marathon in Mainz on Sunday with a slight cold and a persistently recurring heel injury.
Markus Schug
Correspondent Rhein-Main-Süd.
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The duo didn't get far – only a few kilometers. Nevertheless, the dropouts seem quite satisfied as they sit in the grass on the spacious Ernst-Ludwig-Platz and wait for their friends to gradually reach their destination. The atmosphere at the marathon, relay or half marathon was "once again great". And the newly designed track is also really very pleasant, as far as they can judge at all.
Andreas explains why he thinks this is so important: "You run the first 15 kilometers of the half marathon under your own power, and then the remaining six with your head." It helps if the route leads through lively districts, where there is a lot of support from spectators and music groups. Hardly any of those involved are likely to mourn the formerly endlessly long way to the turning point in Weisenau and the detour to the other side of the Rhine that the marathon runners have to master.
More runners than expected
Almost 10,000 amateur and professional athletes took part in the race on Sunday between 9.30 a.m. and 10 a.m. – either for the 42.195-kilometre full distance, half the distance or one of the relay variants. This is significantly more than expected after the long Corona forced break, according to the city's press office.
The pandemic – or more precisely: the associated restrictions – is what got Marion from Karlsruhe up and running in the first place. Actually, rowing is her thing. But for her first Mainz half marathon, which kept her busy for a good hour and a half in the end, she even left a regatta prematurely. It was so great that she wanted to come back.
Around noon, when the first finishers were announced, the head of the sports department, Mayor Günter Beck (The Greens), was also satisfied. Due to construction work, the start and finish area had to be moved from the banks of the Rhine to the Bleichenviertel and in front of the Electoral Palace. This is a benefit for the sporting event, which lives from the "special Mainz atmosphere" and costs more than 150,000 euros.
According to Beck, the city's goal is to "get out with a black zero" once again thanks to sponsorship money and participation fees. However, with times of 2:17 hours for the men and 2:40 hours for the women, respectively, which made the Belarusian Uladzislau Pramau and Vaida Žusinaite-Nekriošiene from Lithuania the winners of the day, even the fastest remained far behind the results achieved elsewhere.
In Mainz, many observers are interested in seeing one or the other familiar face anyway. That's why viewer Alex particularly likes the section meandering through the new town. If you know your way around, you can cheer on the runners there in several places. An incentive for all those who "only" go on the 21-kilometer route is not to be overtaken by the best marathon professionals in the last few meters. Theatre director Markus Müller has once again impressively succeeded in doing so. When he crossed the finish line after two hours and five minutes, it was time for him to raise his hands, weekend!