Posted: August 7, 2005

Athletics: Bewag City Night with nearly 9,000 runners - Third win for Claudia Dreher, Uta Pippig sixth

The record number of 8,937 runners, skaters, walkers and wheelchairs started at the 14th Bewag City Night on Berlin’s famous boulevard Kurfürstendamm. The highlight was the 10 k race with more than 6,100 participants. For the third time after 1999 and 2000 Claudia Dreher won the City Night. She ran 33:16 minutes. Second was Melanie Kraus in 33:54 minutes.

"I had a great race. I ran my own pace and I felt good during the race“, said Claudia Dreher after her victory. Melanie Kraus has more goals in Berlin: “I would love to run the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON, the course is really good.” Third was Birte Bultmann in 34:13 minutes.

But the highlight of the evening was the finisher number six: Uta Pippig, the three time BERLIN-MARATHON winner. She had come on short notice to her former hometown Berlin and the spectators and participants thanked her. “I have never waved to the people as much as tonight during a race. It was once again a great race and I am happy to have run in front of such a fantastic crowd”, said Uta Pippig smiling. She ran 35:22 minutes and reached her goal of running sub 36 minutes. “In October I will be back to introduce a new fitness program “Take the magic step™”, the 39-year-old announced.

In the men’s race Embaye Hedrit (LG Braunschweig) won in 29:33 minutes after a thrilling final sprint. „It is a nice course and the atmosphere was superb“, the winner said. Second was Dominik Burkhardt (LG Neckar Enz) with 29:34 minutes. The 21-year-old German half marathon champion Stefan Koch (TV Wattenscheid) was third in 29:35 minutes.

In the first seven months of 2005 more than 59,000 participants joined the events of SCC-RUNNING. This is an increase of more than 10 % compared to the past year.

More information at the internet: www.berliner-citynacht.de.