Christoph Kopp is a name that resonates vividly among elite athletics circles.
Kopp, the most influential, experienced and accepted road running official and manager in German territory, died in April this year at the age of 75 in his hometown of Berlin after a short severe illness.
Christoph Kopp (centre) talks to Paul Tergat and Horst Milde during the 25k of Berlin race in 2009. This year’s Berlin Marathon will be run in honour of Kopp who died in April.
Photo credit: Victah Sailer | Nation Media Group
“A former sprinter and decathlete, he worked as a coach and later became head of athletics at the renowned club SCC Berlin.
“When city marathon developed in the early eighties in Europe Christoph Kopp became the voluntary Sporting Director of the Berlin-Marathon and the general manager. He developed the event to a high-class international race and established connections of which the Berlin Marathon still benefits today,” Race News Service paid tribute to Kopp.
“As an elite field co-ordinator, he was the one who developed the Berlin Marathon into one of the world’s leading races. And he did the same with the Frankfurt Marathon and the Berlin 25k race. Christoph Kopp always had the courage to try something that seemed not possible.”
Thanks to Kopp’s ground-breaking work, the Berlin Marathon has turned out to be one of the fastest races where a number of world records have been recorded. And he midwifed the race’s growth, a common figure, from the pre-event media routines to urging the elites on from his lead bike and subsequently enjoying his chilled, post-race Weissbier in typical German fashion.
Since the race’s inception in 1974, six world records in the men’s category have been registered with Kenya’s men’s record breakers in the German capital being Paul Tergat in 2003 (two hours, four minutes and 55 seconds), Patrick Makau (2011; 2:03:38), Wilson Kipsang (2013; 2:03:23), Dennis Kimetto (2014; 2:02:57), Eliud Kipchoge (2018; 2:01:39) and 2022 (2:01:09).
And even as athletes compete in this years’ Berlin Marathon, memories of Kopp will remain, especially to the athletes who personally knew the amiable, humorous official.
Ronald Korir, Abel Kipchumba, Philemon Kiplimo, Dominic Nyairo and Silas Sugut are on the Ikaika elite field with the stable also providing pacemakers Stanley Kurgat, Simon Kipkosgei, Bethwel Kipkemboi and Bernard Kibet.
Interestingly, Korir paced at the Berlin Marathon last year up to the 25km mark after which he decided to go all the way and finish the race.
“The journey I started four months ago is almost coming to an end... it has been a good session of training and I believe I should be able to run a good race on that day,” said Korir who started his career in 2009 after finishing his ‘O’ levels at Sergoit Secondary School in Uasin Gishu County.
After emerging fifth in the Valencia Marathon last December, Korir is seeking to improve on his personal best time of 2:05:37 set on a Valencia course quite similar to Berlin’s.
“Running with the world record holder Eliud Kipchoge (in Berlin) motivates me a lot because he is an athlete in his own class and we as marathoners would also want to run like him one day in the near future.
“The Berlin Marathon has given me a platform to compete with him and I just want to run a good race,” said Korir.
Ronald Kipkoech Korir during an interview after training at Moi University School of Law, Annex Campus ground in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County on September 5, 2023, in readiness for Berlin Marathon on September 24.
Photo credit: Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group
According to Ikaika Sports director Davor Savija, the build-up to this year’s Berlin Marathon has been flawless: “We are in a good space. We are heading to the Berlin Marathon cautiously optimistic, knowing that a big-city marathon can create tension and mental energy drain.
“Work is being done by athletes, coaches and staff and for that we feel thankful. For us, it is about the journey, not about the destination,” said Savija.
The Berlin Marathon’s 42.195-kilometre course runs through one of the most historic cities in the world. When you run the marathon, you also get your very own sightseeing tour of the German capital at the same time. Passing the Victory Column via the "Strasse des 17. Juni", the route continues towards the main railway station.
On the way to the Mitte district, the athletes leave the Reichstag and the Federal Chancellery behind them.
One of the largest buildings in Europe, the Berlin TV Tower, awaits them there. The route then leads through the city's hippest districts, Neukölln and Kreuzberg. Through Schöneberg, Steglitz and Wilmersdorf, the route then heads back towards Tiergarten.
An absolute highlight awaits you at the end of the course. The athletes run along the magnificent boulevard "Unter den Linden" through the Brandenburg Gate towards the finish, crossing the former inner-German border.
Date of birth: April 10, 1991;
Place of birth: Chembulet, Uasin Gishu County
