With only an altitude discrepancy of 27.8m over the 42.2km course between the lowest and highest points of 89.4m and 117.2m respectively, the course is relatively flat which contributes to its speed and popularity among runners wanting to beat their PR. The race is an IAAF Gold Label Race.
Kenyan Wilson Kipsang set the course record in 2010 with an impressive time of 2:04:57 making the Frankfurt Marathon the fastest marathon in Germany that year. The women`s course record is presently 2:25.12, held by Alevtina Biktimirova of Russia.
Starting at Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage at the Messeturm expo tower, the course loops through several Frankfurt neighbourhoods including the Sachsenhausen district, through residential areas and back to the Mainzer Landstraße and through to the downtown area. The course is run along both banks of the river Main before ending on the red carpet of the ‘Festhalle’. Runners experience the panoramic skyline of the skyscrapers as well as architectural classics such as the Alte Oper built in 1883, a Renaissance opera house, which was partly destroyed during the war. The building was reconstructed in 1983 as a new concert hall.
Another sight along the course is the Eschenheimer Turm which was the northern gate tower of the former city fortification, built in 1400 and is was left undamaged during the Second World War.
The race culminates at the magnificent ‘Festhalle, a neo-baroque building with an impressive glass dome from 1909. Participants will run to victory on a red carpet lined with cheering spectators all the way to the finish line.
In 2009, Kenyan Robert Cheruiyot finished the race with a new course record of 2:06:14 placing the Frankfurt Marathon second after the Berlin Marathon in terms of speed in 2009. The 2011 and 30th edition of the BMW Frankfurt Marathon will see the return of a trio of record-breakers, Wilson Kipsang, Gilbert Kirwa and Robert Cheruiyot. These three will undoubtedly be looking to beat Kipsang’s previous record of 2:04:57. This year, an expected 14,000 runners are expected at the starting line.
Wilson Kipsang of Kenya set a new course record in the 2011 edition of the BMW Frankfurt Marathon with an impressive time of 2:03:42 which was four seconds shy of the world record. The women's race was won by Ethiopian Mamitu Daska in 2:21:59 which is the new course record.
Interested in running the BMW Frankfurt Marathon? Register at the official website here.