Posted: August 2, 2004

Athletics:13th Bewag City Night With A New Record Number Of Participants And Spectators

Paul Kigen and Monika Drybulska win the 10k on the Kurfürstendamm boulevard

There was a great atmosphere at the 13th edition of the Bewag City Night on Saturday evening on the Kurfürstendamm. At the largest street race of this kind in Germany, the organiser SCC RUNNING registered a new record number of participants and spectators: with 7,924 runners, inline skaters, walkers, and wheelchair athletes, last year's record (7,094) was broken by more than 10 percent. Not only that, but about 55,000 spectators lined the course, primarily down the Kurfürstendamm and Kantstraße.

The Kenyans celebrated a double victory in the main 10k race (with 6,193 runners and walkers, the bulk of the participants). Paul Kigen won with a time of 30:04 minutes with only a one-second lead over his fellow Kenyan James Rotich. ´I really liked the atmosphere. It was not an easy race, the competition was strong,´ said the 29-year old champion, who took home the winning prize of 500 Euros (as did the fastest woman). The best German was Embaye Hedrit (LAC Quelle Fürth-München) in third place with a time of 30:47.

Carsten Eich (LG Braunschweig) missed making a hattrick on the Kurfürstendamm. After winning the last two years, the strongest German street racer over the past few years quit between the 6th and 7th kilometre. ´I felt wiped out from the beginning and I didn't feel like finishing with a time of 32 minutes,´ said Eich, who also won in 1999 and 2000.

Monika Drybulska (Poland) easily won the women's race in 33:23. For the 24-year-old it was a successful test run for the Olympic Marathon in Athens in three weeks. Second place went to the 22-year-old Romy Spitzmüller (LAZ Leipzig/34:22), who will be starting at the real,- BERLIN MARATHON on September 26th. Kathrin Weßel (SCC Berlin/34:51), for whom this was likely the 3rd to last race of her career, came in third. ´The real,- BERLIN MARATHON will be the last race of my career. But I really wanted to take part in the City Night as the atmosphere along the Kurfürstendamm is so unique. The number of spectators was so impressive, despite the fact that the opening ceremony of the Olympic Stadium was taking place at the same time,´ said Kathrin Weßel.

´This was a successful summer night in the city. We are happy with the good and exciting race, the new record number of participants and the enormous spectator interest,´ said Race Director Mark Milde.

 
Results, Men's 10 km: 
 
1. Paul Kigen 		KENYA			30:04 minutes 
2. James Rotich	KENYA			30:05 
3. Embaye Hedrit 	LAC Quelle Fürth-M.		30:47 
4. Mario Burger	Goslar				31:06  
 
Women's 10 km: 
 
1. Monika Drybulska 	POLAND			33:23 
2. Romy Spitzmüller 	LAZ Leipzig			34:22 
3. Kathrin Weßel 	SCC Berlin 			34:51 
4. Claudia Dreher	Gänsefurther SB		37:44  

Further information is available online at: www.berlin-marathon.com.