GutsMuths Rennsteig run

Memorial stone near Eisenach (Hohe Sonne)

The GutsMuths Rennsteiglauf is a fun run that has been held annually since 1973 on the Rennsteig in the Thuringian Forest in mid-May . With more than 15,000 participating runners and hikers , it is considered the largest landscape run or cross-country run in Europe. The organizer is GutsMuths-Rennsteiglaufverein e. V. (GMRV), organizer the Rennsteiglauf Sportmanagement & Touristik GmbH .

Competitions

The following routes are offered for runners (the length of the route may vary slightly from year to year):

route	Route length	Starting place
Super marathon	73.9 km	Eisenach
marathon	42.2 km	Neuhaus am Rennweg
half marathon	21.1 km	Oberhof

The goal of the three main runs is Schmiedefeld am Rennsteig .

The program also includes a junior cross with distances between 1.1 and 7.2 km, a special cross for people with intellectual disabilities as well as a 17 km family hike and 17 km or 35 km tour for walkers and Nordic Walker .

The super marathon was a competition in the European ultramarathons cup until 2015 .

history

Start number for the GutsMuths Rennsteiglauf 1983

The first official run took place on May 12, 1973 as the I. 100 km GutsMuths Memorial Run . It was intended to commemorate the pedagogue Johann Christoph Friedrich GutsMuths . The route of almost 100 kilometers led from the Hohe Sonne near Eisenach to Masserberg . The four participants, Hans-Georg Kremer, Hans-Joachim Römhild, Jens Wötzel and Wolf-Dieter Wolfram, ran without any intention of competing and reached the finish together after 9:55 hours. The following year, the event was repeated on May 17th on a route of 82 kilometers - from Heuberghaus to Neuhaus. Eight out of twelve participants reached the destination after 10:35 hours: G. Clausnitzer, K. Gottert, R. Knoch, H.-G. Kremer, H.-J. Römhild, W. Schuck, J. Wötzel and S. Ziegan.

On May 9, 1975, the Rennsteiglauf took place for the first time as a competition. In addition to the 50-mile run (82 km), a second 38 km route was set up for women, starting at the youth hostel at the Rennsteig train station near Schmiedefeld am Rennsteig . Of a total of 974 participants, 811 reached the finish (long distance: 692 men, 10 women; short distance: 108 women, 1 man). In 1976 the length of the route was reduced to 75 km, later to 68 km (1983–1985) and 65 km (1986–1996).

The run was organized on a voluntary basis and initially remained without support from the DTSB board. In the end, the run achieved cult status. Hobby athletes from all over the GDR made the pilgrimage to the Rennsteiglauf.

The run has had its current length since 1997, starting in Eisenach. Since 2017, the route length has been given as 73.5 km instead of the previous 72.7 km after a new measurement. The shorter run has been started in Neuhaus since 1977, initially over 45 km, 43.5 km and from 2016 over the marathon distance.

In 1990 the west German part of the Rennsteig was included in the run for the first time: During a group run from Blankenstein to Neuhaus, the border installations, some of which were still completely intact, had to be passed eight times. On June 30, 1990 the GutsMuths-Rennsteiglaufverein was founded, which took over responsibility for the event from the HSG Uni Jena (today Universitätssportverein Jena e.V.). In the same year, the organizers of the Rennsteiglauf were awarded the UNESCO sports prize.

The half marathon from Oberhof to Schmiedefeld has been held since 1992, and children's runs have been part of the program since 1993. Over time, the Rennsteiglauf developed into the largest popular sports event in the GDR . Today it is one of the largest fun runs in Germany and has been one of the ten most popular runs in Germany since 1991 by the magazine run time . Trademarks are the stomach-friendly gruel at the refreshment points, the committed helpers on the route who are recruited from the local sports clubs, and the "dumpling parties" the evening before in the starting locations as well as the runners' parties in Schmiedefeld am Rennsteig .

stretch

Only a measly 5 km to the goal

The start of the super marathon is on the market square of Eisenach below the Georgenkirche at an altitude of 210  m . On the way to the east, you first pass the Nikolaikirche and -tor into the city park, which merges into the Thuringian Forest. Now it goes steadily uphill, and at km 7.4 the running route at the Hohe Sonne joins the Rennsteig, which leads the runners up to the Großer Inselsberg , whose summit at 910  m is reached at km 25.5. On a steep passage down to the Grenzwiese parking lot, you now lose about 200 meters in height. Then it goes on relatively flat via Heuberghaus, Ebertswiese and Neue Ausspanne, before another ascent to the Neuhöfer Wiesen awaits you at the marathon mark. At Grenzadler, in the immediate vicinity of the Lotto Thuringia Arena on the Rennsteig , you have 54.7 km behind you. An official exit with timekeeping is possible here, and all runners who have taken more than nine hours up to this point will be removed from the race.

The route continues through undulating terrain to the roundabout at the Rennsteiggarten Oberhof , where the B 247 is crossed on a bridge . Soon afterwards the highest point of the route is reached at km 61.1 at Plänckner's view below the Großer Beerberg at an altitude of 973  m . From Schmücke , the last nine kilometers are mostly gently downhill to Schmiedefeld, where after a 70 km route you come back to populated area for the first time. The goal is at the sports field above the village at an altitude of 711  m . A total of 1490 vertical meters uphill and 989 vertical meters downhill have to be mastered.

The marathon starts at GuthsMuths-Halle in Neuhaus at an altitude of 780  m . The first few kilometers take the closed B 281 , so that the field has the opportunity to sort itself before it goes onto the narrow forest paths shortly before Steinheid , which from now on form the largest part of the route. The first major ascent is after about 10 km just before the Dreistromstein near Siegmundsburg . At the tower building on Eselsberg , the highest point of the route is reached at km 18.8 with a height of 841  m . After a steep downhill passage through a narrow ravine, you reach the Triniusbaude. The Rennsteig then runs parallel to the blocked road between Masserberg and Neustadt am Rennsteig . Rennsteig walkers naturally walk on the narrow Rennsteig to Kahlert and from there continue on an asphalt path, gently but steadily rising, to the refreshment point in Neustadt. Behind Neustadt there is a steep ascent to the Burgberg and on it continues over undulating forest paths to Dreiherrenstein . At Allzunah you turn south from Rennsteig to Frauenwald , where you can refresh yourself with beer at the last refreshment point (a service that is also offered at the Supermarathon) before going to Schmiedefeld, five kilometers away. The last few meters up to the goal on the sports field are a well-known climax. The vertical meters accumulate on this route at 769 HM uphill and 844 HM downhill.

The half marathon starts at the Oberhof luge track and leads past the DKB Skisport Hall Oberhof to the Grenzadler . Here the route turns left onto the Rennsteig and follows the super marathon route in an easterly direction, which you then only leave for a short detour just before the Großer Beerberg . The starting height is 837  m , the target height is 711  m , and the highest point, like the Supermarathon, is Plänckner's view at 973  m , which is reached at km 9.0. There are 282 vertical meters uphill and 391 vertical meters downhill to complete.

Timing

A special feature of the Rennsteig run is the time measurement. It was done electronically from the start. The runners received a plastic start card that was slightly larger and thicker than today's credit card format. Like a punch card , the start number was stamped on this card . On the edge of the start card there were several control fields that were punched at control points along the way. The runners did not know the number and position of the checkpoints or the number to be punched. At the finish, the start number and the control holes were evaluated by a reader and it was possible to read off the run time and placement immediately. This method of time measurement was replaced by RFID chips , with which an exact, runner-related time measurement is possible.

Rennsteig autumn run

Since 2011 there has been a Rennsteig autumn run at the beginning of October. As with the Rennsteiglauf, the run starts in Neuhaus and ends in Masserberg on the sports field. The route is almost identical to that of the marathon. Only in Neuhaus will the B281 be left at the roundabout and only reached again at the sand wipes. Since 2014, a 10 km route has also been offered in Masserberg.

statistics

Course records

Supermarathon (on the route run since 2002)

• Men: 4:50:56, Christian Seiler , 2014
• Women: 5:50:22, Daniela Oemus , 2018

marathon

• Men: 2:34:22, Marcel Krieghoff, 2017
• Women: 2:54:00, Nora Kusterer, 2017

half marathon

• Men: 1:06:41, Heiko Schinkitz , 1994
• Women: 1:16:21, Jane Auro Ekimat ( KEN ), 1994

Finisher

Number of participants who arrived at the destination.

year	Super marathon	marathon	half marathon	Junior cross	Specialcross	Hike 17 km	Nordic walking 17 km	total
2017	2063	3231	6495	803	302	1283	980	15829
2018	1822	3169	6680	802	236	1765	1048	15763

Super marathon winner list

Source for results before 1990: arrs.run

date	Men	time	Women	time
May 18, 2019	Steffen Justus	5:12:56	Juliane Totzke	6:03:27
May 26, 2018	Florian Neuschwander	5:14:13	Daniela Oemus -2-	5:50:22
20th May 2017	Frank Merrbach	5:18:53	Melanie Albrecht	6:18:01
May 21, 2016	Marc Schulze	5:17:38	Daniela Oemus	5:55:38
0May 9, 2015	Wolf Jurkschat	5:41:45	Kristin Hempel	6:16:50
17th May 2014	Christian Seiler -3-	4:50:56	Karin Kern	6:16:47
May 25, 2013	Christian Seiler -2-	5:10:24	Branka Hajek	6:15:44
May 19, 2012	Christian Seiler	5:10:20	Karin Russ	6:21:31
May 21, 2011	Klemens Huemer	5:29:54	Carola Bendl-Tschiedel	6:36:12
0May 8, 2010	Christian Stork -4-	5:23:49	Anja Miedtank	6:34:28
May 16, 2009	Christian Stork -3-	5:29:55	Kerstin Schumann	6:34:51
May 17, 2008	Christian Stork -2-	5:16:29	Birgit Lennartz -8-	6:32:38
May 19, 2007	Christian Stork	5:20:53	Sonja Knöpfli	6:11:01
May 20, 2006	Thomas Braukmann	5:26:23	Mira Kaizl	6:34:54
May 21, 2005	Helmut Peters	5:27:17	Heidrun Pecker -3-	6:05:33
May 15, 2004	Matthias Körner	5:15:44	Heidrun Pecker -2-	6:13:11
May 17, 2003	Thomas Miksch -4-	5:19:02	Isabella Bernhard -2-	5:58:50
May 25, 2002	Thomas Miksch -3-	5:16:00	Isabella Bernhard	6:11:57
May 19, 2001	Thomas Miksch -2-	5:24:35	Heidrun Pecker	6:20:35
May 20, 2000	Thomas Miksch	5:22:30	Birgit Lennartz -7-	6:24:34
May 15, 1999	Peter Gschwend	5:16:25	Birgit Lennartz -6-	6:14:00
May 16, 1998	Charly Doll	5:05:13	Anke Drescher	6:16:11
May 24, 1997	Burkhard Lennartz -3-	5:23:19	Birgit Lennartz -5-	6:13:36
May 18, 1996	Carsten Merz	4:27:05	Birgit Lennartz -4-	5:21:18
May 20, 1995	Michael Sommer	4:35:02	Birgit Lennartz -3-	5:27:37
May 28, 1994	Kazimierz Bak	4:26:38	Birgit Lennartz -2-	5:21:38
May 15, 1993	Thomas Sperling -2-	4:20:17	Claudia Schmidt	5:44:47
May 16, 1992	Burkhard Lennartz -2-	4:39:06	Birgit Lennartz	5:11:33
May 25, 1991	Thomas Sperling	4:15:13	Heike Krauss -2-	5:44:24
May 19, 1990	Burkhard Lennartz	4:31:25	Heike Krauss	5:48:54
May 20, 1989	Detlef Wegner -4-	4:23:30	Edith Nöbel	5:43:19
May 14, 1988	Detlef Wegner -3-	4:24:32	Karen Jahns -2-	6:00:19
May 16, 1987	Peter Grüning	4:30:24	Karen Jahns	5:42:31
May 24, 1986	Detlef Wegner -2-	4:37:24	Monika Bianchin -2-	5:54:41
May 18, 1985	Dietmar Knies -4-	4:34:04	Monika Bianchin	5:48:47
May 26, 1984	Detlef Wegner	4:48:58	Sigrun Macheleidt	6:39:50
May 14, 1983	Gerhard Fischer	4:55:49	Marid Helbig	6:29:00
May 22, 1982	Dietmar Knies -3-	5:09:08	Petra Zocher	6:38:46
May 23, 1981	Gerhard Baumann -2-	5:12:33	Beatrix Wernicke	7:11:06
May 17, 1980	Dietmar Knies -2-	5:02:59	Irmgard Neumärker -2-	8:08:48
May 26, 1979	Dietmar Knies	5:21:02	Christa Moser	8:25:50
May 20, 1978	Gerhard Baumann	5:12:41	Irmgard Neumärker	8:53 h
May 21, 1977	Dieter Wiedemann	5:05 h	Brigitte Rohleder -2-	9:22 h
May 15, 1976	Roland Winkler	5:04 h	Brigitte Cienskowski & Brigitte Rohleder	9:52 h
May 10, 1975	Wolfgang Kahms	6:16:14	Christin Cladun	k. A.

Marathon winners list

Source for results before 1990: arrs.run

date	Men	time	Women	time
2019	Sebastian Nitsche	2:40:27	Jana Baum	3:09:53
2018	Sebastian Nitsche	2:42:53	Nora Kusterer -3-	2:56:23
2017	Marcel Krieghoff -2-	2:34:22	Nora Kusterer -2-	2:54:00
2016	Marcel Krieghoff -1-	2:36:45	Annika Krull	3:08:56
2015	Christian Seiler -4-	2:43:01	Nora Kusterer	3:01:31
2014	Heiko Ludewig	2:42:16	Nicole Kruhme	3:07:28
2013	Marcel Groom -2-	2:37:44	Anne Berthold	3:09:36
2012	Marcel Groom -1-	2:38:09	Kristin Eisenacher	3:12:17
2011	Alexander Fritsch -2-	2:40:24	Anja Jakob -2-	3:23:44
2010	Alexander Fritsch -1-	2:36:50	Diana Lehmann -4-	3:17:10
2009	Christian Seiler -3-	2:42:33	Anja Jakob -1-	3:25:18
2008	Christian Seiler -2-	2:40:49	Diana Lehmann -3-	3:13:43
2007	Christian Seiler -1-	2:42:26	Diana Lehmann -2-	3:15:42
2006	Matthias Körner	2:41:09	Nele Wild-Wall	3:10:11
2005	Ulf Kersten -2-	2:43:06	Diana Lehmann -1-	3:15:30
2004	Steffen Pollack	2:45:01	Tanja Semjonowa -4-	3:16:13
2003	Ulf Kersten -1-	2:42:08	Tanja Semjonowa -3-	3:16:24
2002	Lutz Wolfram	2:46:30	Tanja Semjonowa -2-	3:10:39
2001	Stanislav Lasjuta	2:36:32	Tanya Semyonova -1-	3:07:24
2000	Steven lambeck -2-	2:40:37	Christin Ehrke -4-	3:20:24
1999	Ralph Koritz -3-	2:42:15	Liane Muschler	3:16:00
1998	Steven lambeck -1-	2:38:32	Christin Ehrke -3-	3:13:48
1997	Ralph Koritz -2-	2:43:13	Christin Ehrke -2-	3:20:40
1996	Ralph Koritz -1-	2:41:49	Angela Nüske	3:08:00
1995	Uwe Michel -2-	2:40:18	Christin Ehrke -1-	3:15:36
1994	Uwe Michel -1-	2:41:55	Romy Lindner -3-	2:54:04
1993	Heiko Schinkitz -5-	2:39:35	Romy Lindner -2-	3:02:43
1992	Heiko Schinkitz -4-	2:46:02	Romy Lindner -1-	3:11:07
1991	Heiko Schinkitz -3-	2:40:59	Ines Wittmann	3:21:41
1990	Heiko Schinkitz -2-	2:40:43	Ilona Möller	3:31:07
1989	Heiko Schinkitz -1-	2:40:43	Marion Peters	3:22:46
1988	Jürgen Timm -3-	2:46:54	Beate Kauke	3:22:55
1987	Klaus Goldammer -2-	2:44:39	Birgit Schuckmann	3:09:02
1986	Jürgen Timm -2-	2:49:41	Gabriele Steigmann -3-	3:24:14
1985	Jürgen Timm -1-	2:48:29	Gabriele Steigmann -2-	3:19:49
1984	Klaus Goldammer -1-	2:47:48	Gabriele Steigmann -1-	3:28:31
1983	Hans-Günter Müller -2-	2:52:08	Ursula White -6-	3:20:59
1982	Hans-Günter Müller -1-	2:55:31	Ursula White -5-	3:30:48
1981	Manfred Kuschmann	2:50:57	Ursula White -4-	3:29:21
1980	Bernd Moormann	2:52:56	Ursula White -3-	3:29:48
1979	Paul Krebs -2-	2:46 h	Ursula White -2-	3:31 h
1978	Paul Krebs -1-	2:51:09	Ursula White -1-	3:27:01

Half marathon winners list

date	Men	time	Women	time
2019	Samsom Tesfazghi Hayalu	1:11:37	Tinka Uphoff	1:24:43
2018	Samsom Tesfazghi Hayalu -2-	1:13:02	Anne Barber -2-	1:24:57
2017	Samsom Tesfazghi Hayalu -1-	1:09:49	Anne Barber -1-	1:22:33
2015	Thomas Kühlmann	1:10:44	Nicole Kruhme -2-	1:20:14
2014	Marcel groom	1:10:16	Lydia Walther	1:30:32
2013	Marcel Knape	1:10:38	Nicole Kruhme -1-	1:22:31
2012	Phillip Willaschek	1:11:02	Stefanie Wiesmair -3-	1:23:02
2011	Sven Weyer	1:09:34	Helene Jacob	1:27:20
2010	Stefan Hubert -2-	1:10:17	Juliane Totzke	1:22:53
2009	Paul Thuo Muigai	1:10:00	Stefanie Wiesmair -2-	1:25:54
2008	Stefan Hubert -1-	1:11:59	Ilona Pfeiffer	1:25:00
2007	Christian Biele	1:11:29	Anja Carlsohn	1:21:28
2006	Christian Seiler -3-	1:11:19	Stefanie Wiesmair -1-	1:23:11
2005	Christian Seiler -2-	1:10:51	Petra Stockmann -4-	1:23:55
2004	Christian Seiler -1-	1:12:29	Petra Stöckmann -3-	1:24:07
2003	Franz Goering	1:11:38	Petra Stockmann -2-	1:25:08
2002	Martin White	1:10:06	Petra Stockmann -1-	1:25:26
2001	Nino Dell	1:11:03	Birgit Lennartz	1:21:12
2000	Ulrich Rückert	1:08:14	Elke Barber	1:23:32
1999	Jan Burzik	1:11:18	Kristina Otto -2-	1:22:42
1998	Hendrik Heisch -2-	1:08:17	Kristina Otto -1-	1:21:31
1997	Peter Gschwend	1:09:36	Antje Knöll	1:20:12
1996	Konstantin Lebedev	1:06:57	Kathrin Tanzmann	1:19:11
1995	Hendrik Heisch -1-	1:11:20	Kerstin Hellmann	1:24:19
1994	Heiko Schinkitz	1:06:41	Jane Auro Ekimat	1:16:21
1993	Heiko Weiner	1:14:00	Antje König	1:28:08
1992	Andre Neubauer	1:09:19	Gabriele Hess	1:21:34

Medals

half marathon

year	front	back
2010
2013
2015
2016
2017
2018

See also

• List of marathons
• List of half marathons
• German Road Races

literature

• Werner Sonntag : Challenge marathon. Reports, experiences, advice. Pietsch, Stuttgart 1988, ISBN 3-613-50087-6 , pp. 124-135

Web links

Commons : GutsMuths-Rennsteiglauf  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Official website
• Rennsteig-Supermarathon: Oemus with course record
• Report from the Rennsteiglauf 2008 on marathon4you.de with links to further reports
• Runner report from the Supermarathon 2010 on Laufspass.com with links to further reports
• Runners' report from the 2007 Supermarathon on teambittel.de with a link to the Rennsteiglauf compendium and other reports
• Rennsteiglauf on steppenhahn.de with links to many other runners' reports

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Super marathon route. Retrieved April 3, 2019 . 
2. ↑ Marathon route. Retrieved April 3, 2019 . 
3. ↑ Half marathon route. Retrieved April 3, 2019 . 
4. ↑ H.-G. Kremer: Report 30 years GutsMuths-Rennsteiglauf - from the archive of the founding association (part 3), steppenhahn.de, April 2002
5. ↑ H.-G. Kremer: Report 30 years of GutsMuths-Rennsteiglauf - from the archive of the founding association (part 5), steppenhahn.de, April 2002
6. ↑ Thomas Purschke: Rennsteiglauf in the Thuringian Forest: Am Kamm long . In: The daily newspaper: taz . May 17, 2019, ISSN  0931-9085 ( taz.de [accessed July 4, 2019]).
7. ↑ Length
8. ↑ Hans-Georg Kremer: History of sport at the Jena University from its foundation to the present. 2001, ( PDF ), p. 154
9. ↑ Hans-Georg Kremer: History of sport at the Jena University from its foundation to the present. 2001 ( PDF ), p. 156
10. ↑ Results / course records. (PDF) Retrieved April 3, 2019 . 
11. ↑ Rennsteig Super Marathon on arrs.run
12. ↑ Rennsteig marathon on arrs.run