Enschede Marathon celebrates anniversary with elite label

Enschede Marathon celebrates anniversary with elite label

The 52nd Enschede Marathon is on the calendar on Sunday 24 April 2022. It promises to be a special edition for several reasons. Of course because the regular editions of 2020 and 2021 could not take place due to the corona virus, but also because in 2022 Enschede Marathon will be 75 years old as the oldest marathon in the Netherlands and Western Europe. To celebrate, there are extra bonuses for fast runners to earn.

“We can’t wait to experience a ‘normal’ marathon weekend again next spring after two years,” says Sandra Melief, director of Enschede Marathon. “The runners are also eager to start again on our fast and challenging course. And because Enschede Marathon will be 75 years old in 2022, extra bonuses will be paid out.”

Race record
For example, the fastest man who runs under the Enschede race record of Eliud Kipchoge (02.04.30) can earn a bonus of €10,000. The fastest woman who dives under the race record of Katharina Steinrück (02.25.59) will also receive this amount. “Yes, those are nice amounts,” says Melief. “We call it a race record and not a course record because the course has been changed over the years. It is therefore the fastest time ever run in Enschede by a man or woman.”

Elite label
Good news is that Enschede Marathon will take place in 2022 under the so-called elite label, continues Melief. “In 2019 it was announced that we were allowed to carry the bronze label of the World Athletics federation. In 2022 a different labeling will be used temporarily; in 2023, the usual gold, silver and bronze will apply again. But whether it’s bronze or elite, it remains a quality label that we are very proud of. Because there are quite a few requirements that you have to meet as an organization before you receive such a label.”

1000 runners
The fact that Enschede Marathon is a popular event among marathon runners is shown by the fact that almost a thousand marathon runners have already registered – more than five months before the starting signal is fired. Melief: “A free bib number with number 1000 on it is available for the thousandth entrant.” No major changes are planned for the 2022 edition, she says. “The start and finish on Van Heekplein may be slightly adjusted, but then it’s all about details. Furthermore, the course is just as flat – and therefore fast – as people are used to from us.”