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3,900 participants open the running year 2005 at the 24th Berlin New Year’s Run.
Joachim Zeller gave the starting shot and ran himself. Many donations were collected from the runners and spectators
2005-01-03
The running year 2005 began in Berlin just 12 hours after midnight: 3,900 participants started at the Brandenburg Gate at the 34th Berlin New Year’s Run. Some dressed in colourful costumes, the runners jogged the four kilometre course down the boulevard “Unter den Linden”, making a loop around the Berlin Cathedral and the Lustgarten.The finish of the non-competitive race was back at the Brandenburg Gate.
The major of the district of Berlin-Mitte, Joachim Zeller, gave the starting shot and then ran himself. The assistant (on the right) is the ol’ champ Horst Milde.
Donations for UNICEF
As is tradition, SCC-RUNNING does not collect a registration fee for Berlin New
Year’s Run. Instead, just like at the 29th New Year’s Eve Run the
day before with 1,939 participants, donations were collected for UNICEF. The
money collected will go to help the victims of the Tsunami in Asia. The runners
were generous in their donations, and SCC-RUNNING will round off the total
collected.
Thank you for € 6,655.52 collected for UNICEF
UNICEF and SCC-RUNNING would like to say THANK YOU for the € 6,655.52
which the participants donated.
Rounded off by SCC-RUNNING, this means that UNICEF will receive €
7,000.
Joachim Zeller gave the starting shot and then ran
himself.
The district mayor of Mitte-Tiergarten, Joachim Zeller, gave at the starting
shot at 12 noon on January 1 at the Brandenburg Gate. After shooting off the
gun, he jogged along with the others, later saying:
“That was a nice start for the new year. One was surrounded by happy
people. I really wanted to be part of it this year.“ In the past years
Joachim Zeller often gave the starting shot. This year he ran along
easily...the good mood was catching and motivating.
Among the runners were also Berlin’s Secretary of Sport, Thomas
Härtel, and Peter Kurth, an ex-senator of Berlin.
The great number media, photo and radio crews who were there is worth
mentioning, some of whom ran along with their microphones in hand.
Slow pace makers with flags
The moderator Karsten Holland provided good music to put the record number of
participants in a good mood—and many of the spectators also joined in,
clapping along.
The jogging pace for the New Year’s runners was set by a large group of
SCC runners carrying flags from around the world. Whole families participated,
holding hands with their children or pushing them in baby joggers.
The four-year-old Lukas made it the whole way, as did the 90-year-old Heinz
Hesse, who never misses being part of it all on this day.
Photos by Bernd Hübner
http://havellauf.bboard.de/viewtopic.php?t=58437
Heinz-Florian Oertel
All of the participants received a certificate at the finish signed by
Heinz-Florian Oertel, who initiated this run in 1972 in
Friedrichshain.
Cult Run since 1990 at the Brandenburg Gate
On January 1, 1990 – shortly after the Wall fell – the New
Year’s Run became a great political event, when for the first time the
run went from the West to the East –and back—through the
Brandenburg Gate.
It was Stefan Senkel (East) and Horst Milde (West) who then were able to make
it possible to run through the two openings in the Wall and through the
Brandenburg Gate. Since then, the SCC-RUNNING event has had its start at the
Brandenburg Gate.
Donations were also collected along the way
The Berlin police did a good job leading the race—without much
bureaucratic red tape—through the streets lined with spectators and
tourists. The runners also collected money along the course for the victims of
the Tsunami in Southeast Asia with UNICEF donation tins.
The German Red Cross provided hot tea at the finish. And whoever gave a small
donation also received a donut.
Reception in the COMMERZBANK
As is tradition, SCC RUNNING had a reception after the New Year’s Run. In
the COMMERZBANK, Pariser Platz 1, directly next to the Brandenburg Gate, those
involved with SCC RUNNING, friends, patrons, sponsors, politicians,
representatives from relief agencies and organisations, colleagues and
volunteers, could look back together at the successful running year and get
ready together for the new running year 2005.
Thank you to the COMMERZBANK - with Monica Roesner at the forefront – who
has a big heart for UNICEF and for the sport of running.
129,367 participants in the year 2004
The day before, SCC-RUNNING had finished off a record year with the New
Year’s Eve Run. With 129,367 participants in the year 2004,
Germany’s largest running event organiser registered more participants
than ever before in its 40-year history.
"We are proud that we have been able to keep up the positive trend and
hope to be able to continue this successful development in 2005,” says
Race Director Mark Milde.
Since 1964, SCC RUNNING has registered a total of 1,397,377
participants in 366 events.
Donations for the victims of the Tsunami can also be made
to:
UNICEF Berlin
Account: 56 56 56 6
Bank Number: 100 400 00 - Commerzbank Berlin
Re: Earthquake Asia / SCC-RUNNING
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