Successful second edition of the Lilien Team Marathon

Under perfect weather conditions, the youngest participants kicked off the event in the morning on the grounds surrounding the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor. For the first time, children’s races were included in the program. Children born in 2020 and 2021 took part in a non-timed run covering approximately 400 metres. This was followed by one-kilometer races for those born between 2017 and 2019, and 1.5-kilometre races for those born between 2013 and 2016.

The main race took place in the afternoon. The course, spanning roughly 5.2 kilometres, led from the stadium grounds through the adjacent forest and back to the Merck-Stadion, where participants crossed the finish line at the edge of the pitch in front of the main grandstand. In addition to individual runners, teams of four and eight competed. For the four-person teams, the combined distance of the four individual legs roughly equaled a half-marathon, while the eight-person teams collectively covered around 42 kilometres. The focus was not merely on athletic performance, but above all on the team spirit.

There were also some impressive athletic performances. The fastest times and teams of the day were:

• 1 km: Flynn Choynoski (SG Arheilgen) crossed the finish line as the fastest boy with a time of 3:55.75 minutes. Among the girls, Lily Schmidt (RSV Seeheim 1971 e.V.) was the fastest, clocking 4:14.32 minutes. Maxx Timing
• 1.5 km: Augustin Gauß from the SV Darmstadt 98 U13 team won the boys‘ race in 5:49.56 minutes. The fastest girl was Nele Sophie Sulzmann from ASC Darmstadt, finishing in 6:18.08 minutes. Maxx Timing
• 5.2 km Individual: Tobias Drechsler (Team Erdinger Alkoholfrei) set the fastest time at 18:39.94 minutes. In the women’s race, Hadassah Braun (ASC Darmstadt) won with a time of 23:38.75 minutes. Maxx Timing
• 4-person team: Team Phenomenal Hope 1—comprising Isabelle Czerny, Taek-bong Kim, Dirk Baumgärtel, and Leonie Haberhauer—secured the victory. The combined time for the four runners was 1:35:20.96 hours. Maxx Timing

• 8-person team: Cova Run Club 1 won the marathon category with a time of 2:53:56.41. The team consisted of Fabian Gruber, Maximilian Eitler, Malek Hassib, David Oehlrich, Leon Michelfelder, Jhon Alejandro Acosta Loboa, Dominik Dietz, and Michele Ostojic. Maxx Timing

The athletic competition was just one part of the day; the shared running experience took centre stage around the stadium. At the same time, every entry in the adult races supported a good cause: for every participant, SV 98 donates one euro to the „Run for ME/CFS“ initiative, which raises awareness about the chronic illness ME/CFS.

The second edition of the Lilien Team Marathon was also made possible through the support of numerous partners. CRAFT was once again on board as the main sponsor and presenter. The event was also supported by Döhler, LOOP5, and Fitness First. Ensinger provided water for the runners, EDEKA Ercan from Ober-Ramstadt supplied refreshments at the finish line, and Krombacher provided non-alcoholic beverages to participants after they finished.