While the 10,500 Nykredit Copenhagen Marathon 2012 Finishers are probably still recovering from Sunday’s accomplishment, race organizer Sparta Athletics and Running can look back at an overly successful marathon event which was surprisingly won by domestic Martin Parkhøi in 2:24.49. Due to the sudden arrival of summer with plus 20 degrees, the record breaking number of finishers expected beforehand was not reached. Instead, a new starter record was set with 10,500 runners behind the start lines.
WINNER IN CLOSE RACE 2 hours, 24 minutes and 49 seconds after the runners set off into the streets of Copenhagen, Danish Martin Parkhøi crossed the finish line victoriously after having gained more than 3 minutes on early leader, Irish Barry Minnock. The Irishman led the race for 37 km until finally conceding the first place to Martin Parkhøi who won both the Nykredit Copenhagen Marathon 2012 and the Danish National Championships on the classic distance.
A different story emerged in the women’s race as Mexican-born Irish Barbara Sanchez crossed the finish line as clear cut winner in 2:41.17 – more than 4 minutes ahead of runner-up Lene Hjelmsø, Denmark, who took second place as well as gold at the women’s National Championships.
See a complete list of results on copenhagenmarathon.com
RECORD NUMBER OF STARTERS Of the 12,200 participants registered beforehand for the Nykredit Copenhagen Marathon, 10,500 had lined up behind the start line for the 9.30 race start. The number of starters is highly satisfying to race organizer Sparta since it is the first year ever to exceed 10,000.
SUCCESS DESPITE OF WARM WEATHER Because of the warm weather, only 9,500 of the 10,500 starters completed the distance. That, in effect, the aim of more than 10,000 finishers was not reached, is according to Director of Sparta, Dorte Vibjerg, “hard to be disappointed about, since everything else around the entire race event was such a huge success”. She brings out the close and exciting race among the elite and the massive array of spectators. Almost every street in Copenhagen brimmed with spectators cheering all the runners along in the sweltering heat at what was, so Dorte Vibjerg, “the most impressive and atmospheric Copenhagen Marathon ever”.
Speak Your Mind