BMW Frankfurt Marathon: Top-class runners and a new generation of cars.

Frankfurt a.M./Munich. The 31st BMW Frankfurt Marathon on 28th October will follow in a long tradition. BMW is involved for the second time as Title Partner. Along with the  BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, this iconic event plays a central role in the brand’s comprehensive commitment to running. This year’s starting line-up will once again mirror the esteem in which the race is held. Among those lining up in the city on the River Main are world record holder Patrick Makau (Kenya). The field will be led by the zero-emission BMW ActiveE. The electric-powered lead car spearheads the BMW Group’s efforts in the fields of efficiency and sustainability, making it the perfect car for this job.

“We can really identify with many aspects of running. Only those who apply their power in the best possible way still have energy reserves when it really matters. That is exactly what our cars and engines are about: responsible, conservative use of resources, coupled with dynamics when needed,” said Johannes Seibert, Head of Marketing BMW Germany. “We are proud to be able to underline this approach at the BMW Frankfurt Marathon, with its long tradition. Above all, however, we are looking forward to an exciting contest at the front of the field and a very special festival of running.”

Makau, who set the world record of 2:03:38 hours at the 2011 BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, has his sights set on a new top mark in Frankfurt. “I am impressed by the circuit. The route is very flat. I think that if everything comes together perfectly on the race day – my form, the weather and the pacesetters – then a world record is a possibility,” said the Kenyan. His closest rival is expected to be Ethiopia’s Yemane Tsegay, who claimed his first major international win at the Rotterdam Marathon in April and, in doing so, set a time of 2:04:48 hours – just 70 seconds shy of Makau’s world record. The stand-out ladies in Frankfurt are Ethiopians Bezunesh Bekele and Mamitu Daska.

The BMW Frankfurt Marathon is also an extremely interesting event from a German point of view. Among the elite athletes is 22-year-old Lisa Hahner – one of Germany’s biggest marathon hopes, who will compete over the longest Olympic distance for the first time. In doing so, she follows in the footsteps of her equally talented twin sister Anna, who finished an impressive eighth at the 2012 BMW BERLIN-MARATHON in a time of 2:30:37 hours.

“Having enjoyed watching my sister cross the line at the Brandenburg Gate in the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, I will now be able to experience for myself the fantastic finish to the BMW Frankfurt Marathon in the Festhalle,” said Lisa Hahner. Sören Kah, who now resides in Frankfurt, is the rising star of the marathon scene and is out to deliver the next blow in a fascinating long-distance duel with BMW Running Ambassador Jan Fitschen. Kah set the fastest time of the year by a German (2:14:25 hours) at the Hamburg Marathon early on in the season – a record that Fitschen smashed with a time of 2:13:10 hours at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON a few weeks ago. Kah has her sights set on improving this time once again in Frankfurt.

BMW will use the BMW Frankfurt Marathon to present a wide range of activities and about 45 low-emission vehicles for organisational purposes, support cars out on the course, and the car pool. The company’s activities will focus on the “Marathonmall” sporting goods trade fair on Friday and Saturday, the extraordinary finish in Frankfurt’s Festhalle, Opernplatz and the Eschenheimer Tor. Visitors to the trade fair will be able to pose for a photo with the official time and lead car, the BMW ActiveE, on the cover of RUNNER’S WORLD. A kids’ track with radio-controlled BMWs will allow the younger fans to show off their driving ability. They can also take a junior driving test on BMW kids’ bikes and baby racers. The BMW 5 Series Touring with built-in slot-car track will offer sheer driving pleasure for visitors big and small at each of the locations.

As TV Media Partner, Hessische Rundfunk will broadcast the BMW Frankfurt Marathon live from 10:00 to 14:00 on 28th October. A live stream, which can be viewed around the world, will also be available on the homepage hr-online.de.

BMW’s commitment to competitive running.

BMW has been an important partner on the running scene in Germany for many years. In cooperation with its partner SportScheck, the company has been organising the largest City Run series in the country, which now features 17 events. BMW also supports all the major marathon events in Germany as Premium Partner. In doing so the brand reaches 220,000 active long-distance runners and millions of fans along the routes. However, BMW’s commitment to competitive running reaches out way beyond the German border. BMW is a partner of important international running events, including the Standard Chartered Marathon in Singapore, the Tokyo Marathon (Japan), the Mumbai Marathon and Bangalore Marathon in India, Austria’s Graz Marathon, and marathon events in Spain.

The BMW Group.

The BMW Group is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI, Husqvarna Motorcycles and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 29 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2011, the BMW Group sold about 1.67 million cars and more than 113,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2011 was euro 7.38 billion on revenues amounting to euro 68.82 billion. At 31December 2011, the BMW Group had a workforce of approximately 100,000 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last eight years.