Luxor marathon: Anniversary
the start for a new era?

The 10th "Egyptian Marathon", better known as the Luxor marathon was a successful event. More than 1.800 runners from 29 countries took part. The Japanese lady Oana Chiemi ran a new course record (2:57,41 h) and Alama Ahmed El Akran from Jordan as the winner of the men’s race (2:28,24 h) finished within a good time. This means, the event becomes a fixed point in the international calendar. But the anniversary could also bring a fresh start for the West Bank. With a new sport: inline skating

Some days after the event we saw some German skaters on the West Bank, passing the Ramesseum, the tempel of Merenptah, the tombs of Dra Abu Naga. With their helmets, their streamlined outfit but mostly with their "rolling shoes" (how the old fashioned skaters were called in Germany before modern technology and English names wer taken over) they attracted attention.

For the second time skater took part in the marathon. The scattered runners could be the first ones following an idea of Hanspeter Detmer (pictures right and below left). The sports editor of the Deutsche Welle Cologne, founder and chairman of the club "Kölner Roll-Möpse" said: "Basically this is an ideal area for training camps in early spring time. The weather is nice and settled, and it is a place to combine sports and cultural holidays." An idea was born. Now it is up to Detmer to work it out, to establish contacts with local authorities and to look for their support.

Of course Detmer will be confronted with some problems which can only be solved together with the authorities. So the course following the streets have to be blocked for cars, medical emergency service – although unwelcome – must be available, just to mention some important points. But if it works, skaters could be pioneers on the idea. Because on the West Bank also other athlets will find good conditions for a training camp to become very fit. Wherelse all the day temperatures are warm and nice, rain is an unknown word, the air is dry, and you will find a lot of variations to relax. Bikers, long-distance-runners, walkers and rowers (by running or biking) could improve their staying power for the next season. But until now it is just an idea even it sounds very promising.

"The course is really a challenge"

As an athlete Detmer was not so lucky. The target of the 56 years-old skater was to finish the 42.195 kilometres in less than 1:40 hours. And with a furious starting phase for the first four kilometres he was the front runner. "It's the phase to test your own fitness, to find out the strength of the others," he explained. Then younger skaters took over the pole positions, Detmer found his place in a group with a nice speed for him. But after 20 km suddenly the "cramp witch" hit him. With this painful cramp in the thigh he fell back. "Then there was no group anymore, only some skaters alone. So I had to fight alone for myself," he told exhausted.

And now he felt all the adversities of the West Bank. The course was hilly and difficult. And above all: "You have to run all the time into the wind. It doesn't matter in which direction you are skating." After all this Detmer finished in 1:59,06 hours. "A bad time. But I was not really fit, missed to have a training camp before starting here," he said. Once in Berlin he ran his personal record in 1:20 h. His result in Luxor – it can be a good argument for his idea.

However, Hanspeter Detmer was one of the "old men" on the course. The race was won by much younger athlets. After 1:43,52 hours Stephanie Piepke from Berlin and Reiner Arnold from Groß Gerau near Frankfurt/Main (picture left) crossed together hand in hand the finishing line. Totally some 50 skaters from Germany joined the event. And some of them stayed a longer time for holidays...

Even Detmer liked the event, as an experienced skater he discovered weak spots. "Until now it is not an event for top athlets. First of all the blocking of the course is not strict enough", he criticized one of the danger spots. Furthermore there are the different kinds of asphalt on the roads, particularly with big holes, where skaters can have a bad fall, and children playing on the course, who can't imagine the speed of the skaters. But there was something else bad for Detmer: "Buses full with tourist crossed my way, stopped me. The policemen couldn't cope". And: "There are not enough assistants to watch the athlets on the track. If an accident happens there is no chance to bring emergeny service immediately." Weak spots which have to be changed.

However, beside all the critics, beside the obstruction, beside the cramp, Detmer enjoyed the race very much. "If somebody uses sports as a way to discover different worlds, he will find himself very comfortable here. This is a new atmosphere, the course is hilly and really a challenge. Nobody will run a new personal record here. But an event like this together with the thousands of years old culture all around, it is a tremendeous experience. By the way also for families," he said. Another reason to work out his idea.

"We need more assistants"

Many of the marathon runners expressed the same point of view. Many of them after some years got to like the race through the desert and the farmland. "The surrounding is nice, the event in the meantime wins more and more international recognition," said Rolf D. Raima (picture right, in white clothes, beside him left in blue t-shirt Gerd Engel), stadium announcer of the race. The General Manager of the "Steigenberger Golf Resort" in El Gouna (Red Sea) ran ten marathons (in New York, Boston, Berlin, Frankfurt), in Luxor one time the half distance. After now three years as announcer he explains: "The organization is much better than in former times, also the safety, the blocking of the course. But anyway, we need many more assistants."

These assistants are absolutely needed if in the future more and more runners will come. "This year the Germans were the group No. one of the foreigners, but second were the Japanese," told Raima. Sign for the recognition of the event. The hotel manager, who had only one day break from his job, is also proud about the times: "Every winner of the men's race was faster than 2:30 hours. This stands for a good quality of the athlets." (picture right, Gerd Engel checks the time registering of the best inline skaters)

But the top runners of the world were missed in Luxor. No wonder – nobody here can pay their signing fee. So the Luxor marathon, since ten years organized by the German Gerd Engel ("I think, I will retire now"), seems to be more an event for hobby runners with some starters belonging to the Arab elite. Raima: "It's typical for events like this, that there are a lot of runners in an older age." People, who like to combine sports with culture. This will be the future of the event, also for young participants – may be together with the idea of Hanspeter Detmer.

Marketing important to sponsors

But there is something more that has to become better. The work in public relation and marketing. Many foreigners, who are living on the West Bank, didn't hear anything about the big event until one night before when we informd them. Announcements in newspapers? Posters in the streets? Nothing happened at all. Egypt's media, except two local TV-stations, didn't mention the race with only one word. All over the world you will find only some stories on private homepages written by runners. Not really the right way to attract sponsors, to upgrade the image of the event. In this way of PR a changing is absolutely necessary. Only then the Luxor marathon can stay alive in the future, more athlets will get a positive idea of sports on the West Bank. And only then Detmer with his ideas will have a real chance for a fresh up. Hopefully already for the next year, when it is planned to give the go ahead for the 11th Luxor marathon on 6th of February. (Text Wolfgang Sliwka , Fotos Antje Sliwka)

Read also part II: "There they are running – but nobody notice them"