The North America Office of Duesseldorf Tourism and Duesseldorf Airport Announce: US Woman is Fastest at Duesseldorf Marathon

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Düsseldorf Tourism & Düsseldorf Airport (DUS)

May 02, 2014, 04:00 ET


Düsseldorf, Germany (PRWEB) May 02, 2014 -- The city of Düsseldorf and its annual METRO GROUP Marathon are popular destinations for Americans. The love seems to be mutual, as judged by the crowd’s wild reception and intense applause when American runner Annie Bersagel crossed the finish line at the 12th Düsseldorf Marathon last Sunday, April 27, as the first American to win this race. The fastest woman racer at 2:28:59, Bersagel, originally from Colorado, won despite heavy rain and strong competition, including top Ethiopian runners like Selomie Getnet.

Incidentally, the marathon’s slowest runner was also an American woman, and she too received the crowd’s warm welcome when finishing after 6 hours. Right before the finish line, an American flag was wrapped around her shoulders for warmth and support, and she received a medal for her accomplishment with much celebration like she was one of the winners.

Runners and spectators had traveled from all over the world to Düsseldorf, and 25% of all runners were international, including athletes from Nepal, India, Chile, Australia, Brazil, and many from North America. Düsseldorf’s marathon is popular for its beautiful route that includes the city’s biggest attractions and stretches along the Rhine River and across river bridges. The marathon is also known for its supreme conditions, is one of the fastest growing marathons in Germany, and is a magnet for international record-minded athletes. Runners from Ethiopia won the marathon in 2013 and 2012.

The relatively low temperatures and rain put a damper on the race for some athletes and visitors, but were no problem for Bersagel who lives and trains in Norway.

For more information about METRO GROUP Marathon Düsseldorf, please visit http://metrogroup-marathon.de.

For more information about the destination Düsseldorf, please visit: http://www.visitduesseldorf.de.

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Düsseldorf Marketing & Tourism GmbH is the visitors and convention bureau of the city of Düsseldorf. Its responsibilities include tourism and city marketing, as well as conference and meeting marketing, hotel reservation services, fairs and convention services, city event ticket sales and advance ticket reservations. For more information, visit http://www.visitduesseldorf.de.

Düsseldorf Airport, Germany’s Next Generation HubTM, offers several non-stop flights from US & Canadian cities (Atlanta, Chicago, Ft. Myers, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Newark, Toronto), as well as convenient connections to many European cities. For more information about the airport, visit http://www.dus.com.

Rainer Perry - NA Representative, Düsseldorf Tourism & Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), http://www.visitduesseldorf.de, +1 6462076406, [email protected]