Berlin, Germany - On Saturday 15 August, competition will begin at the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Berlin, Germany (15–23 August 2009).
And next week, the 47th IAAF Congress (11-13) will be staged in the German capital marking a return to Berlin for the IAAF’s highest decision making body which gathered in the city for the 2nd IAAF Congress in 1913, the 10th edition in 1930 and the 13th celebration in 1936.
In a week’s time Berlin, which so famously was the stage for the Jesse Owens Olympic Games of 1936, is set to embrace nine days of spectacular World Championships action which will feature athletes from over 200 IAAF Member Federations competing for honours on the track and on the infield of the Olympic stadium.
And competition will also take place on the streets of the capital with the road events starting and finishing in the heart of the city near to the Brandenburg Gate.
But Berlin’s athletics history is more than just 1936. Starting in 1908 there was a famous club relay from Potsdam to the centre of Berlin, which first attracted huge crowds to our sport, and nowadays over half a dozen athletics clubs in the city retain Berlin as a vibrant centre for our sport.
As well as the Marathons and Race Walks of the 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics that are to be staged in the heart of the host city, Berliners and international visitors will have the chance to interact with the sport and its stars past and present at the KulturStadion.
From the 14 to 23 August 2009, Berlin’s Olympic Stadium will also have a temporary counterpart from the realms of art: the KulturStadion in Pariser Platz. The city centre square will be transformed into an exciting meeting place with a large stage area, a track, and a roofed ‘Champions Lounge’.
The KulturStadion offers a free daily programme of events from 2pm to 11pm, 14-23 August 2009, each individually themed, which will feature athletics exhibitions and shows, interviews and live music.
Source: iaaf.org
