+++ A project unique so far by Achilles International Germany e.V. +++ On the occasion of the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, athletes with and without disabilities run and roll from Munich’s Isartor to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin +++ Eleven stages covering a total of 750 kilometres +++ BMW supports the inclusive relay with three fully electric escort vehicles +++
Munich. At 12:30 PM on Tuesday, the starting signal was given in front of the Isartor in Munich for an equally unusual and impressive running event leading to Berlin. The inclusive relay is organised by the Munich running club Achilles International Germany e.V. with the help of the Guide-Netzwerk Deutschland e.V. and the Sportclub Charlottenburg e.V. as the organiser of the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. BMW supports the initiative as a mobility partner with three fully electric escort vehicles (two BMW iX3s and one BMW iX1).
Under the motto “Von Tor zu Tor” – referring to the relay going from Isartor to Brandenburg Gate (in German: Brandenburger Tor) – more than 100 athletes with and without disabilities take to the route from Munich’s Isartor to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Together. Step by step. Stage by stage. A total of eleven segments are on the schedule, with the goal being reached on September 27th. Participants can choose the distance they want to complete. Anyone who wants to set a sign for inclusion can join in running or rolling: ambitious athletes, enthusiastic recreational athletes, and people who simply enjoy running in the community.
“Engaging in sports together, sharing joy, and experiencing diversity and something special together – that also drives BMW in its sports engagements,” said Christian Ach, Head of BMW Germany. “This applies to large events like the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON with 70,000 participants from all over the world. But even outside the spotlight, people are passionately committed to participation and connecting experiences through sports. We are all the more pleased that we can support the great commitment of Achilles for inclusion and the implementation of this inspiring running event.”
Still, far too few people with disabilities have the opportunity to regularly engage in sports together with others. Achilles International Germany e.V. sets a good example where twice a week there is an inclusive running meeting in Munich’s Olympic Park. In Stuttgart, Hamburg, Würzburg, and Saarbrücken, weekly running meetings are also organised. Together, the members also participate in local charity runs, as well as in major competitions such as the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON or the New York Marathon. The club is financed exclusively through donations.
“We are very pleased that with this very special relay, we can make a truly attractive offer so that people with disabilities can engage in sports together with others. ‘Von Tor zu Tor’ spans more than 750 kilometres. This great distance symbolically represents the long road that inclusion had to and still has to travel to finally arrive in society,” said Tobias Fraas, 1st Chairman of Achilles International Germany e.V. “Many thanks to BMW for the support with the escort vehicles, which take on an important task during the stages in transporting materials and as a shuttle to the start or from the finish, without which we could not carry out the relay.”
In the last five kilometres in Berlin, further Achilles members from all over the world will join the relay – Achilles International is represented in 17 countries. After arriving at the Brandenburg Gate, the relay finishers can expect a special reception and a surprise. Subsequently, the competitions at the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON will take place in the capital over the weekend. Some “Von Tor zu Tor” participants will also be at the start there.
For BMW, the commitment continues. At the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, the company supports the organisers as the title partner with emission-free vehicles – from the fully electric BMW iX2 as the Official Safety Car to the new BMW i5 as the lead vehicle for the men’s and women’s international races, to further fully electric BMW vehicles such as the BMW i5 Touring, the BMW i4, the BMW iX3, or the BMW iX1. In total, 65 BMW vehicles as well as ten motorcycles and four scooters will be in action.
BMW iX1 xDrive30: power consumption combined in kWh/100km: 18,1 – 17,9 (WLTP); CO2-Emissions: 0 g/km (WLTP); CO2-class: A