Trondheim Maraton

The history of TRONDHEIM MARATON (TM) started in November 1969, and thus TM is Norway's oldest marathon race. The 1969 name was "Student-Maraton". Twelve men, many of them students, finished the race despite ± 2°C, snow and wet roads. The winner was Einar Weidemann, OSI, time 2:21.10. No. 6 was Stig Berge, NTHI (2:37.41) who later won the orienteering world championship.

Ingrid Kristiansen, the Norwegian world famous female long distance runner, grew up in Trondheim and ran her very first marathon race in Trondheim in 1977. She finished at 2:45.15 (38.37, 39.48, 39.10, 39.30 per 10 km).

In 1983 the race was named "Trondheim Maraton" and 220 men and 9 women finished full marathon. In 1984 half marathon was introduced. Quite a few runners preferred the shorter race, but the total number of runners increased. During the ninetieths the number of participants steadily decreased and the bottom was reached in 2000. In 2002 160 men and women finished full and half marathon, 36 more than the year before and 58 more than in 2000. We hope this is the start of a new era for TM. The use of Internet has lead to increased number of foreign runners - who are very welcome to participate.

Thorleif Rekkebo, citizen of Trondheim, representing Nidelv Sports Club, is a famous Norwegian marathon and ultra race runner. Among his merits we find 23 Trondheim Maraton, among them 2:40.31 in 1992, was his fastest TM ever. After his death in 1997, the full marathon race of TM was named after him: Thorleif Rekkebos Minneløp (Thorleif Rekkebo's Memorial Race)