Rafael Roth secures bronze at the cross country championships

Rafael Roth secures bronze at the cross country championships

In Darmstadt last weekend, Rafael Roth from VfL Altenstadt achieved a remarkable performance that thrilled all spectators. At the German cross country championships he won the bronze medal in the M13 age group. Roth impressed in the open student competition over the distance of 1.5 kilometers, making not only himself but also his club proud. The competition was strong, but the young athlete was in top form and sprinted to the finish, only the runners Lukas Schlumberger from Friedrichshafen and Elias Lepschy from Lilienthal were able to give him priority. The Kreis-Anzeiger reports that the atmosphere at the event in Bürgerpark Nord was very lively with numerous participants and spectators.

Not only Roth, but also his club colleagues Marius Abele and Marc Bunzendahl were part of this competition. Abele took 22nd place over the 3.8 kilometer middle distance and on the second day reached 27th place in the long distance, which was 7.5 kilometers long. Bunzendahl secured 82nd place on the same route, while Ruben Magalhaes Ferreira finished 122nd. The U20 athlete Leopold Kohler was also active and finished in 63rd place over 4.5 kilometers. Among the younger runners, Lenny Frank showed his skills in the U18 and finished in 89th place.

Great results on home soil

VfL Altenstadt was not only successful in Darmstadt, but also at the “Hessian Championships” and the St. Martins cross-country race, which were most recently held in Altenstadt. The club was the host at these events and was able to win twelve titles at district level and achieve two podium places at the Hessian Championships. Over 500 athletes came together on the soft meadow course with obstacles, including numerous young people and children who competed in different age groups. It is now also clear that over 275 participants were very committed to the state championships, which underlines the high level of motivation in the area of ​​local sports.

Rafael Roth also proved his strength here and at the same time became Hesse champion over 1500 meters with an impressive lead of more than a minute. His club colleague Lisa Maiano achieved the second fastest time in her run and was another highlight of a day in which VfL Altenstadt achieved seven individual and five team victories.

About the competitions and an insight into the statistics

The number of participants in the competitions is also worth mentioning: 240 finishers took part in the St. Martins cross-country race and the edition was already in its ninth round. The competitions not only attracted the local athletics community but also provided exciting racing in various categories. Here is an overview of some of the results:

On the sidelines of these championships, the honorable work of Hilke Bertschy-Abele and Winfried Reisinger was not neglected. They were appointed as judges for their professionalization in this important role. Bertschy-Abele ensured that everything ran smoothly at the finish, while Reisinger moderated the award ceremonies and thus captured important moments of the events.

These successes and the commitment of the athletes and helpers show how lively the athletics scene is in Altenstadt. Because what could be more motivating than your own club, which shines at both regional and national level? Further additional events are certainly being planned!