Cologne - Marathon

Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany - and one of the oldest. A Germanic tribe, the Ubii, had a settlement here, this was named by the Romans "Oppidum Ubiorum". In 50 AD, the Romans founded "Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium", the city then became the provincial capital of "Germania Inferior".

The annual "Köln Marathon" (Cologne Marathon) is held since 1997 in early October. Thousands of athletes make this to one of the most popular runs in Germany. They are cheered by an enthusiastic crowd.

The pacemakers (yellow shirts) will run the full distance in about 4 hrs. (written on the red balloons). So the participating runners have a kind of orientation.