Swiss Paralympic champion Catherine Debrunner continued her dominant 2024 season by securing another Berlin Marathon victory, successfully defending her title on September 30. Fresh off her remarkable performance at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, where she won five gold medals, Debrunner showcased her strength in the women’s wheelchair race, finishing in 1:35:23.
Debrunner pulled away from her main rival, Susannah Scaroni of the USA, after the 30km mark, crossing the finish line two minutes and 38 seconds ahead of Scaroni, who took second place with a time of 1:38:01. Switzerland’s Manuela Schaer, who had led the leaderboard before this race, finished in third place with a time of 1:41:14.
The victory catapulted Debrunner to the top of the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AbbottWMM) Series XVI leaderboard, where she overtook Schaer after also winning the London Marathon earlier this year. With only two races left in the series, Debrunner’s rivals face an uphill battle to catch her.
In the men’s wheelchair race, Switzerland’s Marcel Hug clinched his ninth Berlin Marathon title with a time of 1:27:18. The 38-year-old Paralympic gold medalist gradually built a lead over Great Britain’s David Weir after the 20km mark, eventually finishing 1 minute and 47 seconds ahead. The Netherlands’ Geert Schipper secured third place, clocking in at 1:30:33.
Both Hug and Debrunner also posted the fastest times in the Flying 400 segment of the course, earning them additional points to further solidify their standings in the AbbottWMM.
The Berlin Marathon marked the 50th anniversary of the prestigious race, with Switzerland reaffirming its dominance in wheelchair racing on the global stage.
Berlin Marathon 2024 – Women’s Wheelchair Top 3
- Catherine Debrunner (SUI) – 01:35:23
- Susannah Scaroni (USA) – 01:38:01
- Manuela Schaer (SUI) – 01:41:14
Berlin Marathon 2024 – Men’s Wheelchair Top 3
- Marcel Hug (SUI) – 01:27:18
- David Weir (GBR) – 01:29:05
- Geert Schipper (NED) – 01:30:33
