Disciplines 2025
As part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour
The magical seven seconds
From 1985 to 2006, the 60 meters was a permanent fixture at the INDOOR MEETING KARLSRUHE. During this time, pretty much everyone whose fast legs made for fast times did the honors. Be it Merlene Ottey or Irina Privalova, who both became the first women in the world to run under seven seconds in Madrid on February 14, 1992. Both were also among the winners at the INDOOR MEETING. Ottey won in 1995 and Privalova, who in the meantime had improved the world record to 6.92 seconds, which is still valid today, won in 1996. Her time of 7.04 seconds is still the meeting record. From 2010, a German athlete, Verena Sailer, also got involved again. The 2010 European 100-meter champion in Barcelona was only beaten by Bulgaria's Ivet Lalova in a photo finish at the 2013 meeting. Both crossed the finish line at the same time in 7.19 seconds. She then won the INDOOR MEETING for the first time in 2014. Verena Sailer is no longer competing, having ended her career in 2015. However, it took three editions of the INDOOR MEETING for a German athlete to triumph again in 2018. After Dina Asher Smith from Great Britain (2015 in 7.12 seconds), Dafne Schippers from the Netherlands (2016 in 7.08 seconds) and the Jamaican Gayan Evans (2017 in 7.14 seconds), it was Tatjana Pinto who secured victory in 7.10 seconds in 2018. The starting signal for a great year. In addition to her victory at the INDOOR MEETING, she also won the German indoor titles in the 60 and 200 meters and the bronze medal with the 4 x 100 meter relay team at the European Championships in Berlin. Ewa Swoboda won the women's sprint in the same time (7.10 seconds) in 2019.
In the last edition of the women's 60 meters in 2023, Great Britain's Dina Asher-Smith won with a national record and meeting record in 7.04 seconds ahead of Poland's Ewa Swoboda (7.09 seconds).
As part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour
Sound barrier two minutes
Maria Lurdes Mutola has won the 800 meters at the INDOOR MEETING a total of four times. The Olympic champion at the 2000 Sydney Games and multiple outdoor and indoor world champion also holds the meeting record, which has stood at 1:57.48 minutes since February 15, 2004. In all four of her victories in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2008, the woman from Mozambique ran faster than two minutes and thus made her mark on this distance like no other. But ten years before Mutola's meeting record, the two-minute mark was broken for the first time. Romanian Ella Kovacs, who also won the meeting three times, ran the four stadium laps in 1:59.66 minutes in 1994, her third meeting victory. A time that was only beaten by one hundredth of a second six years later by the Russian Natalya Tsyganova. German runners also shone in the 800 meters at the INDOOR MEETING. Gabi Lesch, who won the first meeting in 1985, was successful a total of three times. Gabi Bußmann, Sigrun Grau and Christine Wachtel as well as the last German winner, Heike Meißner, who won in 2001, were also able to celebrate in the 800 meters.
The last time the women's 800 meters was on the program was in 2023. Back then, the day's victory went to Slovenia's Anita Horvat, who won in a time of 2:00.44 minutes, a personal best.
As part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour
Almost new, but already Cult
It is the longest distance at the INDOOR MEETING Karlsruhe: the women's 3,000 meters. This competition has only been part of the meeting program since 2010, but even at its premiere it caused great enthusiasm among the athletics-mad Karlsruhe audience, who have always had a special relationship with the long distance. This certainly has something to do with the unforgettable runs of Haile Gebrselassie in the men's race, but what the women have offered the spectators since their first appearance in 2010 is hardly inferior. Since then, the 3,000 meters at the INDOOR MEETING Karlsruhe has been one of the highlights of the programme.
The last time the women's 3,000 meters was run was in 2023. At that time, the clock stopped at 8:37.55 minutes when crossing the finish line. This time was run by the Ethiopian Lemlem Hailu.
As part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour
From Nicole Rieger to Silke Spiegelburg
When the women's pole vault was included in the INDOOR MEETING program for the first time in 1992, this discipline was still in its infancy and the technique with which the women swung over the bar at the time was far from perfected. But the inclusion in the INDOOR MEETING program gave this discipline a huge boost and the Karlsruhe meeting became one of the pioneers of the women's pole vault. 3.80 meters was enough for the then winner Nicole Rieger from ASV Landau to win. Seven years later, Nicole Humbert, as she was called after her marriage, jumped a world record of 4.56 meters in Stockholm, which illustrates the rapid development of this discipline among women. In the early years, Nicole Humbert and the Chinese women Sun Cayun and Cai Weiyan dominated the pole vault at the meeting. Later it was Svetlana Feofanova from Russia, multiple medal winner at the World and European Championships as well as the Olympic Games, and Anna Rogowska from Poland. She has also won multiple World Championship, European Championship and Olympic medals. Silke Spiegelburg from Leverkusen won in 2011 and 2012.
In 2019, the last edition of the women's pole vault to date, there was a novelty. For the first time in the history of the INIT INDOOR MEETING, three female athletes came out on top. With Alysha Newman from Canada, Anzhelika Sidorova from Russia and Katerina Stefanidi from Greece, three jumpers had the same height and attempt and shared the place on the podium with 4.71 metres.
As part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour
Strong women take centre stage
With the women's shot put, a discipline that has only been included in the meeting program three times so far - in 2017, 2021 and 2023 - will be introduced in 2025. The women's shot put is one of the most successful disciplines in Germany and internationally. In recent years, there have been names such as Astrid Kumbernuss, who won Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996 and was world champion three times in total. Or Nadine Kleinert, who won a total of four silver and two bronze medals at the Olympic Games and World Championships. Most recently, Christina Schwanitz caused a stir when she won the world title in 2015 with a throw of 20.37 meters and was subsequently voted Germany's female athlete of the year. In recent years, Valerie Adams dominated the shot put in the world until her injury. The New Zealander is the only athlete to have thrown the shot put over 21 meters after the era of questionable record throws from the 1980s was over. However, neither Adams nor Schwanitz triumphed at the Olympic Games in Rio. Gold went to Michelle Carter from the USA ahead of Valerie Adams, who still won silver after her injury break. Christina Schwanitz, who also missed almost the entire season due to injury, only managed sixth place in Rio. She last caused a stir with her 19.19-metre throw at the 2018 European Championships in her home country, winning silver. In 2021, Portugal's Auriol Dongmo won the INDOOR MEETING with her 19.65-metre throw, which was a national and meeting record.
At the last edition in 2023, it was also Auriol Dongmo who was victorious with 18.90 meters.
Out of tour
Meeting record for eternity?
The 400 metres is one of the disciplines that was already run at the first edition of the Indoor Meeting in 1985, but only ever made a brief appearance in the Meeting calendar. The meeting record in this discipline has been held by Helga Arendt since 1988, when the runner from Eintracht Hamm completed the two stadium laps in an astonishing 50.84 seconds.
The Italian Ayomide Folorunso was unable to change this at the last meeting in 2020. She ran the 400 metres in the Karlsruhe Arena in 52.56 seconds to win ahead of Switzerland's Léa Sprunger, who had won this distance at the INIT INDOOR MEETING two years previously.
Out of tour
Is it all about Heike?
Karlsruhe has been the home of Heike Drechsler for a number of years now, and it would probably not be enough to list her successes on one sheet of paper. Just this much: five Olympic medals, including two golds for two Olympic victories in the long jump (1992 Barcelona and 2000 Sydney), two outdoor World Championship titles, also in the long jump (1983 and 1993), four consecutive outdoor titles at European Championships (1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998) in the long jump and one European Championship gold in the 200 meters (1986), in addition to two indoor World Championship titles (long jump and 200 meters) plus four indoor European Championship titles in the long jump. Plus countless German championship titles and, last but not least, four-time long jump winner at the INDOOR MEETING (1993, 1994, 1995 and 2001). It almost goes without saying that she has also held the meeting record of 7.06 meters since 1994. Her best indoor performance is 7.37 meters - a world record under an indoor roof. She is the most successful long jumper of all time and is still closely associated with the INDOOR MEETING.In the recent past, however, the Karlsruhe athletics audience has also experienced great female athletes live in the hall. Above all, Olympic and world champion Malaika Mihambo, who was also named Germany's Sportswoman of the Year in 2019, 2020 and 2021, is a welcome guest in Karlsruhe. In 2020, her jump of 6.83 meters brought her second place ahead of Ukraine's Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, who won the day with 6.92 meters and ultimately also secured the overall victory of the World Indoor Tour.
At the last edition in 2023, the Serbian Ivana Vuleta, better known as Ivana Spanovic, was successful with a distance of 6.76 meters.
As part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour
Full sprint over two laps of the stadium
The 400 meters is the longest sprint discipline, both outdoors and indoors. In addition, the 400 meter run is the fifth discipline of the men's decathlon and is also held as a relay competition. If the men put their foot down on this track, they can complete the distance in an incredible 43 seconds outdoors and 45 seconds indoors. The current world record indoors is 44.57 seconds and was set by Kerron Clement from the USA in 2005. From 2012 to 2019, INDOOR MEETING fans had to do without the men's 400 meters. The winner was the same in both 2012 and 2019 - Pavel Maslak from the Czech Republic. In 2019, he won over the two stadium laps in 46.78 seconds. But a German has also been successful over this distance at the INDOOR MEETING. In 2021, it was Marvin Schlegel - then without an audience in the Europahalle - who won in 46.61 seconds.
At the last edition in 2023, the day's victory went to Denmark's Benjamin Lobo Vedel, who crossed the finish line in 46.45 seconds.
As part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour
Baala´s French Homecoming
For almost a decade, Mehdi Baala was something of a regular guest at the INDOOR MEETING. The man from nearby Strasbourg also trained regularly in the Europahalle, making his appearances almost a home game - be it in the 800 meters, the 1000 meters or the 1500 meters, which he won three times. While he came second in his first start in 2000, he went on to win in each of the following two years. He celebrated his greatest success exactly nine years after his debut. In his third meeting victory over 1500 meters in 2009, he stormed to the finish line in 3:34.71 minutes. At the time, this was not only the European best time of the year but also a new French indoor record. He became European outdoor champion twice (2002 in Munich and 2006 in Gothenburg), won the silver medal at the 2003 World Championships in Paris and was awarded the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing after the original winner Rashid Ramzi was found guilty of doping. Since 2010, the 1,500 meter middle distance has belonged entirely to Kenyan athletes, with Gideon Gathimba, Bethwel Birgen (three times), Nixon Chepseba, Silas Kiplagat and Vincent Kibet winning seven of the nine races since then. Incidentally, a Kenyan can also call the current meeting record his own. In 2005, Daniel Kipchirchir Komen crossed the finish line in 3:33.08 minutes, a time that is still unattained today.
Even Britain's George Mills, who ran the 1,500 meters in 3:35.88 minutes in 2023 - a personal best - was unable to match this time.
As part of the World Athletics Indoor Tour
The first winner was a decathlete
In 1986, the second year of the INDOOR MEETING, the men's 60-metre hurdles were on the program for the first time and the first winner in this discipline was not a specialist, but a decathlete from Germany. Guido Kretschmar won in 7.91 seconds. However, the victory of the man from Großheubach did not come as much of a surprise, as the hurdles were one of the favorite disciplines of the 1976 Olympic decathlon silver medalist in Montreal. In his youth, Kretschmar was even German champion several times - also over the hurdles. The boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow probably cost him an Olympic victory, as he set a world record in the decathlon that year. In the following years, however, the specialists dominated the short hurdles. First and foremost Colin Jackson. The Welshman, who won two outdoor world championship titles, one indoor title and a silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, became European outdoor champion four times in a row and achieved the historic double in the indoor hurdles at the 1994 European Championships in Paris when he won the title in both the 60 meters flat and the hurdles. He also still holds the world record for this distance in 7.30 seconds. Jackson, who won the meeting three times, left his mark on the hurdles sprint in the Europahalle, as did the Olympic champions Liu Xiang (China), Dyron Robles (Cuba), Mark McKoy (Canada) and Allen Johnson (USA), who all made their mark in Karlsruhe. And Johnson's meeting record of 7.38 seconds from 1995 has so far withstood every attack.
Even the Spaniard Enrique Llopis has not come close to this time. He won the last edition of the men's hurdles sprint in 2023 in 7.57 (.561) seconds ahead of his compatriot Asier Martinez (7.57 (.563) seconds).
Out of tour
Haile´s world
“Over 5,500 people are stomping and screaming at the top of their lungs, the drums are thumping in a rhythm that everyone has to join in with, a fresh breeze is blowing from outside through the open roof and it's not summer and we're not in Rio at Carnival. It's January, it's cold outside and it takes a lot of imagination to explain to someone who happens to be in the city why you have to open the roof of a hall. You certainly shouldn't try to explain why the 5,500 people inside are making such an infernal noise, but perhaps you should try a name. A bit of a tongue twister, admittedly, but at least familiar to those who are connected to athletics and even more so to those who know that the greatest of all is a little man from Ethiopia who goes by the name of Haile Gebrselassie.” These lines begin a text that appeared in SONNTAG on January 17, 1999 and referred to the top event at the then 15th INDOOR MEETING Karlsruhe. The 3,000 meters with the Ethiopian running legend Haile Gebrselassie, who won this distance in the Europahalle a total of five times (1997, 1998, 1999, 2003 and 2004) and ran a world record once. Of course, the 98 time of 7:26.15 minutes set by the two-time Olympic champion over 10,000 meters is still a meeting record and the 3,000 meters is a cult distance, as Dieter Baumann, who won this distance twice, also ran a European record of 7:37.51 minutes here at the 1995 meeting. A time that is still the German indoor record. At every edition of the 3,000 meters, the atmosphere in Karlsruhe remains high. This was also the case in the new arena, where the middle-distance discipline was held in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022. In 2021, when it returned to the Europahalle due to the pandemic, Kenyan Bethwell Birgen won in a personal best of 7:34.12 minutes, as he did in 2020. In 2022, the middle distance runners competed again in the athletics arena at the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center. The Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi won there in 7:26.20 minutes.
In the last edition of this discipline to date at the INDOOR MEETING 2023 in the exhibition hall, it was the Ethiopian Abdisa Fayisa who won the fifteen stadium laps in 7:30.35 minutes.
