Disciplines 2027
World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold
The Magic Seven Seconds
From 1985 to 2006, the 60-meter dash was a staple of the INDOOR MEETING Karlsruhe program. During this time, just about every athlete whose fast legs produced fast times graced the event. Whether it was Merlene Ottey or Irina Privalova, both of whom became the first women in the world to run under seven seconds on February 14, 1992, in Madrid. Both were also among the winners at the INDOOR MEETING. Ottey won in 1995, and Privalova—who had since set the world record of 6.92 seconds, which still stands today—triumphed in 1996. Her time of 7.04 seconds from that year remains the meet record. Starting in 2010, a German athlete—Verena Sailer—rejoined the competition. The 2010 European 100-meter champion in Barcelona was defeated only in a photo finish by Bulgaria’s Ivet Lalova at the 2013 meeting. Both crossed the finish line simultaneously in 7.19 seconds. In 2014, she went on to win the INDOOR MEETING for the first time. Verena Sailer no longer competes; she retired in 2015. It took three editions of the INDOOR MEETING, however, before a German athlete— —finally triumphed again in 2018. Following Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain (7.12 seconds in 2015), Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands (7.08 seconds in 2016), and Gayan Evans of Jamaica (7.14 seconds in 2017), it was Tatjana Pinto who secured the victory with a time of 7.10 seconds. Patrizia van der Weken also posted a fast time. In 2025, she not only won in Karlsruhe with a time of 7.13 seconds. Thanks to her additional victories in Ostrava (Czech Republic) and Madrid (Spain), the Dutch athlete ultimately secured the World Indoor Tour Gold title.
World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold
Breaking the Two-Minute Barrier
Maria Lurdes Mutola won the 800 meters a total of four times at the INIT INDOOR MEETING. The Olympic champion from the 2000 Sydney Games and multiple world champion in both outdoor and indoor competitions also holds the meet 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 athlete from Mozambique ran the race in under two minutes, leaving her mark on this event like almost no other. Yet the two-minute barrier had already been broken for the first time a full ten years before Mutola set the meet record. The Romanian Ella Kovacs, who also won the meet three times, ran the four laps of the stadium in 1:59.66 in 1994, during her third victory at the meet. It was a time that wasn’t beaten—by just one-hundredth of a second—until six years later by the Russian Natalya Tsyganova. German runners also excelled in the 800-meter race at the INDOOR MEETING. Gabi Lesch, who won the first meeting in 1985, claimed victory 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—also celebrated victories in the 800 meters. The women’s 800 meters was last on the program in 2025. The day’s victory and second place in the World Indoor Tour went to South Africa at that time. Prudence Sekgodiso won the INIT INDOOR MEETING on February 7, 2025, with a time of 1:59.88 minutes, setting a South African national record. In addition, her time broke the two-minute barrier.
World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold
A crowd-pleaser over 15 laps
It’s the longest distance at the INIT INDOOR MEETING Karlsruhe: the women’s 3,000 meters. This event has only been part of the meet’s program since 2010, but even at its debut, it generated great enthusiasm among Karlsruhe’s track-and-field-crazy audience, which has always had a special connection to the long-distance event. This is certainly due in part to Haile Gebrselassie’s unforgettable runs in the men’s event, but what the women have offered spectators since their first appearance in 2010 has been every bit as impressive. Since then, the women’s 3,000 meters has been one of the highlights of the program at the INIT INDOOR MEETING Karlsruhe. The women’s 3,000 meters was last run last year. The clock stopped at 8:35.94 minutes as the runner crossed the finish line. That time was set by Canadian Gabriela Debues-Stafford, who secured the victory in Karlsruhe.
World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold
The Powerhouse Women Are Coming
With the women’s shot put, 2027 will see the introduction of a discipline that has appeared on the meet’s program only four times in its more than 40-year history—namely in 2015, 2021, 2023, and 2025. The women’s shot put is one of the most successful disciplines in Germany as well as internationally. In Germany’s past, there were names like Astrid Kumbernuss, who won Olympic gold in Atlanta in 1996 and was a world champion a total of three times. 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 championship title in 2015 with a throw of 20.37 meters and was subsequently named Germany’s Female Athlete of the Year. On the world stage, New Zealander Valerie Adams dominated the shot put for a long time until her injury. At the Olympic Games in Rio, however, neither Adams nor Schwanitz triumphed. Gold went to American Michelle Carter, ahead of Valerie Adams, who still managed to win silver after her injury layoff. For Christina Schwanitz, who also missed nearly the entire season due to injury, sixth place was all she could manage in Rio. In addition to Christina Schwanitz in 2015, the Portuguese athlete Auriol Dongmo (with 19.65 meters in 2021 and 18.90 meters in 2023) also won the shot put competition. At the most recent event in 2025, the day’s victory went to the Canadian Sarah Mitton with a strong throw of 20.68 meters.
World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold
From Nicole Rieger to Silke Spiegelburg
When the women’s pole vault was first included in the program of the INDOOR MEETING in 1992, the discipline was still in its infancy, and the technique women used to clear the bar at the time was far from refined. But its inclusion in the INDOOR MEETING program gave the discipline a huge boost, and so the Karlsruhe meet became one of the pioneers of women’s pole vault. A jump of 3.80 meters was enough for the winner at the time, Nicole Rieger of ASV Landau, to claim victory. Seven years later, Nicole Humbert—as she was known after her marriage—set a world record of 4.56 meters in Stockholm, illustrating the rapid development of this discipline among women. In the early years, Nicole Humbert and the Chinese athletes Sun Cayun and Cai Weiyan dominated the pole vault at the meet. Later, it was Svetlana Feofanova from Russia—a multiple medalist at World and European Championships as well as the Olympic Games—and Anna Rogowska from Poland. She, too, has been decorated with multiple World Championship, European Championship, and Olympic medals. The last two editions, in 2011 and 2012, were won by Silke Spiegelburg of Leverkusen. In 2011, the 30-year-old set the current meet record with a jump of 4.71 meters. Spiegelburg also holds the German record with a jump of 4.82 meters. The last German winner in the women’s pole vault was Lisa Ryzih, who cleared 4.67 meters in 2017. The most recent edition, however, was won by a British athlete. On February 7, 2025, Molly Caudery’s jump of 4.75 meters secured her the victory on the day of her return to the Europahalle.
Out of tour
A Meeting Record for the Ages?
The 400 meters is one of the events that, although it was run as early as the first edition of the INIT INDOOR MEETING in 1985, has repeatedly served only as a brief interlude in the meet’s calendar. For instance, this event was not held at the INIT INDOOR MEETING from 1991 through 2005. Helga Arendt has held the meet record in this event since 1988. The runner from Eintracht Hamm clocked an astonishing 50.84 seconds for the two laps around the track. No one has come close to that time yet—not even Egypt’s Bassant Hemida last year, who nonetheless crossed the finish line at the Europahalle in Karlsruhe in a strong 51.97 seconds.
Out of tour
Is it all about Heike, or what?
For quite a few years now, Karlsruhe has been home to Heike Drechsler, whose achievements would likely take more than a sheet of “ ” paper to list. To name just a few: five Olympic medals, including two golds for two Olympic victories in the long jump (Barcelona 1992 and Sydney 2000), two outdoor World Championship titles, also in the long jump (1983 and 1993), four consecutive outdoor titles at the European Championships (1986, 1990, 1994, and 1998) in the long jump, and one European Championship gold medal in the 200-meter dash (1986), along with two World Indoor Championships titles (long jump and 200-meter dash) plus four European Indoor Championships titles in the long jump. In addition, she has won countless German championship titles and, last but not least, was the long jump champion four times at the INIT INDOOR MEETING (1993, 1994, 1995, and 2001). She is the most successful long jumper of all time and remains closely connected to the INDOOR MEETING. But even in the recent past, the Karlsruhe track and field audience has had the chance to see top-class female athletes compete live in the arena. Leading the way is Olympic and world champion Malaika Mihambo, who was also named Germany’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2019 and 2020 and is always a welcome guest in Karlsruhe. In 2020, her jump of 6.83 meters earned her second place ahead of Ukrainian Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, who secured the day’s victory with a jump of 6.92 meters and ultimately claimed the overall World Indoor Tour title. But it was in 2025 that Mihambo stood at the very top of the podium. An incredible 7.07 on her fourth attempt not only meant victory for the day but also broke the 31-year-old meet record of 7.06 meters—set, of course, by Heike Drechsler. Last year, Mihambo had to settle for fourth place. Italy’s Larissa Iapichino (European outdoor and indoor champion and winner of the 2026 World Indoor Tour Gold) won with a jump of 6.84 meters.
World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold
The first winner was a decathlete
In 1986, the second year of the INIT INDOOR MEETING, the men’s 60-meter hurdles were on the program for the first time, and the first winner in this event was not a specialist but a decathlete from Germany. Guido Kretschmar won that year with a time of 7.91 seconds. However, the victory by the man from Großheubach wasn’t entirely surprising, as the hurdles were one of the Olympic silver medalist’s (in the 1976 decathlon in Montreal) strongest events. In his youth, Kretschmar was even a multiple German champion—including in the hurdles. The boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow likely cost him an Olympic gold medal, as he set a world record in the decathlon that year. In the years that followed, however, the specialists dominated the short-distance hurdles—led by 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 the European outdoor champion four times in a row, and achieved a historic double at the 1994 European Indoor Championships in Paris by winning titles in both the 60-meter dash and the hurdles. He also still holds the world record in this event at 7.30 seconds. Jackson, who was celebrated as the meet champion three times, left his mark on the hurdle sprint at the Europa Hall, as did Olympic champions Liu Xiang (China), Dyron Robles (Cuba), Mark McKoy (Canada), and Allen Johnson (USA)—all of whom made their mark in Karlsruhe. And Johnson’s meet record of 7.38 seconds, set in 1995, has so far withstood every challenge. Not even the Frenchman Wilhelm Belocian could come close to that time. He won the men’s hurdle sprint at the last edition in 2025 with a time of 7.53 seconds.
World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold
Baala´s Home Game in France
For nearly a decade, Mehdi Baala was something of a regular at the INDOOR MEETING. Moreover, the athlete from nearby Strasbourg trained regularly at the Europahalle, so his appearances almost felt like a home game—whether in the 800-meter, 1,000-meter, or 1,500-meter races, which he won three times. While he finished second in his first appearance in 2000, he claimed victory in each of the following two years. He celebrated his greatest success exactly nine years after his debut. In 2009, during his third victory in the 1,500-meter event at the meeting, he crossed 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 was crowned European outdoor champion twice (in Munich in 2002 and in Gothenburg in 2006); in 2003, at the World Championships in Paris, he won the silver medal; and at the Olympic Games in Beijing, he was retroactively awarded the bronze medal after the original winner, Rashid Ramzi, was found guilty of doping. Since 2010, the 1,500-meter middle-distance race has been dominated entirely by Kenyan athletes; in the nine races held since then, a Kenyan athlete has won seven times—Gideon Gathimba, Bethwel Birgen (three times), Nixon Chepseba, Silas Kiplagat, and Vincent Kibet. Incidentally, the current meet record is also held by a Kenyan. In 2005, Daniel Kipchirchir Komen crossed the finish line in 3:33.08 minutes—a time that remains unmatched to this day. Last year, France’s Azzeddine Habz narrowly missed the meet record, winning in 3:33.36 minutes.
World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold
In the Footsteps of the great Larry Myricks
The men’s long jump competition was already part of the program at the very first INIT INDOOR MEETING in 1985. The winner back then was the American Larry Myricks. He was one of the world’s best long jumpers in the 1970s. In total, he won the meet in Karlsruhe four times. In addition, Myricks still holds the current meet record with a jump of 8.38 meters. In its early days, the long jump competition was a standard part of the INIT INDOOR MEETING’s program. In the late ’90s, however, the program’s focus shifted increasingly toward the triple jump. It wasn’t until 2010 that the long jump was reinstated to the program. The last German winner in the long jump was local hero Julian Howard in 2016. In 2015, during the event’s inaugural year at the exhibition hall, he had to concede victory to Spain’s Eusebio Caceres. A year later, the athlete from LG Region Karlsruhe jumped 8.03 meters, securing the victory. In 2022—the most recent edition of the men’s long jump to date— , the victory went to Thobias Montler of Sweden. The Swede also capped off his strong form this year by winning the silver medal at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade and the European Championships in Munich.
Out of tour
Hailes´ World
“Over 5,500 people are stomping their feet and shouting at the top of their lungs; the drums rumble dully in a rhythm that draws everyone in; a fresh breeze streams in from outside through the open roof—and it’s not summer, nor are we in Rio during Carnival. It’s January, it’s cold outside, and it takes quite a bit of imagination to explain to someone who just happens to be passing through town why we have to open the roof of an arena. Trying to explain why the 5,500 people inside are making such an infernal racket is out of the question, but maybe we should try using a name. Admittedly a bit of a tongue-twister, but at least familiar to those connected to track and field—and even more so to those who know that the greatest of them all is a small man from Ethiopia named Haile Gebrselassie.” These lines open an article that appeared in SONNTAG on January 17, 1999, highlighting the top event at the 15th INIT INDOOR MEETING Karlsruhe. The 3,000-meter race featuring Ethiopian running legend Haile Gebrselassie, who won this event a total of five times at the Europahalle in (1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, and 2004) and set a world record on one occasion. Of course, the two-time Olympic 10,000-meter champion’s 1998 time of 7:26.15 remains the meet record, and the 3,000 meters is a legendary event, as Dieter Baumann—who won this race twice—also set a European record here in 1995 at the meet with a time of 7:37.51. A time that remains the German indoor record. The atmosphere in Karlsruhe remains electric at every edition of the 3,000 meters. This was also the case in the new arena, where the middle-distance event was held in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022. In 2021, during the pandemic-induced return to the Europahalle, Kenyan Bethwell Birgen won—as he had in 2020—with a personal best of 7:34.12 minutes. In 2022, the middle-distance runners competed once again at the Leichtathletik-Arena at the Karlsruhe Trade Fair. There, the Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi won with a time of 7:26.20 minutes. Looking back at the last two editions of this event at the INDOOR MEETING in 2025 and 2026, it was Dutch runner Stefan Nillessen who won the fifteen laps of the track in 2025 with a time of 7:37.10 minutes—a personal best and national record. In 2026, he crossed the finish line in 7:38.48 minutes.
