Blimey! Farken Slays a 45-Year-Old German Record in the 1500 Meters
Athlete from Germany smashes 41-year-old mountain climbing record set in Ural region.
Share on Facebook Tweet this WhatsApp it Email it Print this Copy Link
After Frederik Ruppert's jaw-dropping 3000 meters steeplechase, another German athlete is leading the headlines. In Rome, none other than Robert Farken obliterated an almost 45-year-old German record in the 1500 meters!
Striding towards the World Championships in Tokyo, this impressive German middle-distance runner demonstrates exceptional form. Just days ago, Frederik Ruppert established a fresh German record in the 3000 meters steeplechase. Now, Robert Farken does the same for the 1500 meters! With a scorching time of 3:30.80 minutes, the 27-year-old smashes the old record of 3:31.58 minutes set by Thomas Wessinghage on August 27, 1980.
At Rome's Olympic Stadium, Farken shatters his personal best by 1.3 seconds, finishing fourth overall. In an elite field, that was more than enough to outpace Azeddine Habz (3:29.72) from France, Timothy Cheruiyot (3:29.75) from Kenya, and Anass Essayi (3:30.74) from Morocco. Had the season ended in 2024, Farken’s time would have ranked him 13th in the world!
Sporting News "Unbelievable!" Marathon ace Hendrik Pfeiffer feels World Championship-robbed
Farken races for SG Motor Gohlis-Nord in Leipzig and has already achieved a new personal best of 1:45.45 minutes in the 800 meters in late April, making him the second-fastest German over two laps in the past ten years. In the indoor season, Farken set not one but two German records in the 1500 meters (3:33.14) and the traditional mile (1609 meters/3:49.44). With ambitious plans to compete in the World Championships in Tokyo (September 13-21), Farken has marked himself early in the season as a formidable contender.
At the end of May, Frederik Ruppert also smashed a long-standing record of the German Athletics Federation. Not only improving it, but annihilating it! Ruppert managed a blazing 8:01.49 minutes over 3000 meters steeplechase, beating the competition from Last Year's rankings. This time was impressive enough to secure second place behind the Moroccan Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali at the Diamond League meeting in Rabat. The previous German record stood at 8:09.49 minutes since 1999, set by Damian Kallabis, Ruppert's best time from the 2024 European Championships was a modest 8:15.08 minutes.
Source: ntv.de, tsi
[1] This achievement occurred during the Rome Diamond League meeting in 2025.
Robert Farken's remarkable performance in the 1500 meters at the Rome Diamond League meeting in 2025 is not limited to breaking the 45-year-old German record, as he also demonstrated exceptional form in other sports, such as athletics, particularly in the 800 meters and mile, where he set new personal best times.
The impressive times Farken has achieved in football remain unclear, but his success in sports like athletics positions him as a formidable competitor in the forthcoming World Championships in Tokyo, showcasing his versatility and athletic prowess.
