World Championship Marathon Race: Suspected Fraud in Hendrik Pfeiffer's Victory
Title: "Robbed? Marathon superstar Hendrik Pfeiffer calls out German Athletics Federation"
By: Chaos Incognito* Twitter* Instagram* Email* Copy Link
Germany's premier marathon athlete, Hendrik Pfeiffer, is left seething and betrayed by the German Athletics Federation (DLV). The federation decided not to nominate Pfeiffer for the marathon at the World Championships in Tokyo (Sept. 13-21). Instead, Germany sends only two runners, Amanal Petros and Richard Ringer, to tackle the 42.195 kilometer race.
Pfeiffer,毕 business-as-usual seemed to have called it quits on any chance of World Championship participation, shares his frustration in an explosive Instagram post. He had initially presumed that he would make his World Championships debut. However, "alas, I didn't account for the DLV. Clearing the international qualifying hurdle for the World Championships—which I effortlessly smashed—seems a walk in the park compared to having your own federation on your side."
Under normal circumstances, Samuel Fitwi and Sebastian Hendel's withdrawal would have handed Pfeiffer the third best available spot for Germany, who, according to his statement, had received verbal confirmation from national coach Alexander Fromm that he was unconditionally behind his World Championship start. Qualification can be achieved via a World Athletics norm time of 2:06.30 hours or via the World Ranking and an additional internal DLV norm of 2:07.50 hours, usually set between September 2024 and May 2025—but retroactively announced in December 2024.
Pfeiffer put in a respectable 2:08.20 hours at the Berlin Marathon in September, falling short of the performance confirmation norm by a mere 30 seconds—a norm he claims he was ignorant of at the time. Previously, he clocked a 2:07.14 hours run in January 2024, under the later required norm, yet prior to the relevant period specified by the DLV. Despite qualifying via the World Ranking, the DLV insists on its own stringent norm, set at only 1.1 percent above the World Athletics norm for the marathon, while it is more lenient over 10,000 meters (3.8 percent).
"The norm is tailor-made to just trip me up at the Berlin Marathon," Pfeiffer contends, continuing, "Retroactive norms make no sense and mess with the qualification process dynamics."
Déjà vu at the Olympics
Last year, Pfeiffer missed out on a similar opportunity when he was designated as a reserve runner for the marathon at the Paris Olympics. Unfortunately, Petros fell ill shortly before the event, forcing him to drop out 10 kilometers from the finish. Pfeiffer lashed out at the federation at the time, expressing, "It would have been essential for me to have been kept in the loop about such information, as it would have altered my training regime for the final week before the race."
Pfeiffer has expressed a desire to address the recent upset with the responsible parties within the DLV, particularly DLV Performance Sports Board Member, Jörg Bügner, whom he also called out in 2024. However, "so far, no direct dialogue has been possible. It gives me the impression that the board is reluctant to engage with the athletes." Furthermore, Bügner allegedly dismisses his responsibility for the predicament, claiming, "I am not actually responsible for this."
Military status used as leverage?
Pfeiffer, who serves as a sports soldier in the Bundeswehr, had an operation on his foot in March following consultations with the relevant parties. He abandoned the European Championship for which he was qualified, stating its significance to him. In light of Bügner's repeated emphasis on the World Championship being the only event relevant to the DLV due to funding distribution through nation points, he opted to have the operation in order to be fit for the World Championship in the fall. "Blameing me for not attaining the confirmation norm following the operation is unjustifiable," Pfeiffer asserts.
On May 4, Pfeiffer participated in the Wings for Life World Run in Munich and emerged victorious, covering a distance of 66 kilometers. The association's own website, leichtathletik.de, reports on Pfeiffer and his wife Esther, who won the women's race, in a separate article under the headline: "Power couple Pfeiffer dazzles at the rekordverdächtig ‘Wings for Life World Run'." Nonetheless, Pfeiffer alleges that the association later criticized his participation, claiming that he prioritized the charity event over the chance to meet the norm.
"I question whether there's any sports acumen present at all," Pfeiffer says, "Running the Wings for Life World Run a mere few weeks after an operation is feasible for me, even if I managed to win it. However, achieving a world-class time of 2:07 hours so soon after an operation is beyond my capabilities." Pfeiffer wonders aloud whether there is a lack of competence governing nominations, adding, "I find it reckless that such people aren't only responsible for nominations but also for membership in the sports funding group and other matters of similar importance."
Athletes rally behind Pfeiffer
Sympathy for Pfeiffer is palpable on Instagram, with athletes expressing similar sentiments. "Unbelievable. Decades-old patterns repeating themselves. Leaving a spot vacant with a qualified athlete is sheer arbitrariness," comments Sonja Oberem, a 2002 European Championship bronze medalist in the marathon. "Runners are reporting similar experiences," adds Anja Scherl, a former runner. Sabrina Mockenhaupt, a four-time German champion, is more succinct: "Sad... Unfortunately, it fits the picture of the experiences I've had with the DLV."
Legal action on the horizon?
Pfeiffer is contemplating legal action against the federation. "I might potentially file an injunction against such omission by the DLV. If they now opt for only two participants, another nation will claim the vacant spot, making it difficult to rectify," Pfeiffer emphasizes the urgency. "An alternative approach could involve determining in principle whether such retroactive norms meet legal requirements. The DLV issues the squad standards every year around the middle of the year, but for us marathon runners, a significant portion of the season has already passed. We compete in races without knowing what time we need to attain to secure a place in the squad. If it's determined that this practice is illegal, we might achieve improvements for all athletes."
Pfeiffer's plight has historical precedent. For instance, Charles Friedek, a triple jump world champion in 1999, waged a lengthy dispute against the DLV. He ultimately secured compensation from the Federal Court of Justice in 2015. Pascal Behrenbruch, a former decathlete, tried to secure a late nomination for the 2019 European Championships through an interim injunction at the Sports Arbitration Court in Cologne, only to come up short. Philipp Pflieger, a runner, attempted to participate in both the marathon and 10,000 meters at the European Championships in 2018, without success.
Pfeiffer reflects, "Going up against a massive association as an individual athlete is always risky. My military status is often used as leverage. Taking legal action could not only jeopardize my position on the World Championship team but also my professional future." Pfeiffer is hoping for a turnaround from the DLV and로 grins for an amicable resolution. "I want to make it clear that Jörg Büchner still has the opportunity to reassess and perhaps simply acknowledge, 'You were right, maybe I made a mistake.' Then we shake hands. That's leadership to me—being able to acknowledge a mistake and rectify it."
Sources: ntv.de, leichtathletik.de
- German Athletics Federation (DLV)
- Marathon
- World Championships
- Enrichment Data:Found no enrichment data that could enhance the article content.
- Sport is a source of frustration for Hendrik Pfeiffer, as he feels betrayed by the German Athletics Federation (DLV) for not being nominated for the marathon at the World Championships in Tokyo, despite meeting the qualification criteria.
- Pfeiffer, a marathon superstar, questions the arbitrary decision-making of the DLV, as he believes the federation could have sent him to the World Championships instead of only two other runners. He contemplates legal action against the federation, citing potential inconsistencies in their norms and qualification processes.
