History of Tartu Maraton

Statistics (*.xls)

1960 1981

1996

Club Tartu Maraton's main project has been ski race Tartu Maraton, first organized in 1960. Within years the small group's skiing trip has grown into a big marathon that brings together thousands of skiers from all over the world. Biggest numbers descend from 1986, when almost 12000 people registered from all over the Soviet Union.


60es bronze pin badge of 1977 badge of 1986 sticker of 1987

As the eastern border was closed in 1991, the numbers have become smaller. The popularity of the ski marathon which standard of organization is internationally acknowledged brings now here participants from every corner of the world. As skiing depends a lot on the weather conditions, the numbers are unsteady, somewhere around 4000 (in 2010 there was lestablished ast 22 years record of 6203 finishers).

Besides the main 63 km race the Tartu Maraton program includes a 31 km short race. These races are prelude by the Open Track and Women's races a week before, TILLU and MINI races for children a day before the main event.

Club Tartu Maraton has managed to prove itself more widely in the world of cross-country skiing. Since 1994 when Tartu Marathon became a member of Worldloppet the organizers have constantly tried to improve the level of organization, which has brought along the acknowledgement of participants and increased the share of participants from foreign countries. In years 1999-2004, the Worldloppet General Secretariat was in Tartu, the first headquarter of an international sports organization in Estonia. The Secretary General was Madis Lepajõe, a board member of Club Tartu Maraton.
In 1999, Tartu Maraton was awarded as The Best Tourism Establishment by Estonian Association of Travel Agents and in 2010 as The Best Touruism Establishment in South-Estonia.

2001

2010


Some historical facts

1960 - took place for the first time. Course form Tartu to Kääriku
1980 - for the first time as a competition (all participants received startnumbers and were ranked). Corse turned from Otepää to Tartu
1981 - new rececourse for next 15 years from matu to Elva
1986 - the greatest number of participants at the finish - 9858. The best sport establishment of Soviet Union.
1991 - Club Tartu Maraton was founded
1994 - In june became member of the Worldloppet
1995 - the first race as a Worldloppet member
1996 - Open Track events were added to the program
1997 - 33 km short race was added to program, start was moved to Otepää
1999 - 2004 Headquarters of Worldloppet in Tartu
1999 - Title of the Best Tourism Establishment in Estonia by Estonian Association of the Travel Agents
2002 - 16 km Tartu Ladies Race was added to the Open Track program
2009 - Tartu Maraton moved its finish area to Tartumaa Tervisespordikeskus
2010 - Title of the Best Tourism Establishment in South-Estonia by South-Estonian Tourism Board

Film of 1983 Tartu Maraton

Winners

Year M winner time W winner time
1960 Rein Tikk 3:37.10    
1961 Cancelled
1962 Valter Tennisson, Anatoli Kreinin 3:39.10 * *
1963 Valter Tennisson 3:43.08 * *
1964 Valeri Zelentsov 2:52.09 * *
1965 Tõnu Haljand 3:51.51 * *
1966 no competition      
1967 Rudolf Mürk 4:06.07 Eha Abel 4:44.20
1968 Arvo Kütt 2:54.24 Ene Märtin 3:35.07
1969 Hain Kinks 3.30.05 Ingrid Mägar 4:02.00
1970 Tõnu Kinks 2:44.55 * *
1971 Vladimir Shokman 2:47.13 * *
1972 Cancelled
1973
1974
1975
1976 Mati Mallo 2:45.46 Taima Kuusk 3:09.08
1977 Tõnu Kinks 3:34.15 Tatjana Ojavere 3:31.17
1978 Anatoli Shmigun 2:39.32 Rutt Shmigun 3:09.57
1979 Arne Sammel 2:39.01 Ülle Torop 3:34.22
1980 Arne Sirel 3:45.12 Küllike Ohno (96) 5:01.00
1981 Mati Albert 2:30.10 Helmi Mihhailova (91) 3:07.07
1982 Mati Albert, Tõnu Sirel, Uno Leist 3:21.10 Rutt Shmigun (63) 2:50.38
1983 Jaanus Teppan 2:53.33 Rutt Shmigun (117) 3:34.58
1984 Vahur Kihuoja 2:46.28,4 Siiri Sepp (193) 3.33.11,2
1985 Artur Daniel 2:41.47,7 Kerstin Kruuda (119) 3:16,06,5
1986 Nikolai Politajev 2:26.28,7 Ingrid Tikk (213) 3:02.36,2
1987 Ulvar Pavlov 2:15.44,6 Krista Lepik (177) 2:38.43,6
1988 Cancelled
1989
1990
1991 Margo Pulles 2:16.50,6 Ene Tjulkina (83) 2.35.15,0
1992 Cancelled
1993 Ulvar Pavlov 1:32,59,7 Ene Aigro (36) 1:49.08,5
1994 Raul Olle 2:32.55,8 Katrin Mauring (26) 2:55.00,5
1995 Hakan Westin (SWE) 2:28.53,4 Ene Aigro (60) 3:03.47,6
1996 Hakan Westin (SWE) 2:35.10,4 Maria Theuri (52) 3:05.02,6
1997 Mihhail Botvinov (AUT) 2:56.48,0 Gudrun Pflüger (49) 3:18.54,8
1998 Mihhail Botvinov (AUT) 3:01.37.7 Piret Niglas (60) 3:34.34,5
1999 Johann Mühlegg (GER) 3:02.11,9 Nadezda Simak (64) 3:28.45,1
2000 Cancelled
2001 Raul Olle 3:04.59,1 Piret Niglas (36) 3:32.25,9
2002 Havard Skorstad (NOR) 1:08.33,9 Elin Nielsen 1:20.01,0
2003 Joergen Aukland (NOR) 2:50.31,1 Svetlana Frizen (43) 3:20.26,6
2004 Cancelled
2005 Raul Olle 3:16:46 Tatjana Mannima (37) 3:48:17
2006 Stanislav Rezac (CZE) 3:04:37 Õnne Kurg (78) 3:33:20
2007 Jerry Ahrlin (SWE) 2:42:27 Elin Ek (40) 3:07:02
2008
jäi ära
     
2009 Anders Aukland (NOR) 2:57:29 Sandra Hansson (31) 3:13:04
2010 Anders Aukland (NOR) 2:59:41 Sandra Hansson (37) 3:20:59
2011 Jerry Ahrlin (SWE) 2:41:23 Sandra Hansson (74) 3:08:35
2012 Joergen Brink (SWE) 2:43:21 Susanne Nystroem (67) 3:06:27


* - missing data