The world's most famous Bottle Man: Who is Claus Henning-Schulke?
We always see athletes in the foreground and in leading roles. But what about the people behind the success? Let's get to know one of them, a "Bottle Man" who has a significant share in success:
In September 2022, Kenyan Kipchoge broke the world record at the Berlin Marathon, while behind him was a hidden hero: 56-year-old Bottle Man Claus Henning-Schulke.
Described as the greatest marathoner of all time, Kipchoge did not run only to break the record in Berlin. His goal was to approach the 2-hour barrier. He crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 1 minute, and 9 seconds, breaking his own world record by 30 seconds.
The cameras were on Kipchoge throughout the marathon, but there was another person who caught our eye. We watched this person more carefully with the clips shared after the race. It was none other than 56-year-old Claus Henning-Schulke, who handed his canteen to Eliud Kipchoge at every water station and jumped on his bike every time shaking his fist.
First race, the first record
This sports lover, who has lived in Berlin for nearly 35 years and worked as a project manager, has been volunteering at marathons since the late 1990s. He himself ran marathons for years, competing in the Hawaiian Ironman six times.
The name of the master Bottle Man was first heard in 2018. At the request of the Berlin Marathon director that year, he worked with Kipchoge as head of the Bottle Man team. Henning-Schulke and Kipchoge broke their first world record there, delivering a near-perfect flask with their preliminary work the day before.
A total of 30 volunteers in Henning-Schulke and his team are responsible for 30 male and female athletes, called the elite group, in the Berlin Marathon. Their job is to deliver specially prepared canteens to the athletes every five kilometers with the least waste of time. Henning-Schulke. "Sometimes I pass between other cars on the track at 40 km/h. After I arrive at the station, I have about 30 seconds to stop and prepare the bottle and give it to Eliud. For this, you must have a good physical condition. If I have a small share in the record, it is my pride" says.
Eliud Kipchoge's bottle man – the true hero of Berlin
https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/news/a41401315/eliud-kipchoges-bottle-man/