East German Indoor Athletics Championships Explained

Sport:Indoor track and field
Country:East Germany
Founded:1964

The East German Indoor Athletics Championships (German: DDR Leichtathletik-Hallenmeisterschaften) was an annual indoor track and field competition organised by the East German Athletics Association (German: Deutscher Verband für Leichtathletik der DDR), which served as the national championship for the sport in East Germany. Typically held over two days in February during the German winter, it was first held in 1964.

The event was contested separately from the West German Indoor Athletics Championships until 1991, when the German Indoor Athletics Championships was held as the first Unified Germany championships.[1] [2] National indoor championships in racewalking and combined track and field events were usually contested at separate locations.

Events

The following athletics events featured as standard on the East German Indoor Championships programme:

The 60 metres was set as the standard short sprint and short hurdles distance in 1978, with sprint and hurdles events being contested over 50 metres and 55 metres in earlier years. A 100-yard dash was held from 1973 to 1989 (100 metres in 1976 and 1977). The 200 m was introduced in 1983.[2]

The men's 5000 m was introduced in 1976. A men's pentathlon was introduced in 1974, changing to heptathlon in 1981, with an octathlon being held in the period from 1987–89. The men's racewalking distance varied, with 10,000 m races from 1967–75 and 1982–88, 20,000 m during 1976–1981, then 5000 m at the final two editions.[2]

The women's programme mostly matched the men's, with the exception of distance events which was introduced later. Women began to compete over 1500 m in 1970, 3000 m in 1981, 5000 m in 1989, and in racewalking in 1985. Women did not take part in triple jump or pole vault during the competition's lifetime.[2]

Editions

Ed.YearCityVenueDates
1.19 February 1964
2.14 February 1965
3.27 February 1966
4.19 February 1967
5.17–18 February 1968
6.15–16 February 1969
7.14–15 February 1970
8.13–14 February 1971
9.12–13 February 1972
10.24–25 February 1973
11.23–24 February 1974
12.22–23 February 1975
13.24–25 January 1976
14.5–6 March 1977
15.25–26 February 1978
16.17–18 February 1979
17.26–27 January 1980
18.14–15 February 1981
19.13–14 February 1982
20.19–20 February 1983
21.21–22 February 1984
22.16–17 February 1985
23.15–16 February 1986
24.7–8 February 1987
25.26–27 February 1988
26.11–12 February 1989
27.17–18 February 1990

Notes and References

  1. http://www.gbrathletics.com/nc/geri.htm German Indoor Championships
  2. http://www.gbrathletics.com/nc/gdri.htm East German Indoor Championships