The East German Athletics Championships () was an annual outdoor track and field competition organised by the East German Athletics Federation, which served as the East German national championships for the sport. The three- or four-day event was held in summer months, varying from late June to early September, and the venue changed on an annual basis.
The German Athletics Championships had a long history dating back to 1898.German Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-08-23. Following the division of Germany as part of the end of World War II, the organising body of the all-Germany championships, German Athletics Association, remained based in West Germany. As a result, a new national competition and sports body was created in East Germany, starting from 1948. This competition predated the formal formation of the country, thus the first two editions in 1948 and 1949 were known as Eastern Zone Athletics Championships, reflecting the Soviet occupied area of the country.East German Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-03-22.West German Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
Events The following athletics events were contested at the East German Championships:
Track running 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres, 1500 metres, 3000 metres (women only), 5000 metres (men only), 10,000 metres, marathon Obstacle events 100 metres hurdles (women only), 110 metres hurdles (men only), 400 metres hurdles, 3000 metres steeplechase (men only) Jumping events Pole vault (men only), high jump, long jump, triple jump (men only) Throwing events Shot put, discus throw, javelin throw, hammer throw (men only) Walking events 10 kilometres race walk (women only), 20 kilometres race walk (men only), 50 kilometres race walk (men only) Combined events Decathlon (men only), heptathlon (women only)
Women competed in the 80 metres hurdles event until 1968, when it was replaced with the new 100 m international standard race. The women's distance races were gradually added, with the 1500 m included in 1967, the 3000 m in 1976, the marathon in 1982, and finally the 10,000 m in 1985.Leichtathletik - DDR - Meisterschaften - Bahn (Damen - Teil 5) . Sport Komplett. Retrieved 2018-03-22.Leichtathletik - DDR - Meisterschaften - Bahn (Damen - Teil 2) . Sport Komplett. Retrieved 2018-03-22. The women's pentathlon was later expanded to the standard heptathlon. Steeplechase, pole vault, triple jump, hammer throw and the 50 km walk remained the preserve of men only over the championships' lifetime.Historie Leichtathletik . Sport Komplett. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
The men's programme also varied, with early editions featured walks over 10 km, 25 km and 30 km, as well as a 200 metres hurdles race from 1952 to 1965.Leichtathletik - DDR - Meisterschaften (200m Hürden - Herren) . Sport Komplett. Retrieved 2018-03-22.
Editions EditionYearLocationVenue Dates — 1948 Chemnitz Großkampfbahn 16–19 September 1948 — 1949 Jena Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld 16–17 July 1949 1. 1950 Halberstadt Friedensstadion 22–23 July 1950 2. 1951 Erfurt Georgi-Dimitroff-Stadion 14–15 July 1951 3. 1952 Jena Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld 2–6 July 1952 4. 1953 Leipzig DHfK-Stadion 18–19 July 1953 5. 1954 Dresden Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion 23–25 July 1954 6. 1955 Jena Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld 2–4 September 1955 7. 1956 Erfurt Georgi-Dimitroff-Stadion 20–22 July 1956 8. 1957 Berlin Walter-Ulbricht-Stadion 12–14 July 1957 9. 1958 Jena Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld 18–20 July 1958 10. 1959 Leipzig Zentralstadion 13–15 August 1959 11. 1960 Leipzig Zentralstadion 22–24 July 1960 12. 1961 Dresden Heinz-Steyer-Stadion 5–6 August 1961 13. 1962 Dresden Heinz-Steyer-Stadion 28–30 September 1962 14. 1963 Jena Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld 30 August – 1 September 1963 15. 1964 Jena Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld 10–12 July 1964 16. 1965 Karl-Marx-Stadt Ernst-Thälmann-Stadion 23–25 July 1965 17. 1966 Jena Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld 20–24 July 1966 18. 1967 Halle Stadion Robert-Koch-Straße 27–30 July 1967 19. 1968 Erfurt Georgi-Dimitroff-Stadion 8–11 August 1968 20. 1969 Berlin Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark 31 July – 3 August 1969 21. 1970 Erfurt Georgi-Dimitroff-Stadion 3–5 July 1970 22. 1971 Leipzig Zentralstadion 25–27 July 1971 23. 1972 Erfurt Georgi-Dimitroff-Stadion 22–25 June 1972 24. 1973 Dresden Heinz-Steyer-Stadion 20–22 July 1973 25. 1974 Leipzig Zentralstadion 4–6 July 1974 26. 1975 Erfurt Georgi-Dimitroff-Stadion 22–24 August 1975 27. 1976 Karl-Marx-Stadt Ernst-Thälmann-Stadion 5–8 August 1976 28. 1977 Dresden Heinz-Steyer-Stadion 30 June – 3 July 1977 29. 1978 Leipzig Zentralstadion 30 June – 2 July 1978 30. 1979 Karl-Marx-Stadt Ernst-Thälmann-Stadion 9–12 August 1979 31. 1980 Cottbus Sportzentrum 16–18 July 1980 32. 1981 Jena Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld 7–9 August 1981 33. 1982 Dresden Heinz-Steyer-Stadion 30 June – 3 July 1982 34. 1983 Karl-Marx-Stadt Ernst-Thälmann-Stadion 16–18 June 1983 35. 1984 Erfurt Georgi-Dimitroff-Stadion 1–3 June 1984 36. 1985 Leipzig Zentralstadion 9–11 August 1985 37. 1986 Jena Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld 27–29 June 1986 38. 1987 Potsdam Stadion Luftschiffhafen 20–22 August 1987 39. 1988 Rostock Ostseestadion 24–26 June 1988 40. 1989 Neubrandenburg Jahnstadion 21–23 July 1989 41. 1990 Dresden Heinz-Steyer-Stadion 17–19 August 1990
References