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Just before the start, athletes taking part in the run will be covered by a

huge, 25 x 40 meter, banner bearing the logos of the real,- BERLIN-MARATHON,

the New York mara-thon, and the slogan “United We Run”.

The real,- BERLIN-MARATHON wants to express its heartfelt sympathy with the

American people in general, and with the New York marathon - which is taking

place on the 4th of November this year - in particular.

This gesture, and the participation by more than 37,000 runners from 85

countries, show how important sport, and particularly the marathon, are in

developing international friendship.

The symbolic event will be filmed by helicopter-borne cameras of the Sender

Freies Berlin (a local TV station) and broadcast throughout the world.

The action has been made possible by Bewag AG, the local electricity

company. Its main shareholder is the American energy enterprise Mirant. Bewag

spontaneously offered to pay for the production of the banner. About 40 of the

firm’s employees are taking part in the run.

“The terrible events of 11th September”, said Richard Heitzmann,

Bewag AG’s spokesperson, “have shocked all our employees. We

Berliners know what the United States has done for our city over the past

decades. With the giant banner at the start of this year’s real,- BERLIN

MARATHON we want to express our sympathy with our partners in the United States

and the American people in general.”