Eckhard Lesse

Marathon runner Eckard Lesse took part in the 1972 München marathon race, finishing 25th. Two years later he won the silver medal at the 1974 European Championships. In 1971 Lesse participated in the 10K at the Europeans. He never won an East German title, but he won the Chemnitz marathon in 1972 and 1973, and also won the European Marathon Cup in 1973, ranking #2 in the world that year. In 1974 he was runner-up at the Fukuoka marathon behind Frank Shorter. Lesse was ranked in the world’s top 10 for a final time in 1975.

Lesse was educated as a car locksmith and later as an industrial economist. In the former GDR he worked as the director of a retail cooperative in Magdeburg. After German reunification Lesse served as head of volleyball at the sports club of the University of Dresden and led a 20-member women’s sports group. He was president of the well-known handball club SC Magdeburg in 2009-10.

Personal Best: Mar – 2-12:03 (1974).