In 2011, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) for the first time will be the partner of the LG Region Karlsruhe in the traditional public race “Badische Meile”. On May 08, KIT will participate with the largest team in its first Baden Mile. Moreover, KIT has donated the new “U 19” prize. It will be given to the three fastest runners aged under 19.
KIT President Horst Hippler is pleased about this cooperation: “To complement its scientific-technical profile, KIT also supports competitive and professional sports on a scientific level. Still, we consider support of popular sports and of our staff members and students to be of equal importance. And this is reflected by the partnership. I wish our runners successes similar to those reached in previous races.”
Holger Wlasak, member of the board of LG Region Karlsruhe and co-organizer of the “Badische Meile”, also is highly satisfied with this new partnership: “Cooperation between KIT and the “Badische Meile” contributes to Karlsruhe’s reputation as a city of sports. Moreover, the “Badische Meile” gains significance through this partnership with KIT.”
Dr. Thomas Windmann, Head of the Public Relations and Marketing Service Unit (PKM) that is responsible for the coordination of this event at KIT, welcomes the cooperation: “We are very happy about this partnership with a traditional event like the “Badische Meile”, not only because KIT can show its relatedness to the region. We can demonstrate that KIT is more than just science and engineering.”
This cooperation is not only supposed to foster the visibility of KIT as a brand. It is also intended to stimulate university and company sports at KIT: “Company sports do not only increase the zest for life, health, and performance,” says Windmann. “The training meetings of the runners clearly showed how much joint sports activities of students and staff members of various departments of KIT strengthen interpersonal relationships and team spirit. In the end, this will also provide for the good working climate that is needed for our success.”
To ensure sports success on the track of 8.8889 km, experts from the KIT Institute of Sports and Sports Science offered a specific training to the runners. “The runners had the opportunity to undergo professional performance diagnosis which we also offer as a service to external companies. In this field, we have been cooperating very successfully with the soccer professionals of the local KSC soccer club for a long time,” says Dr. Dietmar Blicker, Head of the University Sports Section of KIT.
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 10,000 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,800 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.