Who drives our lead car, how fast is it, and what do passengers do if they need to go to the toilet on the course? You can read more about that here.
At the start of the Copenhagen Marathon, the runners are led out into the streets of Copenhagen by four BMWs from our sponsor.
This year, the lead car is a model iX2 Xdrive30. It’s an electric car, so we’re protecting the environment, and the runners at the front don’t have to breathe exhaust fumes from an internal combustion engine.
Here are three facts you might not have known about our lead car.
The car
The lead car has a top speed of 180 km/h. We won’t need that for the Copenhagen Marathon, but the driver will still have to push the accelerator a bit. When Berhane Tsegay from Eritrea set the race record in 2022, he crossed the finish line in 2:08.23 hours. This corresponds to an average speed of 19.74 km/h – or a pace of 3:03 min/km (4:54 min/mile).
The driver
Many people think it’s a professional driver who is behind the wheel of the front car. However, for the Copenhagen Marathon we have found something even better: our accounting and HR manager, Thorbjørn. For many years he has steered our lead car through the sea of spectators with a firm hand on the wheel and a steady foot on the accelerator.
In addition to Thorbjørn, the official surveyor from the danish athletics association is also in the car. He’s there to guide the car so that it keeps the same tight line that the course is measured to. And finally, there are often special guests who get to experience the Copenhagen Marathon from the front row.
The optional extras
Our BMW can be purchased with a lot of optional extras. However, a toilet is not on the list of extras, which is something passengers should be aware of before getting in the car, closing the door and heading out on the Copenhagen Marathon course.
Because once the race starts, the car doesn’t stop until the winner finishes a few hours later. A male passenger made that mistake once. Fortunately, without going into details, there was an empty water bottle in the back seat and the crowd along Nørrebrogade didn’t notice anything – as far as we know.
You can take a closer look at our lead car at the Expo, where it is parked in the square next to the white tents Race Bag delivery.
Facts about BMW iX2 Xdrive30:
Topspeed: 180 km/t
0-100 km/t: 5,6 sek.
Power: 230kW (313 hk)
Range (WLTP): 449 km.
