Viktor Röthlin


Viktor Röthlin is a Swiss former long-distance runner, who specialized in the marathon.
Röthlin won the silver medal at the 2006 European Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, the bronze medal at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, and the gold medal at the 2010 European Championships in Barcelona, Spain.
He also competed in the marathon at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China and at the 2012 Olympics in London, Great Britain.
Röthlin has set four Swiss national records at the marathon distance: In September 2001 at the Berlin Marathon, his time of 2:10:54 eclipsed the previous Swiss national record of 2:11:10. In April 2004, in his victory at the Zürich Marathon, Röthlin lowered the national record to 2:09:56. In April 2007, he lowered the national record again, when he won the Zürich Marathon in a time of 2:08:20, and in February 2008, he once more improved the Swiss record to 2:07:23 when he won the Tokyo Marathon.
Röthlin attempted no marathons in 2009, because he contracted thrombosis during a flight from the United Arab Emirates in the Spring of 2009, which led to a pulmonary embolism and fluid buildup in his chest; the condition was treated with rest and medication.
At the 2012 Tokyo Marathon he had his fastest performance since his victory in 2008, as he finished fifth with a time of 2:08:32 hours.
Röthlin retired from competitive marathon running in 2014, after finishing fifth at the European Championships in Zürich.

Achievements

YearCompetitionVenuePositionNotes
1999Hamburg MarathonHamburg, Germany12th2:13:36
2000Rotterdam MarathonRotterdam, Netherlands20th2:12:53
2000Olympic GamesSydney, Australia36th2:20:06
2001Rotterdam MarathonRotterdam, Netherlands13th2:12:22
2001Berlin MarathonBerlin, Germany8th2:10:54
2002European ChampionshipsMunich, Germany16th2:16:16
2003Zürich MarathonZürich, Switzerland2nd2:11:05
2003World ChampionshipsParis, France14th2:11:14
2004Zürich MarathonZürich, Switzerland1st2:09:55
2004Olympic GamesAthens, Greece—DNF
2005Zürich MarathonZürich, Switzerland4th2:11:00
2005New York City MarathonNew York City, United States7th2:11:44
2006European ChampionshipsGothenburg, Sweden2nd2:11:50
2007Zürich MarathonZürich, Switzerland1st2:08:20
2007World ChampionshipsOsaka, Japan3rd2:17:25
2008Tokyo MarathonTokyo, Japan1st2:07:23
2008Olympic GamesBeijing, China6th2:10:35
2010European ChampionshipsBarcelona, Spain1st2:15:31
2010New York City MarathonNew York City, United States—DNF
2011London MarathonLondon, United Kingdom11th2:12:43
2011New York MarathonNew York City, United States11th2:12:26
2012Tokyo MarathonTokyo, Japan5th2:08:32
2012Olympic GamesLondon, United Kingdom11th2:12:48
2013Lake Biwa MarathonŌtsu, Japan8th2:10:18
2014European ChampionshipsZürich, Switzerland5th2:13:07