View source for Herbert Runge

{{short description|German boxer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox boxer
|name         = Herbert Runge
|image        = Guillermo Lovell vs Herbert Runge 1936b.jpg
|caption      = Runge (right) vs. [[Guillermo Lovell]] at the 1936 Olympics
|imagesize    = 
|realname     =
|nickname     = 
|height       = 
|reach        = 
|weight       = [[Heavyweight]]
|nationality  = {{GER|German}}
|birth_date   = {{birth date|df=yes|1913|01|23}}
|birth_place  = [[Elberfeld]], [[Rhine Province]], [[German Empire]]
|death_date   = {{death date and age|df=yes|1986|03|11|1913|01|23}}
|death_place  = [[Wuppertal]], [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], West Germany
|style        = [[Orthodox stance|Orthodox]]
|total        = 25
|wins         = 5
|KO           = 1
|losses       = 13 or 14
|draws        = 6
|no contests  = 0 or 1
|medaltemplates={{MedalSport | Men's [[Boxing]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{flagicon|GER|Nazi}} [[Germany at the Olympics|Germany]] }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Boxing at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Berlin]] | [[Boxing at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Men's heavyweight|Heavyweight]]}} 
{{MedalCompetition|[[European Amateur Boxing Championships|European Amateur Championships]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[1934 European Amateur Boxing Championships|1934 Budapest]] | Heavyweight}}
{{MedalSilver| [[1937 European Amateur Boxing Championships|1937 Milan]] | Heavyweight}}
{{MedalBronze| [[1939 European Amateur Boxing Championships|1939 Dublin]] | Heavyweight}}
}}

'''Herbert Runge''' (23 January 1913 – 11 March 1986) was a German [[heavyweight]] [[Boxing|boxer]]. He won the [[Boxing at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Men's heavyweight|gold medal]] at the [[1936 Summer Olympics]] in Berlin.

He was born in [[Elberfeld]], which later became part of [[Wuppertal]], where he died as well.

== Amateur career ==
Runge's biggest success was his gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. He also won three medals at the [[European Amateur Boxing Championships]] (silver in [[1934 European Amateur Boxing Championships|1934]] and [[1937 European Amateur Boxing Championships|1937]] and bronze in [[1939 European Amateur Boxing Championships|1939]]). In addition to that, he is an eight-time German amateur champion (1935–1939, 1941–1943), as well as two-time runner-up to [[Hein ten Hoff]] in 1940 and 1944.

=== 1936 Summer Olympics ===
*1st round: [[Bye (sports)|bye]]
*2nd round: [[Rudolf Kus]] (Czechoslovakia), knock-out in Round 1
*Quarter-final: [[Anthony Stuart (boxer)|Anthony Stuart]] (Great Britain), won on points
*Semi-final: [[Ferenc Nagy (boxer)|Ferenc Nagy]] (Hungary), [[walkover]], due to injury
*Gold medal bout: [[Guillermo Lovell]] (Argentina), won on points<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ru/herbert-runge-1.html |title=Herbert Runge – sports-reference.com |accessdate=8 December 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203222759/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ru/herbert-runge-1.html |archivedate=3 December 2013 }}</ref>

== Professional career ==
Runge had an unsuccessful professional career that spanned from 1946 to 1949. Of 25 bouts, he won 5 (1 KO), drew 6 and lost 13 with one ending in a [[No contest (combat sports)|no contest]] (or 14 losses and no NC, sources are unclear).<ref>{{Boxrec|id=63894}}</ref>

== Commemoration ==
Still standing today is Runge's Olympic oak tree, that was given to every German 1936 Olympic champion to plant themselves as part of Nazi propaganda and Olympic legacy. It stands just outside the away section of Wuppertal's [[Stadion am Zoo]] football stadium, home to former [[Bundesliga]] club [[Wuppertaler SV]].

A commemorative plaque with the inscription,

"''Olympia-Eiche'' [Olympia-oak]<br /><br />''Herbert Runge<br />*23.01.1913  + 11.03.1986<br />Wuppertal<br /><br />Olympiasieger Berlin 1936'' [Olympic champion Berlin 1936]<br />''Boxen Schwergewicht'' [Boxing Heavyweight]",

has been attached to the stadium fence in front of the tree in 1999.<ref>{{cite web |language=German|url=http://www.denkmal-wuppertal.de/2013/06/olympia-eiche-und-herbert-runge.html|title=Olympia-Eiche und Herbert-Runge-Gedenktafel|accessdate=8 December 2013}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Commons category|Herbert Runge}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Sports links}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions Boxing Heavyweight}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Runge, Herbert}}
[[Category:1913 births]]
[[Category:1986 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Elberfeld]]
[[Category:Heavyweight boxers]]
[[Category:Olympic boxers for Germany]]
[[Category:Boxers at the 1936 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Germany]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in boxing]]
[[Category:German male boxers]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Wuppertal]]
[[Category:20th-century German sportsmen]]


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