Birgit Jerschabek

{{short description|German long-distance runner}}

{{expand German|topic=bio|date=May 2022|Birgit Jerschabek}}

Birgit Jerschabek-Keipke (born 17 May 1969) is a retired (East) German long-distance runner.

She was born in Ludwigslust. As a junior, she won the 10,000 metres at the 1987 European Junior Championships{{citation needed|date=May 2014}} and finished sixth at the 1988 World Junior Championships.{{World Athletics}} She finished sixteenth in 10,000 metres at the 1990 European Championships{{cite web|url=http://todor66.com/athletics/europe/1990/Women_10000m.html|title=Women 10000m Athletics XV European Championships 1990 Split (YUG)|publisher=Todor Krastev|accessdate=19 May 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520045344/http://todor66.com/athletics/europe/1990/Women_10000m.html|archivedate=20 May 2014}} 65th at the 1990 World Cross Country Championships, fifteenth in the 1992 Olympic marathon{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/je/birgit-jerschabek-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417223341/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/je/birgit-jerschabek-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=17 April 2020|title=Birgit Jerschabek|publisher=Sports-Reference.com|accessdate=22 May 2014}} and eighth at the 1992 World Half Marathon Championships.

She later competed in three consecutive World Championship marathons without finishing any of them: the 1993, 1995 and 1997 World Championships. Also, she only managed a 48th place at the 1998 World Half Marathon Championships.

In the East German championships she won bronze medals in 1987, 1988 and 1989 (10,000 metres) and silver medals in 1989 (3000) and 1990 (3000, 10,000 and cross-country running). The winner in all events was Kathrin Ullrich.{{cite web|url=http://www.sport-komplett.de/sport-komplett/sportarten/l/leichtathletik/hst/225.html|title=Leichtathletik - DDR - Meisterschaften (3000m - Damen)|publisher=Sport-Komplett|accessdate=18 May 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sport-komplett.de/sport-komplett/sportarten/l/leichtathletik/hst/226.html|title=Leichtathletik - DDR - Meisterschaften (10000m - Damen)|publisher=Sport-Komplett|accessdate=18 May 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sport-komplett.de/sport-komplett/sportarten/l/leichtathletik/hst/280.html|title=Leichtathletik - DDR - Cross - Meisterschaften (1-2-3km - Damen - Einzel)|publisher=Sport-Komplett|accessdate=18 May 2014}} In 1990 she also won a bronze medal (1500 metres) and a silver medal (3000) at the East German indoor championships. She represented the club SC Traktor Schwerin.{{cite web|url=http://www.sport-komplett.de/sport-komplett/sportarten/l/leichtathletik/hst/267.html|title=Leichtathletik - DDR - Hallen - Meisterschaften (1500m - Damen)|publisher=Sport-Komplett|accessdate=18 May 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sport-komplett.de/sport-komplett/sportarten/l/leichtathletik/hst/268.html|title=Leichtathletik - DDR - Hallen - Meisterschaften (3000m - Damen)|publisher=Sport-Komplett|accessdate=18 May 2014}} She later became German half marathon champion in 1991, 1993 and 1997 and marathon champion in 1997. She represented LG Sieg and ABC Ludwigshafen during this part of her career.{{cite web|url=http://www.sport-komplett.de/sport-komplett/sportarten/l/leichtathletik/hst/50.html|title=Leichtathletik - Deutsche Meisterschaften (Halbmarathon - Straße)|publisher=Sport-Komplett|accessdate=18 May 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sport-komplett.de/sport-komplett/sportarten/l/leichtathletik/hst/104.html|title=Leichtathletik - Deutsche Meisterschaften (Marathon - Damen)|publisher=Sport-Komplett|accessdate=18 May 2014}}

Her personal best times were 32:14.75 minutes in the 10,000 metres, achieved in June 1990 in Helsinki; 1:10:53 hours in the half marathon, achieved at the 1992 World Half Marathon Championships; and 2:28:02 hours in the marathon, achieved at the 1995 Lisbon Marathon.[http://hem.bredband.net/athletics/atb-d11.htm World women's all-time best 10000m] (last updated 2001)[http://hem.bredband.net/athletics/atb-d59.htm World women's all-time best half marathon] (last updated 2001)[http://hem.bredband.net/athletics/atb-d24.htm World women's all-time best marathon] (last updated 2001)