BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
Race Day
Feels mild
Total elevation gain
Relatively flat course · Net elevation change −20 ft
Participants
World-class event
Crowd Rating
Excellent spectator turnout
The Lowdown
The BMW BERLIN‑MARATHON is one of the world's premier road races and a cornerstone of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, with an open‑road mass race tradition dating back to the modern marathon's consolidation in 1974 and roots in earlier Berlin long‑distance events. Over decades it has become synonymous with speed and records — most recently producing several world records — attracting the top international elites as well as tens of thousands of recreational runners from around the globe. The event is AIMS‑certified, a World Athletics Platinum Label race and has long been a recognized Boston Marathon qualifying course, making it both highly competitive for elites and appealing for those seeking personal bests and qualifier times.
The course itself is famously flat and fast, winding through Berlin's historic and modern landmarks: runners pass the Reichstag and Victory Column, thread through Tiergarten, sweep past Potsdamer Platz and the fashionable Kurfürstendamm area, and finish with a triumphant run down Straße des 17. Juni to the Brandenburg Gate. Spectator support is enthusiastic and cosmopolitan, with live bands, DJs and cheering crowds creating a festival atmosphere across multiple neighborhoods. Race day is expertly organized, from clearly marked pacing groups to plentiful aid stations, offering an elite-level competitive experience for pros and an unforgettable, well-supported celebration of running for mass participants.
Explore the course
Edition unconfirmed · Marathon
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