With the eyes and minds of most avid athletics fans firmly fixed on the World Championships in Tokyo, the organisers of this year’s BMW Berlin Marathon have certainly had their work cut out in delivering a field worthy of this popular feature on the Abbott World Marathon Majors calendar.
As the global track and field extravaganza comes to a close on Sunday, September 21, more than 55,000 runners will be setting off from the Brandenburg Gate, including ten elite men who have run faster than 2 hours 5 minutes, and six women who have clocked sub-2 hours and 19 minutes.
Regarded as one of the fastest courses in the world, the lure of perhaps having a crack at breaking the course record – or even the world record – has enabled the organisers to proudly state that, despite the distractions in Asia, this is the strongest line-up to ever assemble on the streets of Germany’s capital city.
Here is our guide to the big race.
Start time and how to watch live
The race starts and finishes on Straße des 17. Juni, a street running through the city’s Tiergarten Park, between the Brandenburg Gate and the ‘Kleiner Stern’ (Little Star). There are more than 80,000 participants this year from 160 different nations, across such disciplines as running, hand-biking, wheelchair and skating.
First to set off will be the elite hand-bikers at 8:50am, followed by the wheelchair competitors and other hand-bikers at 8:57am.
The first wave of elite runners will start their race at 9:15am, with subsequent waves following at regular intervals. The skaters have two start times on Saturday at 12:20pm and 1:24pm.
Regarded as a major television event, RTL has secured the broadcasting rights through to 2026 and will be broadcasting the race live from 8:30am through to 12:15pm. Those wishing to carry on watching can switch over to YouTube (@berlin-marathon) for coverage until 2:30pm.
There is a six-hour, 15-minute cut-off time for athletes to complete the circuit.
The Berlin Marathon course
Famous for its fast, flat circuit, a total of 13 world records have already been set on the streets of Berlin, and this year’s conditions are once again looking promising, with Jürgen Lock, CEO of SCC EVENTS, saying: “In the coming years, we will continue to focus on the unique conditions and the fast course for the world’s best marathon runners. No other race worldwide has recorded as many world records since 1998 as Berlin. As a co-founder of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, we are setting standards in the world of running.”
The 42.195-kilometre course leads the runners around the city, with very little elevation gain, along some of the most beautiful sights of Berlin, such as the Reichstag, the Victory Column, and Potsdamer Platz.
Men’s elite field – Fast times are expected
London Marathon winner, Sabastian Sawe, who is currently regarded by many as the world’s leading marathon runner, will provide stiff opposition for reigning champion Milkesa Mengesha, who is returning to the race where he celebrated the greatest success of his career so far at last year’s 50th anniversary race.
Race director, Mark Milde, said: “We are very pleased that Sabastian Sawe appreciates the Berlin Marathon and its course. He already proved how well he performs on the capital’s asphalt with his impressive victory at the 2023 Generali Berlin Half Marathon, and one thing is certain: the race will be very exciting.”
The 29-year-old Kenyan ran his personal best of 2:02:05 at his marathon debut in Valencia in 2024 and claimed victory in London last April with a time of 2:02:27.
Mengesha won last year with a personal best of 2:03:17, and the 25-year-old Ethiopian will not be willing to give up his title easily.
Also joining the field is Gabriel Geay, the Tanzanian marathon record holder who ran 2:03:00 in Valencia three years ago, finishing second.
Women’s elite field – All eyes on Kenyan Wanjiru
The women’s field also features several elite runners. Rosemary Wanjiru returns to the German capital, where her impressive marathon career began in 2022. The Kenyan finished second in Berlin with a time of 2:18:00 on her debut. Six months later, she won the Tokyo Marathon, and in 2024 she was runner-up there with her current personal best of 2:16:14.
Another standout athlete is Degitu Azimeraw, who has already run well under 2:20:00 multiple times. The 24-year-old Ethiopian delivered her best performance to date in London in 2021, surprising with a second-place finish in 2:17:58.
Fellow Ethiopian Mestawut Fikir, is also returning to Berlin. After winning her marathon debut in Paris last year, the 25-year-old then went on to improve her time in Berlin, finishing second in 2:18:48.
Course records
The men’s record is currently held by Kenyan long-distance running legend Eliud Kipchoge, who completed the course in 2:01:09 back in 2022. The women’s record was set the following year in 2023 by Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia, who crossed the line in 2:11:53.
