2024: Preview

EVENT MAGAZINE
ALL INFOS ABOUT YOUR MARATHON WEEKEND

© Bundesregierung/Thomas Köhler
Olaf Scholz
Greeting from the
Federal Chancellor
With the EURO 2024 football
championship in
Germany and the Olympic and
Paralympic Games in Paris, a
unique European summer of
sport is almost behind us. I
say “almost” because no summer
of sport here in Germany
is complete without the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON in September.
This year, we are celebrating its
50th anniversary – a reason to
pay special tribute to the marathon
discipline and to the commitment
shown by the athletes
and everyone else involved!
On 13 October 1974, the starting
gun was fired for the first Berlin
People’s Marathon –numbering
just 286 participants. Today,
more than 50,000 runners,
skaters, wheelchair racers and
handbikers from over 150 na-
– 3 –

tions are coming together for
this anniversary marathon,
along with tens of thousands
of sports enthusiasts who will
once again line the streets and
squares of Berlin this year and
create a special atmosphere.
Marathon history has been and
continues to be made here in
Berlin – indeed, the Berlin Marathon
has become part of the
city’s history in its own right.
The goosebump-inducing moment
in 1990, when the race
ran through the Brandenburg
Gate for the first time just a
few days before German reunification,
is unforgettable to
this day.
So it is no wonder that the Berlin
Marathon has a firm place in
the hearts of Berliners and their
guests from all over the world.
In addition to the athletes, my
heartfelt thanks go to all the
organisers, helpers, volunteers,
partners, sponsors, the
emergency services and police
and, of course, the spectators.
All of you are contributing to
the history of the Berlin Marathon.
Without you, this outstanding
sporting event would
not be possible.
I wish you all a successful 50th
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON – as
the crowning glory of this wonderful
summer of sport!
Olaf Scholz
Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany
– 4 –

© Senatskanzlei/Yves Sucksdorff
Kai Wegner
Tokyo, London, Boston, Chicago,
New York, and today
Berlin – welcome to one of the
world’s top six marathons!
This year, the BMW Berlin-
Marathon celebrates its 50th
anniversary. In 1974, its first
year, the “Berlin People’s Marathon”
drew 286 runners.
This year, the number of participating
runners, wheelchair
racers, and handbikers could
reach 50,000. Some of the
Greeting from the
Governing Mayor of Berlin
world’s best athletes are taking
part, along with ambitious
recreational runners from
Berlin, throughout Germany,
and around the globe.
In response to the enormous
demand, entry slots have
been allocated exclusively by
lottery for many years. The
Berlin Marathon stands out for
– 6 –

des Regierenden Bürgermeisters von Berl
für das Programmheft zum Berlin-Marathon am
its attractive route – past Herzlich Ber-Willkommelin’s landmarks and through sind am Start, complishment um ihren Traum is zu due leben. first Die and Weltspitze is
cess story. zum BMW Credit Berlin-Marathon for this ac-
2023. Rund
the Brandenburg Gate at the foremost to Berlin Marathon
Freizeitläufer, Walker, Handbiker und Rennrollstuhlfahrer. H
finish line. But the frenetically
cheering crowds and persönliche bands ganizational Rekorde gebrochen team oder of einfach the SCC das intensive
founder Horst Milde, the or-
playing along the route kommen. are Wer Berlin einmal sports dabei club, war, the wird enthusiastic
volunteers, and the
dieses Ereignis ni
just as remarkable. Waves of
Stimmung entlang der Strecke, das Panorama Berliner Sehens
enthusiasm and a firework sponsors and partners. Congratulations
den Stolz darauf, to die all 42 the Kilometer organi-
geschafft zu h
of emotions are guaranteed – am Ende –
parts of the Berlin experience. zers behind the Berlin Marathon
on its 50th anniversary
A race that started small 50
Sie alle haben hart trainiert, um für diese große Herausforde
years ago has now been a leading
highlight for Berlin
and thank you for your tireless
dass Sie
as
beim
commitment
Berlin-Marathon
this
2023
year
dabei
as
sind.
well.
Nun wünsch
a sports capital for decades. Start fit sind And und now die volle it’s Marathondistanz time to head to mit the Bravour bew
Thirteen world records represent
crowning achievements race and a great time at the
starting line. I wish you a good
Marathon 2023 wird für Sie alle ein unvergessliches Erlebnis.
die laufen, walken, rollen oder handbiken, ein erfolgreiche
in the Berlin Marathon’s suc-
50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON!
Aufenthalt in der Sportmetropole Berlin. Zugleich danke ich
Helfern, die wieder einmal zum erfolgreichen Gelingen des B
Kai Wegner
Regierender Bürgermeister von Berlin
Kai Wegner
Governing Mayor of Berlin
– 7 –

Christian Ach
Greeting from the title sponsor
The BMW BERLIN-MARA-
THON reaches a milestone
this year when one of the
world‘s fastest marathons will
take place for the 50th time.
We at the BMW Group are
very pleased to welcome you
as the title partner for the
13th time on the anniversary
of this fantastic event and to
be able to celebrate it together
with you.
Around 55,000 people from
about 160 nations – from
world-class athletes to hobby
runners – will take to the
42.195-kilometre course
through the German capital,
making the BMW BERLIN-MA-
RATHON a unique sporting
event in Germany for participants
and numerous fans.
The event stands not only for
top performances but especially
for diversity and friendly
intercultural encounters – values
that are central to the
BMW Group as much as sportiness.
However, at the centre is joy
at BMW, as well as at the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON. The joy
of having received a starting
place and being able to experience
something very special
together with thousands
of other running enthusiasts.
– 8 –

The joy of sport and of pushing
one‘s own limits. The joy
of mastering an individual
challenge – whether it be another
world record in Berlin
for one of the top stars or the
respective personal goals of
the starters. The joy of the
enthusiasm of the many people
along the route through
the capital, who cheer and
celebrate the athletes in a
particularly atmospheric way.
The joy of a colourful running
festival, which is sure to await
us with many new programme
points, especially in the anniversary
year.
To ensure that everything
runs smoothly, the BMW
Group will again support the
organisers with emission-free
vehicles at the 50th BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON – from
the fully electric BMW iX2 as
the Official Safety Car to the
new BMW i5 as the lead vehicle
for the men‘s and women‘s
international races, to other
fully electric BMW vehicles
such as the BMW i5 Touring,
the BMW i4, the BMW iX3, the
BMW iX2, or the BMW iX1. In
total, 65 BMW vehicles, as
well as ten motorcycles and
four scooters, will be in use.
Now it remains my great pleasure
to wish you, on behalf of
the BMW Group, much joy and
success as well as an electrifying
experience at the 50th
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.
Christian Ach
BMW Group – Head of BMW Germany
– 9 –

The anniversary
On 13 October 1974, 286 participants set off on a 42.195-kilometre
out-and-back along the AVUS highway in Grunewald. 50 years later,
more than 50,000 athletes are registered to experience Berlin
at its best on the now legendary loop through the German capital.
Christian Jost and Jürgen Lock, the two managing directors of SCC
EVENTS (the organiser of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON), reflect on
50 years of the BERLIN-MARATHON and welcome everyone to the
upcoming 50th edition on 29 September 2024.
Christian Jost
Jürgen Lock
– 10 –

1974: SO FING ALLES AN
When the starting gun for the 1st Berlin
People‘s Marathon was fired on 13 October
1974 on Waldschulallee in front of
the Mommsen Stadium, none of the 286
participants could have imagined how the
BERLIN-MARATHON would develop over the
coming decades.
On behalf of SCC EVENTS,
we would like to thank all
participants for celebrating
the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARA-
THON with us. Over 50,000
runners, skaters, wheelchair
racers and handcyclists from
about 150 nations are making
the journey to celebrate a peaceful
anniversary with us – and
we would like to welcome you
all to the German capital.
– 11 –

1977: WORLD BEST
TIME BY CHRISTA
VAHLENSIECK
From the second edition onwards,
the start and finish were
moved into the Mommsenstadion.
In 1977, Christa Vahlensieck
ran a new world best time of
2:34:47.5 h, which was beaten
a year later by Grete Waitz at
the New York City Marathon.
The BERLIN-MARATHON, organised
by an all-volunteer team,
enjoyed increasing popularity in
the late 1970s, but retained it‘s
image as a fun run in the countryside.
Meanwhile, metropolises
such as New York and London,
with their spectacular city
marathons, were showing how
things could be done in Berlin.
Half a century ago, the starting
gun for the 1st Berlin People‘s
Marathon was fired in front of
Mommsen Stadium in the Charlottenburg
district of Berlin.
None of the 286 participants
back then could have imagined
that the BERLIN-MARATHON
would develop into what it is
today. In 1974, 244 runners reached
the finish line. This year,
we are expecting over 50,000
finishers to adorn themselves
with their well-deserved medals
shortly after passing through
the Brandenburg Gate. 50 years
of the BERLIN-MARATHON

deserves 50,000 finishers! It
is important to us that despite
this record number of participants,
quality and service remain
at the highest level in all
areas of the event.
Over the past five decades, the
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON has
set standards in the running
and event scene. Standards
have been created in specialised
medical planning and event
1981: THE LEAP INTO
THE CITY
„There‘s a madman over there - he wants to
run through the city“. This is how the coinitiator
and long-time chief organiser Horst
Milde was introduced at the decisive meeting
with the police president. The „madness“
won out and the BERLIN-MARATHON
moved from Grunewald to the city centre.
On 27 September 1981, the meadow in front
of the Reichstag was the starting point for
the first 42 kilometres through the city for
3,486 runners from 30 nations. Their finish
line was right in the centre of City West at
the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church.

THE 80S: NEW ROUTE,
NEW POSIBIITIES
The new loop through the city
also made it possible to include
wheelchair athletes in the BER-
LIN-MARATHON. This made the
BERLIN-MARATHON one of the
first major city marathons to
include competitions in various
wheelchair racing categories
in its programme. In addition
to countless other successes,
Swiss superstar Heinz Frei (the
photo shows him winning in 1998)
crowned his sporting career with
an incredible 20 victories in the
Spree metropolis, making him
a Berlin legend. His compatriot
Manuela Schär has triumphed six
times on the fast course through
the capital. The wheelchair racers
and hand cyclists traditionally
start their race ahead of the large
field of runners with great enthusiasm
from the spectators along
the course and at the finish line.
management. The medical care
in this area is among the leading
in the world. The athletic
caliber has reached an unprecedented
level, as evidenced
by the 13 world records that
have been set. Berlin legends
such as Ronaldo da Costa, Uta
Pippig, Naoko Takahashi, Paul
Tergat, Haile Gebrselassie, Dennis
Kimetto, Amanal Petros, Eliud
Kipchoge and Tigist Assefa
have inspired countless people
to run. We see it as one of our
obligations to society to pass
on the joy and fun of exercise,
that is so important for life.
The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
paved the way for a number
of developments. In 1981, for
example, the lawn in front of the
– 14 –

Reichstag was the starting point
for 3,486 runners from 30 nations
to run 42 kilometres through
the heart of Berlin. The residents
in the capital immediately fell in
love with the race. The finish line
was right next to the Kaiser Wilhelm
Memorial Church. The idea
of a marathon that winds its way
through the centre of the city
spilled over into West Germany
and the boom in city marathons
was set in motion.
1987 TO 1989: THE BERLIN-
MARATHON GROWS UNDER
THE SHADOW OF THE WALL
In the early 1980s, the BERLIN-MARATHON
had already developed into one of the five
biggest marathons in the world. The course
ran partly along the Berlin Wall. The top
sporting event also attracted a lot of attention
in the eastern part of the city. From
1987 to 1989, the start of the BERLIN-MA-
RATHON was moved directly in front of the
Brandenburg Gate due to the increasing
number of participants. During these years,
African runners began to dominate the
race for the first time. And many runners
stretched in front of the monument that
still separated East from West.

– 16 –

THE GATE IS OPEN!
The first run through the Brandenburg
Gate in 1990 was an emotional milestone.
A few days before the reunification of
Germany, 25,000 enthusiastic athletes
from all over the world celebrated by running
and causing a worldwide sensation.
Former East Berliner Uta Pippig won the
women‘s race with a new course record of
2:28:37.
The first run through the
Brandenburg Gate took place
in 1990. A few days before
the reunification of Germany,
25,000 enthusiastic athletes
from all over the world celebrated
the reunion in Berlin. From
then on, the marathon and its
community in Berlin continued
to generate trends in the endurance
sports scene. The event
on the Spree grew into a traditional
event that has become
an integral part of today‘s
competition calendars. Current
“innovations”, such as including
events for the masses to
foster greater acceptance for
the sport at many major events
– 17 –

such as the Olympic Games or
World Championships, have
been an integral part of the
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
since its beginnings. Top performances
at a world-class level
and inclusive, recreational
sport have always been pillars
of our successful implementation.
Since 2006, the BMW BER-
LIN-MARATHON has been a
1998: THE FIRST
MEN‘S WORLD RECORD
The Brazilian Ronaldo da Costa
caused a big surprise in 1998. Nobody
had him on their radar. He ran
the race of his life and pulverised
the 10-year-old marathon world
record in 2:06:50. Shortly after
crossing the finish line, he did a
cartwheel and danced the samba.
A year later, crowd favourite Tegla
Loroupe from Kenya did the same
in the women‘s race. She improved
the women‘s world record to
2:20:43. Berlin‘s course is fast!
This message went around the
marathon world.
– 18 –

JAPANESE FEMALE
POWER
Since 2000, the women‘s winner has
come from Japan six years in a row.
One of these Japanese winners is
Naoko Takahashi, who was the first
woman to break the 2:20 barrier in
2001 and gave the BERLIN-MARATHON
its 4th world record. Her run was also
broadcast live on Japanese TV and
generated record ratings.
member of the AWMM (Abbott
World Marathon Majors),
the association of the six
most prestigious marathons
in the world. Our event is in
the company of other topclass
marathons in the spor-
SINCE 1997: INLINE
ROCK´N´ROLL
On 28 September 1997, inline skaters
took part in the BERLIN-MARATHON for
the first time. The race quickly developed
into the world‘s largest inline
marathon. In 2003, 9,612 athletes rolled
through the city. Olympic speed skating
champion Bart Swings from Belgium
became a serial winner in Berlin. He won
eight times and set a fantastic course
record of 56:45 min in 2022.
– 19 –

2003: RIGHT IN
THE HEART
In 2003, the traditional race
made another quantum leap. The
new circuit with start and finish
between the Brandenburg Gate
and the Victory Column landed
right in the heart of the city.
Since then, the unforgettable
highlight for every participant
has been the finish with the
crossing of the Brandenburg
Gate, the symbol of German
reunification.
ting metropolises of Tokyo,
London, Boston, Chicago and
New York. A lively exchange
of ideas and experiences within
this association ensures
the continuous development
of the BMW BERLIN-MARA-
THON and the optimisation of
the defined standards of the
six Abbott AWMM races.
In 2021, SCC EVENTS sent a
decisive signal to the world
– 20 –

2006 TO 2009: HAILE
GEBRSELASSIE BECOMES
A BERLIN LEGEND
From 2006 to 2009, Berliners
celebrated their marathon hero
Haile Gebrselassie. One of the most
successful long-distance runner
of all time from Ethiopia choses
the Spree metropolis as the venue
for his greatest triumphs over the
classic distance and became a legend
here. The BERLIN-MARATHON
became more and more international
and grew to new dimensions.
The total number of participants
(running, inline skating, wheelchair
racing, hand biking) was well over
40,000 and rising.
with the BMW BERLIN-MARA-
THON after months of confinement
and social distancing.
At the world‘s largest marathon
since the start of the CO-
VID pandemic, people‘s trust
was regained through sport
and inhibitions started to be
broken down. Basic values
such as cosmopolitanism, tolerance
and acceptance could
finally be lived again at the
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
2021. Once again it became
clear: just as Wimbledon belongs
to London or Roland
– 21 –

2006: A NEWS SERIES
Since 2006, the BERLIN-MARA-
THON has been a member of the
AWMM (Abbott World Marathon
Majors), the association of the six
biggest marathons in the world.
It is in the illustrious company
of top events in the sporting
metropolises of Tokyo, London,
Boston, Chicago and New York.
The result is a lively exchange of
ideas and experiences. In 2011,
the BERLIN-MARATHON was fully
booked in a record time of just
under three hours. Since then,
there has been a lottery to meet
the ever-increasing demand for
the coveted starting numbers.
Garros to Paris, the marathon
belongs to Berlin. Organised
in Berlin, by Berliners, for the
world – welcomed as guests in
Germany.
Even with all the records and
excellent orgarnisation, it is
still the emotions that are
most engraved in the participants‘
memories. No finish in
the world is as moving, no finish
in the world conjures up
as many happy faces as the
finish just behind the Bran-
– 22 –

denburg Gate. These images
remain unforgettable for the
athletes and make their way
thousand-fold from Berlin out
into the world. If you want to
experience the history and
flair of the BMW BERLIN-MA-
RATHON, visit our MOVE venue
at the Brandenburg Gate.
With MOVE, we have created
a meeting place, a space to
hang out and enjoy yourself,
FROM 2015: NEVER-
ENDING RECORDS
From 2015, another marathon
icon left his mark on the BER-
LIN-MARATHON. The Kenyan
Eliud Kipchoge ran two world
records in his five victories on
the Spree. He too will forever be
a hero of the city.
with an exhibition, catering
and a wide range of sports
and cultural activities. You
can read all the details on the
following pages.
– 23 –

2023: TIGST ASSEFA
IN NEW DIMENSIONS
The final highlight so far, however, was
set by a woman. Tigst Assefa from
Ethiopia ran a sensational world record
of 2:11.53 at the 49th BMW BERLIN-MA-
RATHON on 24 September 2023, beating
the old record by more than two minutes.
A total of 13 world records were
broken at the BERLIN-MARATHON. More
than at any other marathon.
Many thanks to all the organisers,
employees, volunteers,
partners, sponsors, the emergency
services and police, as
well as the spectators, participants
and citizens of Berlin,
without whom such an event
would not be possible.
Christian Jost & Jürgen Lock
Geschäftsführer von SCC EVENTS
– 24 –

LIVE
ON
TV
Contents
29 SEPTEMBER
STARTING AT
9:15 AM
RTL
28 The city as a catwalk
We’ll have the appropriate number of participants
for the 50th anniversary event: over 50,000 runners
are expected. There will also be a fitting programme
at the Brandenburg Gate. With an exhibition
and a big opening ceremony on Friday evening.
50 What you need to know
What will be taking place when and where? Where
does the course go? All the important information
at a glance, with a detailed timetable for the race.
70 The top runners
Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele, the two athletes
who characterised an entire decade in Berlin,
will be missing from action. But other athletes will
bring their own excitement. Find out who they are
and what the chances for the top German athletes
look like this time in the big preview.
90 The city
Explore Berlin on your marathon weekend. The
best tips for experiencing this fascinating city, where
everyone can do their own thing, in an authentic
way. From restaurants that are still insider tips to
great shopping experiences.

102 Four from 1974 return
In their welcome address, Jürgen Lock and Christian
Jost look back on 50 years of the BERLIN-MARATHON.
Here you can get to know four runners who participated
alongside first-time victor Günter Hallas, who ran in
1974 and will start again in 2024.
130 Who‘s that running?
Uwe Wolf has collected almost all of the BERLIN-
MARATHON finisher medals from the last 50 years.
He is one of the protagonists of our story about three
special participants in the anniversary run.
162 High speed on wheels
The inline skaters‘ race at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
is always a spectacle: they race through the streets of
Berlin at top speed and finish the marathon in less than
an hour. The stars of the scene will be back to compete
this year.
182 The music man
Since the 90s, a Dutchman has been responsible for the
party atmosphere at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON: For
28 years, John Kunkeler has ensured that over 70 bands
can perform along the course. But now his time of leadership
is over. But he will remain involved in the marathon.
Außerdem
62 — Tours along the route: How to follow the marathon in Berlin
68 — Imprint
114 — Mixed Zone: Queer Cheering Zone and the anniversary medal
118 — What the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON is doing in terms of sustainability
194 — Fast young runners present themselves at the finale of the R5K Tour
202 — Thomas Eller shows how well you can run a marathon while deaf
236 — The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON organisation team

To mark the 50th anniversary of Germany‘s top and most spectacular road race,
there will be a special number of participants to meet the occasion: over 50,000
runners are expected to take part in the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON on 29 September.
Never before have there been more registrations for the largest 42.195
kilometre race in the German-speaking world, which counted 244 finishers at its
premiere on the edge of West Berlin‘s Grunewald forest in 1974. The 50th BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON could become one of the biggest marathon races of all time.
This will not just be celebrated on the last Sunday in September 2024, but over the
course of almost two weeks. It starts with an exhibition and a varied program at a
very special place: MOVE brings 50 years of the BERLIN-MARATHON to life.
When the whole city
becomes a runway
What a moment, when
the course of the BER-
LIN-MARATHON led through
the Brandenburg Gate for the
first time in 1990. This and
many other highlights will be
brought to life at that exact
location from 17 September
at MOVE – Home of the Marathon.
For a fortnight, a spectacular
building will attract
visitors to the Platz des 18.
März on the west side of the
Brandenburg Gate – with an
exhibition, with catering, with
an extensive sports and cultural
programme as well as panel
talks, readings and much
more. The exhibition shows:
A lot has happened since the
29

UNSEEN AT MOVE: THE
PHOTO EXHIBITION
An additional highlight at MOVE
is the cooperation with UNSEEN,
a globally-connecting photo
exhibition and panel series
that travels from marathon to
marathon. UNSEEN is a global
platform for athletes, artists
and activists, giving them the
opportunity to share what they
have learnt from the running
community and what the running
community and society
can learn from them. As part of
MOVE, UNSEEN shines a light on
two marginalised groups who are
breaking boundaries in different
ways. A series of portraits of
blind and visually impaired marathon
runners shows how people
do not let physical and mental
limitations stop them. The photo
series also focuses on Berlin‘s
LGBTIQ* running community and
illustrates how running connects
people and creates a common
identity based on freedom and
acceptance.
event was launched in 1974.
It has grown from 286 participants
to more than 50,000
runners expected this year. A
total of 13 world records have
been set since its inception.
In 1974, a ribbed undershirt
made up the classic outfit –
since then, a complete, scientifically-based
equipment industry
has developed around
running. In 1974, we used dialup
landlines – how did the organisers
even communicate
along the route? This is one
of the many questions that
will be answered at MOVE.
The history of the BERLIN-
MARATHON not only covers
the development of a running
event, but also 50 years of
sporting history and 50 years
of city history – embedded
in the changes of an entire
city, embedded in 50 years of
world history. It covers the fall
of the Berlin Wall, the overcoming
of a political system, as
a global event. The many ex-
30

MOVE: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROGRAMME AT THE BRANDENBURG GATE
Saturday, 20 September
4 – 5 pm
‘The Joy(ce) of Running – The run of my life’
Reading with Joyce Hübner
20 weeks, 69,656
metres in altitude, 5127
kilometres. Joyce Hübner
traversed Germany to run
120 marathons, followed by
hundreds of thousands on
social media. In her book,
she provides deep and
inspiring insights into the
course of her life.
Live concerts with bands from the course
Roseneck-Boys
20 September | 9 pm
Marcus Klossek 21 September | 9 pm
Tuba Vibes Project 26 September | 9 pm
Andrea Marcelli 30 September | 6 pm
The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON is known for its
more than 80 bands along the course. Some
fantastic jazz bands will be performing live at
MOVE. The Roseneck Boys and Marcus Klossek
will provide the perfect musical backdrop for
a chill evening. The extraordinary ensemble
Tuba Vibes Project will impress with an
enormous richness of sound, new ideas and
a certain unpredictability. The multi-awardwinning
jazz musician Andrea Marcelli will
provide a final highlight on the day after the
anniversary marathon.
Wednesday, 18 September
‘Only death is faster’
Reading with Hajo Schumacher
4 pm
Detective Peer Pedes
uses unorthodox methods,
humour and speed to investigate
a series of murders
in the Berlin running scene.
The crime thriller was
written by journalist, TV
presenter and author Hajo
Schumacher and screenwriter
Michael Meisheit.
Sports and exercise programmes:
from running to Pilates
From running meet-ups for early birds to
sightseeing runs and after-work runs – MOVE is
the daily starting point for a variety of running
programmes for everyone. And you don‘t have
to be a marathon runner to take part. Everyone
is welcome here. This also applies to the yoga
and Pilates sessions and the many other offers.
T H E
F U L L P R O G R A M M E
31

citing exhibits that make up
‘50 years of the BERLIN-MA-
RATHON’ places the development
of the running event in
the context of all these changes
and offers lively insights
into the last five decades, and
not just for running enthusiasts.
MOVE is also a meeting place,
a space to linger and enjoy –
for example, with a drink and
one of the evening concerts
or a reading. There are also
plenty of opportunities for
exercise, from yoga and Pilates
classes to running sessions.
And, of course, MOVE is the
ideal place to get in the mood
for the race on Sunday. For
the first time in ten years,
Kenyan superstar Eliud Kipchoge
and Ethiopian running
legend Kenenisa Bekele, two
athletes who have characterised
an entire decade at the
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON,
will be missing for the first
time in ten years. But – even
Uta Pippig won the BERLIN MARA-
THON three times and triumphed in
New York and Boston, as well. The
59-year-old is a Berlin marathon icon
and will be one of the stars at the
opening ceremony on Friday evening.

WILD ONE BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON
LIMITED EDITION
WEMPE Berlin, Kurfürstendamm 214 – 215, Berlin, 10719
WEMPE Berlin, Friedrichstraße 81, Berlin, 10117

if the two will not be at the
start and no chase for world
record number 14 is planned
at the 50th BMW BERLIN-MA-
RATHON – the women‘s and
men‘s fields are so strong at
the top that absolute worldclass
times and exciting races
can be expected.
Opening Ceremony at
the Brandenburg Gate
One athlete who became a
Berlin legend in record time a
year ago and graces the cover
of this event magazine
will be in Berlin – even if she
will be missing from Sunday‘s
race due to her recent start
at the Olympics in Paris: Tigst
Assefa will be one of the stars
of the opening show, which
will ring in the anniversary
weekend on Friday evening
– also in front of the Brandenburg
Gate. The Ethiopian
set the most recent and sensational
world record at the
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON in
2023 with a time of 2:11:53.
She won marathon silver at
the Olympic Games in Paris
in mid-August.
On 27 September, she will
join a stage full of stars, including
Uta Pippig, who won
the first marathon that led
through the Brandenburg
Gate in 1990. Other icons, including
two Berlin world record
holders Tegla Loroupe
and Naoko Takahashi and the
very first Berlin victor, Günter
Hallas, will also be making appearances.
These legends will
be bringing the history of the
marathon to life and making
the opening a historic event.
But the spotlight will not just
be shining on sports legends
alone. Rousing live performances
by Lucenzo, singer
of the worldwide number one
hit ‘Danza Kuduro’, Berlin‘s
international soul diva Joy
Denalane, Londonbeat with

OPENING CEREMONY WITH WORLD RECORD HOLDER TIGST ASSEFA
AND THESE TOP MUSIC ACTS
JOY DENALANE LUCENZO NOMCEBO ZIKODE
Berlin‘s international
soul diva
with the worldwide number
one hit ‘Danza Kuduro’
two-time
Grammy winner
Date: Friday 27 September 2024
Location: Finish area | Brandenburg Gate/Strasse des 17. Juni
Doors open: 4:30 pm | Pre-program: 5 pm
Start Opening Ceremony: 7 pm
Admission: with free ticket only
Tickets at: https://www.bmw-berlin-marathon.com
O R D E R
T I C K E T S

their classic hit ‘I‘ve been
thinking about you’ and twotime
Grammy winner Nomcebo
Zikode, among others,
will make the stage at the
Brandenburg Gate shake with
their music from across decades
of changing times for a
special celebration.
The opening show be more
than just a start to the sports
weekend – it will launch the
celebration of 50 years of
marathon history in Berlin. It
is also a thank you to all Berliners,
volunteers and trailblazers
who have supported and
accompanied the BERLIN-
MARATHON over the years.
Thanks also to an entire city
that has shaped the BERLIN-
MARATHON over the course
of five decades and made it
a dream destination for runners
around the world.
These three musicians had their big hit in the fall of 1990, when the BERLIN-MA-
RATHON first led through both parts of the city, which until then had been separated
by the Berlin Wall: Londonbeat will certainly also play ‘I‘ve Been Thinking About
You’ at the opening ceremony – the song was a number one hit in 27 countries.

FEIERT MIT UNS
DEN 40. BERLINER
FRAUENLAUF
17. Mai 2025
#laufengegenkrebs
@frauenlaufberlin
www.berliner-frauenlauf.de

Big emotions are
waiting for you!

Thumbs up for the 50th
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON!

Monday,
Sept. 30
all results
included
Your race
your time
Only in Tagesspiegel.
All results, all runners. Don´t miss it.
Get it on Monday, September 30, 2024.
Available at any newsstand in Berlin

Feelings of joy on the lawn in front of the
Bundestag. More finishers than ever before
may experience this on 29 September.

Inclusion and diversity are very
important in Berlin. Here, everyone
can experience the emotions that
the marathon adventure can evoke.

Horst Milde organised the first
BERLIN-MARATHON in 1974 and
played a key role in shaping the
history of the race. In the era of Haile
Gebrselassie in the 2000s, his son
Mark (photo below) had already
followed in his footsteps as Race
Director. In November 2023, Horst
Milde accepted the ‘Heritage Plaque’
from the World Athletics Federation
on behalf of the BMW BERLIN-
MARATHON together with the Governing
Mayor Kai Wegner. Iris Spranger,
Berlin‘s Senator for the Interior and
Sport, and Chris Turner from World
Athletics were also present.

On 29 September, the streets of Berlin will
belong to the marathon runners. And it will be
packed when over 50,000 take to the course.
The start in waves and the well-coordinated
SCC EVENTS organisation team will ensure
that it doesn‘t get too crowded.

35TH LITERATURE MARATHON
Sunday, 22 September
5 pm
The 35th Literature Marathon is focused entirely
on the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON – a very
special anniversary. The texts are all about
course and the personalities who have shaped
the BERLIN-MARATHON. Guests include Horst
Milde and Hajo Schumacher.
Kunstfabrik Schlot
Berlin-Mitte | Invalidenstraße 117 (Edison-Höfe)
OPENING CEREMONY
Friday, 27 September
7 pm
The marathon’s anniversary weekend will be
kicked off with a festive opening ceremony
directly in front of the Brandenburg Gate. A
fantastic programme celebrating half a century
of marathon history in Berlin, filled with live
bands and international stars, marathon legends,
trailblazers, and top athletes, will entertain all
fans and participants.
Brandenburg Gate
Berlin-Tiergarten | Platz des 18. März

What is happening
during the
marathon week?
MARATHON EXPO
The Sports Community Convention
Thursday, 26 September
3 to 8 pm
Friday, 27 September 10 am to 8 pm
Saturday, 28 September 9 am to 7 pm
Over 170 exhibitors from Germany and abroad
will be providing information on the latest
trends in nutrition, sports medicine, sports
equipment and travel. Just picking up your race
kit on the monumental grounds of the historic
former Tempelhof Airport is an experience in itself.
Culinary delights on the extensive tarmac
provide for the well-being of all expo visitors.
Former Tempelhof Airport
Berlin-Tempelhof | Platz der Luftbrücke

SATURDAY SCHEDULE
R5K TOUR FINALE
Saturday, 28 September
Start: 9:50 am
MINI-MARATHON
presented by GENERALI
Saturday, 28 September Start: Noon
With the R5K series, Germany is looking for the
fastest young 5K talents on the road. And where
else could the finale for the series of four five-kilometre
races take place than at the BMW BERLIN-
MARATHON? On Saturday morning, runners under
the age of 23 who have previously qualified in the
races in Dresden, Hanover, Paderborn and Hamburg
will compete, running the last five kilometres of the
marathon course. Once they have passed through
the Brandenburg Gate, the overall winners in the
U20 and U23 categories will be decided.
Start: Potsdamer Platz
Finish: Strasse des 17. Juni near the
Brandenburg Gate
52
Germany‘s biggest school run – around 10,000
pupils from Berlin and Brandenburg run the
last 4.295 km of the original marathon route
through the Brandenburg Gate to the finish. The
results of teams of ten will be counted, adding
up to the full marathon distance. Nice medals
and certificates await the kids at the finish line
as a reward.
Start: Potsdamer Platz
Finish: Strasse des 17. Juni near the
Brandenburg Gate

GENERALI 5K
Taste the Marathon Spirit
Saturday, 28 September
10:00 am
The day before the legendary BMW BERLIN-MA-
RATHON, there is a unique opportunity to run
the last five kilometres of the original course.
The exhilarating finish through the Brandenburg
Gate, the cheering on the last few metres
and the beautiful finisher‘s medal just after the
finish. It‘s all just as unforgettable as the big
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON the day after.
Start: Potsdamer Platz
Finish: Strasse des 17. Juni near the
Brandenburg Gate
53

SATURDAY SCHEDULE
BAMBINILAUF
presented by ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg
Saturday, 28 September starting at 11 am
The little ones can make a big impression at the
MARATHON EXPO. The courses on the tarmac
of the former Tempelhof Airport are between
200m and 1000m. On the day before the big
race, kids up to ten years old will run around
the historic ‘Candy Bomber’.
Former Tempelhof Airport
Berlin-Tempelhof | Platz der Luftbrücke
MARATHON INLINESKATING
Saturday, 28 September
Start: 12:20 pm
The speed at which the best skaters race across
the streets is fascinating: the fastest are expected
to cross the finish line just behind the Brandenburg
Gate after less than 60 minutes. Before that, the
loop, which has to be completed five times, leads
across Ernst-Reuter-Platz to Charlottenburg Palace
and back to the Victory Column. For the grand
finale, the inline skaters will roll across Potsdamer
Platz, the Gendarmenmarkt square and through the
Brandenburg Gate to the finish line, as usual.
Strasse des 17. Juni
(near the Kleiner Stern)
Berlin-Tiergarten

ECUMENICAL PRAYER
Saturday, 28 September
4 pm
On the day before the race, all participants can
join together in an ecumenical prayer for peace,
diversity and solidarity. The location could not
be more historic. The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial
Church is one of Berlin‘s most famous landmarks.
It was badly damaged in 1943 during the Second
World War and is considered a ‘memorial against
the war’.
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
Berlin-Charlottenburg | Breitscheidplatz
MARATHON PARTY SKATING
with presentation of the winners
Saturday, 28 September starting at 9 pm
Those who still have some life in their legs can
celebrate together with the champions of the
BMW BERLN-MARATHON. It’s time to dance until
you drop. The highlight of the evening is the big
awards ceremony at 11 pm.
Kosmos
Berlin-Friedrichshain | Karl-Marx-Allee 131a

SUNDAY SCHEDULE
50TH BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
Sunday, 29 Sept.
Start in waves starting at 8:50 am
The 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON will start on
Sunday morning. Participants will set off on the
course in four waves. By the time the last athletes
cross the start line, the elite runners will almost
be back at the finish line on Strasse des 17. Juni
near the Soviet Memorial. The first runners are
expected to cross the finish line just behind the
Brandenburg Gate at around 11:15.
Start Hand cyclists (elite)
8:50 am
Start Wheelchair athletes 8:56 am
Start Hand cyclists 8:59 am
Start Runners (1st wave) 9:15 am
Start Runners (2nd wave) 9:45 am
Start Runners (3rd wave) 10:10 am
Start Runners (4th wave) 10:40 am
Start Inclusion Run (Gendarmenmarkt) 3:20 pm
Strasse des 17. Juni
(near the Kleiner Stern)
Berlin-Tiergarten
56

MARATHON PARTY RUNNING
with presentation of the winners
Sunday, 29 September starting at 8 pm
The highs will continue as long as the joy of
having completed the classic distance lasts. The
highlight of the hopping party is the presentation
of the winners.
Kosmos
Berlin-Friedrichshain | Karl-Marx-Allee 131a

COURSE MAP
B I G G E R
M A P

KILOMETRES
LEADING
HANDBIKERS
LEADING
LEADING
WHEELCHAIR COMPETITORS
RUNNERS
LAST RUNNERS
LOCATION
PASSING TIMES
START 08:50 08:56 09:15 10:46 Straße des 17. Juni (Kleiner Stern)
1 08:51 08:57 09:17 10:55 Straße des 17. Juni (nach Siegessäule)
2 08:52 08:59 09:20 11:04 Straße des 17. Juni (vor Charlottenburger Brücke)
3 08:54 09:01 09:23 11:13 Marchstraße (vor Einsteinufer)
4 08:55 09:03 09:26 11:23 Alt-Moabit (vor Zinzendorfstraße)
5 08:57 09:05 09:29 11:32 Alt-Moabit 96 (McFit)
6 08:58 09:07 09:32 11:41 Alt-Moabit 130 (nach Invalidenstraße)
7 08:59 09:09 09:35 11:50 Konrad-Adenauer-Straße (nach Otto v. Bismarck Allee)
8 09:01 09:10 09:38 12:00 Friedrichstraße 130 C (nach Reinhardtstraße)
9 09:02 09:12 09:41 12:09 Torstraße 158/160 (vor Ackerstraße)
10 09:04 09:14 09:44 12:18 Torstraße 46 (nach Rosa-Luxemburg-Straße)
11 09:05 09:16 09:46 12:27 Otto-Braun-Straße (vor Alexanderplatz)
12 09:07 09:18 09:49 12:37 Strausberger Platz (nach Lichtenberger Str.)
13 09:08 09:20 09:52 12:46 Michaelkirchstraße (vor Köpenicker Str.)
14 09:09 09:22 09:55 12:55 Heinrich-Heine-Str. 70 (nach Einfahrt Parkplatz Lidl)
15 09:11 09:24 09:58 13:04 Reichenberger Straße/Erkelenzdamm (nach Erkelenzdamm)
16 09:12 09:25 10:01 13:14 Kottbusser Damm 13 (nach Böckhstraße/U-Bhf. Schönleinstraße)
17 09:14 09:27 10:04 13:23 Hasenheide 16/14 (nach Conrad)
18 09:15 09:29 10:07 13:32 Südstern (Kirche vor Südstern)
19 09:16 09:31 10:10 13:41 Gneisenaustraße 98 (nach Solmsstraße)
20 09:18 09:33 10:13 13:51 Yorckstraße 24 (vor Katzbachstraße)
21 09:19 09:35 10:15 14:00 Goebenstraße 20/21 (vor Kirchbachstraße)
HM 09:19 09:35 10:15 14:01 Goebenstraße 24/25 (vor Steinmetzstraße)
22 09:21 09:37 10:18 14:09 Grunewaldstraße 11 (vor Gleditschstraße)
23 09:22 09:38 10:21 14:18 Martin-Luther-Straße 88 (nach Wartburgstraße)
24 09:24 09:40 10:24 14:28 Hauptstraße (unter S-Bahn)
25 09:25 09:42 10:27 14:37 Rheinstraße 8 (nach Schmargendorfer Straße)
26 09:26 09:44 10:30 14:46 Wiesbadener Straße 12/13 (vor Rheingaustraße)
27 09:28 09:46 10:33 14:55 Breitenbachplatz (vor Dillenburger Straße/Haltestelle BVG)
28 09:29 09:48 10:36 15:05 Lentzeallee 44 (vor Hellriegelstraße links)
29 09:31 09:50 10:39 15:14 Rheinbabenallee 20 (nach Heydenstraße)
30 09:32 09:52 10:42 15:23 Hohenzollerndamm 124 (vor Auguste-Viktoria-Straße)
31 09:33 09:53 10:45 15:32 Hohenzollerndamm 152 (vor Fritz-Wildung Straße)
32 09:35 09:55 10:47 15:42 Hohenzollerndamm Gegenfahrbahn (nach Ruhrstraße)
33 09:36 09:57 10:50 15:51 Konstanzer Straße 59 (nach Düsseldorfer Straße)
34 09:38 09:59 10:53 16:00 Kurfürstendamm 204 (nach Knesebeckstraße)
35 09:39 10:01 10:56 16:09 Tauentzienstraße 13 A (nach Rankestraße)
36 09:41 10:03 10:59 16:19 Kleiststraße 3-6 (nach Courbierestraße)
37 09:42 10:05 11:02 16:28 Potsdamer Straße 113 (vor Kurfürstenstraße)
38 09:43 10:06 11:05 16:37 Potsdamer Straße 35 (gegenüber Sigismundstraße)
39 09:45 10:08 11:08 16:46 Leipziger Straße 5 (nach Bundesrat)
40 09:46 10:10 11:11 16:56 Jerusalemer Straße (nach Leipziger Straße)
41 09:48 10:12 11:14 17:05 Französische Straße 14 (vor Glinkastraße)
42 09:49 10:14 11:16 17:14 Straße des 17. Juni (nach Brandenburger Tor)
ZIEL 09:50 10:16 11:17 17:16 Straße des 17. Juni (Sowjetisches Ehrenmal)

MARATHON
AM TAG,
LIEBLINGSBETT
AM ABEND.
Höffner Möbelgesellschaft Lichtenberg GmbH & Co. KG Landsberger Allee 320, 10365 Berlin
Höffner Möbelgesellschaft GmbH & Co. KG • Sachsendamm 20 • 10829 Berlin
Höffner Möbelgesellschaft GmbH & Co. KG • Am Rondell 1 • 12529 Schönefeld

– 62 –

Where the
best
action is
While the atmosphere along the
course is fabulous in all of the
districts, there are a few spots
along the course of the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON that are
even more exciting. A Guide.
The BMW BERLIN-MARA-
THON offers one of the
most attractive courses at the
42.195 k distance. Not only is
the course in Germany’s capital
flat and ideal for setting
personal bests, but it is also extremely
attractive for tourists.
It is the longest fan mile in the
world — a 42km tour of the capital.
It is a great way to experience
the whole fascination of
the marathon through Berlin in
several areas. The districts and
neighborhoods along the route
are all different and each has
its own special charm. You can
also sense this when you are
watching along the course, and
the diverse areas of Berlin add
to the appeal of the classic running
event. Here you will find
“neighbourhood tours” specially
designed for spectators at
the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
so that they can support their
runners all the way to the finish
and easily get from one hot spot
to the next along the course.

kieztour City West
TIERGARTEN – WILMERSDORF
at 0.6 k:
Victory Column
The 70-metre tall
column will be circled
by the runners
along both sides.
The Siegessäule has
a viewing platform.
Watch the start | walk via Großer Stern to U Hansaplatz | U9 Zoologischer
Garten | walk to the Kudamm | with U2 to Uhlandstraße to Nollendorfplatz |
walk to Bülowstraße/Potsdamer Straße | with U2 to Potsdamer Platz |
walk to the finish area
at 34 k: Kurfürstendamm
The course passes the famous boulevard Kurfürstendamm
where hotspots and music bands
attract many cheering spectators.
– 64 –
at 35 k:
Kaiser Wilhelm
Memorial Church
Built in 1895 and
destroyed in WWII,
the church stands
in partial ruins as a
memorial.

Posh People &
fast Athletes kieztour
TIERGARTEN – MITTE
at 40 k:
Gendarmenmarkt
The Gendarmenmarkt
is one of
the most beautiful
squares in Berlin. It is
framed by three monumental
buildings:
the German Cathedral,
the French Cathedral
and the Concert
House.
Starts until 2nd wave of the runners (9:40 am) | walk to Potsdamer Platz –
see handbikers and wheelchair drivers (9:50 am), top runners (11:00 am) |
walk to the finish (fastest men approx. 11:17 am, women approx. 11:30 am |
walk Unter den Linden to the Gendarmenmarkt – have coffee or
champagne and applaud the runners
at 41 k: Unter den Linden
The splendid boulevard in the heart of Berlin.
– 65 –

kieztour
TIERGARTEN – WILMERSDORF – SCHÖNEBERG – KREUZBERG – FRIEDRICHSHAIN
– MITTE
Neighborhood
Drifter Tour
Watch the start | walk to the Swiss Embassy / km 6,9 |
walk to Hauptbahnhof (S-Bahn) | U8 Alexanderplatz,
walk to Karl-Marx-Allae (km 11) | U8 Moritzplatz (km
14)| U7/8 Gneisenaustraße (km 19) | U7 Eisenacher
Straße (km 22) | U7/3 Breitenbachplatz (km27) |
U3 Fehrbelliner Platz (km 32) | U3 Wittenbergplatz
(km 36) - U2 Potsdamer Platz (km 38,5) |
walk to the Finish-Line-Village
at 23 k: Schöneberg City Hall
The former seat of the West Berlin
Senate, John F. Kennedy spoke
the famous words: „Ich bin ein
Berliner“ here in 1963.
at 28 k: Wild Boar
The roundabout at „The Wild
Boar“ is traditionally a highlight
along the course. In this noble Berlin
residential area, many spectators
and a samba band assure great
atmosphere.

Long
nights in
Kreuzberg
kieztour
KREUZBERG – SCHÖNEBRG – MITTE
at 42 k:
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg
Gate is Germany’s
most famous landmark.
The Berlin
Wall used to stand
on this seam separating
the East
and West.
Kottbusser Tor (U1)/km 15 from (at 10:00 am the top runners are
expected) Kurfürstenstraße (U1) | 100 m walk to Bülowstraße/Potsdamer
Straße (km 37) | Potsdamer Platz (U2)/km 38,5 | walk to the
finish
at 38,5 k: Potsdamer Platz
The Potsdamer Platz (Potsdamer Square) was once the melting point of
pre-war Berlin. After years of construction it has come back to life.

Short &
Painless
kieztour
TIERGARTEN – MITTE – KREUZBERG
Watch the starts until the 2nd wave of the runners (9:40 am) |
walk to the Swiss Embassy (km 6.9) | take the train from
Hauptbahnhof to Yorkstraße | walk under the Yorkbridges to
the half marathon point | walk to the Hot Spot Bülowstrasse/
Potsdamer Strasse (km 37) | take the train to Potsdamer
Platz and walk to the Brandenburg Gate and the finish area
IMPRINT
Event Magazine
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
Publisher
SCC EVENTS GmbH
Responsible for Content
Christian Jost, Jürgen Lock
Production
DLM RunMedia GmbH, Köln
Editorial Team
Gerte Buchheit, Vincent Dornbusch,
Jochen Schmitz, Christian Ermert,
Jörg Wenig, Anja Herrlitz
Graphics
CNG sports & media GmbH, Köln
Photos
SCC EVENTS, Vincent Dornbusch,
camera4, sportografen,
Petko Beier, Ralf Günter,
Andreas Schwarz,
Sebastian Wells,
Jean-Marc Wiesner,
Norbert Wilhelmi, adidas
UNSEEN, Timothy Schaumburg,
World Athletics
imago images
Beautiful Sports (3), Nordphoto (3)
Bernd Günther, IPA, Action Plus,
Andreas Gora
Adobe Stock
Travelwitness, Robeco,
Bernd Kröger, S. Sinha,
Renata Sedmakova,
Matthias, kreativ4insider.com
iStock
Elxeneize, Fuchs Photography

THE ELITE RACES
The men‘s elite field of the BMW BERLIN-
MARATHON has a new look for the 50th
anniversary, but it also reflects the current
developments at the top of the marathon
world. Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa
Bekele, the two athletes who characterised
an entire decade in Berlin, will be missing
this year. But other athletes are now
bringing the excitement. In this respect,
Berlin Race Director Mark Milde can be
confident that ultimately the results will
not change much. Although there are no
concrete plans to chase world record number
14 in Berlin – no other marathon has
seen so many world best times – we can
again expect world-class times and exciting
races. And in the women‘s race, Melat
Kejeta could even set her sights on the
15-year-old German record.
Texts: Jörg Wenig
Texte: Jörg Wenig

Generational
change

How the men‘s
race could go
MEN’S RECORDS
World record
2:00:35 Kelvin Kiptum (KEN)
Chicago/USA (2023)
European record
2:03:36 Bashir Abdi (BEL)
Rotterdam/NED (2021)
German record
2:04:58 Amanal Petros (Marathon-Team Berlin)
Berlin (2023)
World best time of the year
2:02:16 Benson Kipruto (KEN)
Tokyo/JPN (March 3, 2024)
German best time of the year
2:06:05 Amanal Petros (Marathon-Team Berlin)
Hannover (April 14, 2024)
Course record
2:01:09 Eliud Kipchoge (KEN)
September 25, 2022
Without any absolute top
favourites, the 50th BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON is shaping
up to be a race that is as open
as it has rarely been in the history
of this race. A large group
of athletes will start on 29 September
who all have a chance
of winning. Although the absolute
top stars will not be able
to take part due to having run
the Olympic Marathon in Paris
in August, a very fast race and
world-class times can be expected.
No fewer than 15 runners
will be competing with personal
best times of under 2:06:00
hours – in this respect, it is the
best field in the history of the
event in terms of the breadth of
the top runners.
– 72 –

There is at least one Kenyan
on the start list who has the
potential to become the country‘s
next marathon superstar:
Kibiowott Kandie is the former
half marathon world record
holder. His best time of 57:32
minutes suggests that he can
become one of the fastest marathon
runners of all time, provided
he manages to transfer
his enormous potential to the
42.195 kilometres.
Kibiwott Kandie can
become the new star
With his best time of 2:04:48,
Kibiwott Kandie is one of six
athletes in the starting field
who have already run under
2:05:00. Returning to Berlin
are Ethiopian Tadese Takele
and Kenyan Ronald Korir,
who finished third and fourth
here last year, achieving personal
best times of 2:03:24
and 2:04:22 respectively. Kenyan
Cybrian Kotut – a younger
brother of former Lon-
The 20 strongest runners
in Berlin 2024
Time Runner Country
2:03:24 Tadese Takele ETH
2:04:22 Ronald Korir KEN
2:04:34 Cybrian Kotut KEN
2:04:41 Hailemaryam Kiros ETH
2:04:48 Kibiwott Kandie KEN
2:04:57 Bazezew Asmare ETH
2:05:08 Samwel Mailu KEN
2:05:29 Milkesa Mengesha ETH
2:05:30 Haymanot Alew ETH
2:05:35 Philimon Kipchumba KEN
2:05:42 Josphat Boit KEN
2:05:42 Dejene Megersa ETH
2:05:47 Enock Onchari KEN
2:05:51 Oqbe Ruesom ERI
2:05:57 Justus Kangogo KEN
2:06:11 Chala Regasa ETH
2:07:04 Stephen Kiprop KEN
2:07:14 Hendrik Pfeiffer GER
2:08:22 Filimon Abraham GER
2:08:24 Haftom Welday GER
2:08:51 Sebastian Hendel GER
2:10:39 Johannes Motschmann GER
2:11:03 Tom Gröschel GER
2:12:39 Konstantin Wedel GER
2:14:18 Erik Hille GER

don and New York Marathon
winner Martin Lel – will start
the race with a personal record
of 2:04:34. The Ethiopian
athletes Hailemaryam Kiros
(2:04:41) and Bazezew Asmare
(2:04:57) round out the group
of those who have already run
under 2:05. Another runner
who has a chance of a podium
finish is Samwel Mailu. The
Kenyan pulverised the course
record at the Vienna City Marathon
last year with a time
of 2:05:08. Due to an injury,
the 2023 World Half Marathon
Championship bronze medallist
was unable to run a marathon
this spring.
Chala Regasa and Stephen
Kiprop are also very strong
contenders. Berlin will be only
the third marathon run by the
Ethiopian Regasa, who has a
best time of 2:06:11 and trains
with superstar Kenenisa Bekele.
In April, he triumphed at
the Vienna Marathon with a
lead of several minutes. Stephen
Kiprop is aiming for a
TOP RUNNERS FROM GERMANY
Hendrik Pfeiffer
Filimon Abraham

significant improvement. The
Kenyan won the Daegu Marathon
in South Korea this
year with an excellent time of
2:07:04.
Hendrik Pfeiffer (TK Hannover)
leads a group of strong
German runners. In a brilliant
race in Houston in January,
he finished third in 2:07:14,
making him the fourth-fastest
German marathon runner
of all time. After setting the
pace almost all by himself, he
ran a frustrating ten seconds
off the pace needed to secure
Germany‘s third Olympic
starting spot. In April, Hendrik
Pfeiffer put in another
very strong performance: he
finished seventh in the London
Marathon in 2:10:00. It
was the best finish for a German
athlete in the men‘s race
in London since 1988. Only
Christoph Herle had better
results, finishing fourth in the
classic marathon in 1985.
After not being able to run a
marathon for around a year
Haftom Welday
Sebastian Hendel

and a half due to injury, Filimon
Abraham (LG Telis Finanz Regensburg/best
time: 2:08:22)
hopes to make a comeback
in Berlin. Haftom Welday (TB
Hamburg Eilbeck), who improved
his time to 2:08:24 in Valencia
last year, is in the same
performance range. While
Sebastian Hendel (LG Braunschweig/2:08:51)
ran under
2:10:00 for the first time in
Hamburg in April, Johannes
Motschmann (Marathon Team
Berlin) now wants to beat this
mark for the first time at the
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. He
surprised everyone with ninth
place at the London Marathon
in April, improving his time
to 2:10:39. Tom Gröschel (TC
Fiko Rostock/2:11:03), who finished
eleventh at the 2018
European Championships in
Berlin as the best German
marathon runner, is running
what could be his last race as
an elite athlete.
TOP RUNNERS FROM GERMANY
Johannes Motschmann
Tom Gröschel

A PORTRAIT OF THE FAVOURITE
Kibiwott Kandie
wants to finally
realise his
potential
– 78 –

Kibiwott Kandie could make
his breakthrough at the
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.
The Kenyan is probably the
runner in the elite field of the
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON with
the greatest potential over
the classic distance. Four years
ago, Kibiwott Kandie ran
a half marathon world record
of 57:32 minutes in Valencia.
This time suggests that he can
run significantly faster than he
has to date, provided he manages
to transfer his enormous
potential to the 42.195 kilometres.
Kibiwott Kandie ran his first
serious marathon on the difficult
course in New York in
2021. The hilly course obviously
didn‘t suit him, and he only
finished in ninth place after
2:13:43 hours. It wasn‘t until
two years later that the Kenyan
started his next marathon
attempt. In Valencia, he improved
significantly to 2:04:48. Up
to kilometre 35, Kandie was in

the lead group, which ran at a
2:01 hour pace for a while. He
eventually finished sixth in his
third marathon.
He ran almost 30 kilometres
every day as a child
Kibiwott Kandie grew up in Mogotio,
south-east of the city of
Eldoret, with eight siblings in
the Kenyan highlands. He ran
the seven kilometres to primary
school barefoot four times
a day, as he came home for
lunch. As a schoolboy, Kibiwott
Kandie was already competing
in cross-country races. After
finishing school, he concentrated
completely on running.
Today, the 28-year-old, who
is employed by the Kenyan
military, trains in the Ngong
hills north of Nairobi. Kibiwott
Kandie has not yet run a
marathon this year. After winning
the Barcelona half marathon
in February in 59:22
minutes, he tried to qualify
for the Olympic Games in the
10,000m. However, a fantastic
time of 26:58.97 minutes was
not enough to secure one of
the three highly competitive
starting spots. However, the
significant improvement in
his personal best time gives
hope for a very fast race in
Berlin. He has already run the
10K on the road in 26:50.
His role model: the world
record holder from 2003
The 28-year-old‘s role model
is none other than Paul
Tergat. The Kenyan broke a
time barrier with his world
record at the 30th BERLIN
MARATHON in 2003: with a
time of 2:04:55 hours, he was
the first marathon runner to
achieve a time of under 2:05.
Can Kibiwott Kandie also provide
a new sensation in Berlin
21 years later?
– 80 –

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Sven Hemmerich
s.hemmerich@sports-nut.de

How the women‘s
race could go
WOMEN’S RECORDS
World record
2:11:53 Tigst Assefa (ETH)
Berlin (2023)
European record
2:13:44 Sifan Hassan (NED)
Chicago/USA (2023)
German record
2:19:19 Irina Mikitenko (TV Wattenscheid)
Berlin (2008)
World best time of the year
2:15:55 Sutume Kebede (ETH)
Tokyo/JPN (March 3, 2024)
German best time of the year
2:21:47 Melat Kejeta (Laufteam Kassel)
Dubai/UAE (January 7, 2024)
Course record
2:11:53 Tigst Assefa (ETH)
Berlin (2023)
Anything other than a fifth
Ethiopian victory in a row
in the women‘s race would be a
big surprise. After all, the seven
fastest runners on the start list
for the BMW BERLIN-MARA-
THON come from this running
nation. The number one on the
start list is a newcomer: Tigist
Ketema surprised everyone in
her first marathon in Dubai in
January. She won the high-calibre
race and ran an unofficial
debut world record of 2:16:07
hours. This made the Ethiopian
the ninth-fastest female runner
of all time over the 42.195
kilometres. Tigist Ketema must
be considered the favourite in
Berlin.
– 82 –

She may even be following in
the footsteps of Tigst Assefa,
who crowned last year‘s BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON with a
sensational world record of
2:11:53. The two Ethiopians
have a lot in common: they
live in Addis Ababa, were both
initially middle-distance runners
and train together under
Gemedu Dedefo.
Tigist Ketema came third in
the 800m at the U20 World
Championships in 2016. However,
she was not fast
enough to play a role internationally
in the women‘s class.
So she gave the marathon a
shot. She trained for around
a year to make the leap to the
classic distance. Then, in January
2024, she sensationally
triumphed in the world-class
Dubai Marathon and ran the
fastest debut ever with a time
of 2:16:07 hours. ‘I was a bit
scared of the distance – but
now I ask myself why,’ said
Tigist Ketema after her Dubai
The 20 strongest runners
in Berlin 2024
Time Runner Country
2:16:07 Tigist Ketema ETH
2:18:05 Genzebe Dibaba ETH
2:19:36 Yebrugal Melese ETH
2:20:45 Mestawot Fikir ETH
2:20:48 Azmera Gebru ETH
2:20:50 Sisay Gola ETH
2:20:51 Ababel Yeshaneh ETH
2:20:52 Mizuki Matsuda JPN
2:21:32 Fikrte Wereta ETH
2:21:42 Ai Hosoda JPN
2:21:47 Melat Kejeta GER
2:21:54 Aberu Ayana ETH
2:21:55 Rika Kaseda JPN
2:22:11 Evaline Chirchir KEN
2:22:54 Bekelech Gudeta ETH
2:25:48 Fabienne Königstein GER
2:31:08 Melina Wolf GER
2:31:33 Tabea Themann GER
2:33:25 Thea Heim GER

victory, while her coach Dedefo
followed up: ’Given her training
performance, I thought
she could run 2:15. But of
course I can‘t be disappointed
with 2:16.’ Can Tigist Ketema
continue to improve in Berlin?
Genzebe Dibaba wants
to improve her time
Two other runners will be
competing with best times of
under 2:20:00 and could take
a shot at the top spots. Former
1,500m world record holder
Genzebe Dibaba – a younger
sister of Ethiopian running legend
Tirunesh Dibaba – is hoping
to run a fast time in Berlin.
She clocked 2:18:05 at her
debut in Amsterdam in 2022,
but Genzebe Dibaba, who was
Laureus World Athlete of the
Year in 2014, has not yet been
able to improve her time.
Her compatriot Yebrgual Melese
is the third runner on the
Berlin start list who has already
run under 2:20. Without
the benefit of the new, performance-enhancing
shoes,
she achieved a time of 2:19:36
in Dubai in 2018. After a long
break following the start of
the COVID lockdowns, the
34-year-old returned to the
world scene this spring at the
Seoul Marathon with a time of
2:23:43.
Will there be a surprise
Ethiopian coup?
Some Ethiopian runners could
spring a surprise in Berlin.
One of them is Ababel Yeshaneh.
The 33-year-old has the
potential to run a much faster
time than her personal record
of 2:20:51. Yeshaneh surprised
everyone with a world
half marathon record of 64:31
minutes in Ras Al Khaimah
(United Arab Emirates) just
over four years ago.
– 84 –

– 85 –
Tigist Ketema triumphed
sensationally at the Dubai
Marathon in January
2024 and ran the fastest
debut ever with a time
of 2:16:07 hours. She
wants to run even faster
in Berlin.

There are 15 at the start
who have already finished
under 2:23
As with the men‘s field, the
elite women‘s field is also excellently
filled at the top. 13
runners will start with personal
best times of under
2:22:00, with 15 who have already
achieved times of under
2:23:00, which sets records of
their own in the history of the
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.
Two top German runners
will be competing in Berlin
on 29 September: Melat Kejeta
(Laufteam Kassel) and
Fabienne Königstein (MTG
Mannheim) will both be returning
to Germany‘s biggest
marathon spectacle for the
first time since their debut
races in Berlin. In 2019, Melat
Kejeta surprised everyone
by finishing sixth in Berlin in
2:23:57 hours. This is still the
fastest marathon debut time
by a German runner. Two ye-
TOP RUNNERS FROM GERMANY
Melat Kejeta
Fabienne Königstein

ars earlier, Fabienne Königstein
finished with a time of
2:34:14 in Berlin.
Melat Kejeta has been by far
the strongest German marathon
runner in recent years.
In 2021, she achieved an
outstanding sixth place at the
Olympic Games in Sapporo
(Japan). After taking a break
to have a baby, Melat Kejeta
returned last year.
Melat Kejeta back at the
scene of her super debut
In January 2024, she then
improved her time to 2:21:47
in Dubai. This qualified her
for the Olympic marathon in
Paris in August. However, Melat
Kejeta was unlucky at the
Games as she had to withdraw
from the race early on due to
stomach problems. Now she
wants to bounce back with a
good race at the BMW BER-
LIN-MARATHON.
Fabienne Königstein wants
to end her run of bad luck
Fabienne Königstein surprised
everyone at the Hamburg
Marathon in spring 2023 by
improving her time by almost
seven minutes to 2:25:48. The
athlete, who finished 11th at the
2018 European Championships
in Berlin, had been unable to
run a marathon for almost five
years due to the COVID lockdowns,
the birth of her daughter
two years ago and injuries.
An injury slowed her down
a year ago, so her first time
competing again was not until
last in April at the Boston Marathon.
Once again, however,
Fabienne Königstein was down
on her luck as she was unable
to finish due to a cold. In preparation
for the BMW BERLIN-
MARATHON, the 31-year-old
finished 20th at the European
Half Marathon Championships
in Rome in June.
– 87 –

GERMAN HOPEFUL
Melat Kejeta:
Making amends
for Paris?

There is currently only one
German marathon runner
who has the potential to run
under 2:20:00 hours: Melat
Kejeta (Laufteam Kassel). The
32-year-old will be competing
in the BMW BERLIN-MARA-
THON.
The Ethiopian-born runner
initially arrived in Germany
seeking asylum. She lived in
Kassel and came under the
guidance of former national
marathon coach Winfried
Aufenanger, who has since
passed away. He guided her
to the top international level.
She achieved a very respectable
success in 2018 when she
won the BERLIN HALF MARA-
THON. In spring 2019, Melat
Kejeta was granted German
citizenship and six months later
she made a breakthrough:
in Berlin, she ran the fastest
marathon debut by a German
athlete to date, finishing in a
strong sixth place with a time
of 2:23:57. After Melat Kejeta
sensationally won the silver
medal at the 2020 World Half
Marathon Championships, she
ran to a surprisingly strong
sixth place at the Olympic
marathon in Sapporo (Japan)
a year later.
Is Irina Mikitenko‘s
record in danger?
Melat Kejeta returned in 2023
after being on maternity leave
and then qualified for the
Olympic Games in January
2024 at the Dubai Marathon
with an improved time
of 2:21:47. However, she was
unlucky in Paris: due to stomach
problems, she had to
withdraw from the race before
the halfway point. Melat
Kejeta now wants to return to
the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
with a personal best, if possible.
If things go very well, she
could also aim for the 2:20:00
barrier and perhaps even attack
Irina Mikitenko‘s German
record (2:19:19).
– 89 –

Beyond
the course
© iStock
– 90 –

Berlin, this fascinating city with something for everyone, has
so many exciting and entertaining things to offer: Shows and
history, nightlife, theatre, pubs, cabaret, jazz venues, restaurants,
urban neighbourhoods and green islands, museums, monuments
and sights, shopping malls and art markets. We are
sharing some of our top tips for the marathon week from September
22 to September 29.
– 91 –

SIGHTSEEING
Berlin,
mauermuseum.de
Checkpoint Charlie
The best-known border crossing between the East and West is a symbol
of important events in world history, spy thrillers, tragic escapes and
happy moments. The Mauermuseum (Wall Museum) – Museum Haus am
Checkpoint Charlie - tells all these stories.
Berlin Zoo
www.tierpark-berlin.de
The newly founded Otter Island,
the biodiversity in the Rainforest
House, a walk-in kangaroo enclosure,
a petting zoo and so much
more are an increasing number
of visitors to Tierpark Berlin every
year. Opened in 1955, the zoo on
the grounds of Friedrichsfelde Palace
Park is home to around 9,000
animals and 640 species.
© Adobe Stock/Jiortola

Berlin
Gendarmenmarkt
Gendarmenmarkt is one of the most beautiful squares in Berlin. The
three monumental buildings German Cathedral, French Cathedral and
Konzerthaus beautifully frame the square in the centre of Berlin. The
eventful history of the Gendarmenmarkt can be traced back to the 17th
century. Every historical phase has left its architectural mark here.
brandenburg-gate.de
Brandenburg Gate
The 20-metre high triumphal
gate is seen as
a symbol of a reunited
Germany. During the division
of Germany, the
border between East
and West Berlin ran
through here.

© Adobe Stock/Kreativ4insider.com
Route 100 double-decker bus
Go on a journey of discovery through the city centre with the Route 100
double-decker bus. On the route between Zoologischer Garten and Alexanderplatz,
the highlights line up like a string of pearls. The box seats
with the best view are the window seats on top at the very front.
Topography
of Terror
www.topographie.de
This documentation
centre on the crimes of
the National Socialists is
one of the most visited
places of remembrance
in Berlin with over one
million visitors.
Berlin,
© Adobe Stock/Thomas Röske
94

Berlin from above
© Adobe Stock/Sliver
TV Tower: At 368 metres,
it is the tallest
building in Germany.
The Sphere restaurant
is 207 metres
above the city and
rotates 360° every
hour.
tv-turm.de
CULTURE EVENT TIPS
© Adobe Stock/Laiotz
Victory Column: Berliners
affectionately 126-metre high plat-
Radio Tower: From the
call the 50-metre-high form on the exhibition
accessible column the grounds, you get a
Goldelse (Golden Else) spectacular panoramic
view of Berlin‘s
tic panoramic Berlin!
view of
landmark and the
the centre of Berlin.
Grunewald forest.
funkturm-messeberlin.de
and it offers a fantas-
Wednesday, 25 September
Jazz: Kelvin Sholar Jazz Trio feat. Roby „Supersax“ Edwards | Badenschen
Hof (8:15 pm)
Thursday, 26 September
Comedy: The Mad Monkey Thursday I Mad Monkey Club (8:30 pm)
Theatre: Marlene I Renaissance-Theater Berlin (7:30 pm)
Exhibition: Tear test: Art between politics and society 1945 to
2000 I Nationalgalerie
Cabaret: Germany is looking for the super tenant I
Kabarett-Theater Distel (7:30 pm)
Friday, 27 September
Comedy: The Live Show I Quatsch Comedy Club Berlin (8 pm)
Theatre: Cluedo – The murder game I Komödie am Kurfürstendamm
im Theater am Potsdamer Platz (7:30 pm)
Exhibition: Ancient Egypt I Neues Museum Berlin
Show: Falling in Love I Friedrichstadtpalast (7:30 pm)
Saturday, 28 September
Comedy: Robert Alan: Pervekt I BKA Theater (8 pm)
Opera: Il barbiere di Siviglia von Gioachino Rossini
Staatsoper Unter den Linden (7 pm)
Theatre: The grandchild trick I Berliner Kriminal Theater (8 pm)
Concert: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestral Philharmonie Berlin (7 pm)
Sunday, 29 September
Cabaret: Garden party I Stadttheater Köpenick (7 pm)
Concert: One Violin Orchestra - Nora KudrjawizkiI
Kulturbrauerei, Kesselhaus (7 pm)
Theatre: The tin drum I Berliner Ensemble (6 pm)
Opera: The Cast – Oper à la carte l BKA Theater (8 pm)

SHOPPING
Berlin,
© Adrian Schulz
Mall of Berlin
mallofberlin.de
In the centre of the centre: The prominent top location in Berlin‘s city
centre is one of the extremely popular locations and has become a tourist
highlight and hub for fashion and lifestyle.

SHOPPING
© Adobe Stock/Robepko
KaDeWe
kadewe.de
The Kaufhaus des Westens (KaDeWe) is one of the most famous shopping
paradises in the world. What you won‘t find anywhere else can be
found here - the gourmet department is particularly tempting.
© imago images/Nordphoto
SPORT EVENT TIPS
Berlin!
Saturday, 22 September
Football Bundesliga
1. FC Union Berlin vs. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim I Alte Försterei (3:30 pm)
Friday, 27 September
Icehockey Bundesliga
Eisbären Berlin vs. Augsburg Panther l Uber Arena (7:30 pm)
Sunday, 29 September
Handball Bundesliga
Füchse Berlin vs. HC Erlangen l Max-Schmeling-Halle (4:30 pm)
– 97 –

FOOD & MORE
Berlin,
bambooleaf.de
Bamboo leaf
Traditional Vietnamese cooking
techniques meet fresh regional
produce. The chefs at Bamboo
Leaf prepare authentic Vietnamese
dishes as well as various
Japanese-style sushi creations.
The restaurant is located near
KaDeWe on Wittenbergplatz (km
35 of the BMW BERLIN-MARA-
THON route).
Sabore
sabore.de
From Naples to Berlin. From the mother city of pizza, the path of the
pizza master led to Berlin-Kreuzberg. In addition to classic Italian cuisine,
the menu here also includes absolute highlights, such as a still-burning
or deep-fried pizza. All ingredients come from Italy and round off the
Neapolitan feeling in the centre of Berlin.
Tadim Döner
tadim-lahmacun.de
Tadim Döner at Kottbusser
Tor impresses with the quality
of its meat, as it uses 100 per
cent veal, which is seasoned
with secret, high-quality spices.
The Dürüm bread dough is
homemade and always freshly
baked.
Froindlichst
froindlichst.com
Vegan restaurant in Prenzlauer
Berg with an international menu.
Pizza, burgers, salads and smoothies
are box office hits. Plant-based
and sustainable ingredients
are a priority. Together with the
guests, the focus here is on a sustainable
footprint.

www.die-berliner-republik.de
Berliner Republik - the capital city pub
This very special pub is located in the heart of the government district
with a view of the Spree. Starting at 5 pm every day, the fixed
beer prices in the Berliner Republik start to waver. This is when beer
prices are left to the free play of the market: Supply and demand regulate
the price, just like on the „real“ stock exchange. Visitors also
get to know Berlin from a culinary perspective. Old Berlin cuisine
is characterised by simplicity and down-to-earthness with a hearty
flavour.
TIPP
© Adobe Stock/Hanohiki
Berlin!
Lost something?
→ Berlin‘s municipal
lost property
Tempelhof, Platz der Luftbrücke,
to the right of the
main entrance to the former
Tempelhof airport
where the HALF MARA-
THON EXPO takes place
+49 (0) 30 902 773 101

FAMILY
Berlin,
© SDTB/Hattendorf
Technikmuseum
technikmuseum.berlin
The colourful world of technology is brought to life here. The urge to
explore can be satisfied to one‘s heart‘s content. Discovering and
experimenting is also the motto for adults.
sim.spk-berlin.de
Museum of
musical instruments
Instruments from the era of European
classical music from the 16th
to the 21st century. Around 800
instruments are on display, many
of them still in playable condition.
© Adobe Stock/Rkbox

www.jumphouse.de/berlin
Jumphouse Berlin
With more than 4,000 m2 of
space for over 120 trampolines in
ten different fun and action areas,
the whole family can let off some
steam. Register ahead of time.
www.schokowerkstatt-berlin.ritter-sport.de
Ritter Sport Schokowerkstatt
Chocolate tastes delicious. Homemade chocolate with all of your favorite
ingredients tastes even better. If you want to try it out, go to the Bunte
SchokoWelt by Ritter Sport (register ahead of time online!).
legolanddiscoverycentre.de
Legoland Discovery Centre Berlin
At the Legoland Discovery Centre, there’s lots to learn about the little
bricks made by the world’s biggest toy manufacturer. Of course, both
young and old can also build to their heart’s content.
Berlin!

OVER 80 YEARS OLD
4 of the ‘74
runners will start
again in 2024
On 10 October 1974, 286 runners set off on the first Berlin People‘s Marathon.
They ran on an out-and-back route along the Avus motorway on
the edge of the Grunewald forest. 244 of them reached the finish line. 25
finishers from 1974 met up in August 2024, a few weeks before the anniversary
marathon at the historic Berlin restaurant ‘Eierschale’ in Dahlem.
And four of them decided to start again on 29 September. Among them is
Günter Hallas, the winner from 1974.
– 102 –

went swimming this morning.
Twenty minutes in Te-
I
gel Lake. It‘s marvelous in this
heat, although I didn‘t used to
like swimming that much. And
I‘m not particularly good at it
either.’ This is how Günter Hallas
opened the conversation at
the meeting of the ‘74 finishers
in a very hot Berlin at the end of
August. 50 years after his victory
at the first BERLIN-MARA-
THON , he is still active almost
every day. And he has hardly
put on a gram since then. At
age 82, the only thing holding
him back from preparing for the
50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
like he did for the first one is his
knee. Back then, he worked as
a postman. Since the mail was
not simply dropped into the
letterboxes at the base of the
Berlin apartments in the early
1970s, but rather was delivered
directly to the flats, much of his
training consisted of climbing
stairs, supplemented by almost
daily endurance runs.
While his knee would now no
longer be able to handle that,
he can actually run quite well
again now that he has an artificial
knee. One of the reasons
he became a long-distance runner
has much to do his teenage
ambitions to earn the cove-
Shortly before the anniversary, the organiser
and the first victors from the early
beginnings met up again: Günter Hallas,
Horst Milde and Jutta von Haase.
ted school sports award. Long
jump, high jump, javelin, 3000m
– those all posed no problem at
all. It was only the 100m that
he couldn‘t complete in the required
13.4 seconds. ‘I was just
– 103 –

too slow.’ At 18, however, he was
able to switch to the 400m, and
he was finally able to achieve it.
He then stuck with athletics at
the sports club TSV Siemensstadt
and began regular running
training. He prepared for
the first Berlin marathon, for
which he paid an entry fee of
twelve German Marks, by running
20 or 25 kilometres in training.
He figured the rest would
work out somehow.
Refreshments in 1974:
salt tablets and water
On 10 October 1974, he won in
a time of 2:44:53, after a lonely
race with few spectators along
the route. “Just a few walkers,
but most of them thought we
runners were crazy back then,”
remembers Günter Hallas. There
were not many people waiting
at the finish line for the
winner, who had only been provided
water and salt tablets at
two refreshment points along
the course.
In contrast, on 29 September,
the catering will almost resemble
a culinary wonderland when
Günter Hallas, Martin Teague,
Uwe Meseberg and Peter Bartel,
along with over 50,000 others
once again set off on the
42.195 kilometres through Berlin.
Between the four of them,
they have finished the BER-
LIN-MARATHON well over 100
times. Peter Bartel has been
there every year; in fact, he has
even ridden his scooter at the
back of the field ahead of the
broom wagon to support those
who were in danger of not reaching
the finish line at the Brandenburg
Gate within the time limit.
“I try to make sure that the
broom wagon doesn‘t fill up too
quickly,” he says.
The 82-year-old organised the
meeting of the 25 finishers in
the ‘Eierschale‘, and he also
coordinated the anniversary
start for the four finishers
from 1974. Unfortunately, two
of the finishers were missing
– 104 –

from the ‘Eierschale’ get-together:
Uwe Meseberg and Martin
Teague.
US runner will wear the
same bib number he had
in 1974
Those two won’t make it to
the capital until the marathon
weekend. Uwe Meseberg lives
in Bruchhausen-Vilsen near
Bremen. Martin Teague will be
arriving from the US. In 1974,
Martin Teague was part of the
US Army‘s Berlin Brigade, which
was stationed in West Berlin. He
ran the first marathon together
with ten comrades. He now lives
in Chicago, and when he signed
up to run in the 50th BMW BER-
LIN-MARATHON he was given
the same bib number six that
he wore in 1974.
Peter Bartel has much more
in common with winner Günter
Hallas than their upcoming
start on 29 September: just like
Hallas, he also runs with an artificial
knee and both were operated
on by the same surgeon.
They are also almost exactly
the same age, with birthdays
only two days apart. And they
have also been running in the
same club for 43 years: LG Nord
Berlin.
Peter Bartel organised the meeting of the
‘74 finishers and will be competing again
at the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
together with three other old-timers.

The two want to finish the anniversary
marathon with a mix
of running and walking and, above
all, enjoy the atmosphere. It
is still overwhelming for Peter
Bartel to experience how much
the population has embraced
running and turned it into a
mass movement. “That was simply
unimaginable for us in 1974.
Back then, people sometimes
yelled at you when you ran. And
now the last ones to finish the
marathon are celebrated just
as much as the first ones. When
I arrived at the Brandenburg
Gate last year on my scooter
together with the last runners,
and there were still thousands
of people standing and applauding,
I was in tears. The woman
I was accompanying made it to
the finish line with the last bit of
her strength and then fell into
my arms. That was a fantastic
experience.”
He has never completely stopped
running, even though in recent
years he took on the really
big challenges on a scooter after
injuring his knee in a fall on
an icy path in 2009. The mathematician
has travelled across
entire countries and continents.
He once scootered across the
USA from Los Angeles to New
York. He has somehow managed
to participate in a few running
events on his scooter. “You
can‘t actually officially do that,
but when the organisers know
me, I sometimes get permission
and a race bib”.
In preparation for the 50th
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, however,
he has been running
more again. ‘I don‘t have a training
programme, but I‘ve been
going out more often for seven
or eight kilometres.’ He hopes
that this will be enough to somehow
manage the 42.195 kilometres
on 29 September and
he will be able to celebrate 50
years of the marathon in Berlin
in style.
– 106 –

SAGT DANKE!

We would like to thank the following institutions
Senatsverwaltung für Inneres und Sport
Senatsverwaltung für Umwelt, Verkehr und Klimaschutz
Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie,
Tiefbauämter von Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg,
Mitte-Tiergarten, Neukölln, Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Steglitz-Zehlendorf,
Gartenbauämter von Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf und Mitte-Tiergarten
Der Polizeipräsident in Berlin | Berliner Feuerwehr
Berliner Leichtathletik-Verband e.V. | Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG)
S-Bahn Berlin GmbH | Johanniter Unfall-Hilfe e.V.
Evangelische Kirche | Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche
Landessportbund Berlin e.V. | Landesverwaltungsamt Berlin
Ministerium für Bildung, Jugend und Sport des Landes Brandenburg | Olympiastadion Berlin
Akademie für Sozial- und Gesundheitsberufe | Euroakademie Berlin
ILB-Medizinische Akademie Berlin | Krankengymnastik-Paxis Andreas Schwarz
Körperwerkstatt Berin | Rehabilitationszentrum Berlin
Staatlich anerkannte Lehranstalten für Physiotherapie und Massage
Prof. Dr. Med. Vogler Schule | Wannsee-Schule e.V. Schule für Gesundheitsberufe
alle Medien
Also, an additional thank you to the sponsors and promoters
who support the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON and SCC EVENTS
realbuzz
WWF
Mall of Berlin
Super Sparrow
Zeppelin Rental GmbH
BLACKROLL
Aktuell Vertriebs GmbH
Höffner Möbelgesellschaft
Die Sportografen
ADAC Berlin Brandenburg
Freche Freunde
Affiliprint BV (HelloFresh)
VBB Verkehrsverbund
Shokz
K-TEL Communications GmbH
Rollerblade
Kloster Kitchen
Weingut Castelfeder
Medienpartner:
Der Tagesspiegel
Our special thanks go to the many volunteers from
associations and schools in Berlin and from within SCC EVENTS,
whose great commitment behind the scenes and along the course
of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON helps make this event possible.
A big thank you also to our many fans and spectators,
who enthusiastically support our participants along the course and
create the very special atmosphere of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.

A SHORT FILM FOR THE ANNIVERSARY MARATHON
How these
T O
T H E
F I L M
three
celebrate
running
– 110 –

Anyone who wants to run a marathon is embarking on a journey.
Not only a journey on foot over 42.195 kilometres, but also an
emotional journey. One in which you experience and overcome
limits. One where you have doubts and rejoice. One in which you
experience the whole range of emotions. In preparation for the
50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, the race organisers accompanied
and documented the journey of three runners on film.
The JOURNEY OF JOY is about
more than just the running
experience – it is an emotional
journey that all participants
in the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
experience in their own unique
ways. This year, the race celebrates
its 50th anniversary and
looks back on an eventful history
that has been characterised
by joy, community and overcoming
limits from the very beginning.
In preparation for the
milestone birthday, the journeys
of three different runners were
documented.
Daniel Marin Medina, an ambitious
runner from New York, moved
to Berlin seven years ago,
not only to pursue his athletic
goals, but also to help provide
access to running for others. For
him, the marathon is a mission:
he lives running as an expression
of strength and community
and inspires others to overcome
their limits.
Overcoming self-doubt
Actor and creator Tom Böttcher,
who is running his second BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON this year,
has a clear goal in mind – to
break the magical 4-hour barrier.
Tom‘s JOURNEY OF JOY
is a story of overcoming selfdoubt.
Just last year, he thought
it would be crazy to run a marathon
at all – a challenge that seemed
impossible to him. But after
his first race, he was gripped by
marathon fever.
– 111 –

And then there is TV presenter
Jenny Jeromin, who is looking
forward to conquering the
42.195 kilometres for the first
time, full of both anticipation
and respect. For her, every step
is a discovery, a celebration of
the challenge and of her own
possibilities.
Whether they are marathon veterans
or newcomers, they all
stand together at the starting
line, united by what lies ahead:
the rhythm of the steps, the roar
of the spectators, the unshakeable
bond that connects all runners,
spectators and volunteers.
This journey is characterised by
the hard work of training, by moments
of doubt and triumph, but
above all by the joy that lies in
every effort.
It‘s all about
the experience
When they conquer the road
together on race day, everyone
realises that it‘s not just about
the best times, but about experiencing,
sharing and celebrating
running itself. In this moment,
running becomes a ritual
that connects us all – beyond all
borders, goals and times – from
the first starting shot in 1974 all
the way to today. The true joy
lies not only in crossing the finish
line, but in every challenge
that is overcome and in every
step that is taken with joy and
passion. For decades, every
race has marked a chapter in
history, in which countless runners
have felt the magic of this
marathon.
– 112 –

MIXED ZONE
It will be colourful
QueerCheer at
Nollendorfplatz
The course of the BMW BER-
LIN-MARATHON runs right
through the queer centre of
Berlin around the square called
Nollendorfplatz. At kilometre 35,
when many people are struggling
to overcome their inner demons,
the dreaded ‘wall’ lurks among
marathon runners. And it is precisely
at this crucial point that
the premiere of ‘QueerCheer’ will
be taking place. Cool music, wild
people, a great atmosphere, dancing,
singing and cheering will fill
the streets. The Cheering Zone,
designed as a meeting point
for the queer community, can
be found on Kleiststrasse opposite
the Urania between Wittenbergplatz
and Nollendorfplatz in
Schöneberg: Hop until you drop
on Sunday from 9:30 am to 4:30
pm at the hippest marathon in
the world. Running groups such
as the ‘Schweinehunde’ and
‘Help-Age’ have already announced
their participation. Join in
and have fun.
– 114 –

Bigger & heavier
The medal
T he main figure on the
medals of the BMW BER-
LIN-MARATHON medals is the
anniversary logo this time.
After the last 49 versions predominantly
featured Olympic
marathon winners on the
front, the coveted reward at
the finish line has been given a
new layout. In keeping with tradition,
the reverse shows the
most famous sights and iconic
buildings along the world‘s fastest
marathon course. There
is also space to engrave your
own name and finisher time. To
mark the 50th anniversary of
the BERLIN-MARATHON, the
medal has grown and become
a little heavier. It weighs 131
grams instead of the previous
112 grams and measures eight
centimetres in diameter instead
of seven.
– 115 –

MIXED ZONE
The marathon wine
New design,
familiar
quality
For many years, the wine for
the get-together reception
and the VIP tent at the finish
line of the BMW BERLIN-MA-
RATHON has come from South
Tyrol. Just like the flavour of
the wine, the layout of the labels
is constantly evolving. ‘As
an up-and-coming family business,
revising our labels is an
important step for us,’ says the
Giovanett family. All the wine
bottles were scrutinised and
redesigned with input from the
two generations running the
business. But not everything
is completely new: from the
name to the illustrations on the
labels, some of the traditions
have been retained and reinterpreted
in a modern way. The
drawings have been part of the
labels for many years and have
also been retained in the redesign.
Each bottle comes with a
special illustration that visually
represents a characteristic of
the wine.

The nature gives us lasting
refreshment.
We preserve them.
VILSA. This is my nature.

SUSTAINABILITY
Together
for the
environment
Whether by reducing the use of paper, offering free BVG tickets,
using green electricity or reusable cups – SCC EVENTS is committed
to making the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON as sustainable as possible in
many large and small ways. Together with the WWF, which has been
a charity partner of the event for many years, donations are collected
to support nature and environmental protection, for example.
The aim is to find the ideal balance between the three dimensions of
sustainability: ‘economic development’, ‘social justice’ and ‘environmental
protection’. But one thing is clear – this can only be achieved
together with the support of the participants. That means together
with you! Here are 7 examples of how you can help.
– 118 –

DONATE CLOTHES AND RUNNING SHOES!
You can put on clean running and training clothes that are in good condition
as a warming layer on race day and deposit them in the start area
before you head off. Together with the Berlin City Mission, SCC EVENTS
will ensure that your clothing arrives where it is urgently needed: In their
clothing store, where it will be distributed to unhoused community members.
As always: only donate what you would give to a friend! This also applies
to your worn-out running shoes. You can drop them off at the GREEN
LINE stand at the EXPO.
– 119 –

GET
YOU R
TICKET
Travel by train!
Make your own personal contribution to a more sustainable event
by choosing your means of transport or by carpooling to the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON. Travelling by train is – if possible! – the most
environmentally friendly option. Good to know: SCC EVENTS has set
up an event ticket with Deutsche Bahn for your discounted journey!

LIST OF ALL CHARITY PARTNERS
RUN FOR A GOOD CAUSE
Register for the BMW BERLIN-
MARATHON through a charity
partner such as the WWF and
combine your run with a fundraising
campaign.
USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT -
FREE OF CHARGE!
The best way to get around in
Berlin is to use public transport,
which is free with your bip number
(from Thursday to Sunday in
the ABC fare zones).
– 121 –

USE YOUR OWN HYDRATION SYSTEM!
It is best to use your own drinking system to avoid cups completely
or at least for the most part. Otherwise, please throw the used
cups into the large marked bins provided for this purpose after
use. This is the only way to guarantee the cycle and ensure that
the reusable cups can be used for the next event after the rinsing
process and the disposable cups can be sorted and returned to the
manufacturer for recycling.
– 122 –

RETURN YOUR THERMAL BLANKET!
Please only use a thermal blanket if you are cold and really need
it. Please always return the used blanket to one of the numerous
recycling volunteers (who will have flags). This is the only way they
can be recycled into new blankets.
COMPENSATE FOR
FLIGHT EMISSIONS!
Many participants are dependent on aeroplanes
to travel to and from the event. SCC
EVENTS is pleased to offer a direct way of
calculating and offsetting flight emissions.
By offsetting, you help to reduce the ecological
footprint of the event.
FLIGHT EMISSIONS COMPENSATION
– 123 –

243
Sustainability in figures
What we have already
achieved together
pairs of running shoes were given to the Berlin City
Mission by participants and visitors during the MARATHON
EXPO in 2023. That‘s a good start. But more is possible!
58
293
per cent of the clothing collected at the start of the
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON in 2023 was in such good condition
that it could be passed on to those in need.
kilograms of used thermal blankets was returned shortly
after the finish line, pressed on site and handed over to the
manufacturer for recycling.
– 124 –

20121
31
is the number of the ISO standard according to
which both the Paris Olympic Games and the BMW BERLIN-
MARATHON were certified for their sustainable planning.
The certificate takes into account all three dimensions of
sustainability: economic development and social justice in
addition to ecological aspects.
grams of greenhouse gases per person are emitted
when travelling by train or long-distance bus. Emissions
are significantly higher for other means of transport: 166
grams per person travelling by car. Travelling by plane causes
a whopping 238 grams of CO2 emissions.
40.000
euros. SCC EVENTS has donated this amount of money
to a WWF forest project in the Uckermark region since
2021. For 30 years, the WWF has been committed to
creating climate-stable and near-natural ‘primeval forests
of tomorrow’ in the Uckermark region.

VOLUNTEERS
Helping
hands
everywhere
Around 5,800 volunteers help out at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
over the week before and on race day. Here you can read where most
of them are deployed and what their duties are.
Without them, nothing
would run at Germany‘s
biggest marathon. Volunteers
are the backbone of Germany‘s
biggest two-day sporting event.
On these pages, you can see the
volunteer structure of the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON 2024 in
figures. But where do they all
come from? As the organiser of
the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON,
SCC EVENTS has partnerships
with numerous clubs and, in the
aftermath of the 2009 World
Championships in Athletics in
Berlin, when a huge number
of volunteers were also deployed,
has set up its own system
for finding and supporting
the volunteer community. For
the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARA-
THON, all volunteer positions
were filled in a very short time
and there are still numerous volunteers
on the waiting list (however,
this is by no means the
– 126 –

case for all events organised by
SCC EVENTS). As a small thank
you, a video was produced before
the anniversary marathon
showing the many different duties
that volunteers fulfil at the
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.
W AT C H
T H E
F I L M

So many volunteers ...
... are working at the
marathon on Sunday
At the refreshment stations: 1730
As course marshals and course security: 850
At the start: 400 | At the finish: 160 | At the clothing drop: 320
For massages: 100 | For transport: 100
In a leading function: 130
... are involved in the competitions
on Saturday
As course marshals and course security: 350
At the refreshment stations: 170 | At the start: 280 | At the finish: 70
At the clothing drop: 60 | For massages: 50
At the mini-marathon: 90
... are on duty at the EXPO
and at MOVE
MARATHON EXPO
At race kit pick-up, merchandise booth, info point, Bambini run: 810
At MOVE and the Opening Ceremony for the 50th anniversary: 150

Who‘s that
running?
On 29 September, around 50,000 people will line up at the start
of the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON 2024. And each and every
one of them will have their own running story on their minds and
in their hearts. Here we are introducing four of them. We will start
with Uwe Wolf, who has collected almost all the BMW BERLIN-
MARATHON finisher medals from the last 50 years.
Texts: Tom Rottenberg
Uwe Wolf from Dresden probably has the most complete collection of
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON finisher medals: only two years are missing.
He himself has run here seven times – and is competing one last time
this year for the anniversary.
The difference, emphasises
Uwe Wolf, is important. Very
important. Because nothing
would be further from his mind
than adorning himself with
other people‘s feathers. That‘s
why, says the 69-year-old
from Dresden, he takes great
care not to mix up the medals:
Seven marathon finisher medals
from the BMW BERLIN-
MARATHON hang on his living

WHO‘S THAT RUNNING?
room wall, where he can see
them every day (among the
memories of other successful
races).
And all the other Berlin badges
that he owns, but where he
didn‘t compete in the races,
are stored in a different place.
Neatly sorted, filed chronologically
in transparent sleeves in
ring binders, on the shelf – but
not immediately visible. Also
to avoid misunderstandings: „I
did something for the medals
on the wall: I ran. The others
are also beautiful – but they
are something else: this is my
collection.“
Only two vintages missing
Uwe Wolf collects finisher medals.
„The race is special and
the medals are so unique: a different
runner is honoured on
the back every year.“ Uwe Wolf
has them all. Almost: only the
one from 1977 is missing. And
the one from 2020, although ...
more on that later. Despite these
gaps, the former Lufthansa
ground handler at Dresden Airport
probably has the most complete
and extensive collection of
Berlin finisher medals ever.
Everyone at the BMW BERLIN-
MARATHON 50th anniversary
celebration will now benefit from
this: anyone visiting the „MOVE“
exhibition on the history of the
marathon at the Brandenburg
Gate will get to see „the Wolf
Collection“, Uwe Wolf‘s collection
of medals. How did it come
about? Well, when Wolf was
chatting to the organisers about
medals when collecting his race
number for the GENERALI BER-
LIN HALF MARATHON in the
spring, it quickly became clear
that here was someone who had
something that might interest
many people. „There was no
question that I would make the
collection available.“ Without
asking for anything in return, of
course: „It goes without saying!“
– 132 –

– 133 –
2007 was a good year
for Uwe Wolf: he crossed
the finish line in Berlin in
3:31:59 hours.

Seven marathon
finishes in Berlin
Wolf was all the more surprised
that his loan was rewarded
with a race entry: The runner,
who had hip surgery in 2017
and 2020, had actually closed
the „marathon“ chapter for
himself. Even though he had
secretly dreamed of running
„probably my last“ marathon:
„I still run 30 to 40 kilometres
a week, but only for pleasure. I
ran my last marathon in 2014.
In Berlin, of course. I always
thought that was the last one.“
Berlin and the marathon – for
the father of two sons and
grandfather of two, they go
hand in hand: Between 2006
and 2014, Uwe Wolf crossed
the finish line of the marathon
in the German capital seven
times. In 2013, he had to withdraw
for family reasons. He
took part in the long distance
race in Dresden three times
and once in Stockholm. What
about half marathons and other
„fun runs“? „Still doing
that today: as many as possible.“
The sporty senior can‘t
say how many it has been over
the decades: do only runs as an
adult count? Or do those as a
schoolboy in the former GDR
at the „Spartakiade“ and the
like also count?
But the number doesn‘t matter.
More important and interesting
is the story of how the
Uwe Wolf last ran the marathon in
Berlin in 2014. However, he still
travelled to the German capital for
the half distance.

Lufthansa employee got back
into running: „I often took my
son to football training. At
some point I thought: instead
of sitting around, you could do
something yourself. So I ran
around the training pitch.“
The father‘s runs were soon longer
than his son‘s training: Uwe
Wolf discovered the long distance
– and the BERLIN-MARATHON.
In 2007, when the Ethiopian Haile
Gebrselassie ran a world record
time of 2:04:26 hours here, Wolf
also came through the Brandenburg
Gate with his „personal
best“: 3:31:59 hours. This is also
a utopian time for many young
amateur runners. Wolf was over
50. „Of course you‘re proud.“ But
even though he had the time engraved
on the medal adorned with
the Russian Valentina Yegorova,
1992 Olympic marathon champion,
Uwe Wolf had no idea that
he would eventually come to collect
Berlin finisher medals. That
came later: „I felt my hip hurt for
the first time in 2012. In 2014, I
thought that chapter was over.“
At that point, just cheering
along the sidelines of the
course when superstars like
Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge flew
past felt like it wasn’t enough.
The runner decided to pay his
respects to Berlin in his own
way – by collecting medals. „In
the beginning, around 2014, I
was mainly curious to see how
many I could collect if I set myself
an upper limit of 15 euros
per medal.“
A lucky strike in
the medal hunt
Wolf rummaged through classified
adverts and on eBay. He
was amazed that medals were
being offered and bought for
three-digit sums – and landed
a lucky strike: „Someone was
offering 20 medals inherited
from my grandfather. Ten euros
each.“ The package also included
the medal from 1974 – the
„year one“ of the BERLIN-MA-
RATHON. „There were only 240
finishers in 1974: how many medals
are there left?“ The medals,
– 135 –

which were first inherited and
then sold, were an „ideal basis,
a foundation for the collection.“
Some even included finisher
times. That‘s why Wolf is still
annoyed today „that I no longer
have contact with the seller: Her
grandfather would have deserved
not to remain anonymous.“
What was missing from the package
of the nameless Berlin
Marathon pioneer, however, was
the medal from 1977, which Uwe
Wolf has still not been able to
find. „But I‘m not giving up.“ However,
the collector will never
close another gap: „Berlin was
cancelled in 2020 due to coronavirus.
There were rumours
that the medals were in storage.
I now know that the ‚end‘ came
just before the minting machine
started.“ Have any raw models
or original artwork survived?
„I‘d like to know that too.“ And
so Uwe Wolf got chatting to the
organisers of the 50th BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON about the
medals at the Half Marathon
Expo in spring. It soon became
clear that the „Wolf Collection“
would be part of the historic
marathon exhibition presented
in the week before the race.
Shortly afterwards, the 69-yearold
collector also had a confirmed
race entry. Uwe Wolf knows
what that means: „It won‘t be a
walk in the park, but I want to
enjoy this race. It will be my last
marathon. All the more valuable
for me is what I will take home
with me, if all goes well: The finisher‘s
medal.“
– 136 –
A real rarity: the medal from
the first Berlin Marathon, in
which only 240 finishers reached
the finish line.

WHO‘S THAT RUNNING?
DENNIS JAHNS
ADAM JAY

German-American
(running) friendship
Friendships that last more
than 30 years are few and far
between. Especially when you
hardly ever see each other
because you live on different
continents. Dennis Jahns‘ and
Adam Jay‘s friendship began as
pen pals in 1990. Many technological
developments and global
events later, they are still
friends. And this year they will
be competing together for the
first time in a running event at
the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.
At some point, almost towards
the end of the conversation
that forms the basis
of this story, you could see
Adam Jay‘s surprise: The immediacy
in the facial expressions
of an interlocutor is what
makes online video calls superior
to telephone calls.
Watching Adam Jay get out
of his chair for a moment in
New York when Dennis Jahns
said „around three thirty“
was highly entertaining. The
two men, who were discussing
their joint start at the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON across
the Atlantic, had simply forgot-

ten an important detail in their
marathon project: The pace at
which they planned to run the
race.
It all began with letters
But first things first. Adam Jay
and Dennis Jahns are friends
– and have been for 34 years.
In 1990, Jahns‘ English teacher
asked her then twelve-yearold
pupils whether they would
be interested in becoming pen
pals with American kids. It was
fate that brought the future
sales manager of a plant engineering
company, who now lives
in Kassel, and the New York
advertiser together.
Germany had just been reunited.
Europe was recovering
from the „Cold War“. The Internet?
Around 1990, there were
just over 500,000 computers
„on the net“ – worldwide. Phone
calls (by landline, of course)
across national borders were
not only „long distance“, they
also sounded like it – and cost
small fortunes. Young people
who wanted to communicate
with the world looked
for pen pals. And hoped that
the strangers from elsewhere
would still reply after the third
letter: In most cases, the contacts
fell silent after a year or
two.
But not always. That‘s why
Adam Jay and Dennis Jahns
are still friends today. „Apart
from my family, I haven‘t known
anyone as long as Dennis,“ explains
Adam. And explains how
the long-distance friendship
not only survived technological
leaps and stages in the lives of
the two now 47-year-olds, but
also included the „big issues“
of world history from the very
beginning. Adam – still in Atlanta
at the time – wanted nothing
more than a piece of the Berlin
Wall. Dennis‘ mother made
his dream come true. Adam
Jay still cherishes the piece of
the Wall and the accompanying
letter from the then Berlin
WHO‘S THAT RUNNING?

Mayor Walter Momper to this
day. „But I never thought I‘d be
running here with Dennis one
day!“
Sport was never the
primary topic of friendship
Maybe that was because the
two friends were into different
sports: Dennis Jahns was
„more at home on the bike“.
Both on the road and on his
mountain bike. But work and
family – he now has a 15-yearold
daughter and a 17-year-old
son – occupy more of his time:
while running initially only replaced
cycling in winter, the
family man now accepts that
„running is less time-consuming
than cycling“.
Adam, on the other hand, has
been running for years. Often,
passionately and long: he has
Running has always been
Adam Jay‘s hobby. Even
in crazy costumes.
ADAM JAY

In 2004, the pen pals met for the first time in real life. Dennis Jahns and his
wife Barbara visited Adam Jay in New York.
run the New York Marathon
twice, in 2005 and 2023. ‘Running,’
he admits, ‘is a love-hate
relationship.’ Yet while Dennis
Jahns began to replace cycling
with running, Adam Jay is
moving in the other direction,
now hopping on his bike more
frequently. Because it is difficult
to do serious biking in the
Big Apple, he is taking to the
indoors: ‘I cycle often and long
on spinning and Peloton indoor
bikes.’
Despite these criss-crossing
interests, sport was never the
primary topic in this German-
American friendship. Not even
when Dennis visited Adam in
New York for the first time in
2004. He came to New York
with his wife Barbara and today
smiles almost mischievously
that this first „real“
meeting was „a bit like a first
date: you know a lot about
each other – but face-to-face
is different.“
WHO‘S THAT RUNNING?

Spontaneous commitment
to enter the race
It‘s obvious that getting to know
each other in real life didn‘t
harm their friendship: otherwise
they wouldn‘t be running the
anniversary marathon in Berlin
on 29 September together.
How did it come about? Dennis:
„Last autumn, Adam asked if I
wanted to join him in the race.
I was perhaps a little too quick
to say ‚yes, of course‘: I thought
I could just run the half marathon.
I had no intention of ever
running a full marathon.“ But
the Berlin half marathon is in
the spring… „I didn‘t realise
that.“ The laughter that followed
on the online call between
New York and Kassel illustrates
Dennis‘ „I wasn’t aware“ better
than words. „But,“ Dennis continues,
„I‘ve not only come to
Dennis Jahns used to enjoy cycling.
As a father of two, he now likes to
lace up his running shoes, as this
hobby is less time-consuming.
DENNIS JAHNS

terms with the idea, I‘m really
looking forward to the race: it
was a good, right decision.“
Still: how did it come about?
Adam Jay‘s grin now stretches
all the way from New York to
Europe: „My plan is to run three
marathons in three months. On
25 August in Mexico City, on 29
September in Berlin, and on 3
November in New York.“ In Mexico,
Adam will be accompanied
by his Peloton coach Mariana
Fernández. In Berlin, by his „pen
pal“ Dennis. Adam explains that
he is really looking forward to
it. And the training, they both
emphasise, is going well.
Agreement on a
pace for Berlin
But then follows the obvious
question: The one about the
pace they will be aiming for.
About the amount of time the
two of them plan to spend on
the course. Adam Jay is embarrassed:
„Ooops, we really
haven‘t discussed that yet,“ he
says, looking a little thoughtfully
across the Atlantic on
his screen: the two of them
have never run together before.
Dennis furrows his brow.
„Around three-thirty, I reckon,“
he then says – and Adam almost
falls off the screen: „Oh
my God! Four hours! At the
very fastest!“ In New York, he
says, it took him four and a half
hours. Berlin is flat and faster
– but still ... Dennis nods. „I
might be a little naive in my approach:
You‘re probably right,
you‘re more experienced.“ And
that‘s not meant ironically or
resignedly, but exactly as Dennis
says it.
That‘s what makes a good,
functioning friendship: knowing
when to let your mate take
the lead – because you know
you can rely on each other.
Even if there are thousands of
kilometres between you: If you
can keep a friendship going for
33 years across an ocean, you
can also complete a marathon
together. No matter what the
pace.
– 144 –

WHO‘S THAT RUNNING?
With bear power
to her first
marathon
The Buddy Bears – individually
painted life-size bear sculptures
– have become an integral
part of the Berlin cityscape. At
a business meeting with the
organisers of the BMW BER-
LIN-MARATHON, Viviana Plasil,
Managing Director of Buddy
Bear Berlin GmbH, came to talk
about a souvenir Buddy Bear for
the BMW BERLIN MARATHON.
However, Viviana Plasil came
away from the meeting in December
with a „crazy idea“: to
run the Marathon in the german
capital. And that‘s now exactly
what she‘s going to do.
Sometimes you become a
victim of your own euphoria.
Impulse purchases, holiday
tattoos or a spontaneous wedding
in Las Vegas can often leave
a person stunned, regretful
or hungover the next morning.
But such spontaneity can also
lead to a lasting, athletic, life
transformation.
Viviana Plasil has always been
athletic. The 44-year-old cultural
scientist loves sports: she
plays tennis, practises yoga,
goes to the fitness centre – and
runs regularly.
However: the Hamburg native
had never given any thought to
running a marathon. But then,
VIVIANA PLASIL

as CEO of Berlin-based Buddy
Bears GmbH, she sat down
with the heads of the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON. The were
discussing the marathon. More
precisely: they were discussion
creating a collaboration between
the friendly bear sculptures,
known to almost everyone
in Berlin, and the marathon.
Buddy Bears
conquer the world
For non-Berliners: the „Buddy
Bears“ were invented by
Eva and Klaus Herlitz in 2002.
Sculptures of the symbolic Berlin
bear in 1000 colours quickly
conquered the hearts and public
spaces of the capital – and
beyond. Today, „Buddy Bears“
can be found in front of 100
German embassies around the
world. Over 140 different twometre
sculptures symbolising
the UN member states visually
and creatively have been touring
the world for 20 years as
the „United Buddy Bears“ travelling
exhibition. And because
not every bear fan has that
much space, they also created
six-centimetre miniatures and
bears in „souvenir format“
measuring 22 centimetres.
The bears‘ message is very
similar to that of a marathon
with participants from all over
the world: both are symbols of
peaceful, cosmopolitan, tolerant
and friendly coexistence.
The idea of including a Marathon
Buddy Bear in the souvenir
repertoire of the anniversary
run was therefore obvious,
sounded logical, met with approval
– and was celebrated as
a „win-win-win“ idea: The marathon
organisers would add
an unmistakable memento to
their expo collection. The big
bears travelling the world and
residing in front of embassies
would become even better
known thanks to their little
siblings on shelves and sideboards.
And anyone who sees
one of these Marathon Buddy

Bears among runners knows
immediately and without much
explanation what the story is
about: being part of the race in
Berlin.
An idea becomes a plan
Everyone was beaming. Everyone
laughed. Viviana Plasil
cheered – and didn‘t even realise
at first that a little idea was
creeping into her head. An idea
to which she later assigned the
prefix „crazy“. However, that
didn‘t make it disappear. Instead,
it went from a „crazy idea“
to „set idea“. „Three days later,
I was sure: I want to be there.
I‘m going to run this marathon.“
In her euphoria, the 44-yearold
made one serious „mistake“,
had she still been fostering
any doubts: she told family,
friends and colleagues about
her marathon plan. But instead
of „Are you crazy?“, she received
„nothing but enthusiasm
and encouragement“. It quickly
became clear: „There was
no turning back: I was going to
run a marathon on 29 September.“
If the art mediator were built
differently, she could have talked
her way out of it. Without
losing face. Indeed, Viviana
Plasil had never, really never,
run an official race in her life.
To start out with 42 kilometres,
especially in Berlin, one of the
At the end of August, Viviana Plasil
took part in the BERLIN ROAD RACE
– THE DRESS REHEARSAL (GENERAL-
PROBE) and ran the half marathon
in 2:04:37 hours.

biggest races in the world, is a
pretty big deal. And especially
because Plasil‘s way of running,
motivation and philosophy
was exactly the opposite of
what a major event with almost
50,000 excited, ambitious participants
offers: „Running is
meditative for me. I run for
myself, I have time and space
for my thoughts. It‘s like yoga:
unambitiously beautiful. I don‘t
need a plan or a goal, let alone
a competition. Running – that‘s
putting your shoes on and off
you go.“
The mum of two would have
had other reasons to back out,
as well. For example, the fact
that a marathon training plan is
a mega challenge for the time
management of a full-time
working mum with two schoolage
children. Doubly so since
she wouldn’t be mounting her
specific marathon training on a
foundation that has been systematically
built up over a long
period of time, but rather had
to start from scratch.
The foundation Viviana Plasil
does bring with her from tennis,
running, yoga and the gym
simply doesn‘t change one
basic fact: you don‘t just run
marathons with your legs, but
also with your head. There‘s
only one thing that really helps
you get through all the facets
of a marathon race: experience.
Competition experience.
And she doesn‘t have that.
Your legs tend to play tricks on
Put on your running shoes and off you
go: The Buddy Bears are everywhere.

your head, especially for rookies.
Often they make the most
classic of all classic „rookie“
mistakes: taking off too quickly
because the euphoria gives
you wings. In the first few kilometres,
you use up the „energy“
that you so desperately
need at the end. Just knowing
that doesn‘t help much: everyone
has to make some of these
mistakes themselves. But
it doesn‘t hurt quite as much
over shorter distances.
Celebrated by her kids
Taking on a long-distance race
without any experience is not
impossible, of course, but it is
still takes courage. The bear
ambassador, who has mostly
jogged meditatively and intuitively
up to now, had hoped to
try „a few small competitions“
before her Berlin start. A bike
accident put a damper on those
ambitions too.
The fact that she has had knee
problems periodically since
then might have sufficed for
others to withdraw their spontaneous
euphoric marathon
commitment. But Viviana Plasil
is not „others“: she listens
to her body‘s signals, but also
knows that fear is a bad counsellor.
She is delighted that her
daughter Greta and son Francesco
have been so full of praise
for her training, as if they
had been the ones to come up
with the training plan – rather
than it being created by a relevant
app.
The plan is to get the cultural
manager fit enough to ideally
cross the Brandenburg Gate
in four and a half hours on 29
September. But even if it takes
longer, that‘s fine: „I‘m enjoying
the journey: I have a lot of respect
for the distance and the
route, but I feel that I can do it.
The anticipation and training
alone are worth realising this
idea born out of the euphoria
of a business meeting: I‘m going
to run this marathon!“
– 151 –

HIGHLIGHTS 2024/2025
Must Runs
Berlin
(& Rides)
by
Brandenburg

DECEMBER 31, 2024
Getting fit for
the longest night
berliner-silvesterlauf.de
The ideal preparation for your wild New Year´s Eve party. Get fit for the
longest night of the year. You can choose if you want to climb one or two
peaks in the “Berliner Grunewald”. Enjoy your special party in Berlin!
Distances
2 k and 4 k for women and youth
6,3 k and 10,3 k for women and men
New years eve

D
L
H
B
APRIL 6, 2025
Half the distance. All the fun.
Full respect!
generali-berliner-halbmarathon.de
The sensational season opener on the sightseeing course along many
of the Berlin highlights and over the finish line 200 meters behind the
Brandenburg Gate. As attractive as the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, but
easier to run!
Distances
21,0975 k for women and men (running, skating, wheelchair, hand cycling)
500 m / 1000 m bambini run
M
– 154 –

MAY 17, 2025
Die wichtigsten
Lauf-Events in der
Hauptstadt und im
Brandenburger Umland
Be yourself!
berliner-frauenlauf.de
18,000 women celebrate their special party at the
biggest women‘s run in Germany in the heart of Berlin.
Distances
10 k for runners, walkers and nordic walkers
5 k for runners, walkers and nordic walkers
500 m / 1000 m bambini run
– 155 –

MAY 22, 2025
Cross the finish
line as a team!
Im Team ins Ziel!
teamstaffel-brandenburg.de
Run in a team of 4 on a wonderful lap through the historic city Brandenburg
an der Havel. The exciting TEAM event in early summer.
Distances
4 x 5 km relay
500 m/1000 m bambini run

JULY 13, 2025
You We ride ride Berlin!
Berlin!
velocity.berlin
Across Berlin‘s magnificent boulevards
to the finish at the Brandenburg
Gate. The cool cycling classic
through the capital.
Distances
60 km Bike Race City
100 km Bike Race City
Kid‘s & Youth Race
FURTHER SCC EVENTS
Berliner Wasserbetriebe 5x5 km TEAM-relay June 3-5, 2025
SwimRun Rheinsberg June 22, 2025
Hiking Hero June 28, 2025
adidas Runners City Night July 26, 2025

A SPECIAL EVENT

Experience
culture
on the move
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe came to Weimar in 1775 and, together
with other artists, helped the city in Thuringia gain a worldwide reputation
as a centre for culture, art and modernity. The 250th anniversary
of his arrival is being celebrated with a special kind of run: sport and
culture are combined in a very special way at the Goethe.Kultur.Lauf
(Goethe.Culture.Run).

‘Only where you were on foot have you really truly been.’
The Goethe.Kultur.Lauf is
an athletic celebration of
the 250th anniversary of Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe‘s
arrival in Weimar. Running
and culture join hands at this
event. There are four courses
offered, which are peppered
with cultural breaks where you
can draw or listen to music,
for example. The names of the
routes are based on Goethe‘s
colour wheel, which also inspired
the colourful design of the
event.
Not a classic race,
but rather a fun run!
This running event is not to
be understood as a classic
race where the aim is to achieve
the best time. Rather, this
unique Weimar Run combines
sport and culture to create a
very special experience. Running
paired with the fascination
of Goethe in the cultural
city of Weimar make for the
special appeal of the Goethe.
Kultur.Lauf in Thuringia. Even
if the performance aspect of
this innovative running event
takes a back seat, an attractive
medal awaits all finishers at
the finish line.
www.goethe-kultur-lauf.de
R E G I S T E R
27 APRIL
2025
N O W
CULTURE AND SPORT
IN HARMONY

© Andre Mey
© Markus Glahn, Schatzkammer Thüringen
No Weimar without
Goethe. Reason
enough to celebrate
the anniversary of his
arrival in Weimar 250
years ago.
© Thomas Müller, weimar GmbH
Weimar as a city of culture. The home of Goethe
© Maik Schuck, Weimar GmbH
– 161 –
The arrival of
26-year-old Goethe
marked the beginning
of Weimar‘s
rise to become the
centre of literary
Europe. The city
owes him its worldwide
reputation as
a centre for culture,
art and modernity.
The list of famous
personalities who
chose Weimar as
their adopted home
is long: in addition to
Goethe, others like
Schiller, Bach, Liszt
and the avant-gardists
of the Bauhaus
scene characterised
the various eras of
the city.

Berlin
on
wheels

It‘s time to get rolling again on 28 September! One day before the runners, an
elegant rolling snake will wind its way through the centre of the capital – when
the inline skaters take to the streets as part of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.
Just like the runners‘ race, the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON Inline Skating represents
a perfect combination of world-class athletes and popular sport. Olympic
and world champions compete here, as do fitness and bladenight athletes.

Last year, it was Jason Suttels (right) who
did most of the lead work. Course record
holder Bart Swings (left) respectfully
relinquished the victory at the finish.
Course records men: Bart Swings 56:46 (2022) | women: Maira Arias 1:06:35 (2017)
– 164 –

The world‘s elite are
welcome guests in Berlin
Belgian Bart Swings (Team
Powerslide) is well known
in Berlin. Two years ago, the
then newly crowned Olympic
speed skating champion was
inducted into the BMW BER-
LIN-MARATHON Hall of Fame,
which brings together its greatest
athletes and legends. Two
years ago, he set a fantastic
new course record in Berlin on
wheels in 56:46 minutes.
In 2023, he „only“ crossed the
finish line in second place. After
his compatriot and teammate
Jason Suttels had done
most of the lead work on the
course, he respectfully left
the top spot on the podium
to him when they crossed the
finish line together. The aim
this year will be to secure victory
for the Powerslide team
together with Felix Rijhnen
from Darmstadt. However, the
Rollerblade Speed Team also
has some well-known skaters:
Patxi Peula (Spain), Matteo
Barison (Italy) as well as Severin
Widmer and Nicolas Iten
from Switzerland are all coming
to Berlin.
Strong women‘s field
Last year‘s first-place female
finishers will also be competing
in the event. Gabriela
Rueda (Colombia) crowned
her first participation in Berlin
2023 with first place finish.
Both Karoll Eliana Garcia
Arias (Colombia) and Marie
Dupuy (France), last year‘s
runner-up and third-place finisher,
will be battling for victory
again. From a German
– 165 –

perspective, Josie Hofmann
(Powerslide) has justified hopes.
Katharina Rijhnen (formerly
Rumpus) was the last
German to top the podium,
in 2018. But Lianne van Loon
(Netherlands/Doubleff) and
Alicia Delhommais (France/
Rollerblade) also have good
prospects going into the race.
GERMAN and WORLD
INLINE CUP
The final events in the most
important racing series are
eagerly awaited again this
year. The WORLD INLINE
CUP itself is also celebrating
an important anniversary:
25 years of the global racing
series in 2024.
As last year, the two
Colombians Gabriela
Rueda and Karoll Eliana
García Arias are once
again among the
favourites.
– 166 –

Elevate Your
Skating Experience
with Hydrogen Wheels
84mm - 85A
90mm - 85A

New route
The route of the BMW BER-
LIN-MARATHON Inline Skating
had to be adapted this
year after consultation with
the authorities. This makes
it possible for the spectators
to experience the battles of
the skating elite up close. The
start will take place at 12:20
pm at the usual location on
the grand boulevard, Strasse
des 17. Juni. From there, the
skaters will set off on a fivelap,
approximately seven-kilometre
circuit that will take
them via Ernst-Reuter-Platz
and Otto-Suhr-Allee in the
direction of Charlottenburg
Palace. After a U-turn, the
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON Inlineskating
Streckenplan Inlineskating/Course Inlineskating
Schloss Charlottenburg
Wintersteinstraße
Spree
Brauhofstraße
Landwehrkanal
Hansaplatz
Richard-Wagner-
Platz
Otto-Suhr-Allee
Altona
Kaiser-Friedrich-Straße
Richard-Wagner-Straße
Cauerstraße
Marchstraße
Einsteinufer
Spree
Charlottenburger Tor
Tiergarten
Bachstraße
Deutsche Oper
Strecke Start zum Rundkurs
Course from Start to Loop
Rundkurs 5-Mal
Loop 5 times
Bismarckstraße
Ernst-
Reuter-
Platz
Getränke & Obst
Beverages & Fruits
Hardenbergstraße
TU Berlin
Fasanenstraße
Landwehrkanal
Zoologischer
Garten
Tiergart
Strecke vom Rundkurs ins Ziel
Course from Loop to Finish
– 168 –

route returns to the Victory
Column. After five laps, the
route will continue along the
traditional course along the
Landwehr Canal, Potsdamer
Platz, Gendarmenmarkt and
Unter den Linden to the finish
behind the Brandenburg Gate.
Schedule for the inline skating race
Spitze Schluss Ort
START 12:20 13:25 Straße des 17. Juni (Kleiner Stern)
1 k 12:21 13:28 Siegessäule (Start of first round)
36 k 13:11 15:16 Siegessäule (End of fifth round)
38 k 13:14 15:22 Potsdamer Platz
FINISH 13:20 15:35 Straße des 17. Juni (behind Brandenburg Gate)
Hauptbahnhof
Spree
Bundeskanzleramt
Bundestag
Reichstag
Brandenburger Tor
er Straße
Siegessäule
Spreeweg
Spree
John-Foster-Dullas-Allee
Straße des 17. Juni
Scheidemannstraße
FINISH
Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden
Brandenburger
Tor
Französische Straße
en
Bellevueallee
Ebertstraße
Potsdamer Platz
Gendarmenmarkt
Friedrichstraße
Glinkastraße
Jerusalemer Str.
Markgrafenstraße
Wilhelmstraße
Hofjägerallee
Ben-Gurion-Str.
Stülerstraße
Tiergartenstraße
Potsdamerstr.
Potsdamer Platz
Leipziger Straße
Stresemannstraße
Bundesrat
Checkpoint Charlie
Landwehrkanal
Lützowpl.
Neue Nationalgalerie
– 169 –

JASON SUTTELS
– 170 –

„I‘ll be in World Cup
form in Berlin“
Last year, Belgian Jason Suttels caused a sensation with his victory
at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON Inline Skating. Together with
8-time winner Bart Swings, he pulled away from the field early on.
On the home straight, the old champion relinquished the stage and
the victory to him, full of respect for the performance of the ten-years-younger
teammate. This race cemented the idea that Suttels will
likely become the successor to Bart Swings – the Olympic champion
on ice and the most successful inline skater of recent years. Suttels
and Swings compete together with Felix Rijhnen from Darmstadt for
Team Powerslide. We spoke to him.
Jason, you are often referred to
as the successor to Bart Swings
in inline sports. What does that
mean for you?
Jason Suttels: It means a lot
to me. Sometimes it‘s also a
bit of pressure, because those
are really big shoes to fill.
But at the same time, it‘s a
great motivation for me to
train hard and perform well.
Do you train together? On ice,
too?
Yes, we almost always do
our inline training together,
when Swings is in Belgium,
that is, haha. On the ice, it‘s
a bit more difficult because
he skates for a commercial
team, so I can’t join him on
the ice that often. I am part
of another up-and-coming
– 171 –

ice team called Novus. I‘m
convinced that they can get
me to the best level on ice.
How are things going for you on
the ice at the moment?
It‘s going quite well, I would
say. I‘m not at the level I
want to be at yet, but I‘ve
only had one serious ice season
since last year, so that‘s
normal. My goal is to compete
in the team pursuit at
the Olympic Games together
with Bart Swings and Indra
Medard. Gold is the goal! I
also want to improve in the
other disciplines such as the
mass start and the 5000m
so I can showcase my physical
strength.
And how has the current inline
season been going so far?
The current inline season is
going well. I became European
champion in Belgium
this year. Now the goal is
to win the title at the World
Championships in Italy in September
(13 to 22 September).
What are your plans for Berlin?
I‘ll be in world championship
form in Berlin, so I want to
make sure that Powerslide is
on the top step of the podium.
Whether I win or Bart or
Felix wins is not important to
me. And, of course, I want to
enjoy the last weekend together
with Powerslide this
season!
– 172 –

06. April 2025
#berlinhalf

„My goal is
a podium finish
in Berlin“
JOSIE HOFMANN
– 174 –

Last winter, a long-cherished dream came true for the 27-year-old
inline skater from Gera: Josie Hofmann won silver in the team pursuit
at the European Speed Skating Championships. Her big goal is
to compete at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Italy. Josie Hofmann
is also a passionate inline skater.
Josie, how are things going for
you at the moment?
Josie Hofmann: I‘m in full
preparation mode for the
upcoming winter season.
The training workload has
increased significantly
again, now a year and a half
before the Olympics, and it
is going very well at the moment.
In July, I was able to
test my training level on the
ice in Inzell. Unfortunately,
I wasn‘t able to participate
in as many competitions
on inline skates this year as
in previous years. However,
inline skating is still an important
part of my everyday
life. I was able to become
German champion in both
the marathon and half marathon.
I am really very satisfied.
Are you getting closer to your
dream of the Olympic Games?
Last winter was very exhausting,
but also very successful.
The clear highlight
was the runner-up European
title in the team pursuit – a
medal that we didn‘t expect,
which makes it all the better.
– 175 –

I was also able to take a big
step forward in the individual
events. I‘m getting closer
and closer to the top speed
skaters and will continue to
improve. The dream of the
Olympics remains.
What are your plans for the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON?
Like every year, I‘m really
looking forward to starting
in Berlin. After winning the
GENERALI BERLIN HALF
MARATHON two time, I am
of course still missing a spot
on the podium at the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON. I will
do my best to achieve this
goal. But so much can happen
in a marathon. Ultimately,
we‘ll see after the finish
line if it was all enough.
Josie Hofmann is one of the best
German women on both inline
skates and ice skates.
© imago images/AFLOSPORT
– 176 –

Natur, Sport und
Kultur vor den
Toren Berlins
Auf rund 230 Kilometern verläuft die Flaeming-
Skate durch Wälder, Wiesen und Felder, fernab
von störendem Straßenverkehr. Die zwei bis
drei Meter breite Bahn aus feinstem Asphalt
führt vorbei an idyllischen Dörfern und Städten
im Niederen Fläming und Baruther Urstromtal.
www.aeming-skate.de

THE WHEELCHAIR & HAND CYCLE RACES
High speed
from the start

The start of the wheelchair and hand cycle races shortly before
the impressive starting field of over 50,000 runners will be one of
the very special highlights of the marathon weekend. High speed
and top times can be expected when the world-class athletes set
off on the classic distance of 42.195 kilometres.

The last time Manuela
Schär stood at the top
of the podium in Berlin
was in 2021. This year,
she hopes to claim her
seventh victory.
– 180 –

Some old acquaintances will
also be back at the start
for the anniversary. Last year‘s
winner Catherine Debrunner
from Switzerland won the New
York City Marathon in November
2023 with a course record,
followed that up with triumphs
at the TCS London Marathon
in April this year and the Paralympics
in Paris and is also aiming
to be the fastest woman
at the anniversary event in
Berlin. Her compatriot Manuela
Schär, the six-time BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON winner,
will challenge her for the win.
Spectators can look forward to
an exciting duel.
For the exceptional Swiss
athlete Marcel Hug, Berlin has
also become something like
his home course. The wheelchair
racing pro from Pfyn in
Switzerland has dominated
the races in the Abbott World
Marathon Majors series for
several years now, won the
Paralympics and remains the
clear favourite for the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON. He will
be joined at the start by David
Weir and Jetze Plat, who
will be trying to come out in
front.
It promises to be an exciting
race before the runners take
to the course at 9:15 am.
Marcel Hug has already won
eight times in Berlin – he
is the clear favourite again
this year.

The musician
is stepping down
Since the mid-1990s, a Dutchman has been in charge of the party
atmosphere at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON: For 28 years, John
Kunkeler has made sure that over 70 bands can perform along the
course without getting in each other‘s way. But now it‘s over. The
2024 anniversary marathon is the last time John Kunkeler will be
coordinating the music. However, at the age of 77, he will continue
to dedicate himself to the official route measurement and running
his jazz club in Berlin-Mitte.

SCC EVENTS INSIDE
I
t all started at the Wilder Eber
(Wild Boar) – the place where
the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
marks 28 kilometres, where
the race really gets going. The
intersection with seven road
junctions and the bronze sculpture
of a male wild boar in the
centre has been one of the race
hotspots for decades. The roundabout
in the small district of
Schmargendorf was one of the
very first sections of the course
where bands played for the runners.
The square – a gateway to
the Grunewald Forest – got its
name because in 1885 a wild
boar is said to have appeared
in the local beer garden ‘Zur
Waldschänke’ to the horror of
the guests. The landlord shot it
and from then on called his restaurant
‘Gasthaus zum Wilden
Eber’.
In the mid-1990s, a problem
developed with regard to the
cheerleading group from Detmold
in East Westphalia who
performed during the race whe-
re the inn once stood. Up until
then, the dancers had created a
great atmosphere at the Wilder
Eber together with a drum band.
At the time, they were one of the
few show acts along the route.
The two groups helped the Wild
Boar achieve cult status at the
marathon. But then differences
arose between the marathon
organisers and the group from
Detmold, because they had a different
clothing sponsor than the
marathon. The organisers of the
ever-growing BERLIN-Marathon
and their sponsor did not like
that – especially as the cheerleading
group was often shown
on TV.
Stress over the cheerleaders
at the Wild Boar
The Detmolders threatened:
Then we won‘t come anymore!
You‘ll see how that affects the
atmosphere! But when the Wild
Boar threatened to become
tame, John Kunkeler stepped in.
‘I said: we can do it with our own
– 184 –

A VETERAN OF THE
BMW BERLIN-
MARATHON
John Kunkeler has been part of the
BERLIN-MARATHON for decades: in
1984, he was one of the first guides
for blind runners at the start. Back
then, he guided Jürgen Lubnau (top
right) to a 3:10 time. A good 20
years later, in 2005, he ran as part
of the Berlin Team Relay together
with marathon ‘inventor’ Horst
Milde and his son Mark, who has
been responsible for signing the
stars since 1999 and has been Race
Director since 2004.

bands.’ Just three days later, he
had found another cheerleading
troupe. It was even bigger than
the group from Detmold and put
on a brilliant performance.
Jazz club contacts provide
music along the route
John Kunkeler‘s contacts from
the ‘Schlot’ jazz club in Berlin-
Mitte, which he helps run, supported
him in his search for other
bands. Now, what used to
be two bands along the route
has grown to more than 70. In
the end, Kunkeler no longer has
to worry about the line-up – the
interested groups reach out to
him. He now has to make sure
that they don‘t stand too close
to each other and don‘t get in
each other‘s way acoustically.
His efforts are still paying off
today: ‘The BMW BERLIN-MA-
RATHON sets the benchmark
worldwide when it comes to
music along the route,’ says
John Kunkeler. In New York,
for example, there are also excellent
bands along the route,
but the number of them is
significantly lower. ‘You won‘t
find this abundance anywhere
else. That‘s a real unique selling
point,’ says Kunkeler. Even the
top runners keep talking to him
about it: ‘They tell me that the
atmosphere is completely different
to that in Dubai, for example,
where you run through
deserted desert for long stretches.’
The marathon organisers
at SCC EVENTS will make sure
it stays that way, even without
John Kunkeler. He will then be
able to concentrate fully on
his work as an official course
marshal – which, in addition to
Berlin, he also carries out in
Dubai, Amsterdam, Tbilisi, Yerevan,
Split, Sarajevo, Hanover,
Leipzig, Dresden, Hamburg and
at several other events. And, of
course, on his work at his beloved
jazz club, the Kunstfabrik
Schlot in Invalidenstrasse.

EQUIPMENT

Two choices
for your
anniversary run
For the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, adidas has produced a special
edition of two running shoes that are perfect companions for your
42.195 kilometres through the capital. The Adizero Adios Pro 3 carbon
shoe is ideal for anyone who wants to chase their fastest times at high
speed. The Adizero Boston 12 will assist those who want to take it a
little bit easier but still reach the finish safely with a good performance
at the celebratory race. Both shoes can be ordered at adidas.com and
of course will also be available at the MARATHON EXPO at the former
Tempelhof Airport. Here is a breakdown of the models.

The Adizero Adios Pro has
been a legend since the
first version came onto the
market. It has been worn for
numerous records, winning
medals and marathon majors.
In the third generation, however,
the shoe has been adapted
even better to the needs
of runners who are ambitious
but not quite as fast as the
elite. With the Energyrods
2.0, the previously separate
carbon struts have been combined
into a single structure
that ensures consistent stiffness.
They run parallel to the
metatarsal bones and support
energy return during the rolling
process. The upper material
of the shoe has also been
made even lighter. Lightstrike
Pro maximises cushioning
and provides even more ener-
ADIDAS ADIZERO ADIOS PRO 3
Adidas is writing its success story for the marathon distance with the Adidas
Adizero Adios Pro 3 carbon shoe. Striking changes in the midsole provide even
more propulsion in competition. The actual times achieved by top runners using
this shoe are even more convincing than our test results.
– 190 –

THE ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
gy return with less weight.
This shoe is made in part from
recycled materials. The Adios
Pro 3 is even stiffer and more
dynamic than its predecessors.
The striking kick in the
forefoot in particular feels
explosive. Smaller cut-outs in
the midsole continue to guarantee
a light weight. Strategically
positioned elements in
the upper shoe ensure a very
secure hold. The tried-andtested
Continental rubber in
the outsole provides an impressive
grip, which also adds
support on winding roads.
The conclusion: The Adidas
Adizero Adios Pro 3 is a running
shoe for performanceorientated
runners who fight
for every second in competition.
It remains a world-class
running shoe with the Lightstrike
Pro and the Energyrods
2.0 catapulting you forwards
with every step.
AVAILABLE AT THE MARATHON EXPO
AND ON ADIDAS.COM
ORDER
HERE

Adidas has been offering
the Adizero Boston since
1982. The current version is a
lightweight and fast top training
and competition shoe with
good cushioning that combines
numerous high-performance
technologies. The midsole consists
of two layers of cushioning
material. The upper is made of
Lightstrike Pro. It is the lightest,
most responsive and most
comfortable foam material
from Adidas. In the lower layer,
Lightstrike 2.0 is used instead
of Light-strike. Lightstrike 2.0
is even lighter – even though
the density of the material
remains the same. The EVA
foam ensures durability and
stability. The Energyrods 2.0
made of fibreglass-reinforced
plastic sit between these two
materials. They ensure energy
ADIDAS ADIZERO BOSTON 12
The Boston 12 is part of Adidas‘ Train for Races range, making it an ideal shoe
for fast training sessions – and of course for competitions too. It was tested by
elite Kenyan runners in their everyday training sessions. Their feedback was
incorporated into the development.
– 192 –

THE ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
return and impact. The outsole
made from a durable Continental
rubber compound does
not run the entire length of the
sole. By analysing the running
data of many runners, zones
were identified where no rubber
outsole is needed because
the grip does not suffer from
the lack of rubber. The outsole
material was omitted in these
areas. The Boston 12 has an
upper shoe made from breathable
engineered mesh, which
ensures a firm hold in the midfoot
area. The lacing, tongue
and heel area have been redesigned.
At least 50 per cent of
the upper material is recycled.
Conclusion: The Adizero Boston
12 from Adidas is a lightweight
and fast shoe that combines
many technologies and is
ideal for medium to long runs
– a top training shoe to prepare
you for competitions, but also
perfect for achieving your personal
best at a marathon.
AVAILABLE AT THE MARATHON EXPO
AND ON ADIDAS.COM
ORDER
HERE

YOUNG RUNNERS

Talent show at the
Brandenburg Gate
A big stage for young running talents: Berlin is also the venue for the
grand finale of the R5K Tour for talented young runners in Germany
on the marathon weekend. The five-kilometre race, which starts on
Saturday morning at 9:50 am at Potsdamer Platz, marks the end
of a series of five 5K races in five German cities that form the R5K
Tour in 2024: Dresden, Paderborn, Hanover, Hamburg and, at the
end, the grand finale at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.

As the R5K winner in Hamburg, Christoph
Schrick has taken the lead in the
U23 overall standings.
The R5K Tour is an action by
www.r5k-tour.de
R5K: THE RACES 2024
24 March 2024: NTT DATA Citylauf Dresden
30 March 2024: Paderborner Osterlauf
13 April 2024: ADAC Marathon Hannover
1 September 2024: Barmer Alsterlauf Hamburg
28 September 2024: BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
The R5K Tour‘s 5K race is
open to talented runners
between ages 16 and 22. In the
U23 (born between 2002 and
2004) and U20 (born between
2005 and 2008) categories,
the overall ranking of the five
races is for prize money and
grants for training camps organised
by the German Athletics
Association (DLV). The series
was jointly initiated by the
DLV and German Road Races
(GRR) in order to discover new
talents. GRR is an association
of major running events in
German-speaking countries
and represents the interests
of road running.
On the day before the 50th
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON,
these young talents will be
given the biggest stage that
German running has to offer.

M O R E
I N F O R M AT I O N
Some of Germany‘s greatest
runners will compete in the
big talent show on the last
five kilometres of the original
marathon course between
Potsdamer Platz and the
Brandenburg Gate. Tristan
Kaufhold is one of them. The
runner from SSC Hanau-Rodenbach
is the fastest under-
18-year-old ever produced by
German athletics over ten
kilometres on the road. He
set a new German U18 best of
30:19 minutes in 2022, which
he improved again to 30:04
minutes in 2023. He is now a
U20 runner and set a German
record over ten kilometres
on the road with an impressive
time of 29:41 minutes in
March. He comes to Berlin as
the defending champion and
overall leader.
The overall standings before
the final in Berlin
U23 men
Christoph Schrick (Königsteiner LV) 29:19
14:24 in Paderborn | 14:55 in Hamburg
Jonas Kulgemeyer (Osnabrücker TB) 29:47
14:47 in Paderborn | 15:00 in Hamburg
Philipp Tabert (Laufteam Kassel) 30:29
15:01 in Paderborn | 14:28 in Hannover
U23 women
Carolina Schäfer (TG Schwalbach) 32:22
16:05 in Paderborn | 16:17 in Hamburg
Kiara Nahen (LC Paderborn) 32:48
16:10 in Paderborn | 16:38 in Hamburg
Sonja Lindemann (LG Wedel-Pinneberg ) 33:45
16:50 in Paderborn | 16:55 in Hannover
U20 men
Tristan Kaufhold (SSC Hanau-Rodenbach) 29:41
14:21 in Paderborn | 15:20 in Hannover
Viktor Plümacher (LG Olympia Dortmund) 30:13
14:50 in Paderborn | 15:23 in Hannover
Christopher Dahlmeyer (TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen) 30:15
15:44 in Hannover | 15:14 in Hamburg
U20 women
Vanessa Mikitenko (SSC Hanau-Rodenbach) 32:32
16:05 in Paderborn | 16:29 in Hannover
Johanna Ewert (Hannover 96) 35:46
17:33 in Hannover | 18:13 in Hamburg
Annika Klezath (Osnabrücker TB) 36:09
18:21 in Paderborn | 17:48 in Hamburg
– 197 –

Tristan Kaufhold is one of Germany‘s
biggest running talents and has a
good chance of winning the U20 overall
title in the R5K Tour 2024.
In the female U20 category,
the number one in the current
R5K ranking has a very
big name: Vanessa Mikitenko
is the favourite to win the
overall title after her R5K victories
in Paderborn and Hanover.
The daughter of marathon
legend Irina Mikitenko previously
competed for Germany
at the U20 World Championships
in Lima, Peru, where she
confidently qualified for the finals
with a strong preliminary
run. However, she then had to
miss out on the finals due to
a COVID infection. She is now
looking forward all the more
to the R5K final event at the
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. ‘I
have so many good associations
with this event, partly because
I used to watch my mum
run there as a child,’ explains
the 19-year-old. Her mum is Irina
Mikitenko, the only German
to have ever run a marathon
in under 2:20 hours (2:19:19).
The record she set in 2008 at
the BERLIN-MARATHON still
stands today. Vanessa Mikitenko
was three years old at the
– 198 –

time. 16 years later, she has
the chance to win the overall
classification of the R5K Tour
at the same venue and win prize
money totalling 500 euros
– plus a grant for a training
camp totalling 1000 euros.
Anyone who wants to finish at
the top of the overall R5K rankings
must compete in Berlin
– even those who have already
delivered three results in the
series, which is made up of a
total of four 5K races. For the
finals, the winner is whoever is
in front when adding up the re-
sults from Berlin together with
the two fastest times in the
previous R5K races (2+1 rule).
In the U23 category, the penultimate
R5K race of 2024
at the Barmer Alsterlauf in
Hamburg saw the overall
standings shaken up once
again ahead of the final: two
talented runners from the
Taunus region, Christoph
Schrick from Königsteiner LV
and Carolina Schäfer from
TG Schwalbach, won the race,
so they will arrive in Berlin as
the overall leaders. Christoph
After her victories in
Paderborn and Hanover,
Vanessa Mikitenko is on
her way to overall R5K
victory in 2024.

Schrick took the pole position
in the overall standings in
Hamburg with a time of 14:55
minutes for the 5K ahead of
the previous leader Jonas
Kulgemeyer (Osnabrücker
TB), who finished second in
15:00 minutes.
There was also a change in
the lead in the overall standings
for the junior women:
After U23 favourite Carolina
Schäfer had made it clear with
a 3:10 opening kilometre that
she was determined to win in
Hamburg, no other runner was
able to close the gap that she
had established with her fast
initial pace.
In the end, the Hessian won
in 16:17 minutes and took the
lead in the overall standings
from Sonja Lindemann (LG
Wedel-Pinneberg), who finished
third in Hamburg in 17:03
minutes. This means that she
now has little chance of winning
the overall title – especially
as last year‘s overall winner
Kirara Nahen (LC Paderborn)
was also significantly faster in
Hamburg in 16:38 minutes and
also overtook Sonja Lindemann
in the overall standings.
Carolina Schäfer comes
to Berlin as the U23
favourite.

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INCLUSION
Deaf and a
Six-Star finish
Thomas Eller is deaf. But he is also a very good runner and the first
deaf person to finish all six races of the Abbott World Marathon
Majors, the largest and most important marathons in the world.
Through his runs, he wants to set an example for inclusion and bring
the hearing and deaf communities closer together.
Text & Photos: Clarisse Oberle
Most people are amazed
that I, as a deaf person,
have managed to run one
marathon,” says Thomas Eller.
But why shouldn‘t a deaf
person be able to run a marathon?
While studying to become a
teacher in Cologne, Thomas
began running five to ten kilometres
a day to clear his head
and relieve the strain on his
eyes. He describes himself as
an ‘eye person’ as he compensates
for his lack of hearing
with visual impressions. Running
gives him the strength
he needs to deal with the
– 202 –

challenges of everyday life
– especially the exhaustion
from hours of lip-reading.
Marathon debut in
the Jordanian desert
In 2018, he ran his first marathon
in the desert sands of Petra
in Jordan and surprisingly
finished fourth. This achievement
enabled him to dispel
social prejudices against deaf
people and stand up for more
inclusion. By participating in
the six Abbott World Marathon
Majors (Tokyo, Boston,
London, Berlin, Chicago, New
York), he is setting an example
for the deaf community
and is the first deaf Six Star
finisher in the world. In 2024,
he will compete in the Sydney
Marathon to complete his ‘Big
7’ in one calendar year.
As a home race, the BMW
BERLIN MARATHON has a very
special meaning for Thomas.
In 2019, he ran his personal
best time of 2:47:11 here, which
earned him an invitation to
join the national deaf athletics
team and a spot at the
2022 Deaflympics.
He uses his marathons to
promote inclusion and create
relevance for people with disabilities
so that they can be
more involved in events such
as the BMW BERLIN-MARA-
THON. He also motivates his
pupils through his own actions
and thus strengthens
their courage and self-confidence.
Travelling to the mini-MA-
RATHON with his schoolkids
This year, Thomas and his
deaf pupils are travelling to
Berlin to take part in the mini-
MARATHON presented by GE-
NERALI, where Thomas will
be cheering them on. They
will also be at the 50th BMW
– 204 –

BERLIN-MARATHON to cheer
him on along the course and
celebrate their deaf role model
in person.
This is a hugely important
step in their identity building
and acceptance of their own
disabilities. At the same time,
it sends out a strong signal
for inclusion. As a runner and
teacher for deaf children, he
shows that deaf people can
also achieve great things. His
goal is to bridge the gap between
the deaf and hearing
communities and create a
more inclusive world for all.
Thomas Eller from Essen is doubly
involved in the 50th BMW BERLIN-
MARATHON this year: On Saturday,
the 44-year-old will support his
students in the mini-MARATHON.
On Sunday, he will run the marathon
himself and be cheered on by his deaf
protégés.

The official app for the
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
All information about the anniversary event
¬ TRACKING: Via split times (no
GPS) for runners and inline skaters.
You can decide whether and
by whom you want to be tracked.
¬ FAVORITES: Save up to 24 favourites.
Track up to 24 participants
who have authorised their tracking.
¬ LOG-IN: With the registration
ID from your start pass in the
format SC:XXXX
¬ EXPO MAP: Where can you pick
up your race bib? Where can you
find the most interesting exhibitors?
¬ PUSH-NOTIFICATIONS: Have all
the information sent to you so
that you don‘t miss anything on
the marathon weekend!
UND:
¬ ALL DATES
¬ INTERACTIVE COURSE MAPS
Available starting 25 September 2024!
DOWNLOAD IN THE APP STORE
DOWNLOAD FROM GOOGLE PLAY
– 206 –

BMW BERLIN-
MARATHON 2024
Stay informed.
Download our App:
2024 APP

ABBOTT WORLD MARATHON MAJORS

Six
Stars.
One
Dream.
The Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM) are a combination of
six of the most important and biggest marathon races in the world:
Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon, TCS London Marathon, BMW BER-
LIN-MARATHON, Bank of America Chicago Marathon and TCS New
York City Marathon. Here we present the series and the five other
races with which the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON forms the Abbott
World Marathon Majors.

The history of the World Marathon
Majors began in 2006.
In addition to the series for elite
runners – Series XVI is currently
underway – a race series for wheelchair
racers was later added as
well. The marathons of the Olympic
Games / Paralympics and the
World Championships in Athletics
/ Para World Championships also
are always included in the respective
series, provided they take
place during the same period the
series is underway. This year, the
results of the marathon race of the
World Championships in Athletics
counted toward the Abbott AWMM.
At the end of the one-year series,
during which the athletes
collect points, the top three receive
prize money. The winners
each receive 50,000 US dollars.
Over the years, the Abbott World
Marathon Majors have also launched
various initiatives for amateur
athletes, including the Six
Star Finishers and the Abbott
WMM Wanda Age Group World
Championships.
A Six Star Finisher is
omeone who completes
all the races
The „Six Star Finishers“ classification
began with the 2016 Tokyo
Marathon and was created for
amateur marathon runners. Anyone
who has successfully participated
in all six Abbott WMM races
receives the „Six Star Medal“.
Abbott WMM Wanda World
Rankings for age groups
The scoring for the Abbott WMM
Wanda World Rankings for age
group runners began at the 2018
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, with
the top-ranked runners in each
age group qualifying for the Abbott
WMM Wanda Age Group
World Championships, which will
take place next year as part of
the TCS New York City Marathon
on 2 November 2025. These are
the following age group classifications
for both men and women:
40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-
59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79
and 80 and older.
INFO AND REGISTRATION: WWW.ABBOTTWMM.COM

YOUR WORLD. RUN IT.
When you complete the 2024
BMW Berlin Marathon you will
earn an Abbott World Marathon
Majors star.
Create your Runner Portal at
AbbottWMM.com and your star
will appear in your account.
Claim all of your Majors results in
your portal as you make your way
towards the Six Star Medal.
Runners aged 40+ can also be part
of the AbbottWMM Marathon
Tours & Travel Age Group World
Rankings system. Sign up today!

Abbott World Marathon Majors
CHICAGO
The Chicago Theatre regularly hosts
superstars like Madonna, and runners
pass through the imposing building on
their 42.195-kilometre route through
the third-largest city in the USA.
Next event
13 October 2024
Largest field of participants
48,398 runners crossed the finish line (2023)
Course records
2:00:35 Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) 2023
2:14:04 Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2019
© imago images/USA Today Network
World
record race
– 212 –

chicagomarathon.com
In 1976, a small group of
running enthusiasts met to
make plans for a marathon
in Chicago. On 25 September
1977, 4,200 participants took
part in the inaugural Chicago
Marathon. Since then, the
race has grown to a field of
almost 50,000 runners. Up
to around one million spectators
watch the marathon
along the road. The flat
course begins and ends in
Chicago‘s historic Grant Park.
It passes through 29 culturally
diverse neighbourhoods
such as Lakeview, Greektown,
Little Italy, Pilsen, Chinatown
– 213 –

Abbott World Marathon Majors
CHICAGO
and Bronzeville. Three men‘s
world records have been
set here (1984: Steve Jones
2:08:55 h, 1999: Khalid Khannouchi
2:05:42, 2023: Kelvin
Kiptum 2:00:35) and three
women’s (2001: Catherine
Ndereba 2:18:47, 2002 Paula
Radcliffe 2:17:18, 2019: Brigid
Kosgei 2:14:04).
© imago images/Zuma Wire
Three world records for
women and three for men
have already been celebrated
in Chicago. The most recent
one was set by Kenyan Kelvin
Kiptum last autumn. On 11
February 2024, at the age of
24, he died in a car accident
together with his Rwandan
coach Gervais Hakizimana.

Abbott World Marathon Majors
NEW YORK
This skyline, this crowd, this city:
the marathon course through the
Big Apple is a dream destination
for runners from all over the world.
Next event
3 November 2024
Largest field of participants
53,639 runners at the finish line (2019)
Course records
2:04:58 Tamirat Tola (ETH) 2023
2:22:31 Margaret Okayo (KEN) 2003
The
spectacle
– 216 –

The TCS New York City
Marathon is the most important
event organised by
the New York Road Runners
(NYRR) and was the largest
marathon in the world for
many years. For the first time,
over 50,000 finishers were
counted in a marathon here
tcsnycmarathon.org
in 2013. The race attracts elite
athletes and recreational
runners alike who are looking
for a challenge of a lifetime.
The marathon has grown
enormously since its debut in
1970, when just 127 runners
ran four laps around Central
Park. Usually on the first Sun-
– 217 –

Abbott World Marathon Majors
NEW YORK
day in November, now well
over 50,000 runners from all
over the world flock to New
York City to run through the
five boroughs. The runners
start at the Verrazano-Nar-
rows Bridge on Staten Island,
then run through the boroughs
of Brooklyn, Queens
and the Bronx before finishing
in Manhattan‘s Central
Park.
© imago images/Zuma Wire
In the 1980s, German marathon
runners played a different role on
a global scale than they do today:
Herbert Steffny won bronze at the
European Championships in Stuttgart
in 1986, and two years earlier
he had also finished third in the New
York Marathon. The 69-year-old still
participates in New York every year
and organises running groups from
Germany.

WATCH IT
NOV 03
tcsnycmarathon.org/watch

Abbott World Marathon Majors
TOKYO
The Tokyo Marathon has become
a mass spectacle: More than
36,000 runners reached
the finish line in 2023.
Next event
2 March 2025
Largest field of participants
36,751 runners at the finish (2023)
Course records
2:02:16 Benson Kipruto (KEN) 2024
2:15:55 Sutume Kebede (ETH) 2024
© imago images/Kyodo News
Running
with heart
– 220 –

marathon.tokyo/en
Organised by the Tokyo
Marathon Foundation,
the premiere was launched
on 18 February 2007. With
its motto „The Day We Unite“,
the Tokyo Marathon has
been bringing runners, volunteers
and spectators together
ever since. In 2011,
the Tokyo Marathon established
its own charity programme:
„Running with Heart“.
Donations are used
to support various charity
programmes. the Tokyo Marathon
changed its route in
2017. The finish line is now in
the immediate vicinity of the
– 221 –

Abbott World Marathon Majors
TOKYO
main railway station. In 2018,
a Japanese record was broken
here for the first time in
16 years. After setting a record
for number of finishers
last year with almost 37,000
runners crossing the finish
line, impressive course records
were also set in 2024:
Benson Kipruto triumphed in
2:02:16 and Sutume Kebede
ran 2:15:55.
© imago images/Xinhua
In 2024, both the women‘s and
men‘s course records were broken
in Tokyo. Ethiopian Sutume Kebede
crossed the finish line in 2:15:55
hours. Only seven female runners
have ever been faster over the
marathon distance.

Abbott World Marathon Majors
BOSTON
The home stretch in Boston
gained worldwide notoriety in
2013 when three people died
in a bomb attack at the
world‘s oldest marathon. Since
then, security precautions at
major running events around
the world have been further
improved.
Next event
21 April 2025
Largest field of participants
35,868 runners at the finish (1996)
Course records
2:03:02 Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) 2011
2:19:59 Buzunesh Deba (ETH) 2014
The
classic
– 224 –

© imago images/Icon Sportswire
baa.org
Inspired by their experiences
at the 1896 Olympic
Games, some members of the
Boston Athletic Association
created their own marathon
in 1897. With the exception
of the 2020 race (virtual race
due to the COVID pandemic),
this race has taken place every
year (although in 1918 as
a military relay instead of an
individual race) and is the oldest
annual marathon in the
world. The Boston Marathon
saw its 128th edition in April
2024. The position of the
start and finish lines have
changed over the years, but
– 225 –

Abbott World Marathon Majors
BOSTON
the rest of the course has
remained largely the same.
Since 1924, the race has started
in the town of Hopkinton
and run from there through
Ashland, Framingham, Natick
and Wellesley. In Newton, the
course gradually climbs up to
the famous Heartbreak Hill.
After passing through Brookline,
the runners enter Boston,
where the race finishes
on historic Boylston Street.
Participants must qualify for
the Boston Marathon with
appropriate times.
Through Uta Pippig, SCC Berlin as
the organisation behind the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON has a very
special connection to the Boston
Marathon: The Berliner started for
SCC in the 1990s and won the
world‘s oldest marathon three times
in a row in 1994, 1995 and 1996.

Abbott World Marathon Majors
LONDON
Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar
Square, Tower of London,
Buckingham Palace, and, and, and:
The TCS London Marathon is like
a sightseeing tour through
the British capital.
Next event
27 April 2025
Largest field of participants
53,863 runners at the finish (2024)
Course records
2:01:25 Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) 2023
2:15:25 Paula Radcliffe (GBR) 2003
© imago images/Zuma Press Wire
Bigger than
ever before
– 228 –

tcslondonmarathon.com
The first London Marathon
took place on 29 March
1981. More than 20,000 runners
wanted to take part,
7,747 were given race entries.
Since then, the TCS
London Marathon has grown
to well over 50,000 runners
and is currently the largest
Abbott AWMM race. Every
year, a few hundred thousand
athletes apply for race
entries, which are allocated
by lottery. World records for
men and women have been
set in the race, including
– 229 –

Abbott World Marathon Majors
LONDON
that of Paula Radcliffe, who
achieved a time of 2:15:25 in
2003. The TCS London Marathon
is also broadcast internationally
by the BBC and
usually has between four
and five million TV viewers
in the UK alone. In the history
of the race, runners have
already raised over a billion
Pounds in donations for charitable
causes.
In 2003, Paula Radcliffe ran a
world record of 2:15:25 hours in
London, which was only broken 16
years later by Kenyan Brigid Kosgei
(2:14:04 h). Even today, Paula
Radcliffe‘s time is the sixth-fastest
women’s marathon finish of all
time.
© imago images/Kosecki

Sunday 27 April 2025
Sign up now
to run London virtually
tcslondonmarathon.com/myway

AVAILABLE FOR ORDER
Coins, bears and comics
Very special
memorabilia
50 years of the
BERLIN-MARATHON
– this will also be celebrated
with a few very
special products: The exclusive
anniversary merchandising
is available for all registered
participants in the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON via their
user accounts at www.berlinmarathon.com.
The products
will then be distributed at the
MARATHON EXPO as part of the
race kits. Anyone who has not
yet ordered can purchase Marathon
Buddy Bears, anniversary
coins or Lustiges Taschenbuch
comics at the MARATHON EXPO
and at MOVE at the Brandenburg
Gate.

The Berlin Buddy Bear is
celebrating its marathon
premiere for the anniversary!
The 22-centimetre tall figure
is designed by hand and
shows the many highlights of
the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
over the last 50 years in a unique
way. You can personalise
the racebib on the bear‘s stomach
with your name and/or
start number using a pen – a
unique and personalised souvenir.
On the coin minted for the
anniversary you will find
the names, times and dates of
the 13 world records run on the
fastest course in the world, the
top sights along the 42-kilometre
route, the date of the premiere
and the image of the legendary
course – everything on the eight
centimetre, six millimetre thick
and 186 gram coin with a silver
finish. Packaged in an elegant
black box with the anniversary
logo.
– 233 –

Special edition
Donald Duck
at the marathon
For the 50th time, the city
becomes a race track and all
Duckburg will be cheering. For
the anniversary, there will be
an exclusive special edition of
the Lustiges Taschenbuch Donald
Duck comic book. Donald
and Gustav Goose are already in
the starting blocks because they
don‘t want to miss out on the big
race. It‘s about an unlucky duck
and a good luck goose – and the
best runners in the world are
also competing. Who will come
out on top? With humour and
sporting spirit, Donald Duck,
Mickey Mouse and Co. experience
eleven sporting adventures
and present lots of valuable tips
and information about the BMW
BERLIN-MARATHON. The Lustiges
Taschenbuch is available for
12.95 euros in German and English
in the Egmont-Verlag online
shop: www.egmont-shop.de
O R D E R
H E R E
– 235 –

ORGANISATION
Promoter
Sport-Club Charlottenburg e.V.
Organiser
SCC EVENTS GmbH
Olympiapark Berlin
Hanns-Braun-Straße/Adlerplatz
14053 Berlin
Tel. 030 – 301 288 10
Fax 030 – 301 288 20
www.scc-events.com
Organisational team
BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
Managing Directors
Christian Jost, Jürgen Lock
Director Event Management
Mark Milde
Director Operations
Carsten Humrich
Director Participant Management &
Marketing | Digital
Antje Jüntgen
Director Sponsoring
Jennifer Barthel
Team Leading Media Relations & Editorial
Robert Fekl, Jochen Schmitz
Team Leading Operations
Michael Gerlach
Team Leading Participant Management
Judy Kumutat
Team Leading Marketing | Digital
Nadia Dagher
Team Leading Finance
Aike Fokkena
Team Leading Event Management
Antje Paschke
Team Leading Sponsoring
Nicole Altenhof, Timo Göhler, Ines Rentsch (in EZ)
Public Affairs
Yvonne Meißner
Medical Board/Medical Directors
PD Dr. med Matthias Krüll, Simone Salzger,
Dr. med. Margrit Lock, Sandra Paffenbach
Human Relationships
Philip Lehmann
Race Director
Mark Milde
Participant Management
Sylvia Ackermann, Georgia Andrews,
Linda Baumgart, Anika Gerlach, Marc Goldmann,
Monique Hoppe, Sybille Hoppe, Antje Jüntgen,
Philipp Kadow, Judy Kumutat, Anja Lüthke,
Anja Reisner, Laura Tapia, Stella Strohbach,
Britt Munzlinger
Elite Athletes Hospitality
Philipp Kadow, Nadine Mietke, Carsten Helterhof
EXPO
Katharina Holle, Oliver Simon,
Laurenz Lenard, Lena Schmidt
Broom Wagon
Christian Löw
Results Services
mika:timing
Event Management
Katharina Holle, Antje Paschke, Nadine Mietke,
Mark Milde, Robert Müller, Ingo Monse, Oliver Simon,
Sarah Hecker, Laurenz Lenard, Lena Schmidt
Gathering Point
Bastian Klemke
Driving Service
Gabi Mahn, Mario Mahn
Blue Line
Wolfgang Weising
Wheelchair drivers/Handcyclists
Georgia Andrews
Volunteers
Ralf Burzlaff, Noah Löffler, Vivian Schneider
Jubilee-Club
Anja Reisner
Sustainability
Michael Fuchs, Johanna Lies
Inlineskating
Gerte Buchheit, Ingo Monse
Clothing Drop-Off
Peter Fielhauer, Yves Imbert, Alexander Schröter,
Christina Imbert, Joachim Zschaler
Poncho hand-out
Alexander Horn
Marketing | Digital
Nadia Dagher, Johannes Dinter, Sophie Gröger,
Janis vom Hoff, Celia Jentzsch, Antje Jüntgen,
Stephanie Kamen, Sabrina Krause, Marcus Mahlo,
Markus März, Katja Lange, Vincent Schröder
International Groups Partner
Mareike Dehmel, Anika Günther, Melanie Moll
Medal hand-out
Dirk Richter, Sven Uterhardt

Media Relations & Editorial/Media Center
Max Bodenstab, Gerte Buchheit,
Frauke Constantin, Vincent Dornbusch,
Robert Fekl, Elisabeth Hanke, Tom Kettelhut,
Jochen Schmitz, Thomas Steffens,
Jakob Wartchow, Jörg Wenig
Sponsoring
Nicole Altenhof, Philipp Altmeppen,
Jennifer Barthel, Timo Göhler, Chiara Hager,
Linda Kollmann, Max Lichtenberg,
Ines Rentsch (in parental leave), Dominik
Rosenau, Marit van Eijk, Lara Vogel
Massage Services
Matthias Vogel
Finance
Aike Fokkena, Antonella Giglio, Heike Krone,
Marcel Reppien, Simone Schmidt
Sports Medicine
Angela Hänsel, Emilia Tomassimo,
Vincent Bolz, Medical Team SCC EVENTS
Music/Course
John Kunkeler
Self catering
Dominic Beblie
Police Head of Operations
PD Drechsler
Protocol/VIP
Marion Strolz, Rotraud Zylka
Announcer
Jonas Frank, Dr. Karsten Holland,
Sven Stöcklein
Start
Marcel Heß, Sonja Glauert, Steffen Kirner,
Andreas Pohlmann
Course
Gunnar Hamel, Gregor Pfennig
Course Measuring
John Kunkeler, Gregor Pfennig
Aid Stations
Jette Kasper, Max Roy
Operations
Oliver Bach, Ümit Cakmak, Christian Fahr, Michael
Gerlach, Daniel Hoppe, Carsten Humrich, Stefanie
Münzberg, Achim Rau, Janin Reinhardt, Paul Bär
Pacemaker
Martin Schöll, Sascha Ratzinger (pacerteam.de)
Mascot Fridolin Flink
Fridolin Flink
Victory Ceremony
Yvonne Meißner
Party
Eliane Mietke
Medical Service
Johanniter Unfallhilfe e.V.
Aid Stations Runners
Start: SCC Berlin e.V.
5-km-Refreshment point
„Zur Ruderer-Schänke“ | Ruder-Club Tegel
Markus Hardt, Tobias Lohr
9-km-Supply point
FV Freizeitsport e.V.
Lutz Berthold, Birgit Berthold
12-km-Refreshment point
THW Jugend | Sascha Barnewske
15-km-Supply point
Berliner Schwimmverband (Jugend)
Manuela Krause, Jürgen Preuß
17,5-km-Refreshment point
IBM-Club Berlin e.V.
Holmer Jankowski, Holger Werner
20-km-Supply point
Konstanze Krumpholz, Anne Scholz
22,5-km-Refreshment point
Berliner Jugend-Feuerwehr | Nils Matylewicz
25-km-Supply point
Sportstudio Nippon
Carla Sparmann, Esther Buchwald
27,5-km-Refreshment point
LG Süd Berlin | Maximilian Totel, Sarah Wagner
30-km-Supply point
Reino Bangel, Andreas Knoll
32,5-km-Refreshment point
TÜV Rheinland Akademie Berlin
Melanie Balzer
34,5-km-Refreshment point
„Knackpunkt“ | Nordberliner Lauffreunde
Jörg Busche, Christian Meier
36-km-Supply point
LAC Berlin | Stefan Bauer
38-km-Refreshment point
LC Cottbus | Kerstin Füßler, Roland Füßler
40-km-Refreshment point
„Zur letzten Tränke“ | SCC-Langstreckler
Karsten Kupsch
Finish
ABC Zentrum Berlin
Kai-Thomas Arndt, Denise Thunich
Aid Stations Inlineskating
6 / 13 / 20 / 27 / 34 km:
Motor Eberswalde | Detlef Mierig

Good luck!
We wish you lots of
fun and success at the