The BMW Berlin Marathon is one of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors and the fastest big-city marathon in the world. The 2026 edition takes place on Sunday 27 September, with more than 50,000 runners expected to start at the Brandenburg Gate and finish on Unter den Linden in the heart of the German capital.
What is the Berlin Marathon?
The BMW Berlin Marathon is an annual 42.195 kilometre road race through the streets of Berlin. It forms part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, the elite series that also includes Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Chicago and New York. Alongside the elite race, Berlin hosts a mass-participation field of runners and a parallel wheelchair marathon, both held on the same course.
Berlin has built its global reputation as the fastest marathon course in the world. Since 2003, the men’s marathon world record has been broken in Berlin on 13 occasions, a statistic that draws the very best elite athletes and pacemakers to the city each autumn. The current men’s world record of 2:01:09, set by Eliud Kipchoge in 2022, was run in Berlin, along with Tigst Assefa’s women-only world record.
How the race works
The course is famously flat, with only minor elevation changes and a point-to-point character that keeps runners on wide roads for most of the distance. The elite race is run for prize money and world-record bonuses, while the mass field competes via a ballot or guaranteed entry system operated by SCC Events, the race organiser.
When is the Berlin Marathon?
The 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon is held on Sunday 27 September 2026. The wheelchair race traditionally starts at around 8:50am local time, followed by handbikes, inline skaters on the preceding day, and then the elite and mass marathon field at 9:15am Central European Summer Time. The elite men and women are expected to finish within approximately two hours and 20 minutes of the gun.
Where is the Berlin Marathon?
The race starts and finishes in central Berlin. Runners set off on the Strasse des 17. Juni, next to the Tiergarten, and loop through each of Berlin’s 12 districts before returning to the Brandenburg Gate. The final few hundred metres take runners under the Brandenburg Gate and onto Unter den Linden for the finish, one of the most iconic finish lines in distance running.
The flat course, mild late-September temperatures and large crowds lining the route have together made Berlin the destination of choice for elite athletes pursuing world records. Around one million spectators typically line the course on race day.
Key Contenders
Berlin consistently attracts the strongest elite fields in marathoning. In recent years the men’s race has been headlined by Kipchoge, Kenenisa Bekele and Kelvin Kiptum (who set the men’s world record of 2:00:35 in Chicago in 2023), while the women’s race has featured world-record holders Tigst Assefa and Ruth Chepngetich. The 2026 elite field will be announced in the months before the race by SCC Events.
Defending champions from 2025 will return alongside a fresh intake of Kenyan and Ethiopian stars. The pacemaking plan in Berlin is traditionally geared toward a world-record attempt, making it one of the few races on the calendar where the ambition is usually more than simply winning.
How to Watch
In Germany, the Berlin Marathon is broadcast live on ARD (rbb), with live streaming available on ardmediathek.de. In the United Kingdom, highlights are typically shown on Eurosport and streamed on Discovery+, with live elite-race coverage available via the same platforms. In the United States, the race is streamed live on FloTrack via subscription, and NBC Sports has carried the event in the past. Globally, the Berlin Marathon organiser provides a free live stream on the official website and its YouTube channel for many international territories.
History and Records
The Berlin Marathon was first held in 1974 with 286 finishers and has grown to become one of the largest and most prestigious marathons in the world. The event was one of the founders of what became the Abbott World Marathon Majors, and its flat course has turned it into a record factory. The men’s world record has been set or equalled in Berlin 13 times, from Ronaldo da Costa in 1998 through to Eliud Kipchoge’s 2:01:09 in 2022. On the women’s side, Tigst Assefa set a then women-only world record of 2:11:53 in 2023, a mark later lowered elsewhere.
Berlin is also notable for its inclusive approach, hosting a large wheelchair race won in recent years by Marcel Hug among others, and a strong age-group field that attracts runners from every continent.
Tickets and Attendance
Entry to the Berlin Marathon is via a ballot operated by SCC Events, with places also available through charity entries, tour operators and guaranteed-entry schemes linked to qualifying times. Spectating is free and unticketed; the best viewing spots are near the Brandenburg Gate, Potsdamer Platz and along Kurfurstendamm. The finish-line grandstand on Unter den Linden offers paid seating for family and friends of runners.
The race weekend also includes a marathon expo at the former Tempelhof Airport, where runners collect bibs and sponsors exhibit their products.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the 2026 Berlin Marathon start?
The elite and mass marathon starts at approximately 9:15am local time on Sunday 27 September 2026. Wheelchair and handbike races start slightly earlier.
Where is the Berlin Marathon held?
The race starts and finishes in central Berlin, with the start on Strasse des 17. Juni and the finish on Unter den Linden at the Brandenburg Gate.
How can I watch the Berlin Marathon?
Live on ARD in Germany, Eurosport and Discovery+ in the UK, FloTrack in the US, and via the official Berlin Marathon live stream globally.
Who holds the Berlin Marathon course record?
Eliud Kipchoge’s 2:01:09 from 2022 is the men’s course record and was a world record at the time. Tigst Assefa’s 2:11:53 from 2023 is the women’s course record.
How do I enter the Berlin Marathon?
Entry is via a ballot operated by SCC Events, alongside guaranteed entries for charities, tour operators and qualifying-time runners.