BMW BERLIN-MARATHON

One of Germany's largest sporting events

When the first starting waves begin to move on the Straße des 17. Juni in Berlin's Mitte district shortly after 9 a.m. on the last Sunday in September, Germany's largest sporting event begins: the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. Held since 1974, the Berlin race is now considered one of the six World Marathon Majors — alongside Boston, Chicago, London, New York, and Tokyo. The course is famous for its flatness and its blistering pace: more marathon world records have been set here than on any other course in the world.

The course through Berlin

The start and finish are on the Straße des 17. Juni near the Brandenburg Gate, in the transition area between Tiergarten and Mitte. The 42.195 km lead through numerous Berlin districts and past iconic sights:

• Reichstag and Victory Column
• Charlottenburg along the Kurfürstendamm
• Schöneberg, the Berlin City Hall
• Tempelhof-Schöneberg, past the former Tempelhof Airport
• Kreuzberg, Neukölln and the Tempodrom area
• Mitte along Karl-Marx-Allee and across Alexanderplatz
• Friedrichshain and Boxhagener Platz
• Back through Mitte, finish: Brandenburg Gate

Events surrounding the marathon

The marathon is part of a multi-day festival weekend:

• Thursday, 24.09. – Saturday, 26.09.: BMW Marathon Expo in the former Tempelhof Airport hall (collection of start documents, sports fair)
• Saturday, 26.09.: GENERALI 5K (5 km run over the last 5 km of the marathon course), Inline skating race in the evening
• Sunday, 27.09.: BMW BERLIN-MARATHON — main day
• Accompanying: Children's programs and youth runs

How to get a starting spot?

The marathon is regularly massively oversubscribed. There are several ways to secure a starting spot:

• Lottery: Registration 25.09.–06.11.2025, announcement of the draw by email
• Tour operators: guaranteed starting places through official tour operator packages (e.g., Marathon Tours & Travel, Sports Tours International)
• Charity spots: through foundation partners such as RTL Foundation or Get Kids Going!
• Fastest time spots: successful previous marathon times

Berlin as a running capital

Over 60,000 athletes from 160 countries transform Berlin into an international running metropolis on marathon weekend. The city, with its hotels, transport links, and cultural diversity, also embraces this annual invasion as a tourism event — hotel capacities are often booked months in advance.