Berlin Marathon
| Berlin Marathon | |
|---|---|
Berlin Marathon
|
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| Date | Last weekend in September |
| Location | Berlin, Germany |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | Marathon |
| Established | 1974 |
| Course records |
Men: 2:02:57 (2014, WR) Dennis Kipruto Kimetto Women: 2:19:12 (2005) Mizuki Noguchi |
| Official site | BMW Berlin Marathon |
The Berlin Marathon (branded BMW Berlin Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is a major running and sporting event held annually in Berlin, Germany. The official marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers (26 miles 385 yards) is set up as a citywide road race where professional athletes and amateur runners jointly participate. First initiated in 1974, the event traditionally takes place on the last weekend in September.
The Berlin marathon is one of the largest and most popular road races in the world. In 2016, the race had 46,950 entrants (41,283 runners, 5,445 inline skaters, 185 hand bikers, 37 wheel-chairers) from 122 countries, and more than one million spectators. Along with seven other races, it forms the World Marathon Majors, a series offering a $1 million prize purse to be split equally between the top male and female marathoners.
The most marathon world records for men and women have been set at the Berlin course, which is known for its flat profile, even surface, cheering spectators, and its frequently mild autumn temperatures. For a record six consecutive years 2011-2016 Berlin has been the site of the world leading men's time for the year (Boston 2011 with strong tailwind excluded).
The event is split over 2 days. About 8,000 additional inline skaters compete at the marathon course the Saturday before the running event. Power walkers, handbikers, wheelchair riders, and a children's marathon (4.2195 km) are also part of the marathon weekend, which is organised by SCC EVENTS and currently sponsored by BMW.
The course within the metropolis starts and finishes near the Brandenburg Gate. Because of the division of city, the marathon events before 1990 were limited to the area of West Berlin. Only on 30 September 1990, were athletes able to run through the Brandenburg Gate and the unified city saw its first race running through both halves. It was reported that a great many of the runners had tears in their eyes as they ran through the gate.
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