Berlin Marathon
Sunday, September 27, 2026 · Berlin, Germany
Updated May 2026
Hosts more world record performances than any other marathon course in the modern era. The flat profile, cool autumn temperatures, and dense pacing infrastructure make Berlin the venue where well-trained amateurs most often produce their fastest legal time.
The score breakdown
The Kenyan Running Difficulty Index combines four weighted factors. The heaviest weight (35%) is on Tactical Brutality. That is what a Kenyan coach watches first: where the field actually blows up.
- Lowest KR Difficulty Index of the set. The easiest road marathon to PR on, by design.
Score confidence: preliminary. Computed from public course, weather, and prize data; calibration against 5K split data and coach review is in progress.
Course profile
- Elevation gain
- 73m / 240ft
- Elevation loss
- 79m / 260ft
- Highest point
- 50m
- Surface
- paved smooth
- Late-stage climbs (after mile 18)
- None.
- Profile notes
- Elevation distributed evenly with minimal undulations. Slight uphill between km 25-30 (miles 15.5-18.6) typically navigated without losing cadence.
Race day
- Date
- Sunday, September 27, 2026
- Field size
- 54,280
- Entry
- Time-based guaranteed entry alongside a general lottery.
Weather (historical)
- Median temp
- 13.5°C
- Temp range
- 10.7°C to 18°C
- Humidity
- 68-76%
- Wind
- ~6 mph average
Prize money
- Total purse
- ~$185K (2024 figures; €169K original)
- Winner
- $33K
- 2nd / 3rd
- $16.5K / $11K
- World record bonus
- $55K
- Time bonuses
- Sub-2:02:30 (M) / Sub-2:16:00 (W) yields ~$33K (€30K)
- Notes
- Note: Berlin's purse is smaller than other WMMs but the WR bonus structure attracts elite world-record attempts.
Course records
Recent winners
Top East African winners (Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda) across the last 10 verified editions: 10 men, 10 women.
| Year | Men's winner | Time | Women's winner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sabastian Sawe (KEN) | 2:02:16 | Rosemary Wanjiru (KEN) | 2:21:05 |
| 2024 | Milkesa Mengesha (ETH) | 2:03:17 | Tigist Ketema (ETH) | 2:16:42 |
| 2023 | Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) | 2:02:42 | Tigst Assefa (ETH) | 2:11:53WR |
| 2022 | Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) | 2:01:09 | Tigst Assefa (ETH) | 2:15:37 |
| 2021 | Guye Adola (ETH) | 2:05:45 | Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) | 2:20:09 |
| 2019 | Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) | 2:01:41 | Ashete Bekere (ETH) | 2:20:14 |
| 2018 | Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) | 2:01:39 | Gladys Cherono (KEN) | 2:18:11 |
| 2017 | Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) | 2:03:32 | Gladys Cherono (KEN) | 2:20:23 |
| 2016 | Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) | 2:03:03 | Aberu Kebede (ETH) | 2:20:45 |
| 2015 | Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) | 2:04:00 | Gladys Cherono (KEN) | 2:19:25 |
Training for Berlin Marathon?
A static plan is a starting point. What changes when a Kenyan coach reads your week-by-week training is the part a generic plan can't do. Take the free 5-question quiz to get matched.
Sources
- https://www.bmw-berlin-marathon.com/en/your-race/results
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Marathon
- https://worldathletics.org/news/report/tigst-assefa-world-marathon-record-berlin-kipchoge-2023
- https://www.olympics.com/en/news/berlin-marathon-2023-eliud-kipchoge-fifth-race-win-tigist-assefa-women-world-record