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Berlin Marathon

Sunday, September 26, 2027 · Berlin, Germany · 8:45 AM first wave, last wave 10:27 AM (2026 schedule)

Updated Oct 17, 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.

Kenyan Running Difficulty Index1.0 / 10How the course actually runs

Kenyan Running Elite Field Index9.5 / 10How deep the field around you is

Berlin Marathon elevation gain

The Berlin Marathon has 240 ft (73 m) of elevation gain and 260 ft (79 m) of loss over 26.2 miles (42.195 km).

Is the Berlin Marathon hard?

No, not as marathon courses go. The Berlin Marathon scores 1.0/10 on the Kenyan Running Difficulty Index, the easiest of the 12 marathons we rate.

The median race-day temperature is 13.5°C (56°F).

The score is built from four factors: hills, race-day weather, turns and bridges, and the late miles where a runner is most likely to lose time. See the score breakdown.

Pacing the Berlin Marathon

Print a pace band for the Berlin Marathon.

Splits by goal time:3:00 3:30 4:00 4:30 5:00 Full pace chart

Training for the Berlin Marathon?

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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.

Topographic Stress (30% weight)2.3 / 30

Atmospheric Stress (20% weight)4.9 / 20

Course Friction (15% weight)2.0 / 15

Tactical Brutality (35% weight)5.0 / 35

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.

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 26, 2027
Start time: 8:45 AM first wave, last wave 10:27 AM (2026 schedule)
Field size (approx.): 55,000
Entry: Time-based guaranteed entry alongside a general lottery.
Time limit: 6:15, with a cutoff at km 33 at 3:50 PM
Aid stations: 15 stations. Water at 5, 12, 17.5, 22.5, 27.5, 32.5, 34.5, 38 and 40 km. Water, fruit, tea and Maurten Drink Mix 160 at 9, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 36 km. Maurten Gel 100 at 27.5 km.

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

Men's record2:01:09Eliud Kipchoge (KEN), 2022

Women's record2:11:04Tigst Assefa (ETH), 2026

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
2026	Guye Adola (ETH)	2:02:50	Tigst Assefa (ETH)	2:11:04CR
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

Other races worth a look

Marathons with related profiles, fields, or training windows.

Valencia Marathon

Valencia, Spain

Difficulty1.4Elite Field8.5

Other flat fast course with deep East African elite field

Chicago Marathon

Chicago, USA

Difficulty2.6Elite Field9.0

Other world-record-friendly venue

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.

Take the free coach-match quiz See Berlin Marathon coaching

Sources

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