Berlin Marathon 2027: Date, Course, and How to Actually Prepare

The 2026 BMW BERLIN-MARATHON is done – with a course record from Tigst Assefa (2:11:04) and a second Berlin win for Guye Adola (2:02:50). The organizer hasn't announced the 2027 date yet. Here's the course, how entries work, and why the weeks before the race are often the loneliest part.

Daniel Gruber · 6 August 2026 · 6 min read · Updated 28 September 2026

Berlin Marathon 2027: Date, Course, and How to Actually Prepare

Every September, the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON turns the center of the German capital into a 42.195-kilometer race course. The start and finish sit right by the Brandenburg Gate, and this is one of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors – for a lot of runners flying or driving in, it's the biggest event they've ever lined up for. The 52nd edition on September 27, 2026 is in the books, and attention now turns to 2027: getting the course and the entry process right matters, but so does what happens in the weeks before you even get to Berlin.

2026 in review: a course record for Tigst Assefa, a second title for Guye Adola

On September 27, 2026, Guye Adola of Ethiopia won the 52nd edition in 2:02:50 – a personal best and his second Berlin win after 2021. Gemechu Diriba was second in 2:03:19, ahead of Tanzania's Gabriel Geay in 2:03:59 (BMW BERLIN-MARATHON official website, World Athletics). In the women's race, Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa lowered her own 2023 course record to 2:11:04 – her third Berlin win and the third-fastest marathon ever run by a woman. She was on world-record pace through 40 km and finished 68 seconds outside the mark (World Athletics). Bedatu Hirpa (2:16:53) and Dera Dida (2:16:55) followed.

More than 56,000 runners from 162 nations had entered the marathon (BMW BERLIN-MARATHON official website), and more than 50,000 finished – 50,020 as of rbb's 5:20 p.m. count (rbb24/Sportschau). The fastest Germans were Haftom Welday in 2:08:25 and Anna Langerwisch in 2:27:31, both in 16th place (BMW BERLIN-MARATHON official website). Organizer SCC Events estimated around 1.2 million spectators along the course (rbb24/Sportschau).

Quick facts

Aspect Details
2027 date Not announced yet (as of September 28, 2026) – the 2026 race took place on Sunday, September 27
Start 2026: 9:15 a.m., Straße des 17. Juni at the Brandenburg Gate
Distance 42.195 km – standard marathon distance, flat loop through 10 Berlin districts
2026 field More than 56,000 entrants from 162 nations, more than 50,000 finishers
Entry fee 2026: €205 for the marathon
2027 registration Lottery not published yet (as of September 28, 2026) – for 2026 it ran September 25 to November 6, 2025

(Source: BMW BERLIN-MARATHON official website, rbb24/Sportschau)

The course: one loop through the heart of Berlin

The course has a reputation as one of the fastest in the world – flat, with few tight corners, looping through ten Berlin districts (BMW BERLIN-MARATHON official website). Start and finish sit only a few hundred meters apart on Straße des 17. Juni; in between, the route passes the Reichstag, cuts through the Tiergarten, runs a stretch of the Kurfürstendamm, skirts Potsdamer Platz, follows Unter den Linden, and comes back through the Brandenburg Gate to the finish. That flat, straight layout is exactly why Berlin has produced so many world records over the years.

History and world records

The first Berlin Marathon in 1974 had 286 finishers (Wikipedia). The event has grown steadily ever since: in 1998 it was briefly the world's largest marathon with 27,621 finishers from 71 countries, roughly 45,000 crossed the line in 2022 (BMW Group press release), and in 2024 – the 50th edition – 54,280 finishers set a new world record for the most finishers in a marathon, a mark New York overtook shortly after (Wikipedia, NBC Sports).

Berlin has made history on time as well as size: Eliud Kipchoge ran 2:01:09 here in 2022, the fastest marathon ever run at the time (BMW Group press release). The current world records, though, no longer belong to Berlin: Sabastian Sawe became the first person to break the two-hour barrier at the London Marathon in April 2026, running 1:59:30 (World Athletics), and the women's record stands at 2:09:56, run by Ruth Chepng'etich in Chicago in 2024 – Tigst Assefa came close in Berlin in 2026 with 2:11:04 (World Athletics). Berlin's reputation as the fastest of the six Majors courses is unaffected – the current fastest times themselves just happen to sit elsewhere for now.

Getting a 2027 entry: the lottery and your other options

Like every Abbott World Marathon Major, Berlin allocates entries by lottery (BMW BERLIN-MARATHON official website). The organizer hasn't published the 2027 window or terms yet (as of September 28, 2026). For reference: registration for the 2026 race ran from September 25 to November 6, 2025 – right after the previous year's race – with results emailed out on November 27, 2025. If you want to run in 2027, keep an eye on the official website now. Missing out in the draw doesn't automatically mean you're out: charity programs and official tour operators have so far offered guaranteed entries, usually bundled with accommodation. Runners with a qualifying time have also been able to apply as a "fast runner" – that's not a guarantee either, since spots were only confirmed once times and age proof were checked in late November.

Your odds in the regular lottery shift year to year. Estimates put it at around 100,000 applications for roughly 35,000 to 40,000 places, so something like a one-in-three chance (LottoRuns).

The weeks before: the training-partner problem nobody talks about

Most Berlin Marathon guides spend a lot of words on lottery odds and course records and barely touch on something far more practical: a large share of entrants travel in from outside Berlin, often from another city or country entirely. The exact weeks when the long runs matter most are often the loneliest part of training, simply because nobody at home is on the same pace or the same mileage. That's not a minor detail – the last 30-km long runs on a training plan are often the hardest part mentally, and they go a lot easier with someone else than solo.

The same goes for the day before the race. An easy shakeout run with other people who are also toeing the line is, for a lot of first-timers, the moment the nerves finally settle. Finding a local running group early – at home while you build up mileage, or in Berlin itself for the final days before the start – trades some of that isolation for actual pace feedback, advice, and company.

Where to watch: the best spots along the course

Spectating rewards planning too. Potsdamer Platz, between kilometers 38 and 39, is one of the liveliest points on the course, with music playing and the first runners expected around 11 a.m. (Potsdamer Platz). The Kurfürstendamm is a wide boulevard that also works well if you want to get close to the runners without being swallowed by the crowd. If you want to catch your runner more than once, plan your route with the BVG transit app in advance and use the official marathon app to estimate when they'll pass each point.

If you're planning to run Berlin yourself in 2027, want to find your footing once you land in the city, or just want training company wherever you live right now, our Berlin overview lists local running groups – and the general directory does the same for pretty much any other city where your buildup starts.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When is the Berlin Marathon 2027?
The organizer hasn't announced the 2027 date yet (as of September 28, 2026). For reference: the 2026 BMW BERLIN-MARATHON took place on Sunday, September 27, with the start at 9:15 a.m. on Straße des 17. Juni by the Brandenburg Gate (BMW BERLIN-MARATHON official website).
Who won the Berlin Marathon 2026?
Guye Adola (Ethiopia) in 2:02:50 and Tigst Assefa (Ethiopia) in 2:11:04 – a new course record and the third-fastest marathon ever run by a woman. More than 56,000 runners from 162 nations had entered, and more than 50,000 finished (BMW BERLIN-MARATHON official website, World Athletics, rbb24/Sportschau).
How long is the course and how hard is it?
It's the standard marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers. The course is a flat loop through ten Berlin districts and is regarded as one of the fastest in the world, with very few tight corners (BMW BERLIN-MARATHON official website).
How do I get an entry, and what are the odds?
Entries are allocated by lottery, like at every Abbott World Marathon Major. The 2027 lottery hasn't been published yet (as of September 28, 2026); for 2026 it ran from September 25 to November 6, 2025, with results emailed out in late November. Estimates suggest around 100,000 applications for roughly 35,000 to 40,000 places, so odds of roughly one in three (LottoRuns). If you miss out in the draw, charity programs, official tour operators with guaranteed spots, or a qualifying-time "fast runner" application are still options (BMW BERLIN-MARATHON official website).
Is the Berlin Marathon good for first-timers?
The flat, fast course makes Berlin a popular first Major. The field is enormous, though – more than 50,000 finishers in 2026 (rbb24/Sportschau) – so first-timers should expect crowded start corrals and a lot going on, and shouldn't try to handle preparation, including the long runs, entirely alone.
Where's the best place to watch as a spectator?
Potsdamer Platz, between kilometers 38 and 39, is one of the liveliest points on the course, with live music and the first runners expected around 11 a.m. (Potsdamer Platz). The Kurfürstendamm, a wide boulevard, also works well for cheering close to the action without getting swallowed by the crowd.
What should I know about travel and where to stay?
In 2026, more than 56,000 athletes from 162 nations entered the marathon alone (BMW BERLIN-MARATHON official website), so hotels near the city center book up early. If you can be flexible, look near the S-Bahn ring and plan the day before the race to be genuinely easy – including a relaxed shakeout run, ideally with other runners.

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