The historic event, which draws athletes in search of fast times, will cross paths on Sunday with Kali Hauger-Tucker leading the way for the British.
The BMW Berlin Marathon celebrates its 50th year this weekend after establishing itself as a seminal event in the marathon world, attracting runners from far and wide with its record-breaking performances.
A memorable moment in the history of the marathon’s 13 world records came in 2018 when Eliud Kipchoge became the first man to break the 2:02:00 barrier, finishing the race in 2:01:39.
The Kenyan returned in 2022 and pushed the limits again and shaved 30 seconds off his own record to finish in 2:01:09, which is now the second fastest time in history behind Kelvin Kiptum’s 2:00:35 in Chicago.
Last year, history was made once again when Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa obliterated the women’s world record in 2:11:53, setting the bar extremely high.
Eliud Kipchoge (Geti)
With Kipchoge out this year after back-to-back wins, the men’s race opens up new opportunities. Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele emerges as the fastest runner on paper, boasting a personal best of 2:03:24.
Having finished third last year, he returns aiming to secure victory in a field where 14 athletes have already run under 2:06:00 in what promises to be a highly competitive race that starts at the Brandenburg Gate.
Another potential runner is Kenyan Kibiwot Kandi. The former half marathon world record holder (57:32) clocked a marathon best of 2:04:48 and will be chasing his first major victory over the distance.
With no Brits competing in the elite men’s section this year, Germany’s Hendrick Pfeiffer leads a strong group of local runners who improved to 2:07:14 in Houston earlier this year.
When it comes to the women’s race, all eyes will be on Ethiopia’s Tigist Ketema, Assefa’s training partner.
Tigist Ketema (Colombo)
In his debut marathon this January, he clocked an impressive 2:16:07 in Dubai, making him the ninth fastest marathoner ever. As he looks to improve his time even further, training alongside the world record holder will benefit Asefa immensely.
“I have prepared to run a personal best and plan to run the first half on Sunday in around 68 minutes,” Ketema said. “I hope it won’t be too cold because I run better in warmer conditions.
“Before Dubai, of course, I was afraid of the distance, but then I asked myself, why was that?”
Another notable name is Genzebe Dibaba, the former 1500m world record holder from 2015 of 3:50.07.
After switching to the marathon, Dibaba clocked her debut time of 2:18:05 in Amsterdam two years ago. This will be his first race in Berlin and his background in middle distance running adds intrigue to his performance.
“I saw on TV how Haile Gebrselassie set two world records in Berlin. Since then I have always wanted to run here and now I have the opportunity,” Dibaba said. “For me, success would mean breaking my personal best.”
Callie Hauger-Tuckery will lead the British women with a personal best of 2:22:17 set in New York last year. Hauger-Tuckery was a non-finisher at the Olympics in Paris but has since won the Great Britain 5km title and finished second behind Eilish McColgan in the Great Half.
Kali Tucker (Getty)
Veteran runner Sonya Samuels, 44, continues to defy age with a best time of 2:28:04. Fellow Brit Philippa Bowden is also in the mix, aiming to better her 2:29:14.
Germany’s hopes rest on Melat Keietta, who will aim to become only the second German to break the 2:20:00 mark in Berlin, following the example of Irina Mikitenko, who ran 2:19:19 in 2008.
He finished sixth in the 2021 Olympic marathon in Japan, but bad luck thwarted him at the Paris Games, where he had to drop out due to stomach problems.
In total, there are 50,000 entries for the 50th edition of the race.
The Berlin Marathon will start at 7:50 on Sunday, September 29.
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