Organised by SCC Events, the annual Berlin Marathon has taken place in Germany’s capital city in September every year since 1974.

Today, Berlin’s 42.195km race – one of the six Abbott’s World Marathon Majors, has become one of the most famous marathons in the world, and the event is renowned for its fast, flat course, with many world records having been set in Berlin.

So to an amateur runner like me, the mere thought that I was going to run the exact, same route as many of the world’s top marathoners such as Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, Dennis Kimetto and Wilson Kipsang, had felt quite surreal.

Got up at 6.30am for the marathon

Waking up at 6.30am in the morning, I could scarcely believe that I was actually in Berlin, to take part in the marathon. At the same time though, I did not quite know what to expect, as this was the very first time I was running in a World Marathon Major event.

The Berlin Marathon had been scheduled to begin at 9.15am in the morning with the flag-off taking place in four different waves. I was assigned to Corral H, which was the last wave. So this meant that my flag-off had been scheduled to be at 10.15am.

I went down to my hotel lobby at about 7.30am and headed to the race site together with David Tay and the Singaporean contingent from Athlete’s Journey. Everyone was in high spirits at this point and we all wished each other luck for the 42.195km race ahead.

Reaching the start line

We took the train to the race start point and then from there, some of us went our separate ways, with some runners wanting to take photos and others going off to meet up with friends who were also around.

I hung around with fellow Coached athlete Tian and his wife and we spent some time taking pictures. Founded by former professional Kiwi triathlete Ben Pulham, Coached is a heart rate training programme for marathoners and triathletes that allows you to track, optimise and enjoy your training.

While I was preparing myself for the marathon, there was an announcement that there were changes to the flag-off times and that my wave would start at 10.05am instead of 10.15am as originally planned.

With more than an hour still left to go to the flag-off for my wave, I deposited my baggage and then I headed off to my start corral.

Waiting to Run

I was early so despite the large crowds at the event site, I had managed to get a place at the front of my wave. This meant that I could watch the giant television screen that had been erected at the race site, for runners to follow the events that were taking place.

The temperature had been about 14 degrees Celsius at this point. It was slightly chilly but it wasn’t cold. I had packed a jacket in my luggage with the intention of throwing this away before the start of the race, but due to the warmer than expected weather this morning, I had made the decision to keep the jacket for the next round instead.

As I had waited for my turn to begin racing, it was really exciting, to be watching the flag-off for the other events – such as the wheelchair marathon and the hand-cycling marathon, together with so many other like-minded runners.

Watching the Elites

As the clock had counted down to 9.15am, the television cut over to the elite runners in the first wave. I could see Kipchoge, who was warming up in preparation to gun for a new world record.

And just behind him, I saw Singapore’s national marathoner Soh Rui Yong, who was looking to use the Berlin Marathon to qualify for the South East Asian Games and to break the national record.

It was really exciting, as the minutes had counted down to signal the marathon start.

And then 9.15am came and they were off. The world’s top elite runners set a blistering pace, with Kipchoge racing his heart out. I was secretly rooting for Kipchoge to create a piece of history.

The television then cut over to the various corrals filled with amateur runners like me, who were all eager to start the marathon.

There were runners of all abilities taking part. For instance, to some, the race would be their first marathon but for others, this year’s Berlin Marathon would be the final piece of the puzzle to their completion of the Abbott’s World Marathon Major series.

During my wait, some of the camera crew also headed over to my corral and together with another energetic young lady from China, we both waved excitedly at the camera whenever it had panned towards us. It was fun and the minutes passed by quite quickly.

It’s My Turn To Run

As such, before I knew it, it was time for my wave to walk over towards the starting arch and begin our run.

The Berlin Marathon mascot – a cute animal named Frido, was there to send us off. He was prancing around just in front of the start line near me, so I could not resist giving him a pet when he had approached. Maybe I had been hoping that he would bring me some good luck for the race ahead.

It then was my turn to run.

The race route, which starts and finishes near Brandenburger Tor, brought us through both east and west Berlin, passing through boroughs such as Charlottenburg, Tiergarten, Friedrichshain and Schoenberg before coming full circle.

As I began running, I found that my body was warming up very quickly and that my heart rate was rising higher than usual too, even though the pace that I was supposed to be running at that point in time should have been easy enough. I wondered if it had been because of all the excitement and adrenaline.

Electrifying Energy

But right from the beginning, the energy and atmosphere of the race had been really electrifying. Throngs of spectators had come out to line the streets of Berlin – in order to cheer the runners on.

There had been supporters ranging from young children to the elderly. It felt great, as though we runners were all superstars.

Some of the supporters were even holding signs indicating to runners to touch or high-five the signs for “power” while others were reading off the names from each runner’s bib in order to cheer us on personally. I thought that it was really motivating and I gave high fives to several supporters along the way.

As well, I also stopped a few times to take photos of random members of the crowd who had caught my eye.

I have to say that though there had been several pockets along the route where there were no spectators, possibly because of their less accessible locations, this was more than made up for, by the large crowd at other more popular points of the route. In any case, it was way more than what I had ever experienced before.

Bands and Musicians 

Apart from the supporters too, there were also plenty of bands and musicians who were playing loud, energetic music along the route, in order to hype up the atmosphere and make the marathon feel like a gigantic party rather than a running event. I found myself swaying to the songs as I ran and even humming to those that I knew the words of.

Fancy Dress Runners

And in the spirit of the party, I also spotted a few runners dressed in costume. These included a Taiwanese runner who was wearing a bubble tea outfit and another runner who was dressed up like a gigantic banana, the latter of which I thought was both witty and comical.

These runners had helped to add some spice to the running route and make things more interesting for their fellow athletes, too.

It is certainly not easy running a full marathon in fancy dress costume, so kudos to these runners for attempting the feat.

I found myself thoroughly enjoying the run, soaking up not just the sights and sounds of Berlin but also relishing the atmosphere, even though soon enough, the sun began to come out and it started to get considerably warmer.

As well, my heart rate was also rising quite fast. I realised at this point that I would need to drop back my pace if I had wanted to last through the distance. Despite the fun and games along the way, this was still a marathon, after all.

What I also noticed about Berlin, as compared to many marathons and other races is that everyone around me was actually running and that there were barely any walkers at the beginning. So this made it really conducive to running and keeping pace.

As I ran, there were also constant reminders, in the form of signages, telling runners that we were on the fastest running course in the world, as well as gantries put out by the various event sponsors for runners to run through.

Helping Runners Stay Cool

Several fire trucks had also been deployed along the way, to spray runners with hoses of water, and I thought that this was a unique and interesting way to keep us cool as we were running. As the weather grew warmer, I made sure I ran straight through these, so that my body did not overheat.

Besides the fire trucks, there were also points along the route for runners to wet the sponges that we had been given in our race packs, to help us stay cool. It was a thoughtful idea. I didn’t stop at these points though because I had not brought my sponge along.

Hydration Stations 

The hydration stations along the route had been located every few kilometres apart and they were excellent and very well-stocked. I was impressed. There was water and isotonic drinks, but as well, many of the stations were serving tea, apples and bananas.

It was also very clear, what item was at each hydration station, as the signages had been large and the wordings were big.

And there were also volunteers who were holding out the supplies so that we did not need to break our momentum in order to refuel ourselves. So this meant that I did not have any trouble getting what I had needed.

My only gripe though, was that I needed to fight with the crowds, and some runners had been pushing each other in order to get their hands on the items.

The kilometre markings along the route had been rather large and very easy to spot, so runners who did not have a sports watch would still be able to keep track of their pace.

Three Blue Lines

Also, we had been told prior to the race that there were three blue lines that were drawn on the race route throughout the entire 42.195km and that this was the most accurately measured distance, of exactly 42.195km.

I tried to follow these blue lines but after a few kilometres, I gave up because there were too many people stepping on my shoes and bumping into me because of that. So I ended up deviating a little from them, but I still tried my best to stick close, though.

As I ran, I also noticed that there were officials along the side of the route holding strings. These were to cut off runners who did not meet the cut-off timings. I was not in any danger of missing out on the cut-off timing myself, but I must say that it still felt a little stressful to be seeing these.

Kipchoge Sets A New World Record!

Just before the halfway mark of my race, the news filtered in that Kipchoge had set a new world record, having just completed the Berlin Marathon in two hours, one minute and 40 seconds. He had smashed the previous world record by over a minute.

It had felt quite surreal that he had been running the exact same race that I was running. A slice of running history had been created, and I had been in Berlin to witness it.

I hadn’t really managed to see Kipchoge along the running route though, because there had been no out and back loops on the course.

It would also have been good if I’d had the chance to interview Kipchoge about his win and get a selfie with him too. But unfortunately it was not to be.

Halfway Point

The kilometres had whizzed by and before I knew it, I was at the halfway point of the marathon, fuelled by the adrenaline and enthusiasm of the crowds and looking out for the many costumed runners en route.

At that point in time, it was probably the best marathon experience that I was having, with my focus on having fun rather than gunning for timing.

It’s Still A Marathon…

But soon after that though, I began to feel some strain on my legs, from taking part in the Breakfast Run the previous day, as well as from the Berlin Bike Tour that I had undertaken. Suddenly I had wished that I’d opted to have a relaxing day instead.

And suddenly the marathon was no longer as enjoyable as it had been earlier and with any chances of a personal best clearly now out of the window, my only aim was to finish the marathon, even if it meant that I had to limp to the finish line. I had not traveled all this way, only to give up on the marathon.

Getting Warmer

The weather was also not helping my cause either though. It had been around noon by this point, and the sun was shining brightly. I found myself perspiring too, which is something that has not happened before in my temperate weather marathons.

As I had not eaten any breakfast prior to the run – because I cannot run on a full stomach, I was also beginning to get a bit hungry by this point, so I ate the bananas and the apples at the aid stations when I passed by, in order to keep my stomach satisfied and take my mind away from the pain.

As I continued running, I forced myself to stop thinking about my legs, which were getting heavier with each step, and instead think about the cheering and waving supporters.

It was amazing to witness for myself for the first time, a city completely shutting down for a marathon and the people embracing it, too. No wonder Berlin is considered one of the best marathons in the world.

Cramp

I cramped with about six to seven kilometres left to go, and at this point I was able to think of only one thing: Finishing. I tried to take in the sights and sounds, but I was no longer able to enjoy the race as much as I had done in the beginning.

I think that the cramp was because I may have underestimated the weather when I had initially started out – and that I should actually have run at a slower pace than I had begun at.

Perhaps I had been initially wrong about the higher than usual heart rate at the start of the race, being due to adrenaline and excitement, then.

Despite the party atmosphere and all the fun and camaraderie en route that runners get to experience, the BMW Berlin Marathon was still a marathon, first and foremost.

In spite of the pain and cramp, there was a sign that I had particularly remembered and which had said: “Pain is just the French word for bread.” I couldn’t help but smile when I saw it.

Finishing at Brandenburger Tor

The final kilometre of the race route brought us through the famed Brandenburger Tor monument.

This had felt surreal to be actually running through it because it is a sight that I usually see in the television broadcasts of the Berlin Marathon, so I had to pinch myself to make sure that I was really there, and that it wasn’t a dream.

As we had neared the gate, there were plenty of spectators cheering us on, as well as runners who had already completed the race. In short, it was beautiful.

And because the views were so amazing too, I also made sure that I took a video – to immortalise the moment as well. It was quite an emotional moment, as I was on the verge of completing possibly the biggest marathon event that I had ever participated in so far.

I Finished A World Marathon Major!

The eventual finish line was about 500 metres away from Brandenburger Tor. After crossing the gate, I broke into a jog and finished the race.

To welcome the finishers, there was a band playing and I could not help but hum along to some of the songs as I approached the marathon end point.

Though it was not a personal best timing for me, I was just happy and grateful to be there, and to have had this opportunity to run in my first World Marathon Major event. Once again, I had to pinch myself just to make sure that I was really in Berlin.

Claiming My Entitlements 

Upon completing the race, the first thing that I did was to claim my hard earned race medal. It was quite a large medal, with the Brandenburger Tor on one side and Kipchoge’s face on the other. It was as if the organisers had somehow known that the Kenyan would do something special today.

As well, I spotted an official holding a sign to tell all of the runners that boasted that a new world record had just been set, and I took a photo with him and the sign, happy to be in Berlin to have witnessed a small slice of running history.

I then collected the bag that I had deposited, as well as picked up my post-race food entitlements which had included a croissant, a packet of pretzels, an apple and a banana, and a bottle of water. I thought that it had been quite generous.

There was also non-alcoholic beer that was being given out after the finish. I took a cup of this, but it does not taste the same as the real thing.

Race Village was Large

However the race village was quite large and confusing and it did not really help either that there were barricades all over the place. But at least there were some signs to signal to runners where to go, so that helped a little bit, in terms of me being able to find my way around.

There had been lots of food carts available for runners to purchase after the run as well, and these had ranged from ice cream and pretzels, to sausages. As I had been feeling quite hungry by this point in time, I bought myself a hot dog to munch on.

Subsequently, I also joined the spectators, watching the final finishers coming in through the finish line too.

And I grabbed the chance to take lots of photos around the race site for my social media, especially at the Brandenburger Tor as this is one of the most iconic structures in the city.

Celebration Dinner and Beer!

In fact I think that I must have stayed behind for at least a couple of extra hours just to take pictures and soak up the post race atmosphere – before subsequently joining my friends for a celebratory dinner and the mandatory post-meal beer.

After all, what’s the point of coming to Germany if I don’t have the beer at least once?

An Amazing Marathon Experience!

I would definitely say that I’d had an amazing time at the BMW Berlin Marathon. Timing aside, it was the most fun and interesting marathon that I had taken part in, and this was an experience that I would never forget, too.