Fancy taking on a new and exciting challenge in 2023? Ja, bitte! Why not head to Germany and run for Team Theo in the ICONIC Berlin Marathon? This is one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors and had over 45,000 runners in 2022 from about 150 nations. Show
For more information about the event, please head over to the BMW Berlin Marathon website. One of the ways to secure yourself a place in this race is to purchase one of our charity places. These charity places have a registration fee of £50 and a minimum fundraising target of £1,250. This may sound like a lot, but we are here to help you every step of the way. Please note, charity places do not include travel and accommodation. When you sign up, you will receive a Team Theo fundraising pack in the post along with a charity sports t-shirt that you can wear proudly on race day. You will also be given a dedicated staff contact here at the charity that will be on hand to answer any questions you may have and to help you along with your fundraising journey. Ewen Laycock represented the charity in the London Marathon in 2021 and raised over £2,000! Here is what Ewen had to say about his fundraising journey: "The fundraising target can be a bit daunting to be honest but getting started early can make things much easier. Getting a JustGiving page - or similar - sorted quickly and seeing the first few donations trickling in from friends and family is a big boost. "The Charity team were a huge help. Not only did they provide all the promotional material I could ask for, they also supported me with my quiz I hosted. "When I started fundraising it was during one of the lockdowns and restrictions made the usual methods of fundraising difficult, so it was about sharing as much as possible digitally to try and get support. I'm very lucky to have a supportive family who helped get the word out to everyone they knew too! As things opened up, car boot sales helped boost the total. And then I held a quiz at Crookes Social Club which brought in nearly a quarter of the total in one night and nudged us over the target!"
 Unless you avoid all running-related news like the plague, you probably heard that Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge set a new men’s marathon record of 2hr 1min 9sec at the Berlin Marathon on 25th September. That time broke Kipchoge’s own record of 2hr 1min 39sec, set in Berlin in 2018. In fact, the last eight times the men’s record has been broken, it’s been done at the Berlin Marathon, and that’s a run that stretches back to Paul Tergat’s time of 2hr 4min 55sec in 2004. It’s fair to say that the Berlin course is a fast one, but that’s just one of the reasons it’s such a brilliant marathon to take part in. Here’s everything you need to know about the race. When is the Berlin Marathon?The Berlin Marathon traditionally takes place in late September. The 2023 event will be on Sunday 24th September. What’s the Berlin Marathon course like?I ran the Berlin Marathon this year and the course is as fast as everyone says: the flat route helped me achieve a PB for the marathon. You start and finish near the Brandenburg Gate and wind around the city centre in a clockwise loop for the most part. It’s a course made up of long straights with few turns to slow you down, and while there are some small uphill sections they are barely noticeable. You also get a handy slight downhill from around 28km to 33km that can help you keep your pace up at a point where many runners struggle in a marathon. Runners pass beneath the Brandenburg Gate just before the finish, which I see as a special and slightly disheartening moment. Special because passing through a landmark like that during the marathon is a great experience, but disheartening because you don’t see the finish until you're through the gate – and it’s a little further away than you might expect! How do you enter the Berlin Marathon?Entry is yet to open for the Berlin Marathon 2023, but based on past editions it will be via a lottery late in 2022. Around 45,000 people take part in the event and it’s always oversubscribed, so keep your fingers crossed if you do enter the ballot. Prices for next year’s race are yet to be announced, but it cost €150 to enter the Berlin Marathon 2022. Along with race entry you get four days of free travel on public transport if you get a spot. If you miss out on a place through the ballot you can enter via a tour operator. I ran Berlin with Marathon Tours and Travel (opens in new tab), which secured my spot and hotel for the event. You pay a premium for this, but it guarantees entry and makes life easier. The operator always provides useful advice for when you’re in Berlin, such as about how to get to the expo and race start, as well as putting on group events like a shake-out run and a pasta party. Fast runners can also use a past marathon time to secure a place in the Berlin Marathon The qualifying times for the 2022 event are below, and you’ll need to include digital proof that you’ve run in that time within the past three years on your registration form. Men • Up to 44 years old: under 2hr 45min Women • Up to 44: under 3hr Is there water available on the route?There are regular water stations along the Berlin Marathon route, but note that in 2022 water was available only in plastic cups. These are harder to drink out of while running than bottles, so either slow down and practise your sipping technique, or be prepared to splash water all over yourself and only get a little into your body at each drinks station. At the 2022 event you could pick up a Maurten energy gel and cups of Maurten’s drink mix along the way, which we rate as among the best running gels and sports drinks. Is it hard to get into the Berlin Marathon?It's one of the six marathon majors and known as the fastest course where the current world record was set. To gain entry to the race can be difficult as the good for age time is one of the toughest at 2.45 for men. Ballot places are available though so worth trying that if your not fast enough.
When can I apply for the Berlin Marathon 2022?Be a Berlin Legend! As for all events of the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series (AbbottWMM), the allocation of the race entries will be conducted by lottery. Registration for the lottery is possible from September 29th to November 17th, 2022.
Does the Berlin Marathon sell out?It's flat and traffic-free course is engineered for a fast time. This Marathon sells out every year and 2023 certainly won't be an exception, but you can guarantee your place on the start line with Sports Tours International. Book with us and book with confidence .
How many people applied for Berlin Marathon 2022?More than 45,000 runners from 157 nations took to the starting line for the 2022 Berlin Marathon on Sunday morning, but most eyes were on top runners Eliud Kipchoge in the men's pro race and American record holder Keira D'Amato in the women's race.
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