Men's Elite field
Milkesa Mengesha (ETH) (2:03:17)
Sabastian Sawe (KEN) (2:02:05)
Gabriel Gerald Geay (TAN) (2:03:00)
Haymanot Alew (ETH) (2:03:31)
Guye Adola (ETH ) 2:03:46)
Leul Gebresilase (ETH) (2:04:02)
Daniel Mateiko (KEN) 2:04:24)
Haftu Teklu (ETH) (2:04:42)
Chimdessa Debele (ETH) 2:04:44)
Kengo Suzuki (JPN) (2:04:56)
Chala Regasa (ETH) (2:05:06)
Samwel Mailu (KEN) (2:05:08)
Yihunilign Adane (ETH) (2:05:37)
Tariku Novales (ESP) (2:05:48)
Kyohei Hosoya (JPN) (2:05:58)
Gebru Redagne (ETH) (2:05:58)
Yuhei Urano (JPN) (2:06:23)
Stanley Kurgat (KEN) (2:07:05
Shuho Dairokuno (JPN) (2:07:12)
Hendrik Pfeiffer (GER) (2:07:14)
Yitayew Abuhay (ISR) (2:07:26)
Ezra Kipketer Tanui (KEN) (2:07:28)
Bernard Kimani (KEN) (2:07:28)
Hassan Chahdi (FRA) (2:07:30)
Akira Akasaki (JPN) (2:07:32)
Sebastian Hendel (GER) (2:07:33)
Shin Kimura (JPN ) (2:07:34)
Robert Ngeno (KEN) (2:07:35)
Hicham Amghar (MAR) (2:07:45)
Haftom Welday (GER) (2:08:24)
Ken Nakayama (JPN) (2:08:24)
Taiyo Iwasaki (JPN (2:08:25)
Aoi Ota (JPN) (2:08:31)
Gao Peng CHN (2:09:34)
Jin Yuasa (JPN) (2:09:43)
Paulo Paula (BRA) (2:09:51)
Men's Preview per organizers:
Sebastian Sawe chases Berlin course record
Can Sabastian Sawe follow in the footsteps of Eliud Kipchoge in Berlin and how fast can he run? Kenya's running legend Kipchoge has won the BMW BERLIN MARATHON five times, setting two world records in the process: he ran 2:01:39 in 2018 and 2:01:09 in 2022. It is this course record set by Kipchoge that Sabastian Sawe wants to challenge on Sunday, provided the weather does not turn too warm. If he attacks Kipchoge’s mark, the world record of 2:00:35 would not be too far away.
“I am in good shape. Berlin has the fastest course, so I want to run fast here,“ said 30-year-old Sabastian Sawe, who clocked 2:02:05 in Valencia last December and became the fifth fastest runner of all time in his debut marathon. In April Sawe also took the prestigious London Marathon with 2:02:27 and again heads the current list of the fastest times in the year. He already has very good experiences from a road race in the German capital: In 2023 Sabastian Sawe won the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON. His Italian coach Claudio Berardelli as well as his manager Eric Lilot say that Sabastian Sawe is in exceptionally good shape. However what is possible on Sunday in Berlin will also depend on the weather. Currently relatively warm temperatures between 19 and 21 Celsius are forecasted.
A year ago Milkesa Mengesha celebrated the greatest triumph of his career at the 50th BMW BERLIN MARATHON. The Ethiopian was the surprise winner of the anniversary race and improved his personal best to an impressive 2:03:17. “I am better prepared than I was a year ago and hope to run faster,“ said the 25-year-old. Gabriel Geay is the second fastest runner on the start list with his Tanzanian national record of 2:03:00. “I am happy to have the chance to compete in Berlin. I think I can run a personal best,“ said Gabriel Geay. Japan's Kengo Suzuki also wants to attack his own national record of 2:04:56.
The organisers of the BMW BERLIN MARATHON intend to further strengthen their position as the fastest marathon in the world. To determine this ranking, the average of the ten fastest times ever run in a race is calculated. The BMW BERLIN MARATHON tops the list with 2:02:33.8 and has been in this position since 2006.
Germans Pfeiffer, Hendel and Welday aim for sub 2:07 times
Hendrik Pfeiffer returns to the BMW BERLIN MARATHON in top shape. The 32-year-old set two personal bests in the last two months: first he won the adidas runners City Night 10k race in Berlin with 28:27, then he clocked 61:28 at the half marathon in Larne, Northern Ireland. “My training was really good and for the first time ever I had no problems at all. I am in the best shape of my life. My goal is to run under 2:07:00,“ said Hendrik Pfeiffer, who currently is the fourth fastest German of all times with his PB of 2:07:14.
Sebastian Hendel, who competes for the Marathon Team Berlin that is associated with the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, produced a surprise a year ago when he was the fastest German in Berlin with a PB of 2:07:33. “I was able to train well in the summer. Of course it depends a bit on the weather, but I am optimistic to run a personal best and would like to go sub 2:07:00,“ said the 29-year-old, who is fifth on the German all-time list.
Haftom Welday and Johannes Motschmann, another athlete of Marathon Team Berlin, could also produce fine performances, going into the race with personal bests of 2:08:24 and 2:10:39 respectively. “I am well prepared, hoping for a steady race and a finishing time of under 2:07:00,“ said Haftom Welday.
Women's Elite Field
Rosemary Wanjiru (KEN) (2:16:14)
Degitu Azimeraw (ETH) (2:17:58)
Dera Dida (ETH ) (2:18:32)
Mestawut Fikir (ETH ) (2:18:48)
Tigist Girma (ETH) (2:18:52)
Honami Maeda (JPN) (2:18:59)
Sharon Chelimo (KEN (2:19:33)
Aberu Ayana (ETH) (2:20:20)
Azmera Gebru (ETH) (2:20:48)
Kidsan Alema (ETH) (2:22:28)
Viola Cheptoo (KEN) (2:22:44)
Betty Chepkwony (KEN) (2:23:02)
Domenika Mayer (GER) (2:23:47)
Deborah Schöneborn (GER) (2:24:54)
Aberash Demisse (ETH) (2:25:43)
Fabienne Königstein (GER) (2:25:48)
Aleksandra Lisowska (POL) (2:25:52)
Samantha Harrison (GBR) (2:25:59)
Irvette Van Zyl (RSA) (2:26:11)
Hanne Verbruggen (BEL) (2:26:32)
Melina Wolf (GER) (2:27:34)
Jill Holterman (NED) 2:28:18)
Samrawit Mengsteab (SWE) (2:28:44)
Hanna Lindholm (SWE) (2:28:59)
Katja Goldring (USA) (2:29:01)
Ftaw Zeray (ETH) (2:29:15)
Women's Preview Per Ogranizers
Rosemary Wanjiru and Dera Dida could target world lead
Featuring an unprecedented depth in the women’s elite field the 51st edition of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON will take place on Sunday morning in the German capital. While Rosemary Wanjiru of Kenya is the likely favourite and heads the women’s field with a PB of 2:16:14 there are seven athletes with personal bests of sub 2:20:00 - exactly the same number of women with such a PB competed in last Sunday’s World Championships’ marathon in Tokyo. Six of them have even run unter 2:19:00, which is unique for Berlin. Berlin’s super fast course might well see extraordinary times again despite a relatively warm weather forecast. The world leading time of 2:15:50 could become a target.
With over 55,000 entries from 160 nations the 51st BMW BERLIN-MARATHON will once again be among the world’s biggest marathons. Rosemary Wanjiru knows the course of the BMW BERLIN MARATHON well. Three years ago she ran a strong marathon debut here, finishing second in 2:18:00. “If the weather is good and I feel fine in the morning, I intend to run a very fast time,“ said the 30-year-old Kenyan during the press conference with the elite female runners. With a personal best of 2:16:14, Rosemary Wanjiru is the fastest woman on the Berlin start list. Dera Dida, who is the wife of Olympic marathon champion Tamirat Tola, ran a personal best in the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON as well: In 2023 the Ethiopian finished sixth here with 2:19:24. She improved her PB this January in Dubai to 2:18:32. “I have been training intensively with Tamirat and want to run a personal best on Sunday. I am looking forward to the great atmosphere along the course and want to give something back to the spectators with a top performance,” said the 28-year-old, who is aiming to continue an unusual winning streak. Berlin’s women’s winners of the last three years are all from one training group in Addis Ababa to which Dera Dida belongs as well.
The Japanese record holder Honami Maeda is another athlete who has run below 2:19:00. She could continue the series of strong performances that Japanese athletes have shown in Berlin in the past. The highlight was Naoko Takahashi's run in 2001, when she became the first woman to break the 2:20:00 barrier with a time of 2:19:46. Four years later, the 2004 Olympic champion, Mizuki Noguchi, won in Berlin with a time of 2:19:12. This Japanese record stood for 19 years. And it was Honami Maeda who broke the mark in Osaka in January 2024 with a time of 2:18:59. “Berlin is a restart for me because I was injured for a long time. I will run as fast as possible,“ said Honami Maeda, who will be running her first marathon since breaking the Japanese record. Unfortunately Norwegian Karoline Grovdal had to pull out at short notice due to an illness.
A German athlete could now be the fastest European in Berlin: Domenika Mayer was the most consistent German marathon runner in the past couple of years. The 34-year-old ran her personal best of 2:23:47 at the BMW BERLIN- MARATHON two years ago. With this performance she qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games where she was the best German runner in 28th place. “I am looking forward to the great atmosphere in Berlin and want to try to run a personal best. I had some health problems during my preparation, but I got back on track just in time,“ said Domenika Mayer, who is the third fastest German marathon runner ever. Fabienne Königstein, who has a 2:25:48 PB, is also expected to be strong. After suffering of injuries and illnesses for several years she came back promisingly this spring. “I really enjoy my running,“ said the 32-year-old after finishing fourth in the Vienna Marathon. “I am well prepared and want to run under 2:23:00 on Sunday.“ Deborah Schöneborn, who competes for Marathon Team Berlin, which is associated with the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, is the second fastest German on the start list with her PB of 2:24:54. However, she has suffered from recurring foot problems over the last year and a half. “I am glad that I can start the race in good health and I am looking forward to it,“ said the 31-year-old, who will be running her tenth marathon on Sunday.