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Nov 14, 2024

Berlin Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.7

Organization 4.2

Spectators 4.6

Number of comments: 120 [displaying comments 61 to 71]

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J. S. from Cedar Hill, TX (Dallas) USA (10/9/2008) "A Stunning Marathon" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Berlin Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 29th marathon, and my 4th of the 5 majors. Only have London left. After Boston I managed to injure my foot (plantar fasciitis) and had just recovered from that a month before Berlin, so this was a recovery run for me. I have got to say that if you need an easy-on-the-body course, then Berlin is the one you want; it is flat as a board, so your quads get almost no strain whatsoever. Of the marathons I've run that had more than 20,000 runners - New York, Chicago, Marine Corps, Boston - this is by far the most organized and logistically easiest. Getting to your starting chute is child's play. You can take the UBahn (subway) to within 3/4 miles of the start, and the flat walk takes you right by the very well organized drop bag tents for your number. The volunteers gently hang your bag, too, versus throwing it. Plenty of room in the chutes, so no crowding there. The race start is staggered, so you won't trip over other runners either. I was on pace within the first mile. The course is really pretty and very well marked. Aid stations in Europe are every 5K versus every mile in the US, but I didn't find that to be a problem. Many linear feet of water and tea (!), plus somewhat more limited space for Basica, which is the European Gatorade. It is pretty good stuff, too, with much less sugar than Gatorade. I don't recall seeing many, so my perception is that porta-potties were scarce in case that is an issue for you. Plenty of spectators. Most don't scream and yell as much as in the US, but they do have noisemakers and use those instead. I'm one of those runners who could be totally alone and happy, so the screaming masses are largely lost on me anyway. The course takes you through what used to be West Berlin and East Berlin. Sadly, even after these years of reunification, you still can tell when you leave one and are in the other. Great progress, but the split can be spotted. The course goes through some truly historic areas and also through many tree lined streets. Did I mention that it was FLAT? Then you finish by running through the Brandenburg Gate (Tor) and that was truly awesome. Good food at the finish, plus hot tea. The medals can also be engraved in a matter of minutes after you finish. CON: The expo was held a new venue this year, so they are working out the kinks on that. You can get to the expo easily enough on the UBahn, but then it really wasn't clear how you get from the train to the expo building. There was a small shuttle sign but no clear walking directions. The info says it is a 10-minute walk, but we found it to be longer than that. We went to the expo on Thursday, and it was somewhat congested moving from one building to the next, so I hate to imagine what the Friday/Saturday crowds had to endure. Of the large marathons that I have run, I'd fly to Germany again and do this one in a heartbeat.
Simon Knowles from London, England (10/6/2008) "Great race" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Berlin Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first Berlin Marathon, and overall it was a fantastic race. A few tips for people: EXPO: It would pay to get to the expo early, which is a fair way out of town. A taxi from the city is what we used, and it cost about 13 euros (which is better than using the train, I'd say). We got there early Saturday (also open Thursday and Friday though) and by the time we left there was a huge queue, and with hot weather outside would not have been ideal. Plus, as alluded to in other posts, the race chip is picked up separately. Also, for some reason, the marathon finisher's t-shirt was picked up before the race, so look out for that. It's not included in the entry price, and needs to be purchased separately. Plenty of merchandise for sale, which made the actual pick-up area pretty small. PRE RACE: This was well organized, but as usual everyone arrives at the same time and it was very crowded at the clothes drop off and was not ideal pushing through crowds before the start. There were plenty of porta-loos, but most people were using the bushes and trees in the Tiergarten, which wasn't the best sight.... COURSE: I ran London this year which I thought was unbelievably well run, and would have to say this couldn't have been much better either. A few observations: - The start line was pretty narrow, so be prepared to feel extremely squeezed up. The faster runners (under 3:30) went off a few minutes before the main crowd and it thinned out pretty quickly. - Water stops every 3K or so, with fruit and sports drink at the 5K marks. As always, it was pretty congested at the tables, but that is unavoidable. - There was only a timing clock at the 5K marks and a small one at that. - Crowd was very supportive and some great music, but the estimated figures of a million spectators is way over the top; London's crowd 2-3 times bigger, though Berlin is still good. - Very shady along the course and basically completely flat (and good sightseeing if you are so inclined), and a memorable and brilliant last kilometer or so leading up to and through the Brandenburg Gate, with the last 400 meters lined with a packed grandstand, a large video screen and music. END OF RACE: A fairly short walk to the clothing tents, plenty of drink, fruit and even beer if required along the way. The spectators are kept out of the finishing zone, but there were meeting points outside of the fenced off area; it was a brilliant sunny day and was great to relax for a while under the auspices of the Reichstag. The finish line is a short walk to the Hauptbahnhof (main train station), which is great. CHANCE OF PB: Definite chance if you are able to get in the front A and B sections, and obviously Geb has broken the world record twice, so a very quick course!
J. T. from Plano, Texas (10/5/2008) "Great Race! But...." (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Berlin Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was my third of the Marathon Majors, having run London and New York. Boston is next, so thank you, Berlin, for the PR and BQ! From the starting line to the finish line, this was the best marathon I've run. (Finishing after running through the Brandenburg gate is pretty amazing.) However, there's more to a race than just the actual race, which is why I rate London a little higher. WORST EXPO EVER. No exaggeration there. I signed up for the marathon on January 7, yet never received confirmation in the mail, forcing me to spend an hour in line to print out a confirmation that they could've easily sent me in the eight months prior to the race. Based on talking with other runners in the lines, it seems that overseas runners were not sent any confirmation. This is absolutely unacceptable, especially considering how expensive this race is. (They nickel-and-dime you for everything. Want a race shirt? It's extra. Want a finisher's shirt? It's extra.) I really didn't spend any time at all at any of the booths in the expo, as I spent upwards of two hours just getting my bib, chip and T-shirts. This shoddy organization is hindering the race's sponsors as well as the runners. The race itself is a dream. The start was well-organized, and the corrals worked great. Despite all the runners, I was able to get on pace by 2K. The course is as flat as they get, and I ran a PR and my first BQ. Additionally, a lot of the course is tree-lined, which helps with the temperature, as it was rising to the mid-to-upper 50s by the end of my race, which is warm by my standards. The only negative of the race is the water in the plastic cups created a slipping hazard - go with paper cups in the future. I saw many people tumble because they didn't slow down enough at water stops. Someone complained in an earlier post about the lack of music, but I was impressed with the diversity and quality of the musicians on the course. Lots of jazz - more than New York City! And I loved all of the drumming groups. At the end, I never found the food or drink, or the chip return, but since I came to the race with 12 other runners who found them, I think that was just my fault. Overall, a great experience that I'm glad I did and would definitely recommend to others. If race organizers can fix the pre-race problems, this could be a near-perfect marathon!
D. P. from Colorado (10/2/2008) "Fine marathon that could be better" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Berlin Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The City of Berlin is indeed a magnificent place to run the marathon and it was very moving, as a German teacher, to run past buildings and sites whose history I know. However.... 1. Lots of people never received any confirmation letters or emails with definite paperwork that they were in the marathon. I found out by checking my name on the web page. I also never received any "magazine of information," as stated in an email the week before the marathon. Hint: check the web page really carefully for all the information if you run Berlin. 2. It was frustrating at the expo - clear out in the western part of town, closer to Spandau than to the heart of Berlin - to make my way clear to the back of the first expo building only to find out I had to go across to another building and go upstairs to get my number and chip. 3. The souvenir stuff for the exalted 35th running of the Berlin Marathon was pitiful at best. The finisher's shirt does not mention the 35th anniversary, which could have been a real selling point for the marathon organizers. And yes, you get the finisher's shirt when you pick up your packet, if you pre-ordered it. Hmmmm, so how many people walking around in those shirts really ran the full marathon? 4. The route is really narrow in many places so that a person's pace varies a lot. I ran an extra half kilometer, swerving around slow runners. 5. The aid stations have no Vaseline or other type of gel for things like chafing. 6. The statement of a million spectators along the route may be rather speculative. I did have a great time in Berlin, and will probably run the race again. I simply think that it could be better.
Michael Ingram from Hertfordshire Gt Britain (10/1/2008) "Great if you enjoy a good queue" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Berlin Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 Maybe I am spoiled by running London so often (undoubtedly the world's best organized), but this was not what I had expected. NO T-SHIRT. An expo so isolated that it made Excel seem central, and when you got there (through the traffic queue) it was mobbed and you had no idea where to go to register. Registration was chaotic - loads of queues for everything and NO T-SHIRT. You would queue for the shuttle bus and then give up. We had to queue to get into the start area (with NO T-SHIRT), and then, finally, had a great race. Except there were no bottles thrust into your hand like London; instead, you queue for cups of water. Electrolyte tables were so short that it was a rugby scrum to get a half-cup of evil tasting stuff - chaotic! Fantastic course, and great support and atmosphere, but there was another queue after the finish line to get a medal (and NO T-SHIRT). Come on, Berlin - just visit London to see how this potentially fantastic race should be organized. (Have I mentioned that a T-shirt would also be appreciated?!)
A. M. from London, England (10/1/2008) "A Great Experience for My First Marathon" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Berlin Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I had an excellent overall experience with this race and would definitely do it again. The course is flat and smooth with the only downside being that it narrows a couple of times. Due to the number of people in the race and the fact that I had to start at the back (since I didn't have a previous time), I spent the first 20 miles bobbing and weaving through slower runners. Spectators were along almost the entire route and were very boisterous. The organization was good with the only suggestion for next year that they should have food/water closer after the finish. It took about 10 minutes to work my way through the crowd and get my medal before I received food/water.
Eugene Nyunt. from London, England. (9/30/2008) "Nothing needs changing for the Sunday." (about: 2008) 2 previous marathons \| 2 Berlin Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This year's expo moved to Kabelwerk near Tegel. The new location afforded so much more merchandising opportunities for running companies, and also gave runners themselves added comfort from the massively expanded food opportunities under two/three giant arenas. If there were problems, two stand out. Firstly, the proximity of Kabelwerk to the airport led many from abroad to head there direct from the airport; lugging bags with you isn't the way to enjoy an expo. Secondly number pickup this year moved to the first floor gallery. When I went on Friday, there were too many runners skirting around the railing, trying to find the tables for their number. That said there was no way runners had any difficulty finding where they had to go to get their chip. The expo was still very well organized, considering the numbers there, and quite straightforward to get to with the provision of shuttle buses outside Paulsternstrasse. Return journeys were a bit more problematic, but not too taxing. I ran Berlin last year too, and I'm beginning to feel that the Danes contribute as much as the Germans - at least in terms of over-the-top crowd involvement. A tremendously fantastic race, and I'll certainly be returning next year.
J. L. from Cork , ireland (9/29/2008) "Great race poor expo" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 Berlin Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I ran this race yesterday (2008), and as I had done it last year, I knew the course was excellent. In the weeks leading up to the race, we did not receive any info in the mail. It appears that some countries did not receive anything at all, and Ireland was one of them. What I had with me was the email I received in January confirming my registration. This was not good enough, so I was sent to a help desk and joined a queue that took an hour to get to the end of. Then the people at the "help desk" wanted a passport to prove that I was who I said I was. I did not have my passport on me, and had to get into a huge argument before I could convince them that I was the person on the confirmation email. I stated that it was not printed anywhere on the email (which was the only correspondence I had received) that I needed to produce my passport, and that the problem with the mailed info was there fault and not mine. Neither did I get an apology nor any satisfaction. I asked to speak to the race director and finally they relented. They even told me that my driver's license was not sufficient identification. (?) When I finally got my envelope, I then had to join another huge line to get my race number. I asked them for the info pack, which I did not receive in the mail, but they did not have any help fr anyone that was doing the race for the first time. At least I knew what I doing from the previous year. The expo itself was very poor, the race pack was terrible and the goody bag after the race was poor too. I spoke to people in my hotel who did the other big marathons (NY, Boston, etc.) and they said that they felt it was the worst expo of them all. Last year the expo and goody bags were better by far. Having said all of that, the race itself was brilliantly organized, and I ran a PB by 13 minutes. I could not complain about the race - just the expo and info, etc. Pity about the expo; I think the organizer of this should get the boot.
S. B. from Exeter, UK (9/29/2008) "Excellent 2008 race" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Berlin Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Thoroughly enjoyable race (my first Berlin but 5th marathon). Good aspects: Well-planned course through a fascinating city, which takes in all the landmarks except Checkpoint Charlie. I liked the way the course stays fairly close to the center of Berlin throughout (most of the London Marathon route is well away from the touristy locale, so you generally just get dull suburbs to look at). The organizing is almost faultless, and both the start and finish are pain-free. The weather, Haile G's world record, half of the spectators (see below) and the final run through the Brandenburg Gate made it all special. Bad aspects: Only three, really. The minor one is that although the website and program boasted that "over 60" bands would be playing on the course. I counted fewer than 20. A little live music can lift the spirits. Secondly, it's a very long walk from the U-bahn station to the expo, and the special shuttles were nowhere to be seen. Thirdly, and most importantly, is the issue with the timing chip. I had assumed it would be in the envelope containing the race number and other vital things, as that's what occurs in most races I've entered. Just before I got on the train back to central Berlin, I checked the envelope to find no chip. I ran back in and was told that you need to go to a separate room to collect that, even though this wasnot publicized anywhere and the very friendly ladies who give out the running numbers didn't tell you to collect the chip separately. Odd aspects: Because the course meanders around the city, the runners frequently cross the former dividing line. I could always tell if I was running in the old West or the old East, just by the reaction of spectators. In the West they were loud, enthusiastic and happy; but in the East, the people who turned up tended to stand there silently with hands in raincoat pockets (despite this being a hot, sunny day), bearing expressions of pious Stalinist disapproval. Perhaps they see running as a bizarrely decadent activity involving frivolous use of energy that could otherwise be put to good use building another tractor factory? Anyway, other than in the rather trendy Mittel area, it was like running through a Hollywood cliche of 1950's Eastern Europe. I'll certainly be back, though. Well done to the organizers.
Gerald Bowman from Munich, Germany (10/9/2007) "Great Race, So So Finish" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Berlin Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 One of the two best marathons I have ever run, the other being NYC. Everything was first class except at the end. It was congested and one had to walk what seemed like forever to pick up the kit, medal, shower, etc. Good it was 40,000 folks there so maybe that is to be expected. Friendly staff and really like the students that were volunteering. Great course!

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