News Archive

30,000 participants have registered for the 2013 Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON which will take place on April 7th, 2013.

Everyone is talking about saving – and we are doing it! 2013 will be another year of “Total Skating”. That means that you can participate in all four SCC EVENTS inline skating events for one attractive price. It doesn’t get any cheaper: for 109 Euros you can take part in all four races and save almost 60 Euros vis-à-vis the individual prices. In addition, you will receive a free copy of the skate-IN magazine and you are invited to the Marathon Party Skating during the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.

There are only 3.500 start tickets left for the Vattenfall BERLIN HALFMARATHON on April 7th, 2013.

The World Marathon Majors® (WMM) at a press conference on Friday announced the addition of the Tokyo Marathon to the World Marathon Majors Series. The seventh Tokyo Marathon, which will be held on February 24, 2013, will be the first race in the 2013 - 2014 World Marathon Majors scoring period. The Tokyo Marathon is the first World Marathon Majors event to be based in Asia.

Registration for the 2013 BMW BERLIN MARATHON is closed. The participation limit of 40,000 was reached after three hours.

At noon on Thursday, October 25, online registration for the 40th BMW BERLIN MARATHON on September 29, 2013 will begin. The limit is set at 40,000 participants. The registration fee for the first 10,000 registrants is 60 Euros. The next 15,000 registrations will have a 90 Euro fee, and the remaining will have a 110 Euro fee. Last time the participation limit was reached after 6 weeks.

Registration for the 40th BMW BERLIN MARATHON on September 29, 2013, will begin on October 25, 2012.

Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya re-established his claim to be the world's best marathoner this morning, but only just. Mutai won the 39th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON in 2.04.15, narrowly beating his training partner, Dennis Kimetto, who clocked the fastest marathon debut in history, 2.04.16. Another Kenyan debutant, 19 year old Geoffrey Kipsang was third in 2.06.12.

It is said that water is the source of all life. For the participants of the BMW BERLIN MARATHON a good water supply is the source of finish, because without water no runner probably would survive the 26.2 miles. That we can ensure the water supply every year we have to thank our two partners, the Berlin Water Works and Water Kopp.

When Aberu Kebede woke up this morning, and saw the rain sheeting down on a sombre Berlin, she must have though that she was in for a re-run of the marathon two years ago, remembered locally as “the rainy race”. But since she won that one by over a minute, in 2.23.58, a shower or two for Sunday morning’s 39th BMW BERLIN MARATHON might have seemed like a good idea.

A lot of huge numbers arises at mega events such as the BMW BERLIN MARATHON. This applies of course also to the bib numbers. For the production of the bib numbers, nearly 4000 square meters of paper had been used. That’s a weight of round about 500 kilograms ...

The course of the BMW BERLIN MARATHON is also the stage for an almost continuous live concert. Every 500 metres one of the 80 bands will be urging on the runners and serving as an attractive venue for the spectators as well. No other marathon of this magnitude gets over 1,000 musicians out on the street ...

The medical care at the 39th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON is one of the important tasks of a perfectly organized event. The standard of medical care at the BMW BERLIN MARATHON meets the highest international standard. To maintain this high standard, each year about 680 rescue workers protect the whole course. They cover a vast network of stationary accident assistant stations and ambulant emergency services. "Through a comprehensive quality management and continuous analysis of black spots, weather...

What has a TetraPack of water, an apple, a banana, cookies, a chocolate roll and a PowerBar bar in common? Right. Not many people know, that the finisher in the finish area do not only receive their medals, but also a supply bag with lots of vitamins and carbohydrates to refill their carbo store after the marathon.

"Buddy you helped me! Without you I would not have done it!" These were the words of the U.S. ambassador in Berlin and right after he falls in the arms of the speaker. The ambassador meant most of all the last 400 meters from the Brandenburg Gate to the finish line and was saying this to one of the two speakers in the finish area of ​​the BMW BERLIN MARATHON. This way or similar will hopefully be the experience of a large number of participants on Sunday, September 30 at the BMW BERLIN MARATHON.

Every year, many runners from around the world come to Berlin to participate in the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. But not only the runners have a long way, but also the medals, which every participant will receive at the finish as a reminder of this unique experience at the 39th BMW BERLIN MARATHON.

The top athletes enjoy both at the start- and the finish area a special attention, as they have in both areas so-called “top athletes tents” where they can prepare, change and where they are looked after. On race day 13 volunteers take care of the athletes before and after the race. Allowed into the elite tents are not only the top athletes but also their coaches and managers, and sometimes selected journalists.

The medical care at the 39th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON is one of the important tasks of a perfectly organized event. The standard of medical care at the BMW BERLIN MARATHON meets the highest international standard. To maintain this high standard, each year about 680 rescue workers protect the whole course.

Up from tomorrow, everybody in Berlin will start to realize, that the 39th BMW BERLIN MARATHON is just around the corner. Tomorrow morning the team of SCC EVENTS will be on their way around the course for three days in order to fix the no-parking signs and for the marathon weekend. It will be a total number of 800 signs.

In order to allow the spectators to cheer the runners on at the marathon course, every runner and skater wears a personalized bib number. On that bib number is not only the start number but also the name of the participant itself. But how does it work? With the online registration for the BMW BERLIN MARATHON your collected data is stored on a digital database. From now on everything about your start at the BMW BERLIN MARATHON is working through a special computer program. In August, shortly...

A constantly emerging question of our participants and spectators is the question of the importance of the sponsors. They make the event more professional and without sponsors such big events like the BMW BERLIN MARATHON wouldn’t be able to exist nowadays.Three staff members, supported by two others, who work only partially in marketing department, are busy throughout the year to support the sponsors, to attract new sponsors and work out sponsorship packages.

As every year, we will have a new 39th BMW BERLIN MARATHON merchandise collection. Already last November, adidas has unveiled this year's autumn / winter collection, and our merchandising department has chosen only the chicest parts for the 2012 collection. So we have chosen the adidas product families adiZero, Supernova and Response. It is mostly a quite colorful collection, at the same time, there are also subtle textiles for everyday life.

With the growth of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON in ever greater dimensions, the demand for materials and equipment around the event increases continuously. The inventory for the BERLIN VITAL alone is immense. 35 booths for race number, 150 massage chairs and the giant replica of the Brandenburg Gate are just a few examples. For the marathon course timing mats, road signs, railway rubber to cover the tram lines, cups and tubs for the refreshment stations and racks for the start and finish structures...

The shuttle service gets the BMW BERLIN MARATHON rolling. The shuttle service is for more responsible than just the transportation of athletes and VIPs. A week before the race the work starts. Some of the volunteers have been around for 20 years and thereby form a committed team. 35 drivers and cars are moving through Berlin with different tasks.

Everyone knows him, everyone is afraid of him, and if he catches one, it is not a shame, because the man with the hammer can hit everybody and in the so called “Besenwagen” (sweeper bus), the mood is usually not so bad, as one would expect it. Since the first ever BERLIN-MARATHON it is in use. The journey of the bus begins on Sunday morning, as soon as the last runner has passed the Victory Column, about 300 meters after the start. Usually this is a good half hour after the first athletes...

Strange blue lines on the streets can be seen at many marathons around the world. But why? What does this blue line mean? Is it really the racing line as many people say it is?

With a few exceptions, such as the New York Marathon, this is really the case. While the blue line in New York is always visible in the middle of the street and serves as a route marker line, the blue line is at the majority of city marathons seen as a racing line, especially for the professional athletes. It marks the...

Every participant will get a Finisher Shirt, when preordered with the registration for the BMW BERLIN MARATHON. You will pick it up together with your race documents at the Expo BERLIN VITAL Fall. This year, it carries the color blue for men and a purple-blue for women. It is in an emblem style with two Berlin bears and the word "finisher" on it. Since a few days it is in our warehouse and waits to be unpacked and to be dressed by you.

Along the course and at the finish of the BMW BERLIN MARATHON around 140,000 bananas and 90,000 apples are spent annually for the inline skaters and runners on the two days. But where does the vast amounts of small carbohydrate and mineral dispenser come anyway? The fruit orders are made directly with the food suppliers. SCC EVENTS obtains the apples from local famers in Berlin and Brandenburg. The varieties of the apples, such as the type 'Gala' depends on availability.

The so-called Info-Point, or also referred to as information, is a very important medium of the organizer to answer the questions of participant during race day. The first time we had an Info-Point in 1995. Back then, two people were responsible for this. Nowadays 45 volunteers belonging to the Info-Point department. The 45 volunteers work near the Info tent and answer all the questions of the runners. True to the motto "We go where you are" we have mobile information points since last year.

For any athlete, it's the best thing to get a nice massage after such an effort. At the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, this service is provided by a total number of around 370 students (including 70 in Saturday's Inline Marathon) from various sports- and physical therapy schools in Berlin. The students are all in training to different medical professions and can gain practical experience at the BMW BERLIN MARATHON. Should the schools cannot provide enough masseurs due to examinations, vacation or illness,...

What would a marathon be without a finishing time? Certainly, not a good one. Therefore, we work with Mika timing, our timing partner. They are not only responsible for a finishing time of each participant, but also for each split time, every five kilometers throughout the 42 km course.

One of the most sensitive areas of the BMW BERLIN MARATHON is the starting area, not only because of the large number of people who walk around there. To reduce the confusion at the start, the runners are assigned based on their previous marathon times into different starting blocks, which are located between the starting line and post finish area. The block entrances and block boundaries are controlled by volunteers to avoid switching between the blocks, and they also observe the skaters to...

Our technical or better logistics department, consisting of seven employees, is responsible for everything that has to do with technical matters and the infrastructure along the course. A lot of the work is spent on the planning of the start and finish area or the course. Detailed plans must be created - not only for internal purposes, but also for authorizations and third party services. In these plans any electricity, water and telephone connection is drawn to scale, each tree and bollards...

The volunteer program is a masterpiece of logistics, which is almost fully organized online. Having more than 4,000 volunteers for BMW BERLIN MARATHON, every single volunteer knows what to do. This is only possible with an enourmous infrastructure behind the scenes. Several team coordinators are assembled in a department and each department has a head of department. Those persons are in liaison with the Volunteer Manager at SCC EVENTS the whole year around. During a specific period, usually...

"Communication is everything"; when you do it well. Four employees are working in the communications team of SCC EVENTS 365 days a year to keep all participants and fans up to date. But it's not just about the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON and its elite athletes. It is also about all those small colorful stories about the marathon, half marathon and all the other races. More than 14 sport events are organized by SCC EVENTS, so enough to feed the media throughout the year.

The Medical Institute of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON would like to serve you by this regular Newsletter with medical and sports science information for a successful and healthy 39. BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. We will update this Newsletter every 1 to 2 weeks until the 39th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.

Whose registration was not submitted here, is probably not running the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON on September 30. All registrations from all events of SCC EVENTS comes together here. Over 180,000 individual applications a year; almost 500 registrations per day, which are handled by a team of six people in our Participant Management.

For everyone the BMW BERLIN MARATHON begins the same - with the online registration for one of the biggest marathon races in the World. Since 3/13/2000, you can register online. This not only saves huge amounts of paper, but is also accessible from anywhere in the world. Shortly after the online application is submitted, our participant management gets it.

The launch of the first "Berlin People's Marathon," fell on 13 October 1974. Back then, ​​286 runners, including a few female runners, started their 42km long way along the AVUS. The race was started at the Mommsenstadion, still training center and office of the Sport-Club Charlottenburg (SCC). Winner was the German Günter Hallas in 2:44:53 hrs, Jutta von Haase (also German) was the fastest woman in 3:22:01 hrs. A year later, the first and only couple in history ran for victory: Ralf Bochröder...

August 5th welcomes the Women’s Marathon to the 2012 London Olympic Games, and one week later on August 12th the Men’s Olympic Marathon will take place. Key points are at stake for the 2011-2012 Men’s and Women’s World Marathon Majors Series, and at the Series conclusion in November, the top marathoners in the WMM Series will each earn $500,000 based on their points’ total.

The Games have begun. Best performances, records, medals – the whole world has Olympic fever. We are celebrating too! We have thus extended the registration deadline for the 39th BMW BERLIN MARATHON Inline Skating on September 29, 2012.

In April 2011, Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya won the Boston Marathon in a time of 2:03:02, covering the 42.195 km distance faster than anyone in history. This time is not recognized as the standing world record because Boston’s 139 m* net drop does not conform to international road-running course standards. Six months after his victory in Boston, Mutai ran the ING New York City Marathon in 2:05:06, winning the race and crushing the former course record of 2:07:43 (2001).

The Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON has confirmed ist position as one of the world’s leading races at the distance. It was Kenya’s Denis Koech, who upset his fellow countryman and reigning World Champion Wilson Kiprop, beating him by just one second with a world-class time of 59:14 minutes. With his first sub one hour time Koech placed himself among the 20 fastest half marathon runners ever. The women’s race also produced a thrilling sprint finish. Philes Ongori (Kenya) beat her fellow Kenyan...

A 5150 Triathlon will be held on July 1, 2012 and this will be followed by an Ironman 70.3 next year. Endurance has been at the core of SCC EVENTS’ - one of the largest organizers of running events in the world for some time. Now they are ready to take the next step as the Berlinbased company and the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) are teaming up to introduce the 5150 Triathlon to the German capital on July 1, 2012. The 5150 series is an international distance triathlon consisting of: 1,5K...

The Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON on April 1st, 2012 is sold out. Since January 15th all 27.500 spots are sold and the registration is closed.

In 2011 the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON had sold it´s 25,500 spots in the beginning of March.

Despite the sell-out – tickets for the Inline Half Marathon are still available!

Only 1,000 entries are left at the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON on April 1st, 2012. The participation limit is set at 27,500 this year. In 2011 the Vattenfall BERLIN HALF MARATHON had sold it´s 25,500 spots in the beginning of March.