Berlin
Marathon legends and the sport's newest icons have converged on the German capital for the 52nd BMW Berlin Marathon, injecting a historic atmosphere into an open and highly anticipated 2026 race.
Running icons Haile Gebrselassie and Patrick Makau—both of whom famously shattered world records on this very course—are attending the event alongside 2025 champion Sabastian Sawe.
Sawe, who set a scorching 2:02:16 mark in Berlin last year, is present as an official guest of honor following his late withdrawal from the field due to injury. Surveying the starting stretch on Straße des 17. Juni, Makau noted the ideal running climate: "The weather is good today for the run."
With the men's field blown wide open by Sawe's absence, performance analysts are projecting an aggressive tactical push toward the final stretch at the Brandenburg Gate.
Leading groups are aiming for an ambitious pace tracking toward the 2:01 mark. According to projection matrices, the elite men's lead pack is anticipated to pass through the critical 10-kilometer checkpoint at a blistering 28:45, before crossing the 20-kilometer mark at 57:32. This projected splits trajectory positions top contenders like Tanzania's Gabriel Geay and Ethiopia’s Getaneh Molla to cross the finish line in a tight pack ranging between 2:02:45 and 2:03:30.
In the elite women's field, all eyes remain on world record holder Tigst Assefa, who is heavily paced to challenge the ultimate boundaries of the sport.
The women’s lead group is projected to establish a ferocious, steady rhythm, cruising past the 10-kilometre mat at 30:50 and hitting the 20-kilometre split at a historic 1:01:42.
