Berlin half marathon BIB

Berlin Half Marathon

40 - 60 €
8.4

Location

8.0/10

Track

10.0/10

Atmosphere

9.0/10

Organization

8.0/10

Budget

7.0/10

Pros

  • Good for trying a personal best
  • The course map touches many tourism landmarks
  • Warm and continuous public participation
  • Well organized

Cons

  • High-end budget
Edition:42th (2023)
World Athletics Label Road Race:No
Expected participants:30000
Distances:21K, 1K (kids run)
Type of race:Flat, city run
Time limit:3h 15min
Preamble

My running experience is relatively short, as five years ago I couldn’t run five kilometers without panting in pain. I was considering also running itself a boring activity…

Many factors turned me into a travelling runner: one of the most important being the fact that my first half marathon was an outstanding experience.  It gives me great feelings now to talk about it: the Berliner Halbmarathon.

I was with two friends, Cristina (my running partner in crime) and Fabio. He is a more experienced runner, having participated to several full and half marathons already. Cristina convinced me to do something I would have never imagined it was possible. And if you haven’t run at an event, regardless if a 10K, 21K or 42K, I recommend you to try, with the proper training (and of course, the right medical check!): the sense of accomplishment is an enormous pay-off.

Preparation and race day

Everything proceeded with the stereotypes of German organizations: operations like accessing and picking the race pack are smooth and coordinated, limiting the queuing or waiting time to the minimum, which is very important for events so participated: the 39th edition held in 2019 counted nearly 30000 runners. Please consider to book this event with notice: the 2020 edition was sold out in November 2020. Some spots remain available on sales by tour operators in bigger trip packages.

The EXPO is well organized and full of interesting stands. The event gives the free choice to include the running T-shirt in your race pack.

The course is outstanding, touching all the main landmarks of this city rich of beauty and history: the Brandenburger Tor is with the new path the arrival point (and this is already a reason good enough to participate!).

But as mentioned, the Berlin Half Marathon is a running tour of the city: Unter den Linden, the Siegessäule, Charlottenburg Castle, the Checkpoint Charlie, are all things you will see on the running course. The course has recently changes starting from the Brandeburg Gate, that was before met at 4K.

The medal design was very minimalist when I got mine. Since few editions the design has changed to a more beautiful series. You will also bring home nice item for your collection 😉

My time? 2h 24min.  I was not worried about the timing. To be honest, I was afraid I would not have been able to finish it. The feelings when, passing the 20th kilometer, I understood I was making it, was incredible.

I want to highlight the participation of the crowd, constantly cheering and supporting. Remarkable the supporting activities (music bands, DJ sets, dancing shows) alongside the course.

After race

We celebrated in a bavarian wienerschnitzel house with my friends, where we met a bigger community of runners from Italy. It is amazing how runners can start being together like if they have been friends forever.

I had huge pain at my left knee, and this is when I discovered the importance of wearing the right shoes, and new words like pronation and supination. Two weeks later, I bought a new pair of running shoes which solved most of my problems.

I cannot stress enough how important is the right choice of shoes and running equipment. Be kind with your muscles and joints!

The budget required is certainly not on the low end. You can reach Berlin with many low-cost companies, and this can give a positive impact on the budget. There are some agreements with the public transport companies so transportation with the BIB number (check terms and conditions on the event webpage).


Did you enjoy my review? Read more info about the next edition of this event, contact us or find out what to do in Berlin 🙂

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