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I’m on a quest to tackle all six Abbott World Major Marathons and as of this year the only international run I had left was Berlin, Germany. With each run, you get a star and at completion of all six, you become a six-star finisher. The list of marathons includes New York, Chicago, Boston, Tokyo, London, and Berlin. As it is, only .01% of the world has run a marathon, so if you’re a part of that club, you’re a beast. As of May 2024, only 17,021 people worldwide have completed the six-star journey. Not only is running the marathon difficult, but each race has its own hills to climb just to get in. You don’t just sign up for these races. Runners can only get in by qualifying, being chosen in a lottery or getting a charity bib, so when you get an opportunity to participate, let alone in an iconic year, the answer is always YES!
That said, running a marathon is a full-time commitment. Once I decided to run, I knew I was saying goodbye to my social life and signing up for another full-time job as the CEO of my own run club. Nobody can put in the work but you, so it’s a lot of self talk and motivation. I followed a fourth-month training program, doing one long run a week, increasing 1-3 miles until I hit 15. I also integrated speed and strength work at Barry’s and SoulCycle for cardio, while working in 3- or 4-mile runs on free days. Before I knew it, I was Berlin-ready.
I was particularly excited about running in Berlin because the city is rich in history. The course has changed so much since it first began in 1974 when it was limited to west Berlin. When the Berlin Wall came down and the city became unified in 1989, racers from both sides of the country were able to compete together. And in 1990, the course covered the entire city and the finish line was moved to the iconic Bradenburg Gates.
This year was the 50th Berlin Marathon, making the course particularly enticing. Ahead, I share my recap, takeaways, and tips for others looking to run this race or any other marathon.
It was September 29, 2024 and the sun was rising over Germany. I felt like I was going to throw up as I pinned my race bib to my shirt and boarded a bus towards the Bradenburg Gates with my Adidas Running team in tow. Sixteen weeks of long runs, sweaty clothes and lost toenails were pouring into this moment. It didn’t even matter that I missed a lot of sightseeing over the course of my few days on the ground because I was about to run 42.195 km of the city, so at least I felt content about that.
When we deboarded the bus, we joined Adidas runners from all over the world for a hype party filled with private bathrooms (in the world of race running this is like winning the lottery) and a DJ to keep us moving. Before we knew it, 9:15 a.m. hit and the elites were off which meant us normal folks were waiting for our corrals to be called. We were hugging fellow strangers and wishing them luck while others were getting their hair braided and applying sports tape to tender areas. The comradery in this community, let alone in a foreign country, is indescribable.
Getting Started
There’s no way to describe what it’s like waiting for a world major marathon gun to go off. It’s wall to wall people from every walk of life speaking every language from every country on this planet. It’s a melting pot and it doesn’t matter whether it’s your first or your 50th, you still have that feeling of, ‘Why am I doing this and am I actually going to finish?’ It seems like every anthem is the same nowadays and this one was no different. Black Eyed Peas, ‘I’ve Got A Feeling,’ got the crowd jumping with excitement as we tried to stay warm in the 50 degree weather.
This was the largest marathon in the world to date with over 58,000 runners starting in total. It really was one special, big party. The emcees got the crowd clapping, they counted us down, the confetti flew and I was off!
I had done my homework on the course and like all of Europe, I was warned about the narrow roads and cobblestones. I was also told this course was as flat as a pancake with few hills and people head to Berlin to achieve their fastest times since it’s the flatest of all the World Majors. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to be racing in Adidas’ Adizero Pro 4 shoes before their 2025 release, designed to break records by triggering forward momentum. These just so happened to be worn by the second place men’s finisher (who crossed the finish line shortly after I started at a 2:03:22) and are so exclusive that only a special handful of runners were able to try them before their spring 2025 release. But honestly, it was hard to focus solely on nailing a flashy new PR during the run, because the views and history of the course were so breathtaking.
I passed gorgeous statues and roundabouts in Tiergarten and the start was filled with spectators behind barricades cheering with bells and horns. From there, we headed through Moabit, Mitte, and Friedrichshain. While the crowds weren’t the same as Chicago or New York, I was impressed at the amount of strangers passing out candy and holding up signs in German, Spanish, English, and even Japanese. The most excited spectators were the throngs of smiling children with their hands raised for high fives. I saw more kids along this course than any other city. While the states are filled with young people sitting at bars drunkenly screaming the name on your shirt for encouragement — here, people held cardboard signs, many which read ‘Power Up’ and featured Mario Bros. characters for runners to slap for some energy. I must’ve seen a dozen of those.
Eventually, the course heads west, hitting staples like the Berlin Mall before looping back north towards the city center. With each kilometer closer I got to the finish, the crowd and cheers grew. There was no greater joy than seeing the inflatable sign that read, ‘2km Keep Going!’ I saw I was going to make my goal — a sub 5 time — and repeated my mantras as I leaned on the wall to wall crowds cheering to keep me going: “I can do hard things. Be strong, finish strong.”
Making It to the Finish Line
Finally, I turned a corner and there it was, the 1km sign and the infamous finish at the Brandenburg Gates. Thanks to the internet, I knew that the gates were a tease and you have to actually pass them and go another .2 miles to hit the finish line. I headed under the iconic arches as a throng of photographers snapped my photo and I felt like a celebrity holding back tears. Random strangers kept yelling, “Keep going Nae Nae! You’re almost there!” as I wore a shirt with my nickname. I soaked in my own final moments, picked up my speed, and hit the finish line.
I stopped my watch, looked up and bawled like a baby as runners from all over the world did the same. It went by in the blink of an eye and soon enough the golden medal to commemorate the special anniversary was placed around my neck. I got my finisher’s jacket decked with gold, grabbed my poncho to keep me warm, rang the PB bell, and crawled my way back to meet my running group to celebrate. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
What to Know If You Want To Run This Race
While I ran the marathon without many hurdles, there are a few things to keep in mind. For starters, there aren’t as many fuel stops along the course as other marathons. Plan ahead with your gel packs as they eventually ran out and considering bringing your own in case this happens to you. You can check your own liquids if you get to the start by 7:45 a.m. Staff will actually place them out on the course for you — just make sure you mark them with something tall like a stick or bright colors. (That said, if you’re into beet juice and hot tea, you’re in luck, because there’s plenty of it along the course — it’s a very German thing.)
Another tip: If you’re a US native, I highly recommend bringing a watch and setting it to miles so you’re not stopping and asking Siri how many miles 40 km is because the course has no mile markers.
But my biggest takeaway is to enjoy every moment and run the mile you’re in. After all, when it comes to running a marathon, you’re there for a good time, not a long time in the grand scheme of your day. Think of how lucky you are to move your body and be a part of the magic. If you don’t hit a goal time overall, what other goals did you hit? Focus on small wins over big ones because at the end of the day, no matter what your finish time was, if you crossed the finish line, you are a legend in your own right — a 26.2 finisher and that is something not many people can say.
Lanae Brody is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and reporter who’s been covering entertainment, fashion, and health for 16 years. In addition to PS, her work has appeared in People, Us Weekly, Muscle & Fitness, and more.