How to Watch Berlin Marathon 2026: Start Time Today, Channel, Live Stream, Route, Elite Runners, Road Closures, Finish Line.
Berlin Marathon is one of the eight Abbott World Marathon Majors and known as one of the fastest as well as most historic marathons in the world.
The NN Running Team heads to the 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon with a strong roster, aiming to add to its impressive record of victories at the event.
With route refinements over the decades came faster times, and that's what Berlin is best known for among marathoners. Until Kelvin Kiptum ran 2:00:35 in Chicago in 2023, the previous eight men's world records were all run in Berlin, and Tigst Assefa's world record of 2:11:53 was set in Berlin in 2023 — a mark that still stands today.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon as it celebrates another year as a World Major.
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When is the 2026 Berlin Marathon date?
The Berlin Marathon will be held on Sunday, September 27, 2026, corresponding to late-night/overnight hours across the United States and Canada.
What time does the Berlin marathon start?
The Berlin Marathon, which draws close to 60,000 total participants, will begin at 9:15 a.m. (CEST) on Sunday, September 27, with runners starting in multiple waves. As with previous years, American and Canadian fans will need to tune in overnight or in the early hours, while Australian viewers can catch the start in the early evening after work.
2026 Berlin Marathon Start times:
8.50 a.m.: Handbiker (Tops)
8.56 a.m.: Wheelchair athlete (Elite)
8.59 a.m.: Handbike and wheelchair athletes
09.15-10:40 a.m.: Runners (in four waves)
Wave 1: 9.15am (ABCD)
Wave 2: 9.45am (EF)
Wave 3: 10.10am (GHJ)
Wave 4: 10.40am (K)
2026 Berlin marathon start-times
The elite men and women get underway at 9:15 AM local time, which corresponds to the following international times:
Location Start Times (Elite Men & Women)
Chicago, United States 2:15 AM
Boston, United States 3:15 AM
New York, United States 3:15 AM
London, United Kingdom 8:15 AM
Berlin, Germany 9:15 AM
Kapchorwa, Uganda 10:15 AM
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 10:15 AM
Kaptagat, Kenya 10:15 AM
Tokyo, Japan 4:15 PM
Sydney, Australia 6:15 PM
How to Watch, Stream the 2026 Berlin Marathon
In Germany, this year’s Berlin Marathon will be broadcast live on TV RTL.
Fans in the UK - and the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Republic of Ireland - can watch the race through a live stream on FloTrack..
and globally on Olympics.com in a number of territories including Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Iceland, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Syria, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, UAE, and Uzbekistan.
The real,-Berlin Marathon may be available for viewing in the United States and beyond the Eurosport territory by going to German News Channel N-TV's streaming site: www.n-tv.de/mediathek/livestream
In Europe, on Eurosport
8:50 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. local time in Berlin (7:50 to 10:30 a.m. London time).
In Germany, on News channel N-TV
8:30 a.m. to Noon local time in Berlin.
How to Live Stream 2026 Berlin Marathon:
STREAMING: Watch the 2025 Berlin Marathon on FloTrack. SIGN UP HERE.
On Your TV: Now Available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast & Apple TV.
Cast: Cast to your smart TV including Vizio, Samsung and LG TVs.
On The Go: Download the FloSports app on iOS or Android.
Live updates and real-time tracking of runners can also be found on the BMW Berlin Marathon app.
How long is the Berlin Marathon?
The Berlin Marathon kicks off Sunday with handbikers and wheelchair athletes from 8:50 a.m., before the elite and open runner fields cross the start line at 9:15 a.m. Covering the 42.195-km distance through the German capital, the race starts and finishes on Straße des 17. Juni near the Brandenburg Gate, passing many iconic landmarks along the way.
What is the Berlin Marathon Cut-off time?
The Berlin marathon cut-off time is 5.15pm, with a running time of Eight hours.
🕔 Cut off time: Runners have 6:15 after crossing the start line. There are cut off points on the course: 33km before 3:50pm and 38km before 4:35pm.
If you do not meet the cur off you must continue on the footpath or can choose to be taken to the finish in the sweep bus. Note that you may not receive an official time or medal if you reach the finish after the official The official finish time of 5:15pm.
How many runners/people are expecting to attend the Berlin marathon 2026
At this year’s BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, almost 80,000 participants from 160 nations are expected – including runners, wheelchair athletes, handcyclists and skaters. Among runners alone, 55,146 people will take part.
What is the route of the 2026 Berlin Marathon?
Standing on the start line you’ll have the Brandenburg Gate behind you and the Victory Column ahead of you. It’s a great beginning to the race, and it has one of the great finish lines in world marathons:
you’ll come all the way around the city, through 10 different districts, and back to see the Brandenburg Gate. Passing beneath it is an unforgettable marathon experience, as is the final few hundred metres to the finish.
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How do I track friends and family running in the Berlin marathon?
You can find your result in the results list under Your race > Berlin Marathon Results. You can also download your certificate there.
Rating:
The first 50 male and female runners will be rated by gun time
Result corrections:
If you have worn your bib number correctly and still cannot find yourself in the results list or your time is incorrect, get in touch via our contact form.
TRACKING OPTIONS
Participants can only change their tracking settings through their personal user account. The following settings are available in your user account:
Private: You do not want to be tracked. If you select this option, your name will not be shown in the search in the tracking area of the event website or the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON 2024-App and will only be published in the results list together with your ranking in the race.
Public: Everyone can follow your race via the live results on the event website or in the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON App.
Code: You decide who can follow your race via the live results on the event website or in the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON App. Share your tracking code with your supporters. This code will be requested when searching in the tracking area of the app or on the website.
2026 Berlin Marathon road closures list
During the events there will be severe traffic disruptions. All spectators are advised to use the underground and suburban trains. On Saturday afternoon and Sunday, especially in Tiergarten and Mitte, the streets along the marathon route will be closed almost continuously until the end of the event. There will also be road closures in Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Neukölln, Schöneberg, Steglitz, Wilmersdorf and Zehlendorf.
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Best Ways/Spots to watch Berlin Marathon Live
There are grandstands at the finish and these are free to use but are popular and can be crowded, so arrive early if you plan to wait here to watch the end of the race.
One thing to know: there’s an official meeting point (see below for that) but all runners exit to the north side of the Tiergarten, so plan to end up around the Hauptbahnhof or Bundestag if using public transport and meeting your runner after the race.
- Start near Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz at 10km then hop on the U2 to Bulowstraße and see your runner around 21km and then walk to 36-37km
- Go to Oranienburger Tor which is near 8km. Jump on the U6 to Mehringdamm to see runners at 19-20km. Then a 2km walk north takes you to 39-40km on the race.
- Start near 9km (Rosenthaler Platz U-Bahn) then jump on U8 to Hermannplatz at 16-17km (it’s a 15-minute journey, so plenty of time unless you’re following the elites!). Then go one stop back on U8 and change onto U1/U3 and go to Wittenburgplatz to see your runner at 35-36km.
Where is the Berlin marathon finish line?
You’ve finished! As you pass under the finish line just beyond the Brandenburg Gate, you’ll collect a goodie bag, pick up an alcohol-free beer if you want one, grab your drop bag or poncho, and then you’re free to leave the race village.
There’s a meeting point outside of the finish area at Paul-Löbe-Haus by the Bundestag U-Bahn. There are signs with letters from A-Z, so agree in advance with friends and family where you want to meet them.
The Berlin Marathon race official cutoff time is 5.15pm.
Berlin Marathon 2026 prize money, purse for winner
Who will be competing in the 2026 Berlin Marathon Elite field
This weekend's marathon is set to be the most culturally diverse in Germany history as over 50,000 runners from 156 countries will compete in the main event.
Elite fields - Men
Milkesa Mengesha (ETH) (2:03:17)
Sabastian Sawe (KEN) (2:02:05)
Gabriel Gerald Geay (TAN) (2:03:00)
Haymanot Alew (ETH) (2:03:31)
Guye Adola (ETH) 2:03:46)
Leul Gebresilase (ETH) (2:04:02)
DanielMateiko (KEN) 2:04:24)
HaftuTeklu (ETH) (2:04:42)
Chimdessa Debele (ETH) 2:04:44)
KengoSuzuki(JPN) (2:04:56)
ChalaRegasa (ETH) (2:05:06)
Samwel Mailu (KEN) (2:05:08)
YihunilignAdane(ETH) (2:05:37)
TarikuNovales (ESP) (2:05:48)
Kyohei Hosoya (JPN) (2:05:58)
GebruRedagne (ETH) (2:05:58)
Yuhei Urano (JPN) (2:06:23)
Stanley Kurgat (KEN) (2:07:05
ShuhoDairokuno (JPN) (2:07:12)
Hendrik Pfeiffer (GER) (2:07:14)
Yitayew Abuhay (ISR) (2:07:26)
Ezra KipketerTanui (KEN) (2:07:28)
Bernard Kimani (KEN) (2:07:28)
Hassan Chahdi (FRA) (2:07:30)
Akira Akasaki(JPN) (2:07:32)
Sebastian Hendel (GER) (2:07:33)
Shin Kimura (JPN) (2:07:34)
Robert Ngeno (KEN) (2:07:35)
Hicham Amghar (MAR) (2:07:45)
Haftom Welday (GER) (2:08:24)
Ken Nakayama (JPN) (2:08:24)
Taiyo Iwasaki(JPN (2:08:25)
Aoi Ota (JPN)(2:08:31)
Gao Peng CHN (2:09:34)
JinYuasa (JPN) (2:09:43)
Paulo Paula (BRA) (2:09:51)
Women
RosemaryWanjiru (KEN) (2:16:14)
DegituAzimeraw(ETH) (2:17:58)
DeraDida (ETH) (2:18:32)
MestawutFikir (ETH) (2:18:48)
TigistGirma(ETH) (2:18:52)
Honami Maeda (JPN) (2:18:59)
Sharon Chelimo (KEN (2:19:33)
AberuAyana(ETH) (2:20:20)
Azmera Gebru (ETH) (2:20:48)
Kidsan Alema (ETH) (2:22:28)
Viola Cheptoo (KEN) (2:22:44)
Betty Chepkwony (KEN) (2:23:02)
DomenikaMayer (GER) (2:23:47)
Deborah Schöneborn (GER) (2:24:54)
Aberash Demisse(ETH) (2:25:43)
Fabienne Königstein (GER) (2:25:48)
Aleksandra Lisowska (POL) (2:25:52)
SamanthaHarrison (GBR) (2:25:59)
Irvette Van Zyl (RSA) (2:26:11)
HanneVerbruggen (BEL) (2:26:32)
Melina Wolf (GER) (2:27:34)
JillHolterman (NED) 2:28:18)
Samrawit Mengsteab (SWE) (2:28:44)
HannaLindholm (SWE) (2:28:59)
Katja Goldring (USA) (2:29:01)
Ftaw Zeray (ETH) (2:29:15)
Berlin Marathon past winners list
Men: Here are the five most recent male winners of the Berlin Marathon:
Year Runner (Country) Time
2026
2026
2025 Sabastian Sawe (Kenya) 2:02:16
2024 Milkesa Mengesha (Ethiopia)2:03:17
2023 Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) 2:02:42
2022 Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) 2:01:09 (WR)
2021 Guye Adola (Ethiopia) 2:05:45
2019 Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) 2:01:41
Women: Here are the five most recent female winners of the Berlin Marathon:
Year Runner (Country) Time
2026
2026
2025 Rosemary Wanjiru (Kenya)2:21:05
2024 Tigist Ketema (Ethiopia) 2:16:42
2023 Tigist Assefa (Ethiopia) 2:11:53 (WR)
2022 Tigist Assefa (Ethiopia) 2:15:37
2021 Gotytom Gebreslase (Ethiopia) 2:20:09
2019 Ashete Bekere (Ethiopia) 2:20:14
When is the lottery open for the Next Berlin Marathon 2026?
The lottery for the 2026 Berlin Marathon is open from 25th September 2025 to 6th November 2025. The race takes place on Sunday 27th September.
How to apply for the next year Berlin Marathon 2026 ballot
Feeling inspired and want to run the Berlin Marathon?
Ballot/Lottery is the main way to enter the Berlin Marathon. Registration for the 2026 lottery opens from 25th September 2025 to 6th November 2025. Successful entries cost €200 for 2025. All ballot information is on the Berlin Marathon website.
There are places for time qualifiers, but you have to be a faster runner (men aged under 44 need to run 2:45, and women need 3:10). Time details here. Entry this way cost €200 in 2025.
Like most other marathons, there are also charity places and details on how to apply are on the Berlin Marathon website (fundraising commitments vary, but with a minimum of £1,250).
What is a World Marathon Major?
The World Marathon Majors are the seven largest Marathons in the world.
Berlin Marathon First contested in 1974, the BMW Berlin Marathon has earned a reputation as the world’s fastest marathon course. Flat and fast with few turns the race has witnessed 13 world records including Eliud Kipchoge’s memorable world record marks of 2:01:39 in 2018 and 2:01:09 in 2022.
The Sydney Marathon was announced as a Major in November last year, with this race being its first since joining the other six marathons.
The other World Marathon Majors include the Tokyo Marathon, Boston Marathon, London Marathon, Berlin Marathon, Chicago Marathon, and New York City Marathon.
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