The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON 2026 unfolds this Sunday, September 27, as one of the most open and intriguing races in recent years. The injury-induced absence of Sabastian Sawe, the world record holder and a major reference initially expected for the event, alters the landscape completely, but it does not lower expectations: the organizers are banking on a very fast race, and the 2:01:09 set by Eliud Kipchoge to establish the circuit record in 2022 stands as an ambitious benchmark.
“I expect an exciting race and we hope to break the circuit record. The pace of the first group will be aimed at 2:01,” said the race director, Mark Milde.
With Sawe off the starting line, at least half a dozen runners appear to have real chances of victory. Five of them boast personal bests under 2:05, and no fewer than 26 athletes have already run under 2:08, a testament to the extraordinary depth of the men’s field.
Gabriel Geay, the Fastest Man in the Race
The runner with the best mark among those taking part will be Tanzanian Gabriel Geay, who clocks 2:03:00, the national record of Tanzania. With that performance he also ranks among the fastest marathoners in history. Geay returns to Berlin after failing to finish the race last year when high temperatures affected his performance. “I am in good shape and I hope to post a very good time,” said the 29-year-old.
Among his main rivals will be a strong Ethiopian contingent led by Guye Adola, winner in Berlin in 2021 and second in 2017 behind Eliud Kipchoge. Adola knows this course like few others. His personal best, 2:03:46, was achieved precisely in Berlin during his distance debut. This season he also comes strengthened by his victory at the Rotterdam Marathon, where he ran 2:03:54. “I am very well prepared and in the best shape of my life,” stated the Ethiopian.
Barega Seeks a Big Leap in His Third Marathon
Another big name will be Selemon Barega, Olympic 10,000 meters champion in Tokyo 2021. The Ethiopian will tackle Berlin for his third marathon, starting with a best of 2:05:00, a mark that could be significantly lowered if the race maintains the announced pace.
Barega will be accompanied by two fellow Ethiopians with top-level marks: Getaneh Molla, 2:03:34, and Shura Kitata, 2:03:59.
The Japanese presence will also be particularly numerous. Eleven Japanese runners with marks around 2:06 to 2:08 are listed, and some could attempt to move closer to Japan’s national record, set at 2:04:55.
More than 56,000 Runners from 162 Countries
Beyond the elite race, Berlin will once again showcase the scale of one of the planet’s great marathons. The organizers have registered more than 56,000 entries from 162 countries to tackle the 42.195 kilometers through the streets of the German capital. The Berlin course, practically flat and traditionally associated with fast times, has been the stage of numerous world records. This year there is no expected direct attempt to break the two-hour barrier following Sawe’s absence, but a race launched from the early kilometers. The pace planned for the main group, near 2:01 hours, could yield significant personal records and keep the battle for victory open until the end.
Three Germans Aim to Take Advantage of a Very Fast Race
The enormous density of runners between 2:06 and 2:09 could also benefit the leading German athletes. Sebastian Hendel, who clocked 2:07:33 in Berlin two years ago, arrives after several seasons hampered by physical issues and admits he is not yet ready to attack his personal best. Haftom Welday, by contrast, has shown strong progression in 2026 and improved to 2:08:13 in Barcelona last March. The third is Aaron Bienenfeld, who surprised in April with a debut of 2:08:47 in Hamburg, the best time ever achieved by a German on his marathon debut. His goal now is to continue lowering that mark and approach the 2:06–2:08 range.
Tigst Assefa, Pursuing a Personal Best
The Ethiopian Tigst Assefa will return to a race that changed her trajectory and the history of the women’s marathon, with the aim of approaching, and possibly beating, the current world record. Three years ago, Assefa surprised the world by crossing the Brandenburg Gate in 2:11:53, a time that at that moment placed the women’s world record in another dimension. Since then, the world record has fallen to 2:09:56, so the barrier of 2 hours and 10 minutes now stands as the major reference for the Ethiopian.
Berlín has already been the stage for 13 world records in the marathon, a figure unmatched by any other race of 42.195 kilometers. If Assefa manages to reclaim the mark, it would be the 14th world record achieved in the German capital. The athlete, however, chose to be prudent at the pre-race press conference. “I’m looking forward to running again on the fast Berlin course and I hope to continue here my history of success on Sunday. I am very well prepared and I want to achieve a personal best,” Assefa affirmed. Her 2:11:53 remains also the circuit record of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON.
Rosemary Wanjiru Eyes Sub-2:15
Assefa will not be alone at the forefront of one of the women’s races with the highest level in the Berlin Marathon’s history. Among her main rivals will be Kenyan Rosemary Wanjiru, the reigning champion, though her strategy will not be to chase the pace that could yield a world record. Wanjiru begins with a best of 2:16:14 and her stated goal is to go under 2:15. Behind her appears a powerful Ethiopian trio formed by Bedatu Hirpa, 2:18:27; Dera Dida, 2:18:32; and Zeineba Yimer, 2:18:47. Dida, wife of Olympic marathon champion Tamirat Tola, is also Tigst Assefa’s training partner. “We know each other very well and I hope we can deliver strong performances,” Dida explained.
Alisa Vainio Also Aims to Break the 2:20 Barrier
Another major objective of the race will be breaking the 2:20 barrier. Finnish runner Alisa Vainio, European champion and with a personal best of 2:20:39, will seek to surpass that milestone for the first time. Her presence in Berlin is particularly notable given her recent competition schedule. Vainio took part in the European Championship in Birmingham on August 16 and also competed in the marathon at the Finnish Championships in Jyväskylä just twelve days before Berlin. She won that race in 2:27:47. “To me it felt like training and I felt good,” the Finn explained, arriving in Berlin with the aim of improving her personal best and running under 2:20.
Esther Pfeiffer, Chasing a German Record That Has Endured Since 2008
One of the great stories of the race will also be Esther Pfeiffer’s attempt to beat the German marathon record. The mark has belonged since 2008 to Irina Mikitenko, who won precisely the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON with 2:19:19. Pfeiffer, 29, plans to go out from the start at a pace aimed at the record. “I plan to run at a pace that would bring me the German record. That is my big goal and my attempt begins on Sunday,” she said. The German has barely run a marathon so far. It was in 2023, when she won the Cologne Marathon in 2:37:00 and claimed the national title. Since then, her progression in shorter distances has been impressive. In March she ran the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON in 1:07:25 and later lowered her 10-kilometer best to 30:45. Those times suggest a substantial improvement in her marathon best at 42.195 kilometers.
A Women’s Field of Record-Breaking Depth
The depth of the women’s field will be another major draw of this edition of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. Seven runners in the lineup hold personal bests under 2:20, something that had never happened before in Berlin. In addition, a total of 13 athletes have gone under 2:22, another record for the event. With Tigst Assefa eyeing the 2:10 barrier, Rosemary Wanjiru aiming to go below 2:15, and a large group chasing times under 2:20, Berlin again brings together all the ingredients for another high-level women’s race. And above all, the Sunday question remains: can Tigst Assefa reclaim the world record she already held in this very venue?
Marcel Hug, Seeking Another Victory
There will also be notable names in the wheelchair race. The Swiss Marcel Hug, a ten-time Berlin winner and the victor of the last six editions in a row, will again start as one of the leading contenders. Among the women, standout are Manuela Schär, the reigning champion, and Catherine Debrunner, who won three consecutive titles from 2022 to 2024.
Berlin thus faces another weekend of enormous athletic dimension. With Sabastian Sawe out of the race, the anticipated sub-two-hour assault disappears, but the uncertainty over the victory increases. With half a dozen contenders, a group ready to go at 2:01 pace, and more than 56,000 runners taking to the city streets, the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON once again brings together all the ingredients to deliver one of the year’s great races.
