Berlin Marathon 2026 – Major No. 3
Berlin had been on my list for a while. I’d entered the ballot for the previous four years without success, so when I finally got a place this year I was delighted. It was also going to be World Marathon Major number three for me, so plenty to look forward to.
Training had gone reasonably well. I’d worked hard and got some decent mileage in, although I was well aware that I’d missed a few of the longer runs. Nothing I thought was terminal, and the long runs I did manage had gone well, but if I’m being truthful I knew deep down that I probably wasn’t in the same shape as I had been going into Chicago last year, where I ran my 3:25 PB.
Still, you never really know until race day.
Berlin is a massive event, with more than 55,000 runners and six starting waves heading off from 8:45am. The start and finish are around the Tiergarten and Straße des 17. Juni, with the Brandenburg Gate providing the backdrop to what is probably one of the most recognisable marathon finishes anywhere.
Race morning was already fairly mild but the forecast was for it to get much warmer as the day went on. When I eventually got into my pen, after an easy walk from the hotel, I felt okay. Not brilliant, but okay. The atmosphere at the start was electric, as the names of the elite runners were read out and the music blared from the loud speakers.
Then we were off. Or, more accurately, we shuffled forward and eventually started running!
For a marathon with a reputation as one of the fastest in the world, I found the opening miles incredibly congested. I was well below the pace I wanted to be running, but there wasn’t much point wasting energy weaving around hundreds of people.
Eventually I found a bit more space and managed to claw some of the time back, but I never really felt like I’d settled properly into the race.
As the morning went on it was getting noticeably warmer. After experiencing the heat at the Devil o’ the Highlands earlier in the year, I wasn’t interested in taking any chances, so I stopped at every water station.
Sensible decision, but it definitely broke up the rhythm.
I was also drinking far more than I normally would in a marathon, which led to something I’ve never had to do in a race before, a toilet stop at around mile 11!
So much for finding my rhythm.
On the positive side, my fueling was spot on. I took everything when I planned to, had no stomach problems and never felt like I’d run out of fuel. That’s definitely something I’ll take from the race.
The legs, however, were a different story.
I just felt a little undercooked. There wasn’t a dramatic blow-up or a point where the wheels completely came off. I just didn’t have that feeling that I could really push on. The temperature was rising fast and you could see many suffering on the course.
By the time I got into the final 10 miles, it was becoming more of a chore than a race.
Normally you hope to get to that stage of a marathon and start thinking about what you’ve got left, picking people off and trying to squeeze everything out of the final few miles.
In Berlin I was mostly thinking, how many miles are left?
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The crowds certainly helped. The route takes you on a big tour of Berlin before eventually heading back towards the centre, through Potsdamer Platz and onto Unter den Linden. There were quieter areas and places where the crowds were 6 deep. Not the London level of atmosphere, but great all the same.
And then you finally see the Brandenburg Gate.
Whatever sort of marathon you’ve had, that’s a brilliant moment, although you need to remember there is still 400m to the finish line, along the famous blue carpet.
You run straight towards it, through the gate and then onto the final stretch to the finish line. I even managed to find enough in the legs to make a reasonable attempt at looking like I’d been running strongly all day!
Across the line and Berlin Marathon done. Major No. 3.
A few post race steins were deservedly had back at the hotel with a lot of fellow finishers, all regaling tales of how great the race was and how there race unfolded.
Looking back, I’m genuinely not disappointed.
I knew myself before the race that I probably wasn’t in PB shape, and the conditions and how the race unfolded certainly didn’t help. It ended up being my slowest road marathon since Loch Ness in 2019, which feels slightly strange in itself.
The biggest thing I’ll take away from it is probably the heat.
Both of my main target races this year, Devil o’ the Highlands and Berlin, have been significantly affected by warm conditions. Maybe that’s just unfortunate when most of your training is done in Scotland, but it’s definitely something I need to look at and work out how I can prepare for better. Maybe the club needs to invest in a heat chamber? 😁
The fueling worked, the body held together and I finished another marathon. Sometimes you have to take those positives rather than worry too much about what the watch says. Feel so lucky to be able to run and finish this iconic race, and with 54 rapidly approaching, I’m probably allowed the occasional slower one! The effort was there and I am really proud of that.
Berlin was a fantastic experience, another marathon finish and another Major ticked off the list. I would highly recommend the race and as a fascinating city to visit.
Three down. Three to go. 🏅🏅🏅
Now for a bit of recovery before deciding what’s next… although knowing me, that probably won’t take very long. 😁