2018 Berlin Marathon

2018 Berlin Marathon
Name	2018 Berlin Marathon
Date	16 September 2018
Location	Berlin, Germany
Distance	Marathon (42.195 km)
Venue	Straße des 17. Juni, Brandenburg Gate
Participants	44,000+ runners
Men winner	Eliud Kipchoge
Men winner time	2:01:39
Women winner	Gladys Cherono
Women winner time	2:18:11
Previous	2017 Berlin Marathon
Next	2019 Berlin Marathon

2018 Berlin Marathon

The 2018 Berlin Marathon took place on 16 September 2018 in Berlin, Germany, forming part of the World Marathon Majors series that includes Boston Marathon, London Marathon, Chicago Marathon, New York City Marathon, and Tokyo Marathon. The race featured elite fields from Kenya, Ethiopia, United States, Great Britain, and Norway, and it attracted international attention for its fast course and attempt to challenge the marathon world record previously set during the Berlin Marathon series. Organized by the Berlin Marathon GmbH in conjunction with the German Athletics Federation and supported by partners including Adidas and the AOK, the event combined mass participation with elite competition across wheelchair, para athletics, and mass fields.

Background

Berlin has hosted world-class marathons since the inaugural postwar events that evolved into a major international competition, joining the World Marathon Majors in 2006 alongside events like the Rotterdam Marathon and Berlin Marathon predecessors. The 2018 edition built on historic performances by athletes such as Kenenisa Bekele, Haile Gebrselassie, and Patrick Makau who previously targeted the world record on Berlin’s flat course. Coming off the 2017 race, where rising stars and established champions contested fast times, race organizers curated a deep elite list including world record holder Eliud Kipchoge and former champions such as Wilson Kipsang and Kenenisa Bekele to vie for speed on a course famed for record-setting conditions.

Course and Conditions

The course followed the traditional route through central Berlin: starting near the Straße des 17. Juni and passing landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate, Potsdamer Platz, Unter den Linden, Alexanderplatz, and finishing on the Straße des 17. Juni in front of the Tiergarten. The route’s largely flat profile, generous asphalt surfaces, and minimal elevation change mirrored the layouts used when Haile Gebrselassie and Patrick Makau set marathon bests in prior years. Weather on race day featured cool temperatures and light wind, conditions similar to those that aided records at events like the Chicago Marathon and Amsterdam Marathon, contributing to fast pace-making by designated pacemakers drawn from international fields.

Elite Races

The men’s elite field was headlined by Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, the reigning Olympic marathon champion and world record holder; other contenders included Wilson Kipsang, Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia, Moses Mosop, and Amos Kipruto. The women’s elite roster featured defending athletes such as Gladys Cherono of Kenya, Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia, Mare Dibaba, Mizuki Noguchi-era champions in spirit, and international competitors from Great Britain and Japan. Pacemaking duties were performed by experienced runners who had paced at events like the Doha Diamond League and Diamond League meetings, ensuring tempo for record attempts.

Wheelchair and Para Athletics

The wheelchair races included elite athletes from the United States, Switzerland, Germany, and Netherlands, with competitors such as Marcel Hug and Manuela Schär associated with recent world marathon wheelchair performances at events like the New York City Marathon and Boston Marathon. Para athletics competitors representing national federations from Kenya and Great Britain contested classification races alongside invited continental champions, while organizers coordinated with the International Paralympic Committee standards for start procedures, classification, and course accessibility.

Race Results

Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya won the men’s title in 2:01:39, setting a championship course time that surpassed previous performances by athletes such as Kenenisa Bekele and Wilson Kipsang. Gladys Cherono of Kenya took the women’s race in 2:18:11, adding to a string of victories by Kenyan women on major marathon courses including London Marathon and Chicago Marathon. In wheelchair competition, established champions from Switzerland and United States featured on the podium, while para athletics winners hailed from Germany and Great Britain, reflecting the international breadth of elite marathon competition.

Records and Notable Performances

Kipchoge’s 2:01:39 improved upon his own high-profile performances and approached the world record progression that had involved athletes like Dennis Kimetto and Eliud Kipchoge himself in prior years. Cherono’s 2:18:11 positioned her among the fastest women’s marathoners historically, comparable to marks set by Paula Radcliffe and Joyce Chepchumba on major courses. The race reaffirmed Berlin’s reputation as a record-conducive venue where course geometry, pacemaking, and meteorological conditions combine to challenge world records as seen in performances across the World Marathon Majors circuit.

Category:Berlin Marathon Category:2018 in athletics (track and field) Category:2018 marathons