Berlin Marathon Guide: Tips for a Marathon Trip to Berlin (2023)

The BMW Berlin Marathon is one of the most well known marathons in the world, and mostly it’s famous for being a fast race. The flat route means many runners make good times here, and several world records have been broken at the Marathon in Berlin. So if you’re coming here to run, you’ve made a good choice. You probably have some questions as you prepare for your trip, and I’ve put together lots of information to help you travel to Berlin for the Marathon, this year on September 24, 2023.

To be clear, I am not a runner. Unless you count an occasional 10 second sprint to catch a tram or an equally quick but sillier jaunt with my yorkie. So I can’t help you with prepping for the actual running part of your Berlin Marathon trip.

But the Berlin part? I’ve been living here since 2015, so yeah, I can help with that. Berlin is a fantastic city, and I’m hoping you enjoy your time here before and after the race. Let’s take a look at some helpful tips to get you ready and make the most of what Berlin has to offer.

Berlin Marathon Hotels

Berlin is well connected by public transportation, so you really could stay anywhere and easily reach the starting line of the Marathon. But you might want to stay a little closer to reduce your race day stress.

The Marathon starts and ends on Str. des 17. Juni. between Brandenburger Tor and Victory Column. This is a major road that runs through Tiergarten Park, so there aren’t any buildings right there. But there are plenty of hotel options within a 15-20 minute walk or a couple of stops on transport.

How to get from Berlin Airport to the city center

If you’re flying to Berlin for the Marathon, you’ll need to know how to get from the Brandenburg Berlin Airport into the center of the city to reach your hotel. Luckily this is a reasonably easy thing to do. I have a full article about how to get from Berlin Airport into the city in case you want more details, but here is the short version.

Welcome Pickups

Welcome Pickups is a great private car service you can book to pick you up at the airport and take you to where you’re staying for roughly the same price as a taxi.

They’ll even wait for an hour after the time you scheduled for the pickup, which is helpful if your flight is delayed. Who is it good for?

• If you’re nervous about using public transportation
• If you’re traveling with a group
• If you’re traveling with a lot of luggage
• If you’re landing late at night and you’re nervous about using public transport at night

Public transportation

There are several trains that run from the airport into Berlin city center. The most well known choice is the FEX train, which means Flughafen Express. This is the airport express train, a regional train that goes from the airport to Ostkreuz to Gesundbrunnen to Berlin Hbf (central train station) and in the reverse order going back to the airport.

There are also a few other regional trains and Sbahn lines. The Sbahn will take longer than the FEX train, but it still might be a good choice depending on exactly where you’re going and the timing.

The easiest thing to do if you want to use public transport in Berlin is download one of the transport apps (BVG, VBB, or even the Deutsche Bahn app will work) and put in Flughafen BER as your starting point. For your destination, you can either put in the closest station/stop to where you’re staying, or you can put in the actual street address of your hotel.

The airport is in zone C, so you will need a ticket that covers zones ABC to get from the airport into central Berlin. Marathon participants get a free transport pass for a few days leading up to the race, so you might not need a ticket depending on when you arrive. More info later in the post.

Who is this option good for?

• Anyone who is comfortable using public transportation, or at least comfortable trying it even if it’s your first time
• Budget travelers
• Travelers looking for the most sustainable/environmentally friendly option

Taxi/Uber/FreeNow

You can get a taxi at the airport, or you can use Uber, or a local app similar to Uber called FreeNow. Friends have told me that, depending on where they’re going, Uber or FreeNow can cost the same or less than a taxi. Usually it’ll be anywhere from 50 to 80 euros.

Who is this option good for?

• If you’re nervous about public transport
• If you have a lot of luggage
• If you know you’ll have data on your phone to use the apps

Getting around in Berlin

As I mentioned before, Berlin has a good public transportation system with a network of Ubahns (mostly underground), Sbahns (mostly above ground), trams, and buses. And technically there are a few ferries, but you’re unlikely to see those.

So whether you’re sightseeing before or after the marathon, or you’re trying to get from your hotel to the start of the race, public transport is your best option. Download the BVG app or the VBB app (they’re very similar) and you can get routes for anywhere in the city.

If you’re traveling from outside the EU, you should get a SIM card or eSIM to be able to easily use the transport app, among other things, while you’re here exploring Berlin.

Free transport for Marathon runners

As a Berlin Marathon participant, you actually get several days of FREE transport. According to the marathon website, you can use your bib number for free transport in Berlin for 4 days:

“From September 21 (00:01 am) to September 24 (3:00 am the following day), public transport (zones A, B, C) can be used free of charge by all participants. You will receive detailed information in a separate email (by September 19 at the latest).”

The wording is slightly awkward, but you’ll get free transport on September 21, 22, 23, 24, and technically you have until 3am on the 25th. You know, in case you want to do some late night partying after running 26.2 miles / 42.1 kilometers.

Note: The marathon website also says “your bib number is valid for public transportation (Zones ABC). The bib number must be carried with you…you will get further information by mail.” And in another place it said they would be emailing you a ticket.

Since the info is a little conflicting, if they have not mailed or emailed you a transport ticket by the time you get here, buy transport tickets as needed, and pick up your race kit as early as possible. Don’t ride without a valid ticket because ticket checkers do come by occasionally, and the fines are 60 euros.

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Have questions about planning your trip to Berlin?

Join the Facebook group here to chat with Ali (she runs this site) and other people who have been to Berlin for tips.

Info about transport tickets

I mentioned earlier that you need a ticket for zones ABC to get from the airport into the city. If you’re arriving on September 21, 22, or 23, you won’t need a ticket. But unless you’re flying out of Berlin on the day of the marathon, you’ll need to buy a ticket to get back to the airport.

Since the Berlin Marathon is covering your transport for 4 days, you might not need much else to get around. But if you’re arriving earlier than the 21st or staying for a few days after the marathon, you’ll need tickets to get around and do some sightseeing.

A 24 hour ticket is probably your best option since it allows you to use the transport system as many times as you want within a 24 hour period. So if you want to do some sightseeing the day after the race, wait until you’re ready to get on your first train/tram/bus of the day and buy your 24 hour ticket at that point. Currently a 24 hour ticket for one person is 9.50 euros for zones AB.

If you’re staying in Berlin for 5 to 7 days after the marathon, the 7 day ticket is your best choice. It costs 39 euros for one person for zones AB.

And always validate your ticket at one of the machines on the Sbahn or Ubahn platforms, or on board a tram or bus. If you’re using a 24 hour ticket or 7 day ticket, you validate it on the first use.

Read more about getting around in Berlin and using public transport.

Berlin Marathon Expo Information

The Expo is where you go to pick up your race kit, so this is an important part of your Berlin Marathon trip. You will need your race start card and ID to pick up your race kit.

The Expo takes place at Tempelhof, a former airport that’s now one of Berlin’s favorite parks. The airport building is still there, and this is where you’ll find the Expo.

Address: Platz der Luftbrücke 5, 12101 Berlin

It looks like at least some of the event is held outside the airport building, on the park side. I can’t tell if the airport building will be open from the street side. If it isn’t, walk south from Platz der Luftbrücke along Tempelhofer Damm until you see where you can veer off to the left to get behind the building and into the park.

It is highly recommended that you use public transport because there’s no parking. The closest station is U Platz der Luftbrücke where you can get the U6 line. The U6 Ubahn line has stops at Friedrichstrasse, Unter den Linden, Stadtmitte, and Kochstrasse (Checkpoint Charlie), among others.

If you’re coming by Sbahn, you can take the Ringbahn (line S41 or S42) to the Tempelhof station and walk north about 10 minutes. Or you can switch to the U6 and go north two stops to Platz der Luftbrücke.

The Expo runs at the following times ahead of race day:

• Thursday: September 21, 2023, 3 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• Friday: September 22, 2023, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
• Saturday: September 23, 2023, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

The Marathon website does say that these times are subject to change, so be sure to check before you go over there in case something has changed.

And I definitely recommend spending some time exploring the park either before or after you go to the Expo. It’s a really wonderful park that still has the runway, there are fenced dog run areas, picnic areas, bird protection zones, community gardens, and more.

Tempelhof also runs interesting tours of the airport. Their website says tours don’t run when special events are going on, so it’s possible they won’t run on the days of the expo, but someone did tell me they took one in the past on the same day. So if it interests you, contact them to see if you can take a tour.

Groceries, running supplies, and any other pre-race needs

If you’ve decided to stay in an apartment or a hotel with a kitchenette, you will need to pick up some groceries. Even if you plan on eating out a lot, you might still want to go buy some bananas or other food. Here are the common grocery stores you’ll find in Berlin:

• Rewe, Edeka, Kaufland: Mid range grocery stores
• Lidl, Penny, Aldi, Netto: Budget grocery stores
• Denn’s BioMarkt, Bio Company, Alnatura: Organic grocery stores (bio means organic in German)

If you need shampoo, vaseline, contact solution, or anything else you’d get at a drug store at home, look for DM or Rossmann. They have things like toiletries, makeup, hair products, bandaids, and more. But they do not sell over-the-counter medicine.

If you need medicine, like Tylenol or Advil, you’ll need to go to a pharmacy, or Apotheke in German. The Tylenol equivalent is Paracetomol, and the Advil equivalent is Ibuprofen. I highly recommend bringing some from home since the German versions will be more expensive and come in smaller quantities.

For any athletic gear you might have accidentally forgotten, Decathlon is a good sporting goods store. There’s one near Alexanderplatz.

Any other kinds of stores you might need while you’re in Berlin for the Marathon? Let me know, and I’ll add some suggestions here.

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How to get to the Berlin Marathon start

The start/end of the Berlin Marathon is along Str. des 17. Juni. between Brandenburger Tor and Victory Column. You can see the full restricted area on the official map here, which labels all the important things like bathrooms, first aid, clothing/bag drop off, and more.

The closest station to the entrance is Bundesplatz on the U5, but it’s also easy to reach from Berlin Hbf, Friedrichstrasse, Brandenburger Tor, and Potsdamer Platz. The website for the Marathon somehow doesn’t list S&U Brandenburger Tor as an option, so it’s possible that station will be restricted on the morning of the race.

When you look at the map, you’ll see blue and yellow arrows and lines. These are the walking routes to get to the participants’ entrance. So for example, if you’re staying near Potsdamer Platz, you should walk north, passing the Holocaust Memorial, Brandenburg Gate, and eventually the Reichstag Building. If you’re staying near S&U Friedrichstrasse, walk west along the river and past the Reichstag Building.

Berlin Marathon route: Sights you’ll see on the course

Obviously I hope the Marathon route isn’t the only sightseeing you do while you’re here, but it is pretty cool to run past some famous attractions in Berlin.

Mitte

Before the start of the race, in and around the restricted area, you will easily see the Reichstag Building and Brandenburger Tor. If you are walking from Potsdamer Platz, you will also pass the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. And almost the entire restricted area is in Tiergarten Park.

Shortly after you start running, you will reach the Victory Column. If you have time during your trip, and you think your legs can handle it, climb the 285 stairs here for one of the best views of Berlin.

As you leave Tiergarten, you’ll see Charlottenburger Tor at about the 2km marker. This was the gate towards Charlottenburg Palace. Often you’ll hear that Brandenburger Tor is the only remaining city gate in Berlin, so this might be a bit confusing. But you have to remember that Brandenburger Tor marked the western edge of the city. Tiergarten, Charlottenburger Tor, and Schloss Charlottenburg were outside the city limits.

Then you’ll head through Moabit, and shortly afterwards, near the Berlin Hbf and through the government district. If you didn’t see the Reichstag Building before the race, you’ll see it now. Then you’ll run for several kilometers through a nice area of Mitte and just on the edge of Prenzlauer Berg.

At the 11km marker, you’ll be steps away from Alexanderplatz. You will probably see the TV Tower before this point because it’s so easy to see from almost anywhere in the city, but you’ll definitely get a good view of it here. Then you turn onto Karl-Marx-Strasse, where you’ll start seeing some grand Soviet architecture from the Cold War era. At Strausberger Platz, you will just barely be in Friedrichshain.

Kreuzberg, Schöneberg, and beyond

Next you’ll spend several kilometers running through Kreuzberg. You’ll actually see quite a bit of this district and skirt the edge of Neukölln before crossing through Gleisdreieck Park, which still has old train tracks running through it. A little before the 22km marker, you’ll be near David Bowie’s old apartment, but you’d have to detour half a block off the race to see it. I don’t recommend the hit to your race time.

Just past the 23km marker, you’ll pass Rathaus Schöneberg. This is where John F. Kennedy made his “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech. Then you’ll run for several kilometers in some of the pretty neighborhoods in southwestern Berlin before crossing over into the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district.

Charlottenburg and Schöneberg

Shortly after the 32km marker, you’ll pass Preußenpark, better known as Thai Park because there’s delicious Thai street food in the park on weekends. Next up, you’ll run along Kurfürstendamm, Berlin’s famous shopping street, for a couple kilometers.

You’ll pass the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, a church that was partially destroyed during WWII and was left as a reminder of the destruction of war. It’s just before the 35km marker.

Next, as you pass the famous department store, KaDeWe, you’re entering back into Schöneberg. You’ll pass the Urban Nation street art museum. Even though you won’t have time to go in, you can admire the colorful murals on the outside of the building. This area is also known as Berlin’s gay district.

Mitte again

At this point, you’re only a few kilometers from the finish line. You’ll go through Potsdamer Platz and Leipziger Platz a little after the 38km marker. Between the 40km and 41km markers, you’ll pass Gendarmenmarkt, one of the most beautiful squares in Berlin. Although there’s currently a lot of construction going on there, so it might not look quite as pretty as it normally does.

Next you’ll turn onto Unter den Linden. You’re really almost done at this point. Run through Brandenburg Gate, and then about 400 or so meters later, you’ll cross the finish line.

Sightseeing before and after the Berlin Marathon

You’ll get to see quite a lot of Berlin while you’re running, including a few of the most famous sights and some non-touristy neighborhoods. But there are a lot of important attractions you won’t see on the race. Here are a few things you should really make time for before or after the marathon.

And if you want to go beyond the major tourist sites, check out these hidden gems in Berlin.

Berlin Wall Memorial at Bernauer Strasse

The Bernauer Strasse Wall Memorial is my favorite place for learning about the Berlin Wall and how it affected people and communities. The Wall split one side of this street from the other, and eventually displaced a church and even a cemetery.

Most of this memorial is outdoors with markers on the ground that show you where escape tunnels were, info placards to teach you about the Wall, and more. You’ll see a few remaining pieces of the Berlin Wall, and there’s a building about halfway through that you can go into, and a few levels up is a viewing platform that looks into the former death strip.

The visitors center shows two short films about the Wall, alternating times for German and English. They get me all teared up every time I watch them. I highly recommend making time for the Bernauer Strasse Wall Memorial.

Berliner Unterwelten tours

Another great way to learn about Berlin is by taking a tour with the Berliner Unterwelten organization. They have World War II era and Cold War era focused tours that are very interesting and take you underground (Unterwelten means underground).

Depending on which tour you take, you could see old bunkers, escape tunnels that went under the Berlin, and more. I’ve taken the “Under the Berlin Wall” tour and it was excellent.

East Side Gallery

The East Side Gallery is one of the most famous sights in Berlin, and it’s also worth seeing while you’re here. This is considered the largest outdoor art gallery in the world. You’ll see lots of different pieces of art painted on the Berlin Wall along the Spree River, some original, some replicas, some newer pieces.

Berliner Dom

The Berlin Cathedral, or Berliner Dom in German, is a gorgeous protestant church in Mitte that you shouldn’t miss. It’s located on Museum Island, and you can take a tour (for a fee) and even climb 270 stairs to the top for amazing views of Berlin.

Museum Island

Museum Island is a UNESCO designated collection of five world class museums. These museums are Pergamonmuseum, Altes Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Bode Museum, and Neues Museum. The Pergamon Museum is the most famous one, and as of mid October 2023, it will be closed for several years for renovations. If this is on your Berlin bucket list, now’s your time to see it.

Charlottenburg Palace

Charlottenburg Palace is one of the most beautiful castles in Berlin, and definitely the most popular one to visit. You can pay to go inside and see the lavish furnishings. Or if you prefer to simply admire the outsides of castles, you can wander through the gardens and surrounding park for free.

Topography of Terror

The Topography of Terror Museum sits on the grounds of the former headquarters of the Gestapo and the SS between 1933 and 1945. This is where they organized the persecution and killings of Nazi opponents, and where they coordinated the genocide of Jews, Roma, and Sinti.

Today it’s a powerful museum with an indoor and outdoor section where you can learn about the events that led up to the Holocaust and WWII, the War itself, and the aftermath. It’s definitely one of the best World War II sites in Berlin.

Where to eat in Berlin

Berlin has lots of great food, so you won’t go hungry here. It’s an international city with almost every type of cuisine you could imagine.

One of my favorite German restaurants here is a place that specializes in Schnitzel, called Schnitzelei. They are usually booked up well in advance, so make reservations early. They have three locations, but the one in Mitte is most central. Location: Novalisstraße 11, 10115 Berlin Mitte

Another good choice is Schwarzwaldstube, a restaurant specializing in German food from the Black Forest. They have Schnitzel, but also Maultaschen, Flammkuchen, Spätzle, and a few other things. Spätzle might not be your traditional meal for the day before a race, but it is German style fresh pasta, usually with cheese on it. Location: Tucholskystraße 48, 10117 Berlin Mitte

For currywurst, I recommend Curry 61. This is close to Hackescher Markt. Location: Oranienburger Str. 6, 10178 Berlin Mitte

For Döner Kebap, Mustafa’s Gemüse Kebap in Kreuzberg is the most famous. But I’m not sure it’s worth the crazy line. You could easily wait over an hour in line for this place, and most locals agree it’s all hype. Instead I recommend trying the similarly named (and possibly connected, but I’m not sure) Mustafa’s Gemüse Kebap either here or here.

For more recommendations, check out my list of German restaurants in Berlin if you’re interested in trying some German food while you’re here.

Mitte is the central district in Berlin, where you’ll find many of the major sights in the city. You’ll probably spend a good amount of time here, so I’ve put together a list of the best restaurants in Mitte Berlin, including German food, non-German food, cafes, bars, and more.

If you’re spending some time in the Friedrichshain district, that’s where I live, so I eat out there more than anywhere else. I have a guide for where to eat in Friedrichshain that has lots of suggestions. Like this wonderful ramen place, in case you want another option for carb loading the night before the race.

Those three blog posts have more restaurants than you could eat at in one trip, so you’ll have lots of choices.

I know a lot of runners tend to like pasta for a pre-race meal. There’s an organization called True Italian that puts on a variety of events each year (Ice Cream Week, Pizza Week, etc.) and I trust their recommendations for Italian food. Their Pasta Week isn’t until November, but you can look at their list of pasta restaurants here and get some great suggestions.

Other good places to eat are Magic John’s Pizza for quick and delicious NY style and Detroit style pizza, and KYO Grill for tasty Japanese skewers.

And if you’re looking for someplace to drink, there are lots of great beer gardens in Berlin, rooftop bars with fantastic views, and Berlin craft beer pubs.

More helpful things to know before coming to Berlin for the Marathon

Here are some more tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions to help you with your trip to Berlin for the Marathon.

What to pack for September in Berlin

Autumn in Berlin usually means mild weather, especially in late September, so chances are it won’t be too hot for race day. Average highs are in the mid 60s F (about 19C) and average lows are in the low 50s F (about 11C). But of course, always check the forecast before you leave for your trip.

Check out my autumn Berlin packing list to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything, and be sure to include your running specific gear.

Are you traveling from outside of Europe? Visitors from non European countries, like the US and many others, will need a plug adapter for Germany. This is because Germany and most of mainland Europe have a different plug style than North America, the UK, and many other parts of the world.

And if you plan on buying souvenirs from Berlin, make sure you leave some space in your bag when you’re packing.

How does tipping work in restaurants in Berlin?

If you’re coming from the US, you’re used to tipping 15-20% as a standard practice when you eat out at a restaurant. In Berlin and the rest of Germany, servers are paid at least minimum wage and they have normal benefits. Tipping is not mandatory, and you certainly don’t need to tip 15-20%, but you probably should still leave a tip.

Even though servers aren’t relying on tips to survive the way they do in the US, tips are still appreciated. Especially with all of the different things that have hit the economy in recent years – pandemic and inflation to name a few – it’s becoming more and more expected to give some amount of tip.

We generally round up. So if our bill is 27 euros, we’ll round up to 30 euros. A good rule is to leave a few extra euros or about 10%.

But don’t leave money on the table. When your server brings you the bill, tell them the amount you want to pay. Again, if it’s 27 euros, tell them “make it 30” and they will charge you 30. If paying by cash, they’ll give you the appropriate change. You can read more about tipping in Berlin for more details.

Can you pay with credit cards? Or do you need cash?

This is another thing that throws people off when they come to Germany. In general, Germany is much more cash based than other countries, despite how modern it is in many other ways. Things have been changing over the last few years, and it’s more and more common to be able to pay by card or tap and pay with an app on your phone.

BUT you never know when you’ll run into a place that only accepts cash, or they might only accept cash or local bank cards. If you’re coming from outside of Germany, you won’t have this type of card, so you’ll need to have cash.

Public toilets that charge usually require coins. Some stalls at fresh markets and flea markets only take cash, though even that is getting better. And then there are some places that take cards, but they might have a minimum of 5 or 10 or even 15 euros.

So my advice is to go to an ATM when you arrive, take out 50 or 100 euros, and use it for something small to break it down into smaller bills and coins. Then you’ll have a little cash just in case you need it. If your trip is coming to an end and you still have cash, just start paying for a few things with cash instead of your card to work through it.

Can you order tap water in restaurants?

This is an annoying thing if you’re coming from almost anywhere else, but restaurants here almost never give you free tap water. The tap water is safe in Berlin and Germany, but Germans mostly like to drink fizzy water. If you order water, they will bring you a bottle, which you have to pay for, and the default is fizzy, so ask for still if you don’t like the bubbles.

If I’m ordering something else to drink, especially alcohol, I will sometimes ask for tap water. Most places will bring it, but I have been told “we don’t have it” which is obviously ridiculous, but that’s just how it is. I would never ask for tap water as my only beverage.

Are you traveling to other parts of Germany or beyond?

Berlin is a fantastic city with great food, loads of history, and so many things to do. I really hope you have several days here to really enjoy the city before or after the Marathon.

But if you’re planning on traveling to other parts of Germany, you won’t regret it. I have suggested itineraries, day trips, and weekend trips you can take to explore more of the country:

• 1 Week in Germany Itinerary: Berlin and Munich
• How to Get From Berlin to Munich by Train and Bus
• 1 Week in Germany Itinerary: Berlin and East Germany
• 17 Fun Weekend Trips From Berlin
• 29 Fun Day Trips From Berlin

And since Prague is also a popular destination to add onto a trip to Berlin, here’s how to get from Berlin to Prague.

What else would you like to know to help you prepare for your Berlin Marathon trip? Let me know in the comments so I can continue to improve this article.

Berlin Travel Resources

I want you to have the best trip to Berlin, and hopefully this Berlin Marathon guide is helpful. But there are lots more tips on the site!