My BMW Berlin Marathon Trip (+Paris stopover)
Some facts about the BMW Berlin Marathon
The BMW Berlin Marathon started in 1974 and it usually takes place in the third week of September. It is a point to point race starting and ending near the iconic Brandenburg Gate. Like the other Abbott World Marathon Majors, the BMW Berlin Marathon is one of the largest and most popular marathons in the world. Around 40K runners toe the line every year. Apart from being a flat and fast course (most world marathon records have been set there), the organization of the race itself is top-notch. Although not as wild as the New York crowds, the German spectators are quite enthusiastic and there is entertainment at pretty much every mile. The BMW Berlin Marathon is an IAAF Gold label road race.
MY BERLIN MARATHON WEEKEND
I arrived in Berlin the Thursday before the race. The weather was a little chilly but perfect for an evening stroll around my hotel. I remember being mesmerized by the magnifiaient Kaiser Whilhem Memorial Church (the old church and the new one on the left). These buildings are located on the Breitscheidplatz square. This is exactly where the Berlin Christmas market is and where the horrific terrorist attack took place on December 19, 2016.
The BMW Berlin Marathon Vital Expo
Friday, would be dedicated to the Berlin Vital Marathon Expo and to hanging out with two friends from Montreal, Claude and his wife Carole as well as fellow Marathon Maniac friend Tanya. As for the Expo, this is one biggest and best organized expos I’ve ever been to. Bib pick up was extremely efficient and the booths and stands were plentiful, with well established international companies such as Adidas and Salming as well as lesser known but equally great local companies. And of course, the first booth I visited was the Abbott World Marathon Majors booth – for inspiration.
I then headed to the Adidas booth to get some Berlin Marathon gear. Didn’t like the t-shirt but totally fell in love with the jacket. To this day this is one of the jackets that I wear the most when I run in the fall and the spring. It has a zipper that allows you to zip all the way up to your nose if you want to.
The BMW Berlin Marathon Breakfast Run
Saturday morning would be all about the Berlin Marathon Breakfast Run. It is a 6K run which ends at the Berlin Olympic Stadium where the 1936 Olympics were held and were Jesse Owens won all his gold medals. This run is an absolute PARTY and it is one of the reasons why I love international races: to be able to connect with people from all over the world, speaking different languages and sharing a little bit of their culture. Most marathoners run this race wearing costumes from their countries and it’s just an absolute blast ! Prior to the run, we had a Marathon Maniacs reunion where I saw Tanya again and met my friend Tina, her hubby Jeff, Andy and other amazing Maniacs who are also on the hunt for the Six Star Medal.
The highlight of this Berlin Breakfast Run and one of the greatest memories of this marathon trip was entering the Berlin Olympic Stadium. Such an epic building with so much history behind it. I remember clearly that as we were making our way to the stadium and began to walk, I got goosebumps, and runners besides me got teary eyed and everyone had their phones taking pictures and filming this moment. Just magical !
The BMW Berlin Marathon – Race Day
The day of the marathon was an unusually hot day for Berlin: +24C and full sun by the time I finished. My plan was to follow the 4h pace bunny but by the time we hit the 10K mark, I knew that heat would be a factor. Even the cute German firefighters were out with their hoses ! The water stations were very congested, not to mention a little dangerous. Those plastic cups made the floor very slippery ! And me being a petite runner, I had trouble going in and out of those water stations efficiently. At the water station following the 25K mark, I lost the 4h pace bunny and it would be just a sweaty and and hot mess from there. I didn’t hit my desired pace but I did not hit a wall either. Very grateful for the shot of Red Bull at km 3 !. But the BEST was yet to come: approaching and running under the Brandenburg Gate ! As I spotted this Gate, I managed to muster all my energy for a final sprint. And like the other runners, I thought that the race ended here. But, it did not!!! We still had another 150m to go to cross that finish line ! I still don’t know how I was able to find that second gear but I did. And running under the Brandenburg Gate has been one of the greatest highlights of my running journey.
And of course, the post-race fuel: alcool free beer provided at the finish line by the organizers and some authentic German pretzels.
Sightseeing in Berlin
When I travel for a race, my favourite thing to do the day after a marathon is to go for a sightseeing tour. Yes ! Most of the time I am really sore, but I believe that walking is the best way to recover from a marathon. My preferred method of transportation is the local Hop On/Hop Off Bus. It is the perfect way to discover a city if you don’t have a lot of time. They have scheduled stops at most important historical landmarks and if you are tired, you can just sit and enjoy the view or just have a nap. If you’re feeling more adventurous, you can get off at a stop, walk around and take pictures. And this is exactly how I explored the most important Berlin landmarks in one day.
Berlin is by far one of my favourite European Cities. It is an ecclectic assortment of architecture – from Eastern Berlin’s reminder of the Eastern Bloc era (Checkpoint Charlie is a must see) to superb older landmarks like the Reischtag Building (the German Parliament) and of course the Brandenburg Gate. There are also very modern structures like the Berlin Fernsehturm (one of the tallest TV towers in Europe) and the Sony Center. Here are some of the amazing landmarks I was able to visit during my Berlin trip.
MINI STOP-OVER IN PARIS
Because a trip to Berlin, wouldn’t be complete without a stopover in Paris… I left Berlin the Tuesday morning after the race. Because I have two aunts who live in the outskirts of Paris, I made a quick 1 days stopover to have dinner with them. I also wanted to go back and visit one of my favourite museums – the Musée d’Orsay. I arrived at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport at around noon and was at my hotel near the Opéra de Paris at around 2pm. The day was superb: sunny, blue skies and around +23C.
I took a quick shower to freshen up and then I headed out. As I did in Berlin, I took the local Hop On/Hop Off bus and went around Paris. I first got off at Musée d’Orsay stop. Stayed there four a couple of hours, had a snack at an outdoor café and took some pics of the Seine River on the Passerelle Léopold Sedar Senghor bridge.
I boarded the Hop On/Hop Off bus again and just went around Paris. Got off at the Tour Eiffel stop, took a couple of pics of the tower and up on the bus again. I then just relaxed on the bus while we passed other historical landmarks like the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre-Dame Basilica, the Louvre, and the Invalides. After I had my Paris fix, I got off the bus near my hotel and went shopping for some souvenirs for the kids at the famous Galeries Lafayette. Got back to my hotel. Had dinner with my aunts, went to sleep and was at the airport at 1pm to head back to Montréal.
At that was IT. Superb 6 day trip to Berlin and Paris, with my first Abbott World Marathon Major thrown in for fun ! With regards to Berlin – the marathon and the city are BOTH superb ! And I would go definitely go back ANYTIME !!!