March 21, 2025 • 21 mins
🎙 Willkommen to another edition of the Extraordinary Strides podcast! I'm your host, Coach Christine, along with Ashley of Mystical Dream Travel here to guide you through one of the most legendary races in the world: The Berlin Marathon.
Berlin is where records are shattered and PR dreams come true. But this race is more than just speed—it’s a historic journey through one of Europe’s most iconic cities. In this episode we’ll break down everything you need to know:
🏅 Why Berlin is the ultimate PR course & world record factory
📜 The history of the race (including its incredible Brandenburg Gate moment)
🎟️ How to secure your entry—lottery, charity, Good for Age & tour operators
🚴♂️ The Inline Skating Marathon—the fastest 26.2 miles on wheels
🏃♀️ Course breakdown & pacing strategies to maximize your performance
🥨 Where to find the best post-race pretzels, currywurst & beer
🚊 Navigating Berlin like a pro—race day transportation & must-see spots
🗣️ Basic German phrases for runners (because shouting "Lauf weiter!" is way more fun)
Whether you’re planning to run Berlin, dreaming of breaking your PR, or just fueling your marathon wanderlust, this episode is packed with expert insights to get you race-ready.
🌎 Next up in our World Marathon Majors series: Chicago! 🏙️ Get ready for deep-dish pizza, lakefront views, and a race with some serious Midwest charm.
Have questions or want to chat? Send me a text!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey friends, welcome back.
I'm Coach Christine and you'relistening to Extraordinary
Strides, where we lace up, leanin and stride toward
extraordinary feats.
Today I'm joined once again bynot just my go-to travel expert,
but the entire ExtraordinaryLeague and Extraordinary Strides
podcast travel expert Ashleyfrom Mystical Dream Travel, as
we continue on our worldmarathon majors.
(00:21):
Hey Ashley, how are you doing?
I'm great, christine.
How are you?
I'm wonderful.
This is really exciting for usto be talking about our next
world marathon major, the Berlinmarathon.
This was my first internationaltrip, so I can't wait to talk a
lot about it.
Berlin is the place where worldrecords are set.
Elite runners push their limitsand thousands of everyday
(00:43):
runners chase personal best.
So Ashley and I are going tocover everything how to get into
the race, what to expect fromthe course, must know German
words for runners, where to eatpretzels as big as your head and
basically everywhere.
And even the massive inlineskating marathon held the race
the day before the marathon.
So whether Berlin is your dreamrace or your next destination,
(01:06):
or you're feeling you're runningWunderlust, this episode is for
you.
Let's get into it.
Okay, my friend, should westart with the history?
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Absolutely.
You always got to get into thehistory, so tell us about it.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
So I think that Berlin is considered one of the
younger world marathon majorsbecause it was first run in 1974
with just 244 finishers.
That's just mind blowing to me.
234 were men and only 10 womenon the field.
And, of course, fast forward totoday, berlin has become a
marathon powerhouse, breakingmore world records than any
(01:43):
other race.
How about you hit me with someof the few fun facts about some
of those world records?
What do you think?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Absolutely.
Berlin has produced 13 worldrecords.
That is more than any othermarathon, so that just speaks to
the course and the runners thatare running it.
Obviously, it is also home tothe fastest women's marathon
ever run.
This was run in 2023 by tigasassefi assefa at 211 53.
(02:18):
That is a very, very fast fast.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I'm still always amazed like these look like half
marathon times.
I know.
You always got to think like,wait, what did I just read?
It's just incredible to me,absolutely.
So I think the reason why I wasexcited about it and I'm
curious if you're excited aboutit is because the finish line is
at the Brandenburg Gate andthat's just a bucket list,
(02:43):
totally iconic for many, manyrunners.
Now I do want to caveat thatit's actually not exactly at the
gate.
You still have to run about alittle bit of under a quarter of
a mile, but still it's just soincredible to know that you're
finishing through theBrandenburg Gate, and that was
once part of the Berlin Walldividing East and West Germany,
so there's a lot of history inthis particular race.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Absolutely.
I think that's definitelysomething that kind of piqued my
interest.
Definitely, berlin was thefirst world major that I was
kind of exposed to when it wasbeing run, seeing it in my feed
on Facebook and all the runnerscoming through um that that
wonderful kind of monument, um,and and spark my interest of I'm
going to go do that the worldmarathon majors, because why
(03:34):
wouldn't you want to be a partof history and get to see some
of these beautiful sites umaround the world?
Now I know many people thinkwe're crazy because you know you
can go see the world withoutrunning, but it's a nice little
added benefit.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
I mean, I've heard that you can travel without
running.
Do you know of people that dothat as a travel agent?
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
I mean, I know people do, but I don't know that I
know how to.
Yeah, it's always fun adding alittle competition in the house
to the little vacations.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
I agree.
So I think again like why Iloved it was really immersing
myself in all of the history ofit, but knowing that there was
just so much power.
And I think that one thing thatGermany does is like they bring
their history to everyday life.
So I think that's one of theextraordinary things.
But when can we expect to headto the Berlin marathon, ashley?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Now, like we had mentioned during the Sydney
marathon, it was originally inSeptember and they bumped it up
because of this race, the Berlinmarathon is held um in mid to
late September every year,making it the perfect fall
marathon with generally mildtemperatures.
That said, some years have beena little bit warmer than
(04:52):
expected.
So checking those forecastsbeforehand are always a good
idea, always making sure you'repacking for a couple different
temperatures.
But obviously I mean that hasto account for some of those
world records, right?
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, I mean I thought the weather was perfect.
Of course, I trained in Floridasummer, so that could be a
little bit of that, but I lovethat it's not just a one day
event.
It's truly like a plethora ofevents that go on that entire
weekend.
So Berlin hosts an entiremarathon festival.
They have that huge expo, which, of course, the majors
generally do.
They also have a kids marathon,a hand cycle race, a wheelchair
(05:30):
race and, of course, thebiggest surprise for many people
is the Berlin inline skatingmarathon.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Definitely something super, super unique to this
world major.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Absolutely.
This is the world's largestinline skating marathon.
It's held a Saturday.
Before the runners hit thestreets, the skaters fly with
times that are faster than mostpeople can even bike a marathon.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
The current world.
The current men's record is 56minutes and 49 seconds.
How fast is that?
That's people's like 10K times.
That's scary.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
That's maybe a Disney 5K, I wouldn't feel that
comfortable going that fast.
That's wild to me.
I mean, like seriously, but ifyou didn't just like the
marathon, if maybe that's notyour speed but you still do want
to consider inline skating?
It's available for registrationand generally does not sell out
(06:36):
as easily as the marathondistance does.
But I also love that thisparticular race has a kind of
like a playoff of Tokyo'sFriendship Run, where the day
before the shakeout run thatheld, or the organized shakeout
run, actually finish it in theOlympic Stadium, which I think
is pretty incredible for most ofus everyday runners as well.
(06:56):
So really they really come outcompletely out for making this
an extraordinary race.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Absolutely.
It's always so fun to like seethe city and and whatnot.
Maybe you're not a runner, youknow, I know roller derby is big
now, so it's perfect to get thefamily involved.
Maybe, um, and get a lot morepeople out on that course and
and kind of experience thathistory.
So it's definitely um, a lot offun, like you had said.
(07:27):
Obviously you can registerprior um for that.
But the big thing here is how doyou get into the Berlin
marathon?
So, like many of the others,there is a lottery.
This is the most common way toget in.
You apply typically in Octoberand results come out sometime in
(07:47):
December, so you kind of knowahead of time if you have that
uh bib secured.
They do also have a good forage program.
So if you're a fast runner,berlin has qualifying time
similar to Boston.
There is also always myfavorite option the charity
entry.
So many cherry charities dohave bibs in exchange for
(08:09):
fundraising.
This kind of gives you a nicelittle meaning for your miles.
And then we always have thetour operators for the
international travel packageswith that guaranteed bib.
So you kind of have everythingtogether, which is obviously a
great option if you can't do anyof the other ones and has your
accommodations in there.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
And then, of course, we've mentioned it for the World
Marathon Majors, but we'regoing to mention it again.
If you register on Abbott'sWorld Marathon Majors because
you're pursuing it, they have anew lottery system where you can
rack up entries through virtualhalf marathons or they even
have monthly challenges and it'sjust a great way of throwing in
your hat into the ring everypossible way when these races
(08:53):
really mean a lot to you.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
I love that they're making these a lot more
accessible to get into because Imean, we all know those coveted
lottery bibs go like at thedrop of a hat.
There's so many peopleregistering, so I love that
they're making it.
So there's many different waysto try to gain that entry.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
I think that's.
I mean, we've kind of touchedon it, but truly, where there's
a well, there's a way.
When it comes to the worldmarathon majors, I didn't get in
through the lottery for Berlin.
I got in through a secondchance lottery system that was
like first come, first serve.
I had to wake up at two 30 inthe morning for it.
It was really weird, but it wasjust one of these possible
chances, or like London, thatcame calling after.
(09:37):
I didn't even think that itwould ever get into London.
So, really, staying focused,friends, if this is what means a
lot to you, there are moreopportunities than ever.
Yes, I know there's also morepeople than ever that are going
after it, but still moreopportunities than ever to make
it happen.
So what can we expect forBerlin?
(09:57):
My friend, when we are outthere on the course I mean, we
talked about it it's the onething you can expect is speed,
right, it's flat, it's fast,it's built for personal records.
So big shout out if that's whatyou're looking for.
I am not going to do any ofthese words justice, so don't
come at me, my friends, but itstarts at the Strasse des 17,
(10:20):
which is near the BrandenburgGate, and it takes runners on a
tour of Berlin's most famousdistricts, including
Charlottenburg, kreuzberg,friedrichshain, alexanderplatz,
and before circling back to theBrandenburg Gate finish, and to
my German friend I love you,please don't hate me, I'm sorry
for mispronouncing your names.
One thing that I will say,though for an international
(10:44):
world marathon major experience,this is one of the easiest
logistically because it is moreof a looped course, so while
you're not starting exactly atthe same area as the finish,
it's close enough, and theirpublic transportation is so
great, you can easily make thisone logistically happen.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Yeah which makes it awesome for our spectators.
So the spectators do have someof the best places on this
course, some of them are beingthe Brandenburg Gate, the
Potsdamer Platz and the Krosbergagain, I didn't know if I'm
pronouncing these correct, butBerlin really does have some of
(11:21):
the best supported marathons inthe world.
There are spectators almosteverywhere on the course, which
makes it really, really fun.
Now it does also help us withthe course limits and cutoffs.
Berlin does have a six hour and15 minute time limit to it,
which means runners mustmaintain at least a 14 minute 10
(11:42):
second pace per mile or aneight minute 47 second pace per
kilometer.
For our other friends, um,there are also strict
checkpoints along this course,so if you do fall behind,
officials may ask you to leavethe race.
So we want to make sure you areall trained up for those
(12:02):
cutoffs so you can get thatshining finish line photo and
cross, uh, that lovely bBrennenberg gate finish.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
I think, when it comes to Berlin specifically,
there's a lot to prepare for.
What comes to mind is the timechange of all of these.
Of course, we've talked aboutthem, but preparing for that as
well.
But when you finally haveacclimated to the time change,
what would you say is the firstthing that folks should hit up?
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Of course, the expo.
You've got to go see all themerch and all the shiny new
things.
Now, as a reminder, um, thereare going to be many different
vendors there.
We all want to go see ourfriends and family that um,
we're traveling with or mightnot be traveling with, because
we know we make a lot of runnerfriends along the way.
(12:51):
The expo is massive and it'sheld at the Temple Hoth Airport,
a decommissioned airport turnedinto event space.
But I mean, how cool is that?
How many marathons have anairport?
Speaker 1 (13:06):
It is wicked awesome.
Seriously, I actually thinkthat the expo space at this
decommissioned airport was nicerthan the airport that I
actually flew into, so it isreally, really amazing
experience.
I think it was also cool thatwe're seeing a lot more with
these two is that you canpre-order a lot of the
merchandise.
You can pre-order your Berlinofficial gear, making that expo
(13:28):
experience a little bit morestreamlined, so you're not
feeling like you have to getthere first thing in the morning
and fight people for the sizeof the finisher shirt.
But I do want to talk aboutrace day fueling, because Berlin
does provide water.
They have bananas, theyactually have tea, they have hot
tea on the course which was myfirst experience with that and
(13:49):
Mardin gels.
So if you aren't a big fan ofMarden gels, then you really
need to consider taking your own, because that's pretty much
going to be the only thing youcan get on that course.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
And, as we learned in a previous episode, biggest tip
is making sure if you arebringing your own race fuel and
not uh using the course suppliedfuel, make sure you have it in
non throwaway later so they arealways on your person.
Try not to lose pockets so theyuh don't bounce out or anything
(14:22):
like that.
Make sure you really have themsecured.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Literally just had to think of that at the run Disney
event with the coldtemperatures.
Cause I did, what did I do?
I put all I had, so manypockets in my throwaway layer.
I was like, oh, I can put myfuel here.
And then I was like no lessonlearned, let's not do that.
It's a throwaway layer.
So, yeah, it's evidently have abit of a hard head in my
learning of my lessons, but, um,luckily I think that the
(14:48):
temperature was so perfect inBerlin I don't think I even
needed a throwaway layer, it wasjust flawless.
So, ashley, I've already alludedto this race being a little
less hands-on in terms of theconcerns you may have about
getting around, because thepublic transportation there is
out of this world phenomenal.
So, my friends, you're going tograb a Berlin welcome card for
unlimited rides on the U-Bahn orthe S-Bahn buses and trams
(15:10):
welcome card for unlimited rideson the U-Bahn or the S-Bahn
buses and trams.
And, of course, this is one ofthe beautiful things about some
of these races is that for thisspecific race day, runners
wearing a bib will get freetransportation.
I also think that they do that,because how do you keep track
of the amount of people that areactually coming on and off of
these races, but definitely justknow that it's a very easy
(15:33):
perfect.
There's like that languagebarrier is not going to be an
issue whatsoever for gettingaround Berlin.
But, as our travel expert, whatshould I do when I'm going to
Berlin?
What should I go visit myfriend?
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Berlin is home to some of amazing sites, things to
do, things to see, uh, some ofthem being the museum Island Um,
it is home to New Seco worldheritage site um, with
world-class museums.
So always love getting in alittle bit of history and seeing
(16:11):
some some new stuff.
Uh, there is also the Kadam,which is the top shopping street
in Berlin.
So who doesn't want to go getsome goodies to bring home?
And then you always have thebeer gardens.
I mean, who wouldn't want to dothis?
Because after 26.2 miles youhave earned it.
(16:31):
So you definitely want to gograb your steam and bring it on
home to hang it up or sit it onthe wall with your medals.
It's kind of that extra littletrophy to yourself.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
I do love it.
It's so good.
Sorry, go ahead, I just got soexcited.
We started talking about.
German beer yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I mean, how can you not go there?
And yeah you know.
And then, on the course, don'tforget to miss the, or don't
forget to miss, don't miss thecheckpoint, charlie, or the
berlin wall memorial to take inthe city's history, or take a
trip down the munich foroktoberfest, because we're all
(17:11):
about a good party, you know.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Yeah, I'm curious, where do you fall?
Do you do Oktoberfest before orafter the race, cause I've
heard people do both.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Oh, I would totally probably do after.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Me too, like I don't want to, I don't want to worry
about, like, my fueling or thoselast taper runs or anything
like that.
But I do know lots of folkswho've done it and I mean
they've enjoyed it and maybethey looked at it as like liquid
carb loading.
But instead of worrying aboutliquid carb loading, let's talk
about what actual carb loadingwe can have.
What kind of food should we belooking for when we're in Berlin
?
Speaker 2 (17:43):
This is one of my favorites.
It's definitely, for thefoodies out there, best known
for giant pretzels, because whodoesn't love a giant pretzel
that's bigger than your head?
There is also cherry worst,which is a german sausage with
curry ketchup.
Um, there is the berliner,which is a german filled or, I'm
(18:09):
sorry, a jam filled donut,because you know who doesn't
need some water there.
And, of course, last but notleast, absolutely not One of our
most favorite is theOktoberfest beer.
So, making sure you can, uh,get those Oktoberfest
celebrations in post race, maybegrab some metal pictures with
(18:30):
some of the locations or yourbeer, um, because they do still
have the celebration happeningall over the city, even though
the race is in September.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
I'm so excited, like I can't wait to live vicariously
through all of you guys thatare going to tackle Berlin,
cause I do think it's a must doexperience.
Um, of course, they might justbe partial, but when you're
there, as I've mentioned,friends, 100% everyone speaks
English, and you do not have toworry about learning German.
(19:01):
If you would like to, though,and maybe put it into your
everyday conversations, thereare a few.
So again, barbara, my Germanfriend, I'm sorry Proportions,
but I'm going to try.
So I think one of the thingsthat we should say that we might
(19:21):
hear folks cheering us on isLauf wieder, which means keep
running.
Is that?
I mean, it makes sense, right,when you think of, like certain
brands, lugh-in Running, I meankind of right, I don't know,
come on work with me, girl.
You might also hear somebodysay Du chasse, thus, you got
(19:43):
this, which makes me actuallykind of think a little bit of
Ramstein, who was one of thebands that I listened to all
last summer, so maybe you wantto throw that into your playlist
, and then I think everybodyshould exclaim with pride and
glee a little Iqab es Gishtaf.
I did it, and I really, reallynow wish that I had Duolingo to
(20:04):
double check these, because Idon't know what I just said and
I hope I didn't say anythingoffensive to people say anything
offensive to people, that'sthese races.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
so much fun is diving into a brand new culture, being
respectful still to their area,because obviously they know we
are not from there.
We are not trying to uh,butcher different words, but
kind of embracing that cultureum, with open arms as we come
into their world.
You know they're accepting usinto their marathons to be able
(20:36):
to see these historic landmarks.
So always want to make sure wesay thank you, thank you, thank
you to those volunteers,spectators and everyone else,
race organizers, all on thatcourse.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yes, and then, if nothing else fails, just say
prost when you clink your beerwith folks With that said
friends, this is officially ourBerlin episode.
It is fast, it was historic andit's an absolute must run.
So if you're planning forBerlin, join the stride
collective or women of the worldmarathon majors for training
tips and travel insights, andnext up we're heading back to
(21:12):
Chicago, the Windy City Marathon.
Until then, keep stridingtoward extraordinary.
Hey friends, welcome back.
I'm Coach Christine and you'relistening to Extraordinary
Strides, where we lace up, leanin and stride toward
extraordinary feats.
Today I'm joined once again bynot just my go-to travel expert,
but the entire ExtraordinaryLeague and Extraordinary Strides
podcast travel expert Ashleyfrom Mystical Dream Travel, as
we continue on our worldmarathon majors.
(00:21):
Hey Ashley, how are you doing?
I'm great, christine.
How are you?
I'm wonderful.
This is really exciting for usto be talking about our next
world marathon major, the Berlinmarathon.
This was my first internationaltrip, so I can't wait to talk a
lot about it.
Berlin is the place where worldrecords are set.
Elite runners push their limitsand thousands of everyday
(00:43):
runners chase personal best.
So Ashley and I are going tocover everything how to get into
the race, what to expect fromthe course, must know German
words for runners, where to eatpretzels as big as your head and
basically everywhere.
And even the massive inlineskating marathon held the race
the day before the marathon.
So whether Berlin is your dreamrace or your next destination,
(01:06):
or you're feeling you're runningWunderlust, this episode is for
you.
Let's get into it.
Okay, my friend, should westart with the history?
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Absolutely.
You always got to get into thehistory, so tell us about it.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
So I think that Berlin is considered one of the
younger world marathon majorsbecause it was first run in 1974
with just 244 finishers.
That's just mind blowing to me.
234 were men and only 10 womenon the field.
And, of course, fast forward totoday, berlin has become a
marathon powerhouse, breakingmore world records than any
(01:43):
other race.
How about you hit me with someof the few fun facts about some
of those world records?
What do you think?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Absolutely.
Berlin has produced 13 worldrecords.
That is more than any othermarathon, so that just speaks to
the course and the runners thatare running it.
Obviously, it is also home tothe fastest women's marathon
ever run.
This was run in 2023 by tigasassefi assefa at 211 53.
(02:18):
That is a very, very fast fast.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
I'm still always amazed like these look like half
marathon times.
I know.
You always got to think like,wait, what did I just read?
It's just incredible to me,absolutely.
So I think the reason why I wasexcited about it and I'm
curious if you're excited aboutit is because the finish line is
at the Brandenburg Gate andthat's just a bucket list,
(02:43):
totally iconic for many, manyrunners.
Now I do want to caveat thatit's actually not exactly at the
gate.
You still have to run about alittle bit of under a quarter of
a mile, but still it's just soincredible to know that you're
finishing through theBrandenburg Gate, and that was
once part of the Berlin Walldividing East and West Germany,
so there's a lot of history inthis particular race.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Absolutely.
I think that's definitelysomething that kind of piqued my
interest.
Definitely, berlin was thefirst world major that I was
kind of exposed to when it wasbeing run, seeing it in my feed
on Facebook and all the runnerscoming through um that that
wonderful kind of monument, um,and and spark my interest of I'm
going to go do that the worldmarathon majors, because why
(03:34):
wouldn't you want to be a partof history and get to see some
of these beautiful sites umaround the world?
Now I know many people thinkwe're crazy because you know you
can go see the world withoutrunning, but it's a nice little
added benefit.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
I mean, I've heard that you can travel without
running.
Do you know of people that dothat as a travel agent?
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
I mean, I know people do, but I don't know that I
know how to.
Yeah, it's always fun adding alittle competition in the house
to the little vacations.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
I agree.
So I think again like why Iloved it was really immersing
myself in all of the history ofit, but knowing that there was
just so much power.
And I think that one thing thatGermany does is like they bring
their history to everyday life.
So I think that's one of theextraordinary things.
But when can we expect to headto the Berlin marathon, ashley?
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Now, like we had mentioned during the Sydney
marathon, it was originally inSeptember and they bumped it up
because of this race, the Berlinmarathon is held um in mid to
late September every year,making it the perfect fall
marathon with generally mildtemperatures.
That said, some years have beena little bit warmer than
(04:52):
expected.
So checking those forecastsbeforehand are always a good
idea, always making sure you'repacking for a couple different
temperatures.
But obviously I mean that hasto account for some of those
world records, right?
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Yeah, I mean I thought the weather was perfect.
Of course, I trained in Floridasummer, so that could be a
little bit of that, but I lovethat it's not just a one day
event.
It's truly like a plethora ofevents that go on that entire
weekend.
So Berlin hosts an entiremarathon festival.
They have that huge expo, which, of course, the majors
generally do.
They also have a kids marathon,a hand cycle race, a wheelchair
(05:30):
race and, of course, thebiggest surprise for many people
is the Berlin inline skatingmarathon.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
Definitely something super, super unique to this
world major.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Absolutely.
This is the world's largestinline skating marathon.
It's held a Saturday.
Before the runners hit thestreets, the skaters fly with
times that are faster than mostpeople can even bike a marathon.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
The current world.
The current men's record is 56minutes and 49 seconds.
How fast is that?
That's people's like 10K times.
That's scary.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
That's maybe a Disney 5K, I wouldn't feel that
comfortable going that fast.
That's wild to me.
I mean, like seriously, but ifyou didn't just like the
marathon, if maybe that's notyour speed but you still do want
to consider inline skating?
It's available for registrationand generally does not sell out
(06:36):
as easily as the marathondistance does.
But I also love that thisparticular race has a kind of
like a playoff of Tokyo'sFriendship Run, where the day
before the shakeout run thatheld, or the organized shakeout
run, actually finish it in theOlympic Stadium, which I think
is pretty incredible for most ofus everyday runners as well.
(06:56):
So really they really come outcompletely out for making this
an extraordinary race.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Absolutely.
It's always so fun to like seethe city and and whatnot.
Maybe you're not a runner, youknow, I know roller derby is big
now, so it's perfect to get thefamily involved.
Maybe, um, and get a lot morepeople out on that course and
and kind of experience thathistory.
So it's definitely um, a lot offun, like you had said.
(07:27):
Obviously you can registerprior um for that.
But the big thing here is how doyou get into the Berlin
marathon?
So, like many of the others,there is a lottery.
This is the most common way toget in.
You apply typically in Octoberand results come out sometime in
(07:47):
December, so you kind of knowahead of time if you have that
uh bib secured.
They do also have a good forage program.
So if you're a fast runner,berlin has qualifying time
similar to Boston.
There is also always myfavorite option the charity
entry.
So many cherry charities dohave bibs in exchange for
(08:09):
fundraising.
This kind of gives you a nicelittle meaning for your miles.
And then we always have thetour operators for the
international travel packageswith that guaranteed bib.
So you kind of have everythingtogether, which is obviously a
great option if you can't do anyof the other ones and has your
accommodations in there.
Speaker 1 (08:30):
And then, of course, we've mentioned it for the World
Marathon Majors, but we'regoing to mention it again.
If you register on Abbott'sWorld Marathon Majors because
you're pursuing it, they have anew lottery system where you can
rack up entries through virtualhalf marathons or they even
have monthly challenges and it'sjust a great way of throwing in
your hat into the ring everypossible way when these races
(08:53):
really mean a lot to you.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
I love that they're making these a lot more
accessible to get into because Imean, we all know those coveted
lottery bibs go like at thedrop of a hat.
There's so many peopleregistering, so I love that
they're making it.
So there's many different waysto try to gain that entry.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
I think that's.
I mean, we've kind of touchedon it, but truly, where there's
a well, there's a way.
When it comes to the worldmarathon majors, I didn't get in
through the lottery for Berlin.
I got in through a secondchance lottery system that was
like first come, first serve.
I had to wake up at two 30 inthe morning for it.
It was really weird, but it wasjust one of these possible
chances, or like London, thatcame calling after.
(09:37):
I didn't even think that itwould ever get into London.
So, really, staying focused,friends, if this is what means a
lot to you, there are moreopportunities than ever.
Yes, I know there's also morepeople than ever that are going
after it, but still moreopportunities than ever to make
it happen.
So what can we expect forBerlin?
(09:57):
My friend, when we are outthere on the course I mean, we
talked about it it's the onething you can expect is speed,
right, it's flat, it's fast,it's built for personal records.
So big shout out if that's whatyou're looking for.
I am not going to do any ofthese words justice, so don't
come at me, my friends, but itstarts at the Strasse des 17,
(10:20):
which is near the BrandenburgGate, and it takes runners on a
tour of Berlin's most famousdistricts, including
Charlottenburg, kreuzberg,friedrichshain, alexanderplatz,
and before circling back to theBrandenburg Gate finish, and to
my German friend I love you,please don't hate me, I'm sorry
for mispronouncing your names.
One thing that I will say,though for an international
(10:44):
world marathon major experience,this is one of the easiest
logistically because it is moreof a looped course, so while
you're not starting exactly atthe same area as the finish,
it's close enough, and theirpublic transportation is so
great, you can easily make thisone logistically happen.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Yeah which makes it awesome for our spectators.
So the spectators do have someof the best places on this
course, some of them are beingthe Brandenburg Gate, the
Potsdamer Platz and the Krosbergagain, I didn't know if I'm
pronouncing these correct, butBerlin really does have some of
(11:21):
the best supported marathons inthe world.
There are spectators almosteverywhere on the course, which
makes it really, really fun.
Now it does also help us withthe course limits and cutoffs.
Berlin does have a six hour and15 minute time limit to it,
which means runners mustmaintain at least a 14 minute 10
(11:42):
second pace per mile or aneight minute 47 second pace per
kilometer.
For our other friends, um,there are also strict
checkpoints along this course,so if you do fall behind,
officials may ask you to leavethe race.
So we want to make sure you areall trained up for those
(12:02):
cutoffs so you can get thatshining finish line photo and
cross, uh, that lovely bBrennenberg gate finish.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
I think, when it comes to Berlin specifically,
there's a lot to prepare for.
What comes to mind is the timechange of all of these.
Of course, we've talked aboutthem, but preparing for that as
well.
But when you finally haveacclimated to the time change,
what would you say is the firstthing that folks should hit up?
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Of course, the expo.
You've got to go see all themerch and all the shiny new
things.
Now, as a reminder, um, thereare going to be many different
vendors there.
We all want to go see ourfriends and family that um,
we're traveling with or mightnot be traveling with, because
we know we make a lot of runnerfriends along the way.
(12:51):
The expo is massive and it'sheld at the Temple Hoth Airport,
a decommissioned airport turnedinto event space.
But I mean, how cool is that?
How many marathons have anairport?
Speaker 1 (13:06):
It is wicked awesome.
Seriously, I actually thinkthat the expo space at this
decommissioned airport was nicerthan the airport that I
actually flew into, so it isreally, really amazing
experience.
I think it was also cool thatwe're seeing a lot more with
these two is that you canpre-order a lot of the
merchandise.
You can pre-order your Berlinofficial gear, making that expo
(13:28):
experience a little bit morestreamlined, so you're not
feeling like you have to getthere first thing in the morning
and fight people for the sizeof the finisher shirt.
But I do want to talk aboutrace day fueling, because Berlin
does provide water.
They have bananas, theyactually have tea, they have hot
tea on the course which was myfirst experience with that and
(13:49):
Mardin gels.
So if you aren't a big fan ofMarden gels, then you really
need to consider taking your own, because that's pretty much
going to be the only thing youcan get on that course.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
And, as we learned in a previous episode, biggest tip
is making sure if you arebringing your own race fuel and
not uh using the course suppliedfuel, make sure you have it in
non throwaway later so they arealways on your person.
Try not to lose pockets so theyuh don't bounce out or anything
(14:22):
like that.
Make sure you really have themsecured.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Literally just had to think of that at the run Disney
event with the coldtemperatures.
Cause I did, what did I do?
I put all I had, so manypockets in my throwaway layer.
I was like, oh, I can put myfuel here.
And then I was like no lessonlearned, let's not do that.
It's a throwaway layer.
So, yeah, it's evidently have abit of a hard head in my
learning of my lessons, but, um,luckily I think that the
(14:48):
temperature was so perfect inBerlin I don't think I even
needed a throwaway layer, it wasjust flawless.
So, ashley, I've already alludedto this race being a little
less hands-on in terms of theconcerns you may have about
getting around, because thepublic transportation there is
out of this world phenomenal.
So, my friends, you're going tograb a Berlin welcome card for
unlimited rides on the U-Bahn orthe S-Bahn buses and trams
(15:10):
welcome card for unlimited rideson the U-Bahn or the S-Bahn
buses and trams.
And, of course, this is one ofthe beautiful things about some
of these races is that for thisspecific race day, runners
wearing a bib will get freetransportation.
I also think that they do that,because how do you keep track
of the amount of people that areactually coming on and off of
these races, but definitely justknow that it's a very easy
(15:33):
perfect.
There's like that languagebarrier is not going to be an
issue whatsoever for gettingaround Berlin.
But, as our travel expert, whatshould I do when I'm going to
Berlin?
What should I go visit myfriend?
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Berlin is home to some of amazing sites, things to
do, things to see, uh, some ofthem being the museum Island Um,
it is home to New Seco worldheritage site um, with
world-class museums.
So always love getting in alittle bit of history and seeing
(16:11):
some some new stuff.
Uh, there is also the Kadam,which is the top shopping street
in Berlin.
So who doesn't want to go getsome goodies to bring home?
And then you always have thebeer gardens.
I mean, who wouldn't want to dothis?
Because after 26.2 miles youhave earned it.
(16:31):
So you definitely want to gograb your steam and bring it on
home to hang it up or sit it onthe wall with your medals.
It's kind of that extra littletrophy to yourself.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
I do love it.
It's so good.
Sorry, go ahead, I just got soexcited.
We started talking about.
German beer yeah.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I mean, how can you not go there?
And yeah you know.
And then, on the course, don'tforget to miss the, or don't
forget to miss, don't miss thecheckpoint, charlie, or the
berlin wall memorial to take inthe city's history, or take a
trip down the munich foroktoberfest, because we're all
(17:11):
about a good party, you know.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Yeah, I'm curious, where do you fall?
Do you do Oktoberfest before orafter the race, cause I've
heard people do both.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Oh, I would totally probably do after.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
Me too, like I don't want to, I don't want to worry
about, like, my fueling or thoselast taper runs or anything
like that.
But I do know lots of folkswho've done it and I mean
they've enjoyed it and maybethey looked at it as like liquid
carb loading.
But instead of worrying aboutliquid carb loading, let's talk
about what actual carb loadingwe can have.
What kind of food should we belooking for when we're in Berlin
?
Speaker 2 (17:43):
This is one of my favorites.
It's definitely, for thefoodies out there, best known
for giant pretzels, because whodoesn't love a giant pretzel
that's bigger than your head?
There is also cherry worst,which is a german sausage with
curry ketchup.
Um, there is the berliner,which is a german filled or, I'm
(18:09):
sorry, a jam filled donut,because you know who doesn't
need some water there.
And, of course, last but notleast, absolutely not One of our
most favorite is theOktoberfest beer.
So, making sure you can, uh,get those Oktoberfest
celebrations in post race, maybegrab some metal pictures with
(18:30):
some of the locations or yourbeer, um, because they do still
have the celebration happeningall over the city, even though
the race is in September.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
I'm so excited, like I can't wait to live vicariously
through all of you guys thatare going to tackle Berlin,
cause I do think it's a must doexperience.
Um, of course, they might justbe partial, but when you're
there, as I've mentioned,friends, 100% everyone speaks
English, and you do not have toworry about learning German.
(19:01):
If you would like to, though,and maybe put it into your
everyday conversations, thereare a few.
So again, barbara, my Germanfriend, I'm sorry Proportions,
but I'm going to try.
So I think one of the thingsthat we should say that we might
(19:21):
hear folks cheering us on isLauf wieder, which means keep
running.
Is that?
I mean, it makes sense, right,when you think of, like certain
brands, lugh-in Running, I meankind of right, I don't know,
come on work with me, girl.
You might also hear somebodysay Du chasse, thus, you got
(19:43):
this, which makes me actuallykind of think a little bit of
Ramstein, who was one of thebands that I listened to all
last summer, so maybe you wantto throw that into your playlist
, and then I think everybodyshould exclaim with pride and
glee a little Iqab es Gishtaf.
I did it, and I really, reallynow wish that I had Duolingo to
(20:04):
double check these, because Idon't know what I just said and
I hope I didn't say anythingoffensive to people say anything
offensive to people, that'sthese races.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
so much fun is diving into a brand new culture, being
respectful still to their area,because obviously they know we
are not from there.
We are not trying to uh,butcher different words, but
kind of embracing that cultureum, with open arms as we come
into their world.
You know they're accepting usinto their marathons to be able
(20:36):
to see these historic landmarks.
So always want to make sure wesay thank you, thank you, thank
you to those volunteers,spectators and everyone else,
race organizers, all on thatcourse.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
Yes, and then, if nothing else fails, just say
prost when you clink your beerwith folks With that said
friends, this is officially ourBerlin episode.
It is fast, it was historic andit's an absolute must run.
So if you're planning forBerlin, join the stride
collective or women of the worldmarathon majors for training
tips and travel insights, andnext up we're heading back to
(21:12):
Chicago, the Windy City Marathon.
Until then, keep stridingtoward extraordinary.
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