The Media Guide for the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON 2025

Entry figures show half marathon runners only. In 2020 the race was cancelled due to the Corona pandemic.

Men and Women

Position. Amount

1. 5.000 €

2. 2.500 €

3. 2.000 €

4. 1.500 €

5. 1.000 €

6.   800 €

7.   600 €

8.   500 €

MEN

*RAK=Ras Al Khaimah

WOMEN

*RAK=Ras Al Khaimah

Gemechu Dida

^{Credit: Management of Gemechu Dida}

• PERSONAL BEST: 58:39 

• COUNTRY: ETHIOPIA

• AGE: 25

Career Highlights:

Gideon Kiprotich

• PERSONAL BEST: 60:28

• COUNTRY: KENYA

• AGE: 25

Career Highlights:

Gideon Kiprotich has already competed in several half marathons, but the Kenyan is still somewhat of a newcomer to the international road racing scene. His career began in the fall of 2023 in New Delhi, where he finished ninth in a highly competitive half marathon in India. Last year, Kiprotich ran four half marathons and delivered consistently strong performances. He set his current personal best of 60:28 minutes in Naples and achieved his best placement so far in the fall, finishing second in Rome.

Breaking the one-hour barrier is likely his next big goal. Apart from a few cross-country races, he has focused entirely on the half marathon. The fast course in Berlin presents an excellent opportunity for him to at least set a new personal best.

Diego Estrada

^{Credit: Victor Saler, PHOTORUN}

• PERSONAL BEST: 60:49

• COUNTRY: USA

• AGE: 35

Career Highlights:

Diego Estrada returns to the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON after securing an impressive sixth-place finish here last year. With a time of 61:05 minutes, he recorded the third-fastest performance of his career in Berlin in 2024. Born in Mexico, Estrada spent many years competing as a long-distance track runner. In 2012, he qualified for the Olympic Games in the 10,000m, representing Mexico in London, where he finished 21st. A year later, he competed at the World Championships in Moscow, but was eliminated in the 5,000m heats. His personal bests on the track include 13:15.33 minutes for 5,000m (2013) and 27:30.53 minutes for 10,000m (2015).

Estrada received U.S. citizenship in 2014 and soon shifted his focus to road racing. In January 2015, he made a spectacular half marathon debut in Houston, winning the race with an impressive 60:51 minutes. In 2016, he attempted to qualify for the Olympics in Rio through the U.S. Marathon Trials, but dropped out of his first 42.195 km race. Later that year, he completed his second marathon in Chicago, finishing in 2:13:56. He also represented the USA at the World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia 2018, finishing 68th.

Estrada’s lifelong dream was to compete for the USA at the Olympics. "But it didn’t work out. At times, I even overtrained," he admitted in an interview. Now, his new goal is to race at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but to qualify, he would need to significantly improve his marathon personal best of 2:11:54. However, in May 2024, Estrada set a U.S. record in the 25 km event at Grand Rapids (USA), clocking 1:13:09 hours. Not only did he win the race, but he also claimed the U.S. title. "That was a huge success for me—perhaps my best performance ever."

Johannes Motschmann

^{Credit: Norbert Wilhelmi}

• PERSONAL BEST: 61:03

• CLUB: SC Charlottenburg / Marathon Team Berlin

• AGE: 30

Career Highlights:

Johannes Motschmann is expected to arrive at the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON in top form, as he has had an outstanding start to the year. In January, the Berlin-based athlete from Magdeburg set two new personal bests. First, he clocked 28:13 minutes over 10 km in Valencia. Just a week later, despite freezing temperatures at the Houston Half Marathon, he crossed the finish line in 61:03 minutes, improving his previous best by 42 seconds, which he had set at the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON in 2022. With this performance, the 30-year-old became the fourth-fastest German half marathoner of all time.

This new half marathon personal best suggests that he could potentially run a marathon in just over 2:08 hours. However, he has yet to achieve a breakthrough at this level, with his personal best standing at 2:10:39. At the BMW BERLIN MARATHON 2024, he finished in 2:12:02 (33rd place). On April 21, he plans to race the legendary Boston Marathon, where his focus will be on placement rather than time, given the challenging course with many hills. Last year, he surprised many with an impressive ninth-place finish at the London Marathon, setting his current personal best (2:10:39)—the fourth-best placement ever by a German male runner in the race.

Motschmann received a sports scholarship from Iona College near New York, where he studied psychology for five years. When he returned to Berlin in 2019, he joined SCC Berlin / Marathon Team Berlin. Until then, his focus had been on the 3,000m steeplechase, where he holds a personal best of 8:33.12 minutes.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, due to limited racing opportunities, he decided to debut in the marathon at the Austrian Open Championships in Vienna in December 2020, running 2:14:38 hours—an impressive first attempt. He then continued to improve, lowering his time to 2:12:18 in Rotterdam (2021), which secured his qualification for the European Championships in Munich. There, he finished as the third-fastest German, placing 16th overall. With the German marathon team, he won silver in the team classification (Marathon European Cup).

Motschmann is currently studying medicine at the University of Bochum, but he has prioritized his running career, studying only part-time. He mainly commutes between Berlin and Blacksburg, Virginia (USA), where his girlfriend is studying. He also self-coaches, balancing training between Europe and the U.S..

Richard Ringer

^{Credit: Norbert Wilhelmi}

• PERSONAL BEST: 61:09

• CLUB: LC Rehlingen

• AGE: 36

Career Highlights:

Richard Ringer returns to the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON, the very race where he made his debut over the 21.0975 km distance. The GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON in 2019 was a crucial milestone on his journey toward the marathon. Just over three years later, he made headlines by becoming the European Champion in the marathon in Munich.

For the first time since 2019, Ringer will race again at the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON. While the race will be part of his preparation for the Hamburg Marathon (April 27), based on his recent performances, he could still be in a position to significantly improve his personal best of 61:09 minutes.

Ringer has followed the traditional path of a middle-distance runner who transitions to longer distances. The longer the races became, the more successful he became. In 2018, he surprised everyone by winning the European Cup 10,000m in London. This success had only been achieved before by two other German runners: Dieter Baumann (1997) and André Pollmächer (2007). In that race, Ringer improved his personal best by nearly half a minute, finishing in 27:36.52 minutes. Before this, he was known for his 5,000m performances. In 2016, he won the bronze medal at the European Championships in the 5,000m. He also finished third at the European Indoor Championships in 2017 over 3,000m. At the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, Ringer placed 14th in the 5,000m.

Ringer made his marathon debut in December 2020 at the Valencia Marathon, finishing in 2:10:59. He then improved to 2:08:49 in Siena in 2021, qualifying for the Olympic Games in Sapporo, Japan. In the summer of 2021, he finished as Germany’s best athlete, placing 26th in the Olympic marathon. Three years later, in Paris, he repeated this feat, finishing an excellent 12th place despite a very tough course.

However, Ringer’s greatest victory came at the European Championships in 2022, where he made history in Munich. For the first time in the history of the European Championships, which began in 1934, a German runner won the men’s marathon. In a race marked by extreme heat, he made a phenomenal final sprint to overtake Maru Teferi (Israel) just before the finish line, winning with a two-second lead in a time of 2:10:21.

In December 2023, Ringer improved his personal best again at the Valencia Marathon, clocking 2:05:46. This performance suggests that a significant improvement in his half marathon time is possible as well.

Sebastian Hendel

^{Credit: Norbert Wilhelmi} 

• PERSONAL BEST: 61:52

• CLUB: SC Charlottenburg / Marathon Team Berlin

• AGE: 29

Career Highlights:

Berlin has proven to be a successful location for Sebastian Hendel, where he set his personal best in the three major road races. Back in 2021, he ran his current personal record of 28:35 minutes in the 10 km at the third Berlin Invitational, one of the few races that took place worldwide during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Two years later, he improved to 61:52 minutes at the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON, and in September 2023, he ran the best race of his career at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, clocking 2:07:33 hours. This performance made him the fastest German runner at the event’s 50th anniversary and placed him as the fifth fastest German marathon runner of all time.

Adding to his personal Berlin success story, Hendel has also been competing for Marathon Team Berlin of the event organizer SC Charlottenburg Berlin since the start of 2024.

Hendel’s strengths clearly lie in long-distance road races. The 29-year-old has posted his best career results in the half marathon and marathon. He took the traditional route, progressing from middle and long-distance events on the track to road running. Since 2021, he has increasingly focused on road races. In the fall of 2021, during his half marathon debut, he placed second in the German Championships in Hamburg with an impressive time of 62:28 minutes. It was almost a year later that he competed in his first marathon, where he finished fourth at the Munich Marathon in October 2022, running 2:10:37 hours. He returned to the Munich Marathon in 2023, improving his time to 2:10:14, but was slightly hindered when the lead group took a wrong turn, causing them to run extra distance. He then surpassed the 2:10:00 mark impressively in the spring of 2024 with a time of 2:08:51 in Hamburg.

Sebastian Hendel’s wife, Kristina (née Bozic), is also a long-distance runner from Croatia, and she is competing in the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON as well. The Hendels live with their eight-year-old son in Vogtland near Zwickau.

Filimon Abraham

• PERSONAL BEST: 62:35

• CLUB: LG Telis Finanz Regensburg

• AGE: 32

^{Nachweis: Norbert Wilhelmi}

Career Highlights:

Filimon Abraham's career has fluctuated in recent years. Based on his performances, it is clear that the marathon is his strongest discipline. He has the potential for a significant improvement in the half marathon. His personal best in this event has stood at 62:35 minutes for the past three years. The GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON, where he competed in 2018 and finished 25th with 67:10 as a non-professional runner, offers Abraham a great opportunity for a personal record with its flat course. However, it will depend on how well he has recovered after the Sevilla Marathon in February, where Abraham ran a personal best of 2:08:11.

After failing to finish his first two marathon attempts, he surprised everyone in Barcelona in the spring of 2023 with a time of 2:08:22, which made him the second-fastest German marathon runner of all time. However, due to injury, Abraham was only able to run another marathon a year and a half later. During the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON last September, he initially ran a pace that was close to the German record of just under 2:05:00. However, it was too fast. Abraham hit the wall but still managed to finish with a time of 2:08:52.

Abraham is originally from Eritrea and grew up there. As a child, he followed the running careers of Ethiopian superstar Haile Gebrselassie and Eritrean Zersenay Tadese through television and newspaper reports. Tadese, among other achievements, became a five-time half marathon world champion and a cross-country world champion. "It was a childhood dream to be as successful as them. These two athletes are still my role models," said Abraham, who fled his homeland in 2014 and eventually ended up in a refugee camp in Chiemgau. He began his running career in Germany. Since 2020, Abraham has held German citizenship.

Fotyen Tesfay

^{Credit: Management of Fotyen Tesfay}

• PERSONAL BEST: 63:21

• NATION: ETHIOPIA

• AGE: 27

Career Highlights:

Fotyen Tesfay arrives as the favorite for the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON. The 27-year-old Ethiopian is the third fastest woman of all time over the half marathon distance. Additionally, Tesfay ranks eighth on the all-time list for 10 km.

Tesfay began her international career about ten years ago as a middle-distance runner. Subsequently, she leaned more towards 3,000 and 5,000 meters. In 2017, the young Ethiopian placed a strong sixth in the junior race at the Cross World Championships in Kampala, Uganda. Two years later, she finished eleventh in the women's race at these championships. Also in 2019, she made her half marathon debut at the Great North Run in 70:26 minutes. However, her career was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It wasn't until 2023 that Tesfay returned to international races. Immediately, she found success: achieving fifth place at the Cross World Championships, marking her best career performance to date. A year later, she won the Ethiopian Olympic trials over 10,000 meters in Nerja, Spain, with a time of 29:47.71, securing seventh place at the Paris Games. Following an improvement to 14:28.53 (3rd place) in the 5,000 meters in Brussels in late summer 2024, she demonstrated her strong speed endurance at the Valencia Half Marathon in late October: Tesfay finished second and became the third fastest woman of all time over this distance with a time of 63:21, only her third career half marathon. This year started very well for Tesfay: she placed third in Valencia over 10 km and improved to 29:42 minutes.

Tesfay resides in Addis Ababa and is part of what is currently one of the most prestigious marathon training groups globally. Under Coach Gemedu Dedefo, her training partners include, among others, Olympic marathon silver medalist and former world record holder Tigst Assefa, current marathon world champion Amane Beriso, and marathon Olympic champion Tamirat Tola.

Ftaw Zeray

^{Nachweis: @SCC EVENTS/Petko Beier}

• PERSONAL BEST: 66:04

• NATION: ETHIOPIA

• AGE: 26

Career Highlights:

The half marathon is her specialty: Ftaw Zeray has strongly focused on this distance, achieving by far her best results over 21.0975 km. She is still chasing a major victory, but the 27-year-old Ethiopian has put together an impressive series of top performances. Over the past three years, she has run under 68:00 minutes nine times, including four times under 67:00.

At the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON in 2021, Zeray made a decisive breakthrough: finishing fifth and, for the first time, running under the 70-minute barrier with 68:30. Since then, she has continued to improve. 2023 was her best year so far. First, she placed third in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, against strong competition, setting her current personal best of 66:04. Later that year, she delivered another strong performance, finishing sixth at the Half Marathon World Championships in Riga.

Despite a surprising victory in her marathon debut in Hefei, China, in 2019, where she clocked her still-standing personal best of 2:29:15, she has yet to translate her potential to the classic marathon distance. "I've struggled with stomach issues in the marathon," explains Zeray, who still believes she can achieve times around 2:16 in the future. In the half marathon, she hopes to improve to approximately 63 minutes. “When I return to Berlin, my goal is a personal best.”

Zeray grew up in Kotobe, in eastern Addis Ababa. She has one sister and two brothers, none of whom are runners. Her role model was two-time Olympic 5,000 m champion Meseret Defar (2004 and 2012). "She trained very hard, and that impressed me," says Zeray, who trains in Addis Ababa with Dawit Hiluf’s group. Among her training partners is Tiruye Mesfin, who placed third at the 2024 Valencia Marathon with a top time of 2:18:35.

Jessica Warner-Judd

^{Credit: Rodrigo Marques}

• PERSONAL BEST: 67:07

• NATION: GREAT BRITIAN

• AGE: 30

Career Highlights:

Jessica Warner-Judd was once regarded as one of Britain’s top middle-distance prospects. At 17, she came close to breaking the two-minute barrier, and two years later, she set her personal best of 1:59.77. However, a muscle injury halted her progress in the Olympic year of 2016. While she was unable to make the expected strides in middle-distance events, she gradually transitioned to long-distance running, helped by her strong background in cross country.

Warner-Judd found significantly more success on longer distances. After qualifying for the 10,000 m at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where she finished 17th, she achieved an impressive 8th place at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest over the 25-lap distance. That same year, she also made a strong half marathon debut in Houston (67:19). A year later, she improved this time to 67:07 in Barcelona.

In June 2024, during the European Championships 10,000 m final, she withdrew 600 meters before the finish. Medical examinations later revealed that Warner-Judd had suffered an epileptic seizure during the race, forcing her to miss the Olympic Games. However, she returned to racing at the end of the year with two 10 km performances. In January 2025, she impressed with a 69:07 half marathon in Houston.

Warner-Judd studied Regenerative Medicine in Loughborough.

Caroline Korir

^{Credit: Management of Caroline Korir}

• PERSONAL BEST: 67:57

• NATION: KENYA

• AGE: 30

Career Highlights:

Caroline Korir ran her first international races in Spain in 2017, but her performances were modest, with 35:35 over 10 km and 73:27 in the half marathon. However, after road racing returned following the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2022, Korir made significant progress, particularly in the half marathon. She improved to 67:57 in Azpeitia, Spain, and also made her marathon debut in Venice, clocking 2:29:46.

Despite her marathon experience, the half marathon remains her strongest event. In 2023, she improved to 67:23 at the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon, though the point-to-point course does not meet record criteria, so her official personal best remains 67:57. In the 2024 edition of the race, she placed third.

Perhaps Korir can deliver a surprise performance at the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON.

Rabea Schöneborn

^{Credit: Norbert Wilhelmi}

• PERSONAL BEST: 70:35

• CLUB: Marathon Team Berlin, SC Charlottenburg

• AGE: 31

Career Highlights:

Rabea Schöneborn has struggled with injuries over the past two years, affecting her ability to compete for extended periods. The autumn marathon initially planned for 2024 couldn't materialize, and she couldn't participate in any races in the latter half of the year. It remains to be seen in what condition Schöneborn will run the GENERALI BERLINER HALBMARATHON and whether she is fully recovered. If all goes well, this race could mark a return to form for her.

In parallel with her twin sister Deborah, Rabea Schöneborn has shown significant development over the years. In 2020, she was part of the German team that won the bronze medal at the Half Marathon World Championships. She placed 54th individually in that prestigious competition. She then improved her marathon time to 2:27:03 in Enschede in spring 2021. Just nine seconds faster, and she would have displaced her twin sister from an Olympic spot. Instead of competing in Japan, Rabea ran the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, finishing 9th in 2:28:49.

Her career highlight so far came at the 2022 European Championships in Munich, where she finished 12th in challenging conditions and won the integrated Europa Cup standings with the German team, which included Deborah Schöneborn. However, the following spring brought a series of injuries. Rabea had foot surgery, which prevented her from qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Rabea comes from a remarkably successful sporting family. Her sister Lena Schöneborn, eight years older, won the Olympic gold medal in Modern Pentathlon in Beijing 2008. Initially, both Deborah and Rabea competed in Modern Pentathlon before fully focusing on running since 2017.

In Berlin, Rabea studied psychology and works 20 hours a week as a consultant for a staffing agency. Her flexible working hours allow her to balance her career with her athletic pursuits.

Kristina Hendel

^{Credit: Norbert Wilhelmi}

• PERSONAL BEST: 70:38

• CLUB: Marathon Team Berlin, SC Charlottenburg

• AGE: 28

Career Highlights:

Kristina Hendel struggled with injury problems for almost two years and was also set back by illnesses. In early 2024, however, she finally saw an upward trend. For the first time since the European Championships in Munich in 2022, she completed a marathon race in January in Houston. However, she had hoped for more than the 2:30:54 hours and 11th place. She had no chance in the race for Olympic spots. Instead, Hendel returned to the Essen Marathon in the autumn, where she had made her debut in the 42.195 km distance in 2021 with a winning time of 2:27:31. Again, Hendel was the winner in Essen, crossing the finish line in 2:34:37, virtually without competition.

In the earlier part of her career, Hendel primarily competed in long-distance track events. She later achieved better results in long road races. In spring 2022, she set her current personal bests: 70:38 in the Istanbul Half Marathon and 2:27:29 in the Hamburg Marathon. Hendel was then part of the German team that won the gold medal in the European Cup (team competition within the marathon races) at the European Championships in Munich. She finished 20th in the individual rankings.

Hendel is from Croatia and has been eligible to compete for Germany since July 2022. She is married to marathon runner Sebastian Hendel (personal best: 2:07:33), who will also compete in the GENERALI BERLINER HALBMARATHON. The couple has a son and lives in Reichenbach in Vogtland near Zwickau.

Gesa Krause

^{Credit: Norbert Wilhelmi}

• PERSONAL BEST: 72:16

• CLUB: Silvesterlauf Trier

• AGE: 32

Career Highlights:

Gesa Felicitas Krause is Germany's most successful steeplechaser. In this relatively young event for women – the women’s steeplechase became part of the World Championships in 2005 and the Olympics in 2008 – the 32-year-old has won medals at European and World Championships from 2012 to 2024. Twice, Krause was crowned European champion (2016 and 2018), and she earned two bronze medals at the World Championships (2015 and 2019). With her German record of 9:03.30, set at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, she remains among the 20 fastest women of all time (18th) and currently ranks 3rd in Europe.

Under coach Wolfgang Heinig, Krause quickly joined the international elite in the 3,000m steeplechase. As an 18-year-old, she became Junior European Champion and, in the same year, finished an impressive 6th at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, setting a Junior European record (9:32.74). She fulfilled her childhood dream of competing in the Olympics the following year, finishing 7th in London. In 2016, she placed 6th in Rio, and 5th in Tokyo in 2021. After giving birth to her daughter in April 2023, she returned in 2024 as the Vice European Champion in the steeplechase. At the Paris Olympics, she finished 14th in the final.

The GENERALI BERLINER HALBMARATHON is not Krause’s debut at this distance. She had already attempted the 21.0975 km distance in early 2018. However, during her debut in Ras Al Khaimah (United Arab Emirates), she did not finish. In a second race a few weeks later in Berlin, she finished 5th with a time of 72:16 minutes. Although Krause has never raced longer than 5,000 meters on the track, she continued to focus entirely on the 3,000m steeplechase, postponing further starts over long road distances.

Her first race after giving birth to her daughter was the Cologne Half Marathon in early October 2024, where she ran 78:41 minutes. Now, Krause, a member of the German Armed Forces sports support group, is making a serious new attempt at this distance. The GENERALI BERLINER HALBMARATHON is intended to be her spring highlight. A few weeks earlier, she had planned to run another race at this distance. A personal best in Berlin will certainly be the goal, and the question will also be whether and how significantly she can break the 70-minute barrier. The result in Berlin could be a turning point for a possible future marathon career.

Esther Pfeiffer

^{Nachweis: @SCC EVENTS/Petko Beier}

• PERSONAL BEST: 69:49

•  CLUB: Düsseldorf Athletics 

• AGE: 27

Career Highlights:

Esther Pfeiffer has shown significant progress and now aims to achieve another personal best at the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON. The 27-year-old, married to marathon runner Hendrik Pfeiffer and formerly known by her maiden name Esther Jacobitz, is among Germany's top athletes in the half marathon distance and is the fastest German woman on the starting list for the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON.

MEN

WOMEN

All statistical data was last edited on 16 February 2025. Please check the press centre for further information. Only times from courses that fulfil the international requirements for the recognition of best times are listed.

MEN

*RAK=Ras Al Khaimah

WOMEN

*RAK=Ras Al Khaimah

As of: 16.2.2025

MEN

*RAK=Ras Al Khaimah

WOMEN

*RAK=Ras Al Khaimah

As of: 16.2.2025

MEN/WOMEN

BERLIN 

BARCELONA 

VALENCIA 

LISBON 

RAS AL KHAIMAH / UAE 

COPENHAGEN 

ROME-OSTIA

PRAGUE

DEN HAAG

LARNE / GBR

PHILADELPHIA

HERZOGENAURACH / GER

NEW DEHLI

GRANOLLERS / ESP

NEWCASTLE

MANAMA / BRN

SEVILLA

LILLE

BUENOS AIRES

SANTA POLA / ESP

MAILAND

MALAGA

MARUGAME / JPN

HOUSTON

NEW YORK

CARDIFF

ISTANBUL

PARIS

Stand: 16.2.25

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WOMEN

As of: 16.2.25

MEN

WOMEN

As of: 16.2.2025

MEN

WOMEN

As of: 16.2.2025

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WOMEN

As of: 16.2.2025

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2025

2024

WOMEN

2025

2024

As of: 16.2.2025

Click herefor the route map, the interactive map and the maps of the start and finish areas.

About 150 meters after passing the Brandenburg Gate, the finish line comes into view, turning it into an unforgettable running experience for the half marathon finishers. The 21.0975 km course through Berlin makes this sightseeing tour very special. It takes you past some of the most iconic landmarks of the German capital at a running pace. The historical and cultural monuments you spot within such a short time are unmatched by any city bus tour.

Passing Numerous Capital Highlights

From the start, in the first few meters you see the Siegessäule in front and the Brandenburg Gate behind you. The route passes by the Technical University (2 km) and Ernst-Reuter-Platz (2.3 km) before continuing straight along Otto-Suhr-Allee toward Charlottenburg Palace (4.2 km). Here, you turn sharp left into Schlossstraße and continue straight to Kurfürstendamm, which is reached by turning left near the Schaubühne, one of Germany's most renowned spoken theater companies (6.7 km).

Now on the famous West Berlin promenade, we head east past Café Kranzler to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (9 km), where we make a slight right turn onto Tauentzienstraße, passing Wittenberplatz (9.8 km) with its historic subway station (on the right, Kaufhaus des Westens, aka KaDeWe), and following Kleiststraße, which leads to Bülowstraße at Nollendorfplatz (10.5 km; on the right: historic Metropol building). The left turn onto Potsdamer Straße at kilometer 11 is traditionally a crowd favorite, with enthusiastic spectators loudly cheering the beginning of the second half of the race.

Historic Places and Routes of the Past

Passing by the National Gallery (Mies van der Rohe, on the left/12.2 km) and the State Library (on the right), Potsdamer Straße turns slightly to the right, and we soon see the striking yellow building of the Philharmonie on the left (12.5 km), before reaching Potsdamer Platz, a historically significant highlight in Berlin’s East-West history. At Leipziger Platz (13 km), the route continues along Leipziger Straße into the former eastern part of the city. At the 14 km mark, we turn left into Markgrafenstraße, leading us past Berlin’s most beautiful historical square (German Cathedral, Concert Hall, French Cathedral). After a right turn, we pass the Foreign Ministry (on the right) and then the Humboldt Forum (on the left, 15.2 km). This is a nod to the history of the race, which had its start and finish area on Karl-Marx-Allee for many years before moving to Brandenburg Gate in 2019.

The Grand Finale with Brandenburg Gate and Finish Line

We pass Spandauerstraße and Grunerstraße, passing the Red Town Hall (on the left) and, at kilometer 16.4, the former parade boulevard of the DDR capital. Shortly after kilometer 17, we turn around and run past the Red Town Hall again (18.5 km), before heading into the final two kilometers, where one landmark follows another along the “Unter den Linden” boulevard: Berlin Cathedral (on the right/19.3 km), Lustgarten with the New Museum (on the right), Kronprinzenpalais (on the left), Neue Wache and the German Historical Museum as well as Humboldt University (on the right), and the State Opera and Bebelplatz (on the left).

At the Friedrichstraße intersection, the Brandenburg Gate is already visible. Before reaching it, we pass the massive building of the Russian Embassy on the left, then the Hotel Adlon on the same side, before reaching Berlin's landmark, the Brandenburg Gate. From here, it’s just a few meters to the finish line.

This year the HALF MARATHON EXPO will NOT take place at the former Tempelhof Airport, but on the grounds of Messe Berlin, Messedamm 22, 14055 Berlin, South Entrance (Jafféstraße). 

All further information about the HALBMARATHON EXPO can be found here.

Making the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON sustainable is a top priority for SCC EVENTS. Together with the title sponsor GENERALI and all our partners, we are committed to sustainability. Further information and plenty of examples of our sustainable behaviour can be found here.

At the HALF MARATHON EXPO, our visitors will also find a comprehensive range of information on the topic of sustainability at the SCC EVENTS information stand under the motto "GREEN LINE".

The origins of today's SCC EVENTS GmbH date back to 1964, when a group of students from the Free University of Berlin - who were also members of SC Charlottenburg - organised the first Berlin cross-country run, which took place on Teufelsberg. The first competitions for amateur athletes were organised, called Volksläufe, until then only club members were allowed to take part in running competitions. The organiser of the first SCC cross-country race was still the sports department of the FU Berlin at the time, as the SCC did not receive permission for a race in which non-club runners could also start.

In 1965, the sports department and SCC organised the cross-country race together, and from 1966 the club organised it alone. After the cross-country race, other smaller races were organised before the athletes of SC Charlottenburg launched the BERLIN-MARATHON in 1974, which initially took place in Grunewald. The development of the BERLIN-MARATHON was decisive for the emergence of other running events. In 1981, after a long tug-of-war with the authorities and with the support of the US armed forces in West Berlin, the first BERLIN- MARATHON took place through the streets of West Berlin. This was followed in the 1980s by races that have developed into the biggest in Germany to this day, from the BERLIN HALF MARATHON, the Women's Race Berlin and the 5 x 5k team-relay in Berlin's Tiergarten. The fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 gave a further boost.

The BERLIN-MARATHON has risen to the elite of international road races. It has participants running through the Brandenburg Gate and former East Berlin since 1990 and the finish line has been at the Brandenburg Gate since 2003. 13 world records have been set at the BERLIN-MARATHON, more than at any other marathon in the world; the last was set in 2023 by Ethiopian Tigst Assefa (2:11:53).

The Berliner Wasserbetriebe 5 x 5k TEAM-Relay in the Tiergarten (in June), started in 2000 with around 1,000 participants. In recent years, it has risen to approximately 28,000. Founded in the mid-1980s, SCC EVENTS GmbH is now one of the largest organisers of sporting events in the world. In addition to the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON and the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, events include the VITAMIN WELL Women's Race Berlin, the StWB TEAM Relay Brandenburg (4 x 5 km) in Brandenburg an der Havel (both in May), the SwimRun Rheinsberg at the end of June (swimming/running) and the adidas Runners City Night (end of July).

Click here for the complete SCC EVENTS calendar of events.

Marathon Team Berlin now with Sebastian and Kristina Hendel

Germany's fastest marathon couple has been running for Marathon Team Berlin since the beginning of the year: Sebastian and Kristina Hendel switched from LG Braunschweig to the capital club SC Charlottenburg, which arranges events like the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON and the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, organised by SCC EVENTS. The past year brought the team's biggest championship success in its young history. At the European Championships, Amanal Petros won the bronze medal in the half marathon. However, once again, several athletes struggled with injuries.

After Amanal Petros set a German record in the men's race of the BMW BERLIN- MARATHON in 2023 (2:04:58), he won the bronze medal in the half marathon at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome. However, Petros had bad luck before the year's highlight, the Olympic Games in Paris. An infection weakened him, forcing him to abandon the Olympic marathon. Injuries also marred 2024 for Alina Reh, who had to postpone her half marathon and marathon ambitions once again. Both Petros and Reh have not been running for Marathon Team Berlin since the beginning of the year.

Deborah and Rabea Schöneborn also faced injury setbacks and were unable to start as planned at the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON in the second half of the year. They were unable to participate in other marathon races in the following months. Deborah Schöneborn improved her time to 2:24:54 at the Houston Marathon in January 2024, narrowly missing out on Olympic qualification. However, she suffered foot problems for a long period afterward. Rabea Schöneborn may possibly start at the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON 2025.

Johannes Motschmann has consistently shown strong performances. His highlight last year was the London Marathon in April, where he improved to 2:10:39 and finished ninth. This is the fourth-best placement ever achieved by a German male runner in the London race. He hasn't yet achieved his target time of under 2:10:00, but it seems to be only a matter of time and the right race. Johannes Motschmann has had a promising start to 2025, achieving personal best times of 28:13 in the 10 km and 61:03 in the half marathon in January. The GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON 2025 will be an important race for him in preparation for the Boston Marathon on April 21.

The two new additions, the Hendel couple, have shown different performance trajectories recently. Initially, Kristina Hendel had slightly more success compared to her husband. Coming from Croatia, she acquired German citizenship in time to qualify for the 2022 European Championships in Munich, where she was part of the German team that won the marathon team event. Her personal best time over the classic distance stands at 2:27:29. However, since summer 2022, Kristina Hendel has struggled with injuries, while Sebastian Hendel embarked on a successful marathon career. After his debut in Munich in 2022, he recently improved to 2:07:33 at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. This places him fifth in the list of fastest German runners of all time. Both Kristina and Sebastian Hendel plan to participate in the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON 2025. For more details on Kristina and Sebastian Hendel, read here.

Further information about Marathon Team Berlin can be found here

Veranstalter
Sport-Club Charlottenburg e.V.

Ausrichter
SCC EVENTS GmbH
Olympiapark Berlin
Hanns-Braun-Straße/Adlerplatz
14053 Berlin
Tel. 030 – 301 288 10
Fax 030 – 301 288 20
www.scc-events.com

Marketing | Digital

Max Bodenstab, Nadia Dagher, Mareike Dehmel,

Sophie Gröger, Janis vom Hoff, Celia Jentzsch,

Antje Jüntgen, Sabrina Krause, Katja Lange,

Melanie Moll, Sarah Panski, Jennifer Rothrock

Media Relations & Editorial/Media Center

Max Bodenstab, Gerte Buchheit,

Frauke Constantin, Vincent Dornbusch,

Robert Fekl, Elisabeth Hanke, Tom Kettelhut,

Jochen Schmitz, Thomas Steffens,

Jakob Wartchow, Jörg Wenig

Sponsoring

Nicole Altenhof, Philipp Altmeppen,

Jennifer Barthel, Marit van Eijk, Timo Göhler,

Mirella Jaaks, Linda Kollmann, Max Lichtenberg,

Ines Rentsch, Dominik Rosenau, Lara Vogel

Massage

Matthias Vogel

Finance

Aike Fokkena, Antonella Giglio, Simone Schmidt,

Marcel Reppien, Heike Krone

Public Affairs & Human Relationships

Marcus Mahlo, Yvonne Meißner,

Marion Strolz, Philip Lehmann

Medical Board SCC EVENTS

Priv. Doz. Dr. med. Matthias Krüll,

Dr. med. Margrit Lock, Veranstaltungs-

und Notärztin Sandra Pfaffenbach,

Angela Hänsel, Emilia Tomassimo

Musik/Strecke

John Kunkeler

Polizeiführer des Einsatzes

Polizeidirektor Oliver Hartwich

Protokoll/VIP

Marion Strolz, Rotraud Zylka

Sprecher

Jonas Frank, Dr. Karsten Holland

Start

Marcel Heß, Steffen Kirner,

Sonja Glauert, Janine Heß

Strecke

Gunnar Hamel, Gregor Pfennig

Race Display Service

Helmut Winter

Streckenvermessung

John Kunkeler, Gregor Pfennig

Organisationsteam

GENERALI BERLINER HALBMARATHON

Operations

Oliver Bach, Ümit Cakmak,

Christian Fahr, Michael Gerlach, Daniel Hoppe,

Carsten Humrich, Lars Nitz, Janin Reinhardt,

Paul Bär, Stefanie Münzberg

Process Management

Linda Baumgart, Johannes Dinter,

Stephanie Kamen, Markus März

Participant Management

Sylvia Ackermann, Georgia Andrews,

Marc Goldmann, Monique Hoppe, Sybille Hoppe,

Antje Jüntgen, Philipp Kadow, Niklas Kleinert,

Judy Kumutat, Anja Lüthke, Britt Munzlinger,

Anja Reisner, Stella Strohbach, Laura Tapia

Athletenbetreuung (Elite)

Philipp Kadow, Nadine Mietke,

Carsten Helterhof

EXPO

Katharina Holle, Dominik Scholten, Oliver Simon

Besenwagen

Christian Löw

Ergebnis-Dienst

mika:timing

Event Management

Sarah Hecker, Nadine Mietke, Mark Milde,

Robert Müller, Achim Rau, Maren Riedel

Treffpunkt

Bastian Klemke

Fahrdienst

Gabi Mahn, Mario Mahn

Grüne Linie

Gunnar Hamel, Gregor Pfennig

Handbike-/Rennrollstuhl-Wettbewerbe

Georgia Andrews, Chantal Mahn, Nadine Mietke

Volunteer Management

Ralf Burzlaff, Noah Löffler, Vivian Schneider

Inlineskating

Gerte Buchheit, Ingo Monse

Kleiderablage

Peter Fielhauer, Yves Imbert,

Christiana Imbert, Alexander Schröter,

Joachim Zschaler

Poncho-Ausgabe

Alexander Horn

Streckenversorgung

Max Roy, Jette Kasper

Backbone

Christian Fahr, Carsten Humrich, Dani Jenke

Maskottchen Fridolin Flink

Britt Munzlinger, Tim Herrmann

Sanitätsdienst

Johanniter Unfallhilfe e.V.

Versorgungspunkte

5 km: Nordberliner Lauffreunde

Leitung: Jörg Busche, Christian Meier

10 km: SCC-Langstreckler

Leitung: Klaus Boesang

14 km: Betriebssportverband Berlin e.V.

Leitung: Gunter Gerstenberger

17 km: FV Freizeitsport e.V

Leitung: Birgit Berthold, Lutz Berthold

19,5 km

Leitung: Tobias Lohr, Philipp Loth

Ziel: ABC Zentrum Berlin

Leitung: Kai-Thomas Arndt

Medaillenausgabe: Dirk Richter

Medical care at the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON 2024

From minor to emergency care - the medical department of the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON is prepared for everything. All medical support systems will be activated before the start in order to provide competent assistance as quickly as possible in the event of any complaints or emergencies on the course and at the finish. As in previous years, medical care for the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON has been planned on the basis of a comprehensive concept which, as part of the safety concept for the event as a whole, provides in particular for networking with all systems and institutions in the state of Berlin.

The "Medical Team" of the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON

The running course is entered into the Berlin fire brigade's emergency rescue system to the metre, so that the coordination and control centre can guarantee the fastest possible arrival time so that medical measures can be implemented with pinpoint accuracy. The locations of the stationary units are indicated by signs and so-called "beach flags" labelled "First AID / First Aid Station". In addition, Johanniter Unfallhilfe(JUH) will ensure a high density of medical care along the route with mobile teams on motorbikes ("first responders") as well as with vehicles.

The emergency services are always positioned at the roadside and are easily recognisable. The high standard is also maintained in the finish area, where, according to data collected in recent years, over two thirds of all assistance was provided. Specialists from intensive care and rescue medicine are also deployed here under the direction of experienced emergency doctors and sports physicians from the organiser, the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON Medical Team.

Medical coordination centre of the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON

The medical aspects of the event will be managed by the organiser's medical board (medical operations management), the Berlin fire brigade/emergency rescue service and the medical service via a medical coordination centre (KOMED). All other aspects will be managed by a central coordination centre (KOST) outside the event site with the involvement of all institutions (police, fire brigade, rescue services, security service, authorities, traffic management, organiser). Here, all situations, from severe weather to potential major incidents on the weekend of the event, can be managed quickly and in a structured manner and, for example, the quickest possible changes to the deployment strategy can be decided and implemented if necessary.

GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON Medical Team 

Around 350 medical staff on duty

- 100 employees, including 30 emergency physicians, emergency doctors (internists, anaesthetists, cardiologists), orthopaedists, trauma surgeons and sports physicians, 50 nurses and intensive care nurses from Berlin hospitals

- 4 emergency (rea)teams from the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON Medical Team 

- 30 employees as a medical triage team in the immediate post-finish area

- Approx. 100 medical massage assistants (course and finish) Medical service on the course and in the finish area (Johanniter Unfallhilfe and partners)

- 1 medical centre with intensive care areas and ice baths in the finish area

- 4 first aid stations in the finish area with the possibility of intensive medical care

- approx. 16 partly mobile first aid stations along the route

- 150 paramedics, rescue assistants and helpers

- 4 first responder teams on motorbikes (emergency teams)

- 20 ambulances on duty on the day of the event in 8 fire stations in the immediate vicinity of the event site, 1 emergency ambulance + 6 ambulances (RTW), additionally included in the requirements by the Berlin fire brigade

GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON Doping Tests 

The first three men and women will be tested. Additionally up to 50 men and 30 women can be tested. The lottery will be carried out by World Athletics (WA) or by a responsible person of the National Anti Doping Agency Germany (NADA). The doping tests will be carried out by an institution, which is certified and licensed by the NADA and WA. The doping tests include pre-competition tests (blood tests) and in-competition tests (urine).

The SCC EVENTS medical team offers an easy-to-perform health test that anyone can easily undergo. The so-called PAPS test can be carried out here, but it is also offered as part of the registration process for SCC EVENTS events. The test allows you to find out how healthy you are and to what extent you are able to exercise. Depending on the results of the test, behavioural advice is given. 

When registering for an SCC EVENTS event, this PAPS test must be completed before registration can continue.