AW collaboration

With respect to all the half-marathon courses around the world, there are not many that are as historical as Berlins event. On 7^th April 2024, tens of thousands of runners will take to the streets of Berlin to take on the 21.0975km course. Individual motivations could include going for a personal best time, running for a charity, taking on a new challenge, or racing against others. In 2023, Sabastian Sawe (Kenya) and Eilish McColgan (Great Britain) stormed to victories in the mens and womens races with times of 59:00 and 1:05:43 minutes respectively.

Even going at their impressive speeds, the pair would have had moments to take cursory glances at the many historical sights, buildings, and monuments along the course. In fact, for the planned 2024 route, you do not even hit 1km before you take in the first sight, the Siegessäule (Victory Column). The monument was designed to commemorate the Prussian victory over the Danes in the Second Schleswig War and the Roman Goddess of victory, Victoria, stands proudly at the top of the column and is a sight for fresh eyes at the beginning of the run.

Fast forward a couple more kilometres, and participants will encounter Charlottenburg Palace as they head west. The palace was the home of the Hohenzollern dynasty and remains a splendid feat of architecture with a magnificent garden extending behind it. In a city with so much sports interaction, the wealth of history, even dating back as recently as last century, is remarkable and the odds of bumping into a historical sight are very high. You can bet that many runners embark on this 21.0975km venture because of the organised route through Berlins history.

The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche (Memorial Church) is definitely worth keeping an eye out for between kilometres 11 and 12 and is a good indication that you are over halfway through the run. Despite being heavily damaged during the Second World War, the church still stands tall and remains one of the greatest landmarks of West Berlin.

By this stage, you are probably starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. And two of Berlins most iconic sights give you that final boost. Potsdamer Platz, which used to be one of the busiest places in the whole of Europe, marks the three-quarters point and there is no better finish than passing under the Brandenburg Gate on the final kilometre.

The 21.0975km aside, there is plenty to marvel at when running the Berlin Half Marathon. The event is well-supported year upon year and with the spectacular sights to look out for along the route, it will most certainly be a memorable experience.