Berlin Marathon 2023 preview: Schedule and how to watch the action live
Last year’s winners Eliud Kipchoge and Tigst Assefa return to Germany for the 2023 edition of the Berlin Marathon, which takes place on Sunday 24 September. Will the same winners triumph and history repeat itself? Are world records on the line? Find out everything you need to know below.
Athletics
Almost a year to the day since marathon great Eliud Kipchoge broke the men’s world record on the same course, the Kenyan returns to the streets of the capital of Germany for another shot at lowering the fastest time ever on Sunday 24 September.
The Kenyan’s last outing at a Marathon Major saw him come home a disappointing sixth in Boston, however Berlin is always a very different prospect for the 38-year-old. A self-confessed lover of the flat, super-fast course, Kipchoge has won the race on four different occasions. Will he make it number five this Sunday?
Joining him on the start list is last year’s women’s champion Tigst Assefa who slashed a massive 18 minutes off her personal best to win the 2022 race in an Ethiopian national record of 2:15:37.
This year, she will face off against the winner of the 2022 Berlin Half-Marathon, Sheila Chepkirui whose track pedigree includes winning bronze in the 10,000m at last year’s Commonwealth Games.
Of course, these won’t be the only runners on the start line. Some 45,000 elite and amateur marathoners from across the world will take part in the 2023 Berlin Marathon, often referred to as one of the fastest in the world.
For the schedule, athletes to watch and information on how to watch the event live, keep reading on Olympics.com.
Athletes to watch at the 2023 Berlin Marathon
Eliud Kipchoge and Amos Kipruto headline the men's race
Kipchoge is almost universally agreed upon as the greatest men’s marathon runner of all time - and Berlin has traditionally been his favourite stomping ground.
“Berlin is like home for me,” he told the organising team’s magazine prior to this year’s race. “In view of the Olympic Games next year in Paris, I thought about which race could be the best preparation for the Games for me and Berlin is the best option.”
Last year’s race saw him set the existing world record of 2:01:09, a time that was 30 seconds faster than the previous best as he ran at an average speed of 14:21.4 per 5km.
But that was by no means his first experience on the streets of Berlin.
Kipchoge’s first victory in Berlin came all the way back in 2015 and he has since also won there in 2017, 2018 and 2022.
The only blip on his copybook in the Berlin Marathon came in his first appearance in the race when he finished second in 2013.
However, in April this year, Kipchoge had a rare off day in the marathon as he finished sixth on the notoriously punishing and hilly course of Boston after suffering with a leg injury and also missing a water break.
It means he comes into this race with some question marks over his form. Will he be able to return to his devastating best in Berlin or is the great man’s star on the wane? All will be revealed on Sunday.
The main challenger to Kipchoge in Berlin is - at least on paper - likely to come from his compatriot Amos Kipruto. The winner of last year’s London Marathon, Kipruto also came home second in the 2022 Tokyo Marathon and the 2018 Berlin Marathon where he finished only behind the great Kipchoge himself.
Kipruto brings with him a wealth of international racing experience, including a bronze medal in the marathon from the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha.
Should Kipchoge run into any problems on Sunday, Kipruto is the most likely to capitalise with his best time coming in at an impressive 2:03:13.
Tigst Assefa and Sheila Chepkirui set for showdown on streets of Germany
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Assefa returns to Berlin to defend the title she won in 2022. In some ways, her race last September was even more surprising than the world record run of Kipchoge, as she demolished her own personal best by 18 minutes to take victory in Germany.
A former 800m runner and Rio 2016 Olympian, Assefa’s 2022 Berlin Marathon time of 2:15:37 was the fastest ever by an Ethiopian woman and came in just her second race at the distance. The time is also the fifth-fastest in history and a course record in the Berlin Marathon Major, some two-and-a-half minutes faster than the previous record.
Assefa’s sternest challenger may well be Chepkirui who holds a personal best of 2:17:29. A former African Cross Country Championships winner, the Kenyan also came home third in the marathon at the 2022 edition of the Commonwealth Games.
Ethiopian runners make up places three to five on the list of fastest women’s runners at this year’s Berlin Marathon, with Tigist Abayechew (2:18:03), Workenesh Edesa (2:18.51) and Hiwot Gebrekidan (2:19:10) all sub 2:20 runners.
They will all be aiming to lower their PBs and even challenge for glory in the capital of Germany.
Berlin Marathon 2023 schedule
Sunday 24 September
The Berlin Marathon will begin at 9:15 am (CEST) on Sunday 24 September with runners beginning in four different waves.
How to watch the 2023 Berlin Marathon
This year’s Berlin Marathon will be broadcast live on Olympics.com in a number of territories including Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
For a full list of global broadcasters, click here.