2024 Berlin Marathon: Runners To Watch Out For

2024 Berlin Marathon is here. After a busy track and field season, the World Marathon Majors resume with the 50th edition of the Berlin Marathon on 29 September 2024. 

For the first time in 11 years, Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya and Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele will not be tracking on the course that once made them the fastest marathon runners in the world.

Nevertheless, the 2024 Berlin Marathon has an amazing line-up on its 50th anniversary.

Athletes to watch out at 2024 Berlin Marathon

Tadese Takele of Ethiopia and Kenya’s Ronald Korir gave a strong performance last year, when Kipchoge clinched a historic fifth victory in the German capital.

Takele finished third in last year’s race with a time of 2:03:24, with Korir right behind him in fourth (2:04:22). In the absence of Kipchoge and Bekele several men including Takele and Korir are hoping to win the title. Six men are in the fray with lifetime bests under 2:05.

The 22-year old Takele will only be racing in his second full marathon after his impressive debut last year. The world U-20 silver medallist in the 3000m steeplechase has the fastest time in the men’s elite field.

Korir, fourth at the 2024 Hamburg marathon last April, will be eyeing his first victory since winning the Marathon Castellon in Spain in 2022. 

Another man who is a title contender is Kibiwott Kandie, the former world half marathon record holder who’s won the last three consecutive editions of the Valencia 21km road run. The Kenyan has not raced in a full marathon since last year. 

The reigning Daegu marathon winner Stephen Kiprop of Kenya will also be making his debut at the 2024 Berlin Marathon on September 29.

Ethiopians lead the list of the fastest women in the field, occupying eight of the top 10 positions led by Ketema.

Ketema made a 2:16:07 course record at the 2024 Dubai marathon in January which was her first ever marathon. Three months later, she came in seventh in London. It would be interesting to see how Ketema puts up at 2024 Berlin Marathon. 

Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist Genzebe Dibaba will be making her Berlin Marathon debut, with an aim to better her personal best of 2:21:47, set at the 2023 Chicago marathon.

Yebregual Melese, Mestawot Fikir, Azmera Gebru, Sisay Meseret Gola, Ababel Yeshaneh, Fiktre Wereta and Japan’s Mizuki Matsuda, are other Ethiopians in the fray. 

Also Read: Cycling Road World Championships 2024: Remco Evenepoel, Grace Brown Register History With Title Win

2024 Berlin Marathon: Schedule

The Berlin Marathon will start at 8:50 am (CEST) on September 29 with runners beginning in four different waves.

• 8:50am – Elite
• 8:56am -Wheelchair athletes
• 8:59am – Handbikers
• 9:15am -10:30am -Start of the mass runs in four waves