Berlin Marathon pace plan
Your plan for 4:00:00
Average 5:41/kmTarget paces keep the effort even: slower on the climbs, quicker on the descents.
Section by section
- km 0–6.5 · +6 m / −7 m
Tiergarten, Moabit and the Chancellery
5:41/kmThrough 6.5 km at 0:36:57
A wide, packed start on Straße des 17. Juni. Ease into goal effort past the Victory Column and through Moabit rather than spending energy weaving past runners.
- km 6.5–16 · +15 m / −10 m
Mitte and Kreuzberg to Hermannplatz
5:42/kmThrough 16 km at 1:31:04
Long, straight boulevards, including Karl-Marx-Allee. Find a group running at your effort and tuck in; on roads this flat, even effort gives you even splits.
- km 16–23 · +8 m / −5 m
Kreuzberg to Rathaus Schöneberg
5:41/kmThrough 23 km at 2:10:54
The crowds build again through Kreuzberg. Stay relaxed through halfway and check that the effort still feels like something you could hold for another two hours.
- km 23–31 · +9 m / −4 m
Friedenau, Wilder Eber and Hohenzollerndamm
5:42/kmThrough 31 km at 2:56:27
The quieter southwest of the city, with a lively crowd at Wilder Eber. Concentration tends to drift here, so focus on your rhythm and keep fuelling on schedule.
- km 31–38.5 · +6 m / −14 m
Kurfürstendamm to Potsdamer Platz
5:40/kmThrough 38.5 km at 3:39:00
The famous shopping streets bring the noise back. Let the crowds lift you, but keep the effort steady: the plan is still even here, and the hard work comes later.
- km 38.5–42.2 · +6 m / −9 m
Unter den Linden and the Brandenburg Gate
5:41/kmThrough 42.2 km at 4:00:00 · finish
The finish is close now. Hold your form through the turns near Gendarmenmarkt and save the final push for when the Brandenburg Gate comes into view.
Show all splits
| km | Pace | Elev. | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:41 | +1 m | 0:05:41 |
| 2 | 5:43 | +2 m | 0:11:24 |
| 3 | 5:41 | 0 m | 0:17:05 |
| 4 | 5:40 | −1 m | 0:22:45 |
| 5 | 5:43 | +2 m | 0:28:28 |
| 6 | 5:40 | −1 m | 0:34:08 |
| 7 | 5:39 | −3 m | 0:39:47 |
| 8 | 5:45 | +4 m | 0:45:32 |
| 9 | 5:44 | +4 m | 0:51:16 |
| 10 | 5:43 | +1 m | 0:56:59 |
| 11 | 5:40 | −1 m | 1:02:39 |
| 12 | 5:39 | −3 m | 1:08:18 |
| 13 | 5:39 | −3 m | 1:13:57 |
| 14 | 5:41 | 0 m | 1:19:38 |
| 15 | 5:43 | +2 m | 1:25:21 |
| 16 | 5:43 | +2 m | 1:31:04 |
| 17 | 5:41 | +1 m | 1:36:45 |
| 18 | 5:41 | 0 m | 1:42:26 |
| 19 | 5:41 | 0 m | 1:48:07 |
| 20 | 5:40 | −2 m | 1:53:47 |
| 21 | 5:40 | 0 m | 1:59:27 |
| 22 | 5:45 | +4 m | 2:05:12 |
| 23 | 5:42 | +1 m | 2:10:54 |
| 24 | 5:41 | 0 m | 2:16:35 |
| 25 | 5:43 | +2 m | 2:22:18 |
| 26 | 5:43 | +2 m | 2:28:01 |
| 27 | 5:42 | +2 m | 2:33:43 |
| 28 | 5:42 | +1 m | 2:39:25 |
| 29 | 5:40 | −1 m | 2:45:05 |
| 30 | 5:40 | −1 m | 2:50:45 |
| 31 | 5:42 | +1 m | 2:56:27 |
| 32 | 5:38 | −4 m | 3:02:05 |
| 33 | 5:41 | 0 m | 3:07:46 |
| 34 | 5:40 | −1 m | 3:13:26 |
| 35 | 5:39 | −3 m | 3:19:05 |
| 36 | 5:41 | 0 m | 3:24:46 |
| 37 | 5:40 | −1 m | 3:30:26 |
| 38 | 5:44 | +3 m | 3:36:10 |
| 39 | 5:43 | +2 m | 3:41:53 |
| 40 | 5:42 | 0 m | 3:47:35 |
| 41 | 5:40 | −2 m | 3:53:15 |
| 42 | 5:38 | −3 m | 3:58:53 |
| 42.2 | 5:44 | 0 m | 4:00:00 |
About the Berlin Marathon course
The Berlin Marathon has been run since 1974 and is now one of the largest marathons in the world. It is also one of the fastest, and many marathon world records have been set on its streets. The course is a large loop that starts and finishes on Straße des 17. Juni in the Tiergarten, close to the Brandenburg Gate. It heads west past the Victory Column, turns north through Moabit to the government quarter, then crosses Mitte and runs down Karl-Marx-Allee before turning south through Kreuzberg to Hermannplatz. After halfway it passes Rathaus Schöneberg and continues through the quieter southwestern districts to the crowds at Wilder Eber, then swings back north to Kurfürstendamm and the shopping streets around the Memorial Church. The final kilometres pass Potsdamer Platz and Gendarmenmarkt before turning onto Unter den Linden for the run through the Brandenburg Gate to the finish. Berlin is so fast for a simple reason: across the whole loop the road rises and falls by only about 15 metres, with no real climbs, and there are few sharp turns. That makes this plan close to even pacing, with splits that vary by only a few seconds per kilometre either way. In Berlin, the work is in holding your effort steady, not in managing hills.
FAQs
Is the Berlin Marathon really flat?
Yes. The whole loop stays between roughly 35 and 52 metres above sea level, and the effort model behind this plan puts the cost of the terrain at about 25 seconds for a 3:30 runner. You can pace it as a flat course.
Why is Berlin so fast?
It combines flat roads with wide streets, relatively few tight corners and, often, cool autumn weather. Nothing on the course asks you to change your effort for terrain, so a well-judged even pace usually holds up.
How should I pace the second half?
Keep the same effort through the quieter southwest and along Kurfürstendamm. If you still feel strong after Potsdamer Platz, that is the moment to press for the finish.