Berlin Marathon 2019

AnAussieRunnerinLon

Sorry to hear @MandM, I hope that with a little time and recovery off you can get back to running.

Well done on building up @bobdidmadrid.

Did an 18 miler on the way home from work yesterday with gels & waterpack in 2:38:33. Was a bit of a weird one, because I definitely felt I could go quicker but legs were exhausted at the end of it. Will get two more 20 milers in before starting a gradual taper process, but key now is to purely get the miles into the legs.

bobdidmadrid

That sounds very similar to my run Aussie. Think we are going to be fairly clise in Berlin.

That's very unfortunate for you MandM. Take care and hopefully, as Aussie suggests, you will be able to get back to it. Next time it is windy/wet/too hot etc. I will think of your situation and be grateful I can get out and run.

Simon Coombes 2

StevieWh said:

Yes only 6.5 weeks to go! Need to start looking into important stuff, like where I am going for post marathon beers! Any suggestions from anyone who has done it before?

We booked a table at the Hofbrauhaus. Decent night! (If you do go - order the Pork Knuckle..it's amazing!)

james_buchan

Hello All

Running my second Berlin Marathon next month and tentatively looking forward to it. I aim to run one marathon per year in the autumn to raise money for cancer charities. Still have 3h 30m as my goal.

Training has been going pretty well but feeling pretty tired the last couple of weeks so long runs have been a bit of a struggle, but hoping to talk some sense into myself before my 30k training run this sunday and rebuild a bit of confidence.

If there is anyone running Berlin for the first time, more than happy to answer any questions you might have about race day, if I can.

Good look over the next 5 weeks to everyone in the build up, and keep safe!

StevieWh

James - Is it only cups at the water stations or are their bottles as well? Also how early do you need to get to the start?

Hope everyones training has been going well, I've strung together 3 of my highest mileage weeks including my first ever 60m week. Also managed my best ever 10m tempo at 6.10 pace so confidence is building for my 2.45 goal. Light week this week as I've got Kenilworth Half on Sunday, will look out for RunSpoonRun! I'll be in a Knowle & Dorridge club vest (green & gold)

Can't believe theres only a month to go!

Ian5

Stevie-Looking good for you,let's hope we all get through the last few weeks safely.
I've had 4x50 mile weeks,which is my most consistent ever,ive got a 5k tonight then a 20 mile race this weekend,just deciding how to pace it,then HM next weekend which will decide my Berlin target.

runspoonrun

Good to hear training is going well for everyone. I had a shocking half marathon a few weeks back, very disappointing performance, but I think it was just a combo of fatigue, bad weather, and simply having a bad day. Other than that, training has been going well, I've been putting in the miles, and my workouts have all been as good, or better, than the same ones prior to Manchester last year (where I set my PB), so hopefully that bodes well.

StevieWh I'll try to keep an eye out for you too. I'll be in a yellow Worcester AC vest. I'll be running it as an MP session, it was tempting to race it given the last half mentioned above, but there was no way I could do that without compromising the training in the week before and after, so I'm sticking with the original plan.

Has anyone done the breakfast run on the Saturday before? I was going to do parkrun, but the breakfast run finishes in the Olympic stadium, and I love the idea of being able to run on the track there. My only concern is how busy it might be, and the pace - I don't want to be running so slowly I'm running awkwardly and pick up a niggle or something stupid! Might just be overthinking things though!

StevieWh

I looked at the breakfast run but 6k is further then I would normally run the day before a marathon so I won't be doing it! Ill just go for a couple of mile shakeout round the Tiergarten I think. Will try and visit the Olympic stadium though.

james_buchan

Hello StevieWH..... afraid the drinks stations were the major negative for me.... the first couple (I think) are on both sides of the road, but after that they are only on the right and are congested.... it is only plastic cups which I found a struggle.... but I found if you pinch the top of the cup it makes a funnel and you can then drink with it and carry on.

I actually started the 2017 race with a 50c bottle of water with a sports cap.... they fill the cups from a hose so I plan to ask them them to fill my bottle!

On another note the plastic cups that are discarded are a little slippy if you step on them so just take a little extra care during and after the water stops.

I chose not to do the breakfast run as my last run before race day so cannot comment.

Also.... I am sure most of you know that your event pack does not include a finisher tshirt... I didn't collect my pack from the Expo until Saturday in 2017 and they had no finisher t-shirts at all, or event t-shirts in a size M. I managed to get an event t-shirt from the Adidas shop near KaDeWe, and there is a stall near Brandenberg Gate on race day selling finisher tshirts.

I had a shocking 30k run on Sunday... which was mainly due to the 29c weather and the blazing sun, but had a great run yesterday in the rain, so feeling a little more confident. On 30 days to go.

james_buchan

Sorry StevieWH missed the second part of your question.... I think I arrived at the start line about 20mins before the first group went off. They start in 3 waves if I remember correctly, and the last wave is appx 30mins after the initial gun. As it was my first marathon I was in the back pen so felt like an age before I got going.

A lot of people turned up later and just walked at the side of the gate and joined near the start line which is probably more sensible that standing around for ages, but the atmosphere on the start line was great - music, videos, messages were played on a big screen from family and friends and celebrities.

I would say plan to be in your pen 10/20 mins before the start. There are some portaloos around, and I just had a plastic poncho to keep me warm.

igranv

James - i see you started in the back pen last time, did this hinder your pace at the start at all, my last marathon was 7 yeas ago so had to register as a 1st marathon, but with the way training is going so far im hoping for a 3:30 - 3:45, just wondered if the start is too slow in the back pen to make this possible? Thanks

Ian5

James-What is the expo like for souvenir clothing,this is my first major so want some mementos 

Ian5

20 mile race today,tried for it at MP(7:15) came out at 7:09 with a 6:35 last mile,sets me up very well.HM next weekend is my last real effort,then a week away and hopefully not blow it all.

james_buchan

Hi igranv - 2017 was my first marathon from the back pen and I was aiming for 3:30 and ran 3:44. I managed to get relatively near to the front of the pen... but like I said, many people just walked alongside and then came into the pen nearer the start-line. Being in the back pen itself I don't think is too much of a hindrance, the problem is people in earlier pens who are imaginative about their estimated finish time... I found I was passing a lot of people later in the race... and the crowds only thinned at appx 38km. I actually found having to concentrate on people being around me and very close the whole time pretty mentally draining.... hence the reason for a little bit of walking after 35k...and some people are not very courteous and run across you etc etc.... but I would say 3:30 is definitely possible.

Hi Ian5 - TBH I didn't really look around the expo for long. I had to go first thing on the Saturday as I only arrived in Berlin on Friday evening and by the time I had collected my kit, had a few photos etc it was pretty busy. There is a big Adidas merchandise stand, but as I said previously, no finisher t-shirts at all and no event t-shirts in a medium. There are lots of other stands from other world marathons and running apparel but I didn't really pay much attention. I will be going straight from the airport to collect my kit in Thursday this time so intent on having a closer look.

runspoonrun

29º weather is tough James, so I wouldn’t worry about struggling in that!

Great 20 miler Ian5. Just be careful not to overdo things, 20@MP followed by a half the next week is a lot in a short period!

How did you get on StevieWH? I was a DNS - unfortunately I had an argument with a curb on Friday, and lost! Landed pretty heavily, big grazes on my palms, right elbow and left knee. I could barely walk on Friday, was really worried I was totally screwed. Thankfully the swelling came down on Sunday, and I’ve been able to run fairly normally yesterday and today so cautiously optimistic I’ve been lucky. Annoying to have lost three days and a big session, but could have been much worse! 

Ian5

RSR-Thanks and I will be careful,I tend to recover pretty good,last year I done marathons 2 weeks apart and PB'd in both of them but will keep an eye on it.
Sounds like you got lucky there,there's a guy on another thread who had a fall and parkrun,ended badly and has been out for months,couple of days is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

bobdidmadrid

That's the stuff that nightmares are made of RSR - as are airline strikes on the day of travel! Anybody else likely to be affected by this?

StevieWh

RSR - It went pretty well, 1.20.06 which I'm happy with on a hilly course. Flat and fast it most definitely wasn't! I am going to have to work on hydration for Berlin though as I am useless at drinking out of cups! Hope the knee sorts it self out quickly.


Last couple of big weeks now, got an 11m tempo on Thursday and then 21m with 13@MP (split) on Sunday. Cant believe how close it is now!

Anyone got any good recommendations for the best places for spectators on the course?

james_buchan

Thanks runspoonrun... yeah 29c was brutal and probably shouldn’t have done it but hindsight is wonderful!

Can’t believe we are in September... 15k tomorrow... then 3hr long run for me along the Bristol-Bath pathway this Sunday and then Bristol Half the following Sunday... then it’s just a case of cotton wool wrapping!

SteveWH - loads of spectator spots but they will need to use the s/u-Bahn to get around... also no Sunday trading in Berlin so shops and most museums are closed. My wife walked to the 7km point, then Potsdamer Platz and brandenburg Gate I think.

jxmitchell

StevieWh - the official site has some good maps for spectators.

https://www.bmw-berlin-marathon.com/en/your-race/start-course-finish/spectators/

For example, the "short and painless" one is easy to follow:

https://www.bmw-berlin-marathon.com/fileadmin/marathon/3_karten/BM-19_Strecke_mit_BT_Kurz___Schmerzlos.pdf

AnAussieRunnerinLon

This is feeling way too close now.

When does tapering start for everyone? I'm doing 20 miles/32km at race pace this weekend and that'll be the last real biggy.

Ian5

Aussie-I had that last weekend,meant to be doing a half this weekend then tapering,normally go a few days later but I'm on holiday next week.
Everyone get the start pass through today?

Big_G

Ian, I haven't had anything through via email yet.  Hopefully they're just working through the entrants but if I haven't heard anything in a day or two, I'll drop them an email  

Big_G

Ian, I got the email this evening

Ian5

Big G-Must have been alphabetical order 

Momo21

Hi everyone. I got my start pass today too. Very excited! Got my last long run on Sunday and then it’s taper time. I hope everyone’s training has gone well and they’re looking forward to the race

reece_runs

Hi people, I got my start card through yesterday and at the bottom of the e-mail they said that they could not allocate me to the 1st wave as my time did not conform with their standards of running a sub 3:15 marathon or a sub 1:35 HM. The best marathon time I gave them was 3:10 and I've since ran a 3:00 hour marathon. Not sure if this is just a genuine mistake but I've e-mailed them asking why and for the wave to be changed. Has this happened to anyone else?

runspoonrun

That’s impressive Ian. I ran Manchester last year (2:45:06) and attempted London 2 weeks later, with the intention of running steady, but my legs were still destroyed from Manchester, and that combined with the heat meant I finished in 3:19! I’m used to running 100+ mile weeks, so it’s not like I don’t cope well with fatigue, but I’m always a wreck after a marathon. I won’t be trying a double like that again

Great time Stevie, that’s annoying the course wasn’t as advertised - I hate it when organisers do that. It’s not like you aren’t going to find out!? Drinking out of cups is a pain, pinching the top together to create a sort of funnel helps I find, although it’s still not great.

That’s strange Reece, does your start pass have the 3:10 time on it? Mine shows my supplied time. My email doesn’t mention start waves at all. Hope they can sort you out. It made me laugh they’re advising to start loading up on pasta already, might be a bit early for carb loading yet

Thankfully my knee seems ok, and I’ve been able to train as normal this week. My heart rate was a bit elevated, and pace a bit slower, for a few days, but it seems to be settling back down now. I’ve got a place at Chippenham Half this Sunday to replace Kenilworth. My taper starts next week with a reduction in mileage, although I still have one last big session on Wednesday (30@MP, 4x5@LT, 30@MP) assuming I’m recovered from Sunday, and then the Worcester 10K next Sunday.

reece_runs

> @runspoonrun said:

> That’s strange Reece, does your start pass have the 3:10 time on it? Mine shows my supplied time. My email doesn’t mention start waves at all. Hope they can sort you out. It made me laugh they’re advising to start loading up on pasta already, might be a bit early for carb loading yet


Turns out they screwed up, my start card did have 3:10 on it which is why I couldn't understand how they got it wrong!

They've since e-mailed me back with a new start card with an up to date PB and confirmed I will be in wave 1.

Ian5

RSR-Are you racing the half on Sunday?
Tough week since my 20,ran 6 recovery on Monday then felt a niggle in my knee,took 3 days off as it didn't feel right,ran 6 today and it seemed ok,but not 100%
Be safe everyone,nearly there now.