Berlin Marathon 2014

About this time last year I signed up and began training for my first marathon (Edinburgh)... I was completly new to running but throughout the course of my training i entered a few 10k's and half marathons to get me used to the atmosphere. the marathon was a nightmare, I stubbled across the line vowing never to put myself through anything like that ever again....a month passed, I entered a half marathon - it was local, this would be my last race ever...again. Then a few weeks ago I did a 10k, again my last race ever...now ive just applied to enter the berlin marathon in 2014...am I mad or have I just got the "bug" I cant help myself!

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Comments

  • I just done my first berlin this year...after three in belfast and you wil not regret it, it's stunning , totally different experience to the smaller marathons and a nice flat course too!

  • I have just completed my first marathon in my home city of Chester; what a great experience.   Yep I just applied for the Berlin marathon next year as well image

  • Probably a stupid question but how many applicants are expected?  Curious to know what odds I am facing on getting a place

  • I've applied for the ballot for this. Never done a full fat marathon and I thought Berlin would be a good a place as any to start!

  • I think there are a lot of us crossing our fingers and hoping we get in through the ballot system. I would imagine it will be heavily oversubscribed especially after all the hype regarding the new world record set this year. I'm pretty new to marathon running myself despite being over 50 and by a weird co-incidence the two marathons mentioned on this page are the two I ran this year - Edinburgh and Chester. Ive registered to run Barcelona in March because I'd love to run at least once overseas. Let's all hope we make it to the Berlin starting line up.

     

  • Apparently 74,000 going into the ballot for 40,000 places

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭

    Could be worse!  Where did that figure come from?

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭

    ...oops.  That's the first thing it says on the website.  Fair enough.  image

  • anybody else checking their inbox every 30 seconds even though it says the results will be posted on the 1st?? ha ha

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭

    Nick - I wish both of you all the very best in the ballot (honest!), but I also hope there are a few other people in a similar situation.  It's one thing to click on a few buttons, quite another to part with 90 euros of real money.  So I like to think the real odds are pretty good.

  • thats a fair point phil, 40000 out of 74000 is a 1 in 2 chance anyway add ontop of the the amount of people that dont actually sign up i would imagine the odds are pretty good. anythings got to be better than the VLM ballot!

  • Would the Germans turn away any foreign tourists I ask? Of course not, they run the best economy in Europe - so it makes sense to let plane loads of Brits in for a weekend at the marathon, spending bucketloads of Euros in the shops, bars and restaurants, doesn't it. I know that's suggesting the ballot might be rigged, but stranger things have happened. I bet I don't get in now!

     

  • Just completed Dublin on Monday and now nervously waiting on news of Berlin ballot. Like everyone I keep thinking about the odds - as has been commented you would hope that some of the interested registrants would not follow through with payment opening the way to those who want in but just miss out on the balloted cut-off. However when the website says the total number of participants is limited to 40k - does that number not have to accommodate guaranteed entries? Or, apart from the Elites, is there not a significant number of places held back for various categories? Anyway, should know soon enough if German efficiency kicks in as expected.

  • German efficiency?!?!  If the draw was yesterday where are the emails?

  • ive checked my email and it says results will start going out on the 1st of november

  • I've just had a txt that 2 of my mates are "in"!

    Nothing in my email inbox yet image  

  • imageimage

    My Congratulations email was in my Spam folder!!!

    Good Luck to all hoping for be in Berlin next year!!!!

  • I'm in - woohoo! This will be my fourth marathon. Done Edinburgh in 2011, Liverpool in 2012 and Brighton 2013. Never yet managed to break 4hrs. Got a heartbreaking 4hrs 32 seconds at Brighton so hoping the flat fast course at Berlin will be fourth time lucky. Good luck to all those still waiting. PS - email went to my spam as well so make sure you check it too.
  • I wasn't successful... Here's hoping i'm high on the list for any spaces that become available!

  • I'm not in either, hopefully get in next month although presumably by then flights and accommodation will have rocketed image

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭
    Alwyn McKee wrote (see)

    imageimage

    My Congratulations email was in my Spam folder!!!

    Good Luck to all hoping for be in Berlin next year!!!!

    Snap!  I'm in!!  (Check your spam folders, folks...)

    Commiserations to those unsuccessful at this stage, but keep some faith that extra places must surely come available with people failing to pay for and take up their slots.

  • im not in! gutted, oh well theres chance yet

  • My "sorry!" email was in my spam folder (tut tut google mail). I'll have a think about what I want to do...

    might get lucky in 2 weeks / my favourite sports tour outfit does have some places 

    vs

    lots of other exciting races on

    choices choices.....

    It is a fast course (although can be congested) so those that are in - enjoy!

  • Thank you F2D!  And good luck with your decision making.

    Looks like anyone with gmail ought to be checking their spam folder then...

  • Having just ran the 40th Berlin Marathon I wasn't surprised to receive the "sorry" email!!!

    Good luck to everyone that gets in, Berlin is awesome.

  • Whoohoo, I got in!!  Well chuffed.  Will be my 2nd time running this one and it's well worth it.  Apart from family & friends not being able to come and watch me run I enjoyed it as much as London.

    Had facebook messages from 2 friends so far also getting in too so this time will not be on my lonesome image

    Sorry for those who did not - perhaps snap up a waiting place?

    Now just have to decide whether I can run that race 1 month after my first half-iron tri and the other on my wish list is the Royal Parks Ultra which I'm dying to do but is only 2 weeks afterwards.  Might be a busy Austumn image

  • Ran my first marathon at Abingdon 2 weeks ago and loved it and was unsuccessful in the VLM 2014 ballot, but VERY happy that I got a "congratulations" email for Berlin 2014!!

  • I got in but can't commit to it at the moment, so my place will go back into the pot for the first round rejectees - so if you've been rejected don't give up hope, there must be a few people whose circumstances have changed since the end of September.

    I'm looking at Jersey or Chester as alternatives if my circumstances change again and I am able to train and do one next autumn.

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