A world-class field will be in contention at the 51st edition of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON on 21 September, 2025.
Kenyans Sabastian Sawe and Rosemary Wanjiru head deep start lists with personal bests of 2:02:05 and 2:16:14 respectively. While they are considered favourites the men’s race features the defending champion Milkesa Mengesha of Ethiopia. He set his PB of 2:03:17 in Berlin last year.
Ten men are on the start list with personal bests of sub 2:05:00 and six women have already achieved times of under 2:19:00. Based on these figures it is the best line-up in the history of the BMW BERLIN MARATHON.
Once again a very fast race can be expected on the flat Berlin course, which has seen a unique number of 13 world records during its 50-year-history.
The organisers have also pulled off an extraordinary coup. Both Japanese record holders will be running in Berlin next week: Kengo Suzuki holds the national record with a time of 2:04:56 and Honami Maeda is the fastest Japanese woman of all time with 2:18:59.
For around 25 years at least, no other organiser of a city marathon outside Japan has managed to get the two Japanese record holders to compete in one race.
This reflects the enormous significance the BMW BERLIN MARATHON has in Japan, a country where long distance running is hugely popular.
The Top 20 on the Start List – BMW Berlin Marathon 2025
MEN:
- Sabastian Sawe KEN 2:02:05 – 1. Valencia 24
- Gabriel Geay TAN 2:03:00 – 2. Valencia 22
- Milkesa Mengesha ETH 2:03:17 – 1. Berlin 24
- Haymanot Alew ETH 2:03:31 – 3. Berlin 24
- Guye Adola ETH 2:03:46 – 2. Berlin 17
- Leul Gebresilase ETH 2:04:02 – 2. Dubai 18
- Daniel Mateiko KEN 2:04:24 – 3. Valencia 24
- Haftu Teklu ETH 2:04:42 – 5. Berlin 23
- Chimdessa Debele ETH 2:04:44 – 6. Valencia 24
- Kengo Suzuki JPN 2:04:56 – 1. Otsu 21
- Chala Regasa ETH 2:05:06 – 2. Rotterdam 25
- Samwel Mailu KEN 2:05:08 – 1. Wien 23
- Yihunilign Adane ETH 2:05:37 – 1. Osaka 25
- Tariku Novales ESP 2:05:48 – 11. Valencia 23
- Kyohei Hosoya JPN 2:05:58 – 4. Osaka 25
- Yuhei Urano JPN 2:06:23 – 13. Tokyo 25
- Shuho Dairokuno JPN 2:07:12 – 6. Otsu 21
- Hendrik Pfeiffer GER 2:07:14 – 3. Houston 24
- Yitayew Abuhay ISR 2:07:26 – 11. Sevilla 25
- Ezra Tanui KEN 2:07:28 – 1. Doha 25
WOMEN:
- Rosemary Wanjiru KEN 2:16:14 – 2. Tokyo 24
- Degitu Azimeraw ETH 2:17:58 – 2. London 21
- Dera Dida ETH 2:18:32 – 2. Dubai 25
- Mestawut Fikir ETH 2:18:48 – 2. Berlin 24
- Tigist Girma ETH 2:18:52 – 7. Valencia 22
- Honami Maeda JPN 2:18:59 – 2. Osaka 24
- Sharon Chelimo KEN 2:19:33 – 1. Barcelona 25
- Aberu Ayana ETH 2:20:20 – 4. Berlin 24
- Azmera Gebru ETH 2:20:48 – 3. Amsterdam 19
- Kidsan Alema ETH 2:22:28 – 6. Sevilla 22
- Violah Cheptoo KEN 2:22:44 – 2. New York 21
- Betty Chepkwony KEN 2:23:02 – 1. Rom 23
- Domenika Mayer GER 2:23:47 – 14. Berlin 23
- Deborah Schöneborn GER 2:24:54 – 4. Houston 24
- Aberash Demisse ETH 2:25:43 – 10. Frankfurt 24
- Fabienne Königstein GER 2:25:48 – 8. Hamburg 23
- Aleksandra Lisowska POL 2:25:52 – 28. Valencia 23
- Samantha Harrison GBR 2:25:59 – 11. London 23
- Irvette Van Zyl RSA 2:26:11 – 16. Valencia 22
- Hanne Verbruggen BEL 2:26:32 – 7. Sevilla 23
