Big In Berlin

24 SEP2010

The Berlin Marathon is taking place this weekend and many Brits will be heading to Germany to join 40,000 other runners with high expectations for the 37th running of this historic event. The party atmosphere has already started in the city with the Berlin Vital Expo leading into the first of the events tomorrow. The Bambini Run for under 10s will be the first to start, with the Mini Marathon and unusual Inline Skating marathon following in the afternoon. The marathon itself will be run on Sunday, starting at 9am.

The race will start in the centre of Berlin, between the Brandenburg Gate and Victory Column, taking runners out to the west of the city, before heading east past the Reichstag and television tower. The route will then lead down to the south west of the city; runners will pass the iconic Kaiser-Willhelm Church and Postdamer Platz. The finishing straight in on Berlin's famous streets, Unter den Linden, with the finish line just through the Brandenburg Gate.

One Brit who is heading out to Berlin to take part in his first ever marathon on Sunday is Dougie McGregor. He told NORTHERN RUNNING GUIDE, "I have been running for a long time and always knew I would do a marathon, but this one came about as part of a drunken bet, which I am now going to fulfil. I chose the Berlin Marathon as my first, as I hoped the weather would be fairly cool and more settled than many of the races in Britain."

"I have been troubled with injury in the run up to the race, however I am still hoping for a sub 4 hour time. My coach has helped me with a great training plan and I have completed some 20 mile races recently, which have been really good. I don't know how I will feel about doing another marathon when I finish the race, will just have to wait and see!"

The current weather forecast for Berlin on Sunday is for highs of 20 and light rain, which will suit many runners, the rain keeping them cool. NORTHERN RUNNING GUIDE would like to wish all Brits taking part in the Berlin Marathon on Sunday the best of luck, the race will be televised on British Eurosport for any supporters who are staying in the UK.