From September 17-30, 2024, the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON was celebrated with an entertaining program of events, culminating in Sunday’s highlight under ideal conditions and sunshine. Around one million fans along the 42.195 km route through the German capital witnessed the largest starting field ever in the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, with 58,000 runners.
As diverse as the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON is, the Ethiopian colors dominated the podium on Sunday. In the women’s race, the homeland of running legend Haile Gebrselassie celebrated a first to fourth lock-out. Favorite Tigist Ketema won convincingly ahead of Mestawot Fikir, Bosena Mulatie, and Aberu Ayana Mulisa. Ethiopia’s Milkesa Mengesha took a somewhat surprising victory in the men’s race. Kenyan Cybrian Kotut finished second, while another Ethiopian, Haymanot Alew, claimed third place.
“The 50th BMW Berlin Marathon was a lively anniversary on and off the course and a compelling sporting event with more than 85,000 active participants – more than ever before. A heartfelt thank you to all athletes, the team of our partner SCC EVENTS, the 6,500 volunteers, and all the fans along the route,” said Christian Ach, Head of BMW Germany. “BMW was delighted to contribute as the title partner to the success of this event. The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON moves many of our customers and employees. It also exemplifies the BMW Group’s commitment to sports, as it creates unique moments for everyone involved, connects people from different cultures, and celebrates both diversity and inclusion.”
At the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, several hundred BMW employees from around the world also participated. To get ready and in the spirit of the event, many of them gathered on Saturday at BMW Group Plant Berlin. At the BMW Runners Get-together, they prepared for the race together, embodying the marathon’s spirit of bringing together people from different cultures.
Title partner BMW supported the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON with 65 electric route and organizational vehicles. The all-electric BMW i5 and BMW i4 were used as lead cars. The BMW iX2 safety car was also emission-free, as were four BMW CE 04 scooters. The marathon was a home outing for the two-wheelers that are produced at the BMW Group Plant Berlin.
The BMW Group plant in Berlin can look back on a long tradition of motorcycle manufacturing. BMW motorcycles have been produced in Berlin-Spandau since 1969. With over 2,400 employees and a capacity of up to 900 motorcycles and premium e-scooters per day, the plant is the heart of BMW Motorrad’s global production.
Read the full press release here.
Tags: Berlin marathon running