Berlin, August 19 – The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, scheduled for September 27, 2026, continues to build anticipation with the announcement of additional top-tier athletes joining both the men’s and women’s elite fields. Organizer SCC EVENTS also released its comprehensive Sustainability Report 2025, detailing its commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
International Top Stars Bolster Men’s Field
The men’s field has been significantly strengthened with the inclusion of several prominent international runners. Gabriel Geay, the Tanzanian marathon record holder, is confirmed to race. Geay, 29, secured his place among the 20 fastest marathon runners in history with a time of 2:03:00 hours in Valencia in 2022, and he also finished as runner-up at the Boston Marathon in 2023.
Guye Adola, who previously set his personal best of 2:03:46 hours in Berlin in 2017, is also set to return. After battling injuries, the 35-year-old made a strong comeback this spring, winning the Rotterdam Marathon with a time of 2:03:54 hours.
Marathon Team Berlin Sets Sights on German Personal Bests
German athletes from Marathon Team Berlin are aiming for new personal bests. Johannes Motschmann is targeting a sub-2:10:00 finish, building on his current personal best of 2:10:39 hours. Sebastian Hendel, who achieved a personal best of 2:07:33 hours at the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON two years ago, is also looking for a successful comeback after recent health issues.
Aaron Bienenfeld (Düsseldorf Athletics) made an impressive marathon debut in Hamburg in April, clocking 2:08:47 hours, the fastest marathon debut ever by a German runner. Haftom Welday (TB Hamburg Eilbeck), who improved his personal best to 2:08:13 hours at the Barcelona Marathon this spring, is also preparing to lower his time further.
World-Class Women’s Field Reinforced
The women’s elite field has been further enhanced with the addition of Bedatu Hirpa. The 27-year-old Ethiopian won the Dubai Marathon last year with a personal best of 2:18:27 hours and followed it with a victory at the Paris Marathon. Earlier this year, she secured second place at the Osaka Marathon with a time of 2:19:54 hours.
German Women on the Rise
Kristina Hendel (Marathon Team Berlin) will also be competing, aiming to regain her top form after injury setbacks since her personal best of 2:27:29 hours four years ago. Anna Langerwisch (Marathon Team Berlin) had a significant breakthrough at the Prague Marathon this year, recording 2:32:13 hours in only her second marathon. She also won the Hanover Half Marathon with a time of 70:53 minutes and recently ran a strong 32:17 minutes over ten kilometers at the adidas Runners City Night.
Sustainability Report Published by SCC EVENTS
Beyond the elite athlete announcements, SCC EVENTS has released its first comprehensive Sustainability Report for 2025. This report covers the company’s entire operations, including its office and warehouse locations, as well as all its sporting events. It details initiatives and developments across key areas such as environmental protection, social responsibility, economic viability, and corporate governance. Notably, the report highlights that events organized by SCC EVENTS generated a total of €10.24 million in donations for charitable projects in 2025.
The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON has also achieved Gold Level under the international sustainability standard “Athletics for a Better World” set by World Athletics, an improvement from last year’s Silver status, underscoring SCC EVENTS’ commitment to sustainability beyond the race itself.
Around 60,000 athletes from approximately 160 countries are expected to participate in the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, including runners, wheelchair competitors, handbikers, and inline skaters.
