World marathon major

Berlin marathon is a dream race for many runners including myself. It is difficult to get one of the 55 000 spots and after 10+ years of trying I got an email in February this year saying I was selected. You can all guess how lucky I was. Cleared the calendar and made that weekend more holy than Christmas. It is one of the Abbott major marathons and by many runners a goal to complete all of them (London, New York, Chicago, Sydney, Berlin, Tokyo, Boston soon Cape Town). I also once would love to do them all but no stress. I hope to be able to run for many more years. Flight booked, hotel booked and I was ready to go. Be prepared that the Berlin story will be a long story and it is okey to fall asleep.

Race preparation

I work in aviation and once a year there is a running competition among all airlines arranged by one airline. World airline road race. WARR. This year it was going to take place in Switzerland and my employer Swiss was arranging it. I been taking part once in Dubai in 2015 and of course wanted to be part of it again when it was more or less outside my door. The thing was that the race number for Berlin needs to be picked up personally so of logistics reasons I had to travel to Berlin on Thursday to pick up my number. Go back to Switzerland Friday to volonteer at the race event, run the 5K on Saturday and fly back to Berlin on Saturday evening. Now I did not only wanted to participate in the WARR event, I know I am quite good at 5K so goal was to be top 3 of females. Maybe maxing out a 5K race in 26 degrees gazing sun is not the best preparation for a marathon but I made it, didn’t pushed all I had for a good time but enough to secure a third place. Got a podium place. All happy. Went home, packed my bag and to the airport to fly to Berlin.

Came there, got offloaded from my flight. Waited, waited, looked for trains as a last option to be on time to Berlin and the problem got solved by a non show passenger. I was though counting on some nice business class food. But no. I got an economy seat and sorry to say but nothing I tried from the Swiss menu is something I like to eat so was looking forward to my late night Vapiano when I got to Berlin. Almost ran to the train to get off at Alexanderplats to get my pasta. Finished. Now it was just after 21 and Vapiano was out of pasta to feed all carb loading runners. I asked for recommendation to another pasta place nearby and got one. 500 meters walk and they said 1,5 hours wait. No way. Next place I got recommended. L’Osteria. Have tried that chain once before and it was nothing to write home about. But what to do? I went there. Had disgusting bruschetta that was impossible to finish and overcooked pasta swimming in sauce that I needed to just eat so was chew and swallow. Then to the hotel for sleeping.

Ready, set…

Race morning started with that I felt like a 80 year old having pain in my legs, neck, back and abs so it was amazing to try to roll out of the bed and gear up in running clothes knowing 42 195 meters of running was in front of me. I might get this opportunity to run Berlin marathon once in my life so I would drag myself over the finish line even if I had to crawl. Had some good tasting breakfast and took S-bahn 1,5 kilometer to Adidas runbase just near the start line at Brandenburg tor to met up with some running friends, do pre race talk, have a banana, take pictures and best of all going to real toilets without any line. The official lines for the portable toilets was for sure 30 minutes wait. At least. The atmosphere was amazing. Runners and supporters, everyone was in festival mode. Like I had expected. Berlin, Stockholm, Rio, Los Angeles, and New York are comparable when it comes to race pepp around the event. These races are next level experience.

A group picture of some of us from the Zürich group I that joined Berlin marathon this year. A mixed group I would say, from full Iron Man guys finishing the 42K in 3 hours to the ones just happy to finish in whatever time.

Starting up the engine

9:45 was my start slot in group E. It was about a kilometers walk though Tiergarten to the start corral and people everywhere so I had a hard grip on my Tiger balm box that would soften my sore body. I been a top user of heat rub when I played soccer and panicked if it was not in our medical bag. The stronger version the better. I put on my red extra strong Tiger balm from Thailand once I got to the start corral and hoped it would stay as long as possible. Countdown to the start and we were off.

I was questioning myself both once and twice why I do this to myself the first kilometers. I had absolutely no flow. Didn’t even checked the time of my watch because it felt I was running in slow motion. If I would have finished in 5 hours I would been happy. 6 hours also. Any time before the finish line closed. I don’t remember much of the first 10K. It was just very crowded, I got stepped on my feets and stepped on some. Packed with people watching, screaming, cheering. I was just going with the flow around me. It was also very, very hot. 27 degrees and warmest Berlin marathon in 19 years. Then add the heath factor from all sweaty runners. And no wind.

Off we go

The race was not a comfortable run. My legs was screaming stop every kilometer. Counted down already at 10K. I am usually quite okey with the heat but this was another level. Gazing sun and no wind. Every water station I stopped and walked, had two mugs to drink and one to pour over my head. Berlin used plastic cups and that was a big fail. Just think 55 000 runners and average 2 cups each at each station. That is alot of cups so running though the water depos was running over an ice skating rink due to the slippery energy drinks on the ground then covered with all plastic cups. I managed well. Most likely not because of all hours I spent on ice skating rinks when growing up but rather that I saw it as an excuse to walk some extra steps.

Kept on running, running and running. It got a bit less crowded for a while so I could focus more on how painful it was rather than not make someone else trip or trip over someone. 15K, 19K soon half way through. I was not checking my watch too much. A bit here and there to make sure I was okey time wise. Of course I wanted to finish sub 4 when I had started. After 25K it felt a bit better. The sun was not anymore hitting in the face and you could actually feel the wind a bit. And the course passed by areas of shade for the next 10Ks.

I got some new energy. Stopped and stretched my legs, back and especially my hamstring that was very painful at this point. It felt a little bit better. Had the second gel and restarted. Next goal was 35K and gel number three.

I am not a fan of gels but have learnt I need to grab some energy at a marathon. This was the first time I tried having three. The first and second I could finish but the third I had to spit out most of it. Until now I have only found one brand that doesn’t make me look for a toilet straight away. 35K done and just the final left. Here I knew I would make it sub 4 and wasn’t caring if it would be 3:59:59 or 3:50:00 or whatever I just made a deal with myself sub 4 and I can walk as much as I wish.

My Garmin was almost exactly synced with the kilometer signs and when number 39 was coming I was so happy. Now it was mostly my arm that hurted. I did something with a muscle two weeks ago when I went for a pilates class so I can feel every movement and it is a lot of movements of the arms when running a marathon. The final approach was very nice though. Packed with people and again back under Brandenburg tour and an additional 200 meters until the watch could be turned off.

I didn’t made Berlin marathon in style but I made it. To finish sub 4 was a big bonus I secretly wished for but could not expect when I rolled out of my bed on race day morning. The race was great and could warmly recommend to every runner to try their luck in the lottery. I will most likely not take up another spot but it will forever stay in my memory.

The trip home was also another level. 18 hours and 50 minutes Berlin to Zurich but I save you from the details. Now I will rest my body a little bit. Recover and think what will be the next marathon in my 40 year old celebration series including 12 marathons in 2025. 7 done now. Samarkand and Shanghai booked.

Any other happy finishers from Berlin?

/ Pernilla the marathon runner