Organiser SCC Events registered approximately 48,000 participants over a two-day festival of sport to mark the 45th anniversary of the Generali Berlin Half Marathon. The event weekend, held on March 28-29, 2026, saw record-breaking numbers across several categories, establishing it as one of the largest half marathon events globally.
The mainstay half marathon distance featured 42,563 runners from 134 nations. The field was bolstered by 900 skaters, 20 wheelchair athletes and handbikers, and approximately 1,600 junior participants across the Bambini and Kids Skating events.
A significant demographic shift was noted in the 2026 edition, with women making up 46% of the total running field. This represents a steady increase from 43% in 2025 and 39% in 2019. The trend is most pronounced in younger age groups; women accounted for 54% of participants aged 25–30 and 60% of those in the 18–25 category.
The weekend also featured the premiere of the Garmin Berlin Mile on the Saturday, which attracted more than 3,000 runners to the 1,609m course.
Jürgen Lock, CEO of SCC Events, noted that “The Garmin Berlin Mile at Generali Berlin Half Marathon is perfect for beginners who want to celebrate their first personal achievements over the 1,609 metres.”
In the elite races, several national records were broken despite cold conditions of approximately 4°C. Amanal Petros finished third in the men’s race with a time of 59:22, breaking his own German record by nine seconds. This performance made him the fourth fastest European half marathon runner in history.
Further national records were set by athletes from France, Burundi, Rwanda, Belgium, and Spain. In total, six athletes established new national benchmarks during the race.
The men’s race was won by Kenyan newcomer Andrea Kiptoo in 59:11, followed by pacemaker Dennis Kipkemoi, who finished with the same time. The women’s race was led by Ethiopian Likina Amebaw, who finished in 65:07. This marked the third-fastest women’s time in the event’s history. Esther Pfeiffer was the leading German and European finisher, recording a personal best of 67:25.
In the para-athlete categories, Mathias Behr (GER) won the handbike race in 44:09, while Yvonne Pijahn (GER) led the women’s field in 49:31. The wheelchair titles went to Amos Ruben Donath (GER) in 56:24 – a German junior record – and Shauna Bocquet (IRL) in 59:11.
The 2026 event also saw the launch of a dedicated app featuring live tracking and interactive course maps for spectators. Participants were encouraged to donate warm clothing at the start line to Berliner Stadtmission to assist local homeless populations.
Tina Mirzai-Spitzer, Head of Corporate Communications at Generali Deutschland, said “We are very proud to have been part of this special event as title partner for eight years. For us, sport is far more than movement – it connects people, creates community, and stands for equal opportunities.”
The 46th edition of the event is expected to continue its partnership with the Berlin Police, Fire Department, and Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe to manage the logistics of the city-wide race.
www.generaliberlinerhalbmarathon.de
