Berlin Marathon: Elevation Profile, Course Map & Pace Calculator
Last Sunday of September · Exceptionally flat and fast · 70 m total ascent
A flat, fast loop through central Berlin and the world's premier record course. Eight men's world records have fallen here since 1998, most recently Eliud Kipchoge's 2:01:09. Brandenburg Gate sits at km 41, and the closing kilometre runs straight down Unter den Linden.
The Berlin Marathon is exceptionally flat and fast — rated 1/5 on our difficulty scale. Over the official 42.195 km (26.2 mi) the course gains about 230 ft (70 m) and loses 230 ft (70 m), with roughly level start to finish. Grade-adjusted pace says the toughest stretch arrives at kilometre 27 (near mile 17), demanding about 4% more effort than the same distance on flat ground.
Course stats
| Distance | 26.2 mi (42.195 km) |
|---|---|
| Location | Berlin, Germany |
| Total ascent | 230 ft (70 m) |
| Total descent | 230 ft (70 m) |
| Elevation range | 20 m (65 ft) |
| Net elevation | +3 ft (+1 m) |
| Steepest grade | 1.8% |
| Difficulty | 1/5 |
| Field size | ≈55,000 runners |
| Race day | Last Sunday of September |
| Elevation from | LGB DGM1 (Brandenburg + Berlin, 1 m) |
Bare-earth terrain model, smoothed over 500 m — it measures the ground, not the rooftops.
Key segments
| km 0–10 | Start to 10K. Rolling (+20 / −15 m). |
|---|---|
| km 10–21.1 | 10K to halfway. Flat (+10 / −15 m). |
| km 21.1–30 | Halfway to 30K. Net uphill, 15 m (+30 / −15 m), about 1% harder than flat. |
| km 30–42.2 | 30K to the finish. Net downhill, 15 m (+15 / −25 m), about 1% easier than flat. |
Kilometre-by-kilometre splits (grade-adjusted)
Grade-adjusted (GAP) splits for a 4:00:00 finish, computed from the course's elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model: uphill kilometres get more time, downhills less, at even effort. Splits scale proportionally for any other goal time — the interactive pace calculator on this page computes them exactly.
| Kilometre | GAP pace /km | GAP pace /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:42 | 9:11 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 5:42 |
| 2 | 5:43 | 9:12 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 11:25 |
| 3 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 17:04 |
| 4 | 5:41 | 9:08 | -1 ft (0 m) | 22:45 |
| 5 | 5:40 | 9:08 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 28:25 |
| 6 | 5:44 | 9:14 | +5 ft (+2 m) | 34:09 |
| 7 | 5:43 | 9:12 | +1 ft (0 m) | 39:52 |
| 8 | 5:39 | 9:05 | -5 ft (-1 m) | 45:31 |
| 9 | 5:47 | 9:18 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 51:17 |
| 10 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 57:02 |
| 11 | 5:37 | 9:03 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 1:02:40 |
| 12 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 1:08:20 |
| 13 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 1:14:00 |
| 14 | 5:41 | 9:08 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:19:40 |
| 15 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 1:25:21 |
| 16 | 5:42 | 9:11 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 1:31:03 |
| 17 | 5:43 | 9:13 | +4 ft (+1 m) | 1:36:46 |
| 18 | 5:42 | 9:10 | +2 ft (0 m) | 1:42:28 |
| 19 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 1:48:08 |
| 20 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 1:53:48 |
| 21 | 5:38 | 9:04 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 1:59:26 |
| 22 | 5:44 | 9:14 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:05:10 |
| 23 | 5:46 | 9:17 | +8 ft (+2 m) | 2:10:56 |
| 24 | 5:42 | 9:10 | +1 ft (0 m) | 2:16:38 |
| 25 | 5:47 | 9:19 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 2:22:25 |
| 26 | 5:38 | 9:04 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:28:03 |
| 27 | 5:47 | 9:19 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 2:33:50 |
| 28 | 5:56 | 9:33 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 2:39:46 |
| 29 | 5:41 | 9:08 | -1 ft (0 m) | 2:45:27 |
| 30 | 5:36 | 9:00 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 2:51:03 |
| 31 | 5:37 | 9:03 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 2:56:40 |
| 32 | 5:41 | 9:09 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:02:21 |
| 33 | 5:28 | 8:48 | -24 ft (-7 m) | 3:07:49 |
| 34 | 5:36 | 9:01 | -9 ft (-3 m) | 3:13:25 |
| 35 | 5:41 | 9:08 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:19:06 |
| 36 | 5:42 | 9:10 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:24:47 |
| 37 | 5:42 | 9:10 | +2 ft (0 m) | 3:30:29 |
| 38 | 5:39 | 9:06 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 3:36:08 |
| 39 | 5:43 | 9:13 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 3:41:52 |
| 40 | 5:41 | 9:08 | -1 ft (0 m) | 3:47:32 |
| 41 | 5:40 | 9:07 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:53:12 |
| 42 | 5:42 | 9:10 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:58:53 |
| 42.2 | 5:41 | 9:09 | 0 ft (0 m) | 4:00:00 |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Berlin Marathon flat or hilly?
The Berlin Marathon is exceptionally flat and fast (1/5 difficulty). Total ascent is about 230 ft (70 m) over 26.2 miles.
How much elevation gain does the Berlin Marathon have?
About 230 ft (70 m) of total ascent and 230 ft (70 m) of descent, for a net change of +3 ft (1 m). Elevation is sampled from LGB DGM1 (Brandenburg + Berlin, 1 m) and smoothed over 500 m, so it will not match a GPS watch step for step.
What is the hardest part of the Berlin Marathon course?
Kilometre 27 (near mile 17) is the toughest split on the course by grade-adjusted effort. Grade-adjusted pace puts it at roughly 4% more effort than flat running.
How long is the Berlin Marathon?
42.195 km (26.2 miles), the standard marathon distance. Certified courses are measured along the shortest legal line with a small safety margin, so a GPS watch usually reads a few hundred metres long — you run wider than the measured line, and GPS adds error of its own. Pace off the course markers rather than your watch's distance in the closing kilometres.
When is the Berlin Marathon?
The Berlin Marathon is typically held on the last Sunday of September. The next edition is expected around September 26, 2027. Confirm the exact date on the official race website.
How many runners take part in the Berlin Marathon?
The field is roughly 55,000 runners.
What pace do I need to run the Berlin Marathon in my goal time?
At an even pace: 3:00:00 needs 6:52/mi (4:16/km); 3:30:00 needs 8:01/mi (4:59/km); 4:00:00 needs 9:09/mi (5:41/km); 4:30:00 needs 10:18/mi (6:24/km); 5:00:00 needs 11:27/mi (7:07/km); 5:30:00 needs 12:35/mi (7:49/km). On this course, grade-adjusted pacing shifts a few seconds per mile between uphill and downhill splits — the pace calculator on this page computes those splits for any goal time.
Plan your Berlin race
Courses like this one
- Chicago Marathon — 1/5 difficulty, 230 ft (70 m) ascent
- Osaka Marathon — 1/5 difficulty, 240 ft (70 m) ascent
- Valencia Marathon — 1/5 difficulty, 260 ft (80 m) ascent
How Berlin Marathon ranks
- Flattest marathon courses — ranked 5 of 20 (230 ft (70 m) of climbing)
- World Marathon Majors compared — ranked 3 of 7 (230 ft (70 m) of climbing)
- Biggest marathons by field size — ranked 1 of 20 (≈55,000 runners)
Official race site: https://www.bmw-berlin-marathon.com/