Berlin Marathon 2006 - Events

Mighty Red

04/04/2006 at 13:10

Thought I'd get in early and ask if there was anyone out there doing the Berlin Marathon on the 24th September 2006?

Anybody who has already done it, and can recommend the best airport, what train to catch, where to get a cheap hotel near(ish) to the finish line, what to do, where to do it etc. etc.

dynamokev

04/04/2006 at 14:10

Hi Mark

I've been a bit ludicrously organized and got registered for this about a month or so ago.

Not done the marathon here before but visited last October - it's a really good place to go, like walking around a 20th century history lesson.

Will be flying into Tegel with Air Berlin this time. Schonefeld's pretty basic and a little way out (30 minute or so train ride). As for hotels, the nearest ones will be next to the Brandenburg Gate/Reichstag and tend to be the priciest in town.

I'll be staying in Mitte at the Arcotel Velvet - it's a little further out but still within walking distance of the start (as are most places near the centre of town - Friedrichstrasse, Potsdamer Platz etc.)

The course itself is renowned for being flat and fast so I'm hoping to do a pretty decent time with any luck. Can't wait to finish and sink a weisse or ten.

Mighty Red

04/04/2006 at 14:19

This will be my 4th, and hopefully my fastest. I am aiming for a sub 4:30, but hopefully nearer to 4 than 4:30. Had a very bad experience at Blackpool last year, which set me back quite a bit, but I am doing Lochaber in 3 weeks, so that should give me an indication of how much I will need to do to achieve my goal.

I will by flying in the Schonfeld from Liverpool and staying at the A&O Mitte, which I assume is in Mitte. It was only £155 for return flights, b&b, which is considerably cheaper than the £540 that SportTours wanted.

04/04/2006 at 17:25

We did it last year and had a ball. Flew in to Tegel from Manchester with Lufthansa I think. Can't remember the exact price but under £100 I think?

Stayed out at an Ibis in the suburbs. It's so easy to get around on the tube system (can't remember it's official name) and the trains seemed to run like clockwork. Typical German efficiency. People were friendly and the sun never stopped shining (perhaps a bit too much on race day so take precautions). Breakfast run on the saturday was worth doing, lots of grub at the end of that and the saturday rollerblade marathon was also fun to watch. They put on loads of market stalls and food places etc by the end of the course (the marathon and the rollerblade more or less the same course and the same finish) so there's a real festival atmosphere. Oh and I got a pb!

Wish I was coming now but we decided to try Budapest this year instead...

04/04/2006 at 17:25

The U-bahn is the Berlin tube...doh!

YP1

04/04/2006 at 17:42

I'm doing it, it will be my first marathon. I'm flying into Schonefeld from Liverpool too, I decided to splash out on a more expensive hotel near the start/finish as the flights were nice and cheap. I'm not too scared about it yet, although I'm sure I will be soon!

Mighty Red

06/04/2006 at 14:58

Raymond Thwaites 2 come on down

raysalaugh

06/04/2006 at 15:24

HI Mark, I have booked our flights and we are staying at the Generator Hostel, it's only 25euo a night. Going out on the Thursday and coming back on the monday, so should get some sight seeing in. If you are looking at a 4.30 then we might have to meet up in Berlin prior to the walk, oops run. Went out there many moons ago b4 the wall came down and loved it, can't wait. As I said I have just started using a heart rate monitor and it seems to be working for me. Any thoughts?

Durham Dawdler

06/04/2006 at 15:30

I have just come back from Berlin, as I was due to run the half last weekend, but missed it due to injury.

I stayed at the Quality Hotel, Berlin Tegel which is a 10 minute walk from the U-Bahn but has the airport bus from tegel stopping right outside.

It's a 3 star hotel and we paid £123 for two of us for three nights via lastminute.com. The hotel was good and the staff really friendly.

I am thinking about entering the marathon in September, but not decided yet

fi fi

11/04/2006 at 14:32

Seriously considering this one.

Just back from Rotterdam,got a PB,but not the time i wanted....so i want to go back for more to get that sub4!!

Just got to check out flight and hotel prices.

David Fagan

11/04/2006 at 16:43

Just finished Paris and looking for an Autumn mara...this was recomended by one of the other Paris runners....mmmmmm

Jayne G

11/04/2006 at 16:46

Hi - was supposed to do this last year but fell over a few weeks before and injured my knee. I still went for a weekend away and would recommend it. Great crowds and great organisation.
We flew from Schoenfeld (or however you spell it) and it is quite a way from the centre so would go from Tegel to make the journey easier.
Just back from Rotterdam marathon where I did 3.33 so may give this a go in an attempt to get under 3.30!

fi fi

11/04/2006 at 16:50

Go on Jayne,be good fun:)

Mighty Red

11/04/2006 at 16:56

RT2, I found my HRM really useful when I started out, and when I wanted to up my pace. Your MAX heartrate should be 220 minus your age, e.g. 220-21 = 199. If you get to within a few beats and stay there for too long you will probably collapse in a heap. So the idea of using a HRM is to help pace yourself to keep as low as possible.

I found that once I'd established a pace i didn't need the monitor. At the moment I am getting over a virus and my attempts to do a 4.30 at Lochaber in a couple of weeks have been severly dented.

Depending on how I do (hopefully finish!), I will set my pace for Berlin. If I do go for a faster pace (which I intend too), I will use my HRM to pace my Fartlek runs. Sprint until HR goes high, walk until it drops, jog keeping it steady. This , for me, is it's 'killer app' as they say.

Jayne G

11/04/2006 at 19:31

hi fi fi!! There's no hiding is there!

Are you doing it too?

fi fi

11/04/2006 at 23:36

Jayne,
It was between this one or Amsterdam,other half wants to go to Berlin,so depending on cost of it all,this is most likely.

dynamokev

12/04/2006 at 09:12

Given the cost of accommodation in Amsterdam, I would have thought Berlin would be the better bet economically.

fi fi

12/04/2006 at 10:48

Probably right Dynamokev.Need to start booking to get the better deals.

Philip R

13/04/2006 at 21:40

Does anyone know if you have to collect your number and if so when is the latest that this can be done?

Or do they post numbers out in advance?

I am thinking of flying on the Saturday before the race.

Jayne G

14/04/2006 at 08:25

Philip, you need to collect your number from the Expo.