October 19th, 2022. The day I entered my name and application into the Berlin Marathon lottery. At the time, I had read that there was a 16% chance of my name being drawn, so I thought, “Why not?”. There was no way my application would be picked.
I was wrong. On December 1st, I received an email that the lottery fairy had drawn my name, and I was in for the 2023 Berlin Marathon! Flights were booked, and travel accommodations were arranged for my fiancé (now husband), my sister, and me, all set to make the trip together for the race on Sunday, September 24.
Travel
After 16 weeks of a training block build, we boarded a plane from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on the afternoon of Thursday, September 21st. Looking back, if I were to change our departure time, I would have left for Berlin at least one day earlier, giving myself a bit more time to acclimate before race day.
We flew through the night, had a layover in Stockholm, and officially landed in Berlin around 9 am local time. We flew with Scandinavian Airlines and had a wonderful experience, especially because we got lucky with a very reasonable flight price.
Throughout the flight, it was fun to see passengers sporting various past years’ gear from Boston, NYC,
Chicago, Tokyo, and the Berlin Marathons, all making the same trek to the Berlin start line.
Public Transportation
From Berlin Airport, my fiancé, sister, and I navigated our way to the train heading towards downtown Berlin, where we checked into our hotel. For those who have never been to Berlin, their public transit system is incredible. Before you arrive, download the BVG app to your phone. There, you will find various ticket types. Since we were staying in Berlin for 6 days, my fiancé and sister purchased the 7-day ticket for 39.00 euros, or about $42 USD – super affordable! We didn’t end up taking any transportation other than the bus or train during our entire trip. For marathoners, the Berlin Marathon offers participants free public transportation from Thursday to Sunday, I believe. Be sure to download the BMW Berlin Marathon app once it goes live and save your Participant Guide emailed to you closer to race day.
Hotel Accommodations
Since the two marathons I had done before were in Chicago, where I could stay in my own apartment, flying across the world to Germany required more research. I stumbled upon Hotel AMANO Grand Central and rented the business suite, which had two bathrooms, a bedroom, and a smaller living and dining room area with a pull-out couch. Since there were three of us, and I had read that the rooms were a bit small, we decided to reserve the largest one they had – a decision that couldn't have been better. The hotel was fantastic, very clean, with a great restaurant and bar on the first floor and a cool rooftop bar. The best perk was the location – right across the street from Berlin Grand Central Station. On race morning, I walked to the train, rode two stops, and was practically right where I needed to be to head to the start line. After the race, my fiancé and sister found me, and we walked about a 15-20 minute walk along the river back to our hotel – a walk that saved my legs and kept me from being nearly as sore the following days.
Hotel AMANO Grand Central Hotel:
Race Expo
Saturday morning, we woke up, and I ventured out for my shakeout run, a beautiful mini-tour of the city that built excitement for the grand tour I’d take the next morning. I ran past historic buildings, art installations, remnants of the Berlin Wall, and through a park where I could see the TV Tower in the distance. Truly surreal. After the run, I met up with my sister and fiancé at Coffee Fellows, a cozy coffee shop along the river we frequented multiple times during our trip. Highly recommend their cappuccinos and pastrami bagel sandwiches!
We got ready and took the train to the Expo. As mentioned earlier, the public transit in Berlin is incredible. We easily navigated our way to the expo, which was held in the former Airport Tempelhof. It felt like stepping back in history in this now-popular event location. Going to the expo on Saturday morning surprisingly wasn’t as busy as we expected, so waiting until the last day ended up being a blessing. I grabbed my wristband, picked up some merch, and we walked around, making sure to keep the walking to a minimum as much as possible.
Exploring Before Race Day
Following the expo, we took the train to the Brandenburg Gate, where we could walk around and take in the incredible view of the historic monument I was going to be crossing under in less than 24 hours! We grabbed a table for lunch outside at the gorgeous Brasserie Quarre restaurant in the Hotel Adlon, with amazing views of the Brandenburg Gate and the energy of runners and spectators getting excited for the next day’s race.
We then made our way nearby to the Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe, an incredible memorialized monument, a must-see. If you can plan ahead, I’d suggest making reservations at Mama Trattoria Berlin. This Italian restaurant, located right next to Brandenburg Gate, had a great selection of pasta and pizzas, all made from organic dough. As an American, one thing I was not prepared for was how much bread, pasta, and carbs in general I was going to eat without hardly ever feeling full – definitely a plus for traveling to Europe! Once we wrapped up dinner, we headed back to the hotel. I grabbed a bagel and peanut butter at a local shop for the next morning and began mentally preparing for the big day.
Post Race
Race day itself was INCREDIBLE! So much so that it deserves its own separate blog post. After the race, I took a highly anticipated shower, and we headed to Wildes Fraulein, where we ordered 3 liters of beer. I personally savored every sip. Next door was an Italian restaurant where we grabbed pizza before heading back to the hotel after a long day for a good night’s rest.
The following days were filled with delicious food, great drinks, immersion into the amazing culture of Germany, and its historic sites. Below, you’ll find a list of our favorite restaurants, bars, and sites that I highly recommend!
To Eat/Drink
Humboldt Forum: There is a rooftop bar that is worth going up to grab a drink and see the city from a very cool perspective.
Mamma Trattoria: Great location for carb loading the night before the race.
La Ciccia: Antipasti, pizza, pasta, and amazing cocktails located right next to the river with beautiful views of Museum Island and Berliner Dom.
Alois Moser: Traditional German dishes. Located right next to La Ciccia, also along the river with outdoor seating. Had the most incredible sausages and pretzels here.
Weihenstephaner Berlin: Modern, Bavarian-style tavern with lots of outdoor seating.
Bayerische Spreestuben: You absolutely must get their Pork Knuckle if you go here. We stumbled upon this restaurant, and to this day, I still think about that dish.
To See
Berliner Dom: An immaculate and ornate cathedral. A must-see and easily accessible for a self-guided tour. Tickets available at the entrance.
Museum Island: Consists of 5 beautiful and historic museums of Berlin. While these were not open on Monday, the day we went, they were still beautiful to see the exterior architecture and walk around the grounds of.
Holocaust Tower and Jewish Museum Berlin: A quiet, contemplative space that’s beautifully designed and worth going to learn about. So many personal artifacts from past Jewish citizens of Berlin.
Humboldt Forum: Originally built in the 15th century, this stately and impressive building holds numerous exhibits and tours.
All in all, my advice to you would be that if you have the opportunity to experience this incredible and historic race and the city it runs through, you must make it happen!
Viel Glück!
