My Berlin Marathon 2025: A Journey of Endurance and Triumph
At 39, I’m no longer the morbidly obese man I once was. But facing my 3rd marathon with almost zero training tested my resolve more than any diet ever could. Here is why showing up is sometimes the ultimate Personal Best.
It’s late September 2025. I’m standing in the Tiergarten in Berlin, surrounded by the nervous energy of over 45,000 other runners. The air is crisp, filled with the scent of deep heat and anticipation. I’m 39 years old. I look fit enough in my running gear.
But inside? Inside, I feel like an absolute fraud.
Just a few years ago, I was morbidly obese. My life was a cycle of poor choices and physical limitations. Climbing stairs was an ordeal. Running a marathon wasn’t even in the same universe of possibilities. Through sheer grit, I turned that around. I lost the weight. I discovered running. I ran two marathons. I became “a runner.”
Yet, here I was at the starting line of one of the world’s greatest races—a World Major—knowing a dirty little secret: I had barely trained.
Life happened this year. Work stress, personal commitments, procrastination—the usual suspects. My mileage dwindled to almost nothing. The long Sunday runs didn’t happen.
The day before my flight to Germany, I sat on my sofa, suitcase open but empty. I was paralyzed by the Fear of Failure. I was going to be slow. I might have to walk. I might not finish. I almost cancelled everything right then.
But something stopped me. I remembered the man I used to be—the one who stayed on the sofa because trying was too scary. I realized that not going was the ultimate failure. So, I packed my bag, swallowed the fear, and flew to Berlin.
This isn’t a race report about splitting sub-3 hours. This is a report about facing the music, the magic of Berlin, and why sometimes, just turning up is the bravest thing you can do.
The Berlin Experience: Pre-Race Jitters
If you are heading to Berlin, know this: the city embraces the marathon entirely. You feel the energy the moment you land.
The Expo (Marathon Vitals at Tempelhof)
The Expo is held at the former Tempelhof Airport. It’s an incredible, historic venue—you are literally walking through old hangars and onto the tarmac.
- The Insight: It is vast. If you are undertrained like I was, or just nervous, the Expo can be overwhelming. It’s easy to walk 10km just browsing stalls.
- The Tip: Go early. Get your bib, get your timing chip checked, buy the souvenir jacket if you must, and then leave. Save your legs. Do not try new energy gels they are handing out for free unless you want a gastrointestinal surprise on race day.
Race Morning: The Long Walk
The morning of the race is chaos managed with German efficiency. The public transport is free for runners, but packed. I opted to walk the last mile toward the Reichstag building and the start corrals in the Tiergarten park.
This walk is surreal. You are moving in a river of humanity from every corner of the globe. The silence among the runners is palpable; everyone is deep in their own heads, visualizing the next few hours.
For me, this walk was a mental battleground. Every step toward the start line felt like calling my own bluff. “You aren’t ready for this,” my brain whispered. I had to actively drown it out by looking around at the diversity of shapes, sizes, and ages. If they could do it, I could at least try.
The 42.195km Reality Check
The gun went off. We crossed the start line with the Victory Column (Siegessäule) towering ahead. The adrenaline was incredible. For the first 10km, I felt amazing. “Maybe I’m naturally gifted and don’t need to train!” I foolishly thought.
The Berlin course is famous for being pancake flat and incredibly fast. It’s why the world records happen here.
- The Reality: If you haven’t trained, “flat” doesn’t mean “easy.” It just means your legs get tired in the exact same places without the relief of using different muscle groups on hills.
By kilometer 25, the wheels began to wobble. By kilometer 32, they fell off completely.
The lack of long runs exposed me. My endurance evaporated. The last 10km was a grueling mix of a slow jog and a humbling walk. I watched pacer groups sail past me. I watched people much older than me look fresh while I felt like I was wading through treacle.
But here is the magic of Berlin: The crowds never let you quit. There are bands on every corner—rock, samba, classical. The spectators line almost every inch of the course, shouting your name (get it printed on your vest, trust me). When I was walking, head down, strangers screamed encouragement until I broke into a jog again.
The Brandenburg Gate and Redefining Success
Then, you turn a corner, and there it is. The Brandenburg Gate.
Running through those iconic pillars is perhaps the greatest finish line experience in the world. It’s emotional for everyone, but for me, this year, it hit different.
I crossed the line. My time was not great. In fact, it was my slowest marathon by a significant margin.
But as they hung that medal around my neck, I felt an immense sense of pride that rivaled my first marathon. Why?
Because the old obese me would have stayed home to avoid the embarrassment of being slow. The new me showed up, undertrained, terrified of failing, and ground it out anyway.
I didn’t get a Personal Best time. I got a Personal Best in resilience.
Sometimes, life gets in the way of training. If you find yourself standing on a start line knowing you aren’t ready, don’t let the fear stop you. Adjust your goals. Forget the watch. Soak in the atmosphere. Be kind to yourself.
The victory isn’t always in the split times; sometimes, it’s just having the guts to stand on the starting line at all.
Hints and Tips for Your Future Berlin Marathon
If you are lucky enough to get into Berlin (it’s a lottery system), here is what I learned from the back of the pack:
- Training is Optional, Suffering is Mandatory: Okay, please don’t do what I did. Train. Seriously. It hurts a lot less if you do. But if you don’t, know that you can likely finish if you have a strong mental game and are willing to slow down.
- The Start Line Crowds: It is VERY crowded at the start. The first few kilometers are frantic, with lots of dodging and weaving. Don’t panic, and don’t waste energy trying to sprint around people. Find your rhythm.
- Follow the Blue Line: The course is measured along the shortest possible route, marked by a blue line on the road. If you run wide on every corner, you will end up running 43km instead of 42km. Stick to the line.
- Plastic Cups: Berlin uses rigid plastic cups at aid stations. They are hard to drink from while running without splashing water up your nose. Practice the “pinch and pour” technique, or just walk through the aid stations.
- The Weather: late September in Berlin is usually perfect for running (cool mornings, mild days), but it can get warm by noon. If you are a slower runner like me, prepare for the second half to be hotter.
- The Aftermath: German beer at the finish line is non-alcoholic. It still tastes like the nectar of the gods after 42km. Enjoy it.
@RunHikeSummit
