World Marathon Majors Series 1 of 6: Running Through History at the Berlin Marathon

Get ready runners, history buffs, and foodies alike, because we're about to embark on an exhilarating journey through the captivating history of the Berlin Marathon!

From its humble beginnings in 1974, with only 244 finishers, to its standing today, boasting over 39,000 participants, we promise a riveting exploration of one of the world marathon majors. We'll reminisce about the transformative year of 1990, when the Berlin Wall crumbled and the marathon united the city in an unprecedented way, starting and finishing at the emblematic Bradenburg Gate.

We won't stop there, though. We'll also glide our way into the excitement of the Berlin inline skating marathon and its vibrant Oktoberfest atmosphere. Expect live music and dancing, not to mention mouthwatering German delicacies like tangy sauerkraut, pretzels, and potato salad that will have your taste buds jumping for joy. Plus, don't miss out on our thrilling tales of record-breaking runs and the stories of the first male and female marathon runners.

So lace up, plug in, and get ready to run (or eat) your way through Berlin with us!

Wanna learn more about getting in to Berlin, how to train for it, and where to stay before the race? Read the Berlin Six Star blog here.

Don't forget to tune in on Friday for our special episode and subscribe to our Time for Brunch community for more backstage insights.

Chapters

• 0:03 World Marathon Majors
• 13:04 Skating Marathon in Berlin
• 21:01 Berlin Running and Podcast Announcement

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Hey friends, coach Shelby and Coach Christine, welcoming you in and letting you know it's time for brunch, quick Bites edition, where you can grab your miles with a side of smiles, take them on the run midday in the afternoon or maybe even a late night snack attack. However, you are listening, we are excited to have you and we are getting underway with major knowledge drops, major fun and, of course, major running. If you hadn't guessed my oh so subtle emphasis and maybe the title of the episode, we are talking about the world majors which, first up, we are going to be dropping some fun, super sizzlin' and hot info on these fall racing seasons. We are going to tackle this series all throughout and we are going to be going ahead and accompanying each of these with a blog expertly crafted by Coach Christine, since we have a resident 6 star world major finishers on our hands.

Speaker 2: 1:08

Yay, I feel like in my head I am playing an applause track.

Speaker 1: 1:13

I mean, I always don't, you don't applause yourself for everything I find a matching pair of socks yay me.

Speaker 2: 1:19

That's always good. Who cares if it's not matching? But yeah, over on the blog, go ahead and head over. That way, friends, it will be a very different style than what you are going to hear on the podcast. We are going to keep it fun here. We are going to talk about the history of the actual race. We are going to talk about course records, a little bit of things that you can find unique to each individual race. So a lot of fun here on the podcast, but over on the blog, if you are training for these races, it is going to give you some practical knowledge of some training that you should be incorporating things to expect for race week from your running perspective to maximize that race time. And each world marathon major will have a workout that accompanies that specific course. So trying to take into account of adding in a workout that will really help you in your training for that specific course. So lots of knowledge over there, lots of fun over here.

Speaker 1: 2:09

And if you are training for one of these races, we do have two coaches with a few spots left on their roster. So if you are training and you are looking to level up and add a little sizzle and spice to your step, please make sure to email us info at timeforbrunchcom and get that complimentary coaching call to see if we would be a good fit and just have much fun and pushing if we can do on our end.

Speaker 2: 2:34

Absolutely, absolutely so, very very excited.

Speaker 1: 2:37

I know specifically it comes to mind one of our athletes right now training for Chicago. I am so excited and then realizing within our summer training group that we have even more training for Chicago. So we'll have a little unofficial brunch group at Chicago this year.

Speaker 2: 2:54

We've got a couple people Chicago. I'm so looking forward to talking about that race as well. We've got, actually, an athlete who's tackling Berlin, and it was a lot of fun talking to her about all the things that she should expect, so let's get right into it. The Berlin Marathon takes place this year on September 24th. I believe all the World Marathon majors, with the exclusion of Boston, usually have their race day on Sunday. It was established in 1974 by Horst Milder Milder, a baker and a running enthusiast, which, to me, is like the same thing, right, like if you're going to be running and you can make some extra carbs for your runs, absolutely perfect.

Speaker 1: 3:31

I mean hello, we have brunch as our podcast. Like, if brunch and running had a baby, it would be a carb.

Speaker 2: 3:38

Absolutely. We're definitely no cap and we could make it sweet and savory, but that original race had 244 finishers. That's it 244. 234 were men and 10 were women. It was won by.

Speaker 1: 3:54

Dr Hollis.

Speaker 2: 3:55

Well, that's a lot of the majors. I will say Berlin is one of the majors, along with Tokyo, where they still have a field of primarily male runners versus female runners, so sorry dudes, but boo, let's change that, ladies. Yes, well, gunter Hollis, oh, my God, my German friend. I'm sorry, barbara, don't come at me for not pronouncing these names correctly. I know, I know, I'm getting a bunch of these. Her, his finishing time is two hours 44 minutes and 53 seconds, and Jutta von Haas for the female took it at three hours and 22 minutes and a one second.

Speaker 2: 4:34

The race now, of course, is much bigger, with usually about over 39,000 finishers.

Speaker 1: 4:41

Except for, obviously, the past couple of years, because, you know, hashtag pandemic race was not our friend.

Speaker 2: 4:49

But we're just not going to talk about Bruno, yeah yeah, what I love about Berlin, and I think what's a special I mean super special to this race, is the fact that it starts and finishes near the Bradenburg Gate. So, due to the division of the city with the Berlin Wall, there's a lot of history there. The marathon before 1990 was only limited to West Berlin. So in September 30th of 1990, when the wall came down, were you even hatched? Yet, coach, when the wall came down, was I even hatched?

Speaker 1: 5:20

yet yeah, what, what no?

Speaker 2: 5:22

You weren't born yet, were you? What was it 1990?

Speaker 1: 5:26

Yeah, no, I was not Christine. Ok, thanks for the call out. A lady never shares her age, usually because people think I'm 16.

Speaker 2: 5:34

So yes, before you were hatched, there was this thing called a Berlin Wall.

Speaker 1: 5:38

I know, about the Berlin Wall. I made it through 10th grade, ok, ok.

Speaker 2: 5:43

Well, I love the story of it specifically because, what people state when they actually were able to run the Berlin Marathon, that was the year where they were able to run through the Bradenburg Gate for the first time, and now, of course, the course covers both halves of this unified city. But it says that the story goes that many folks, after finally being able to embrace their family, being able to really embrace their full city and run the 26 miles through it, had tears running through their eyes as they went through that Bradenburg Gate, which gives me all the goosebumps and all of the tears.

Speaker 2: 6:16

I loved that race so much I don't think I cried at, I think I only cried in Chicago.

Speaker 1: 6:25

I think you cried at the Stranger Danger.

Speaker 2: 6:27

Stadium. You cried at Boston too. We'll talk about that later Now. This race must be one of your favorites to watch, I would assume, because it is known for being fast and has a bunch of world records. So you want to talk a little bit more about those world records, ms Elite.

Speaker 1: 6:41

Oh, ok, you know I should have just been born an elite, I'm just saying. But it is famous for its flat and fast course. Numerous world records have been set. The current record was set in 2022 by you know, the man, the myth, the legend, the goat, elliot Kibchogay, who won the men's race in two hours one minute and nine seconds, which is not his PR. He has set the two hour marathon record, but I mean this was completely not planned and assisted, so I think that's pretty amazing.

Speaker 2: 7:14

I think it's phenomenal. I think it's so phenomenal and I know that I ran a year where they were trying again to kind of break the two hour mark and, of course, it didn't happen. That year it was 2017. But still, knowing that not only running through so much history, but you were actually potentially running through history being made was super cool as well. So tell us about the women, since we now know the female field is definitely quite different now it is.

Speaker 1: 7:42

This was actually set the same year in a time of two hours 15 minutes and 37 seconds to guest a sefa set the women's course record. So 2022 was a banner year. Who knows, maybe we'll have some more records in 2023.

Speaker 2: 7:59

Do you think it's because we had just come 2022, while it still was a diminished field? It was, I feel, like folks were finally able to come back. They were feeling that race horse support energy a bit more. So add in a flat, fast, add in like favorable weather conditions and then the extra support that maybe people had been missing. That may have added that element.

Speaker 1: 8:20

I would not doubt that. I wouldn't put that out of the realm of possibility. It was also after the Olympic year, which I think a lot of elites during the pandemic got extra rest, extra build and it was kind of like that gap year that a lot of people talk about in schooling. It was kind of like the gap year in the elites. So absolutely I would say that came into play.

Speaker 2: 8:42

Yeah, I think so too, and I think that gap year actually whether we're going to talk about the elites, we're going to talk about our own personal lives has a lot of value to be had to maybe make it a little bit more of a relaxed year. So you come back stronger, better, faster, all of that Daft Punk stuff. But again, I think that there's some records to be had as well in the wheelchair division, because that was first officially held in the Berlin Marathon in 1981. And only men competed that year. But now of course we've got. I love your editing boos.

Speaker 1: 9:15

I just keep doing that. We might not have the clapping record, but we're going to have the boot trap. I love it.

Speaker 2: 9:21

So, granted, we're going to see that a lot, we're going to hear that a lot about the World Marathon majors, of how we could see progress being made, how we can actually see history being changed. So I find that really, really interesting.

Speaker 1: 9:37

One note that I find interesting is the wheelchair race typically starts earlier in the day, before the runners and the walkers. So in other races, yes, the wheelchair racers do start prior to, but it seems like this starts especially earlier. Is this the only major that does that? I can't recall.

Speaker 2: 9:56

Yeah, I think so, I really do think so, and I think it's because the specific in Europe they think that Americans are weird because we are early in the morning, so they don't tend to have really early starts, like we do.

Speaker 2: 10:09

Their early starts are like seven, eight, nine o'clock. So for them to have a very early start for the wheelchair division is kind of something that would be worthy of being called out, versus per state side, where we tend to start them a little bit later in the day, and we do for the majors too, because they have so many logistics.

Speaker 1: 10:26

But anyway, apparently European races are speaking your love language.

Speaker 2: 10:31

They are Absolutely. There's no doubt about it. So, yeah, I love the fact that it's fast, flat, has a lot of world records, but I got to tell you that's not what makes this race really unique and fun to look forward to. So if you guys have been thinking about putting this on your list or you're already trained up for it, let's talk about what you should look forward to. That makes running Berlin unique before, during and after, and coach speaking your love language right out of the gate. Or maybe our joint share is the breakfast run. So I can't tell you how much I first want to make static that they're bringing the breakfast run officially back to its original home that it's had in the past few years minus the COVID timeframe, and that's where you run. This is my favorite part a six kilometer. I know that's going to drive you nuts out.

Speaker 1: 11:25

It does. My metric system are is just cringing.

Speaker 2: 11:29

I get closer to four miles and like an eight kilometer is to five. Well, no, that one's closer. Yeah, that's got to drive you, nuts 3.7. I mean, at that point you just do one more loop around the Olympic stadium and you're done.

Speaker 1: 11:41

Yes, but I have questions about this breakfast run. Okay, is it an official run? Is a stranger danger breakfast? No, it's coach. Shelby, it's going to be going to do it, it's going to run.

Speaker 2: 11:51

by the actual race course, I mean the race division.

Speaker 2: 11:56

The race people the race people can't think of the name not the race director, but the entire team that puts it together. It is run the day before. It runs through a smaller section, obviously, since it's only 3.7 miles. For folks that don't know the six kilometer are, it is a little. It's actually a little hillier than the actual course of Berlin because of how it kind of goes a little tiny bit of an uphill to get you up to where the Olympic Stadium and that is your finish line. You actually go in.

Speaker 2: 12:25

There's a big drum core which who doesn't love a drum core to kind of like herald your arrival to the Olympic Stadium and you go in and then you run around the actual outer perimeter of the stadium and you finish in there. What I love about it is that people love to represent their country for this run, so you'll see folks dressed in like their flags. You'll see them running with their flags or maybe even some of like the indigenous culture of their specific country's attire. So it's really a whole lot of fun for the breakfast run.

Speaker 1: 12:55

Oh, I like the fact that they kind of honor their country, especially with an ending in the Olympic Stadium. Yeah, it's like the Olympics for every day, runners. But I've heard that there's a skating marathon.

Speaker 2: 13:09

It is the first time I ever heard of it. I was like what is this? What is it? Literally so this? I think it's really unique to Berlin. As far as I know I don't know of a lot of there's no other world marathon major that has this. They have an inline skating marathon. It's held the day before the foot race, specifically the marathon race, and you get to. If you wanted to do both, you take the exact same course, except that you're on inline skates. That sounds dopey to me. Disney not allowed, I mean, even though Snow White was probably there a little bit. Yeah, no, it sounds interesting. I think that there is something to it. Like, if you wanted to get into the majors and you do some of their inline skating races leading up to that one, you get an entry into the marathon. There's something about that and I don't know all the details. But yes, the inline skating marathon takes place that weekend. It is part of the race festivities, but it's the day before the actual foot race.

Speaker 1: 14:11

Okay. So for our TFB training athlete who is doing Berlin, I'm gonna have to task her with all these pictures. I wanna know if she's doing the inline skating marathon, because I feel like if anybody was gonna do it, she would be the one, so I'm shocked she's not doing it.

Speaker 2: 14:27

I'll have to, but I know she is gonna do the breakfast run, so maybe she just couldn't make it all happen.

Speaker 1: 14:32

I mean it's acceptable. Maybe she can bring us home a waffle.

Speaker 2: 14:35

That'd be lovely. We'll definitely be talking about some of the unique foods to Germany that we should have as well. But during the race, what I specifically love that, what made this race the most memorable, was the fact that we were running through so many famous landmarks. So, of course, the Brattemberg Gate, berlin Cathedral, scharlemburg Palace I know I'm pronouncing that incorrectly and the Berlin Victory Column. Oh, that's such a gorgeous way, like it's just, it's gorgeous. I can't tell you how incredible it is.

Speaker 1: 15:04

I'm gonna have to stop you for a second and just let you know your history buff is showing you might wanna cover that up a little bit.

Speaker 2: 15:10

Except my pronunciation, and then I'll be like nah, she's just a poser, so it's okay. As usual, most of the big marathons have a really big, diverse crowd of spectators. I think that creates that extra bit of energy. There's a lot of live music. Specifically, there is one older man who's known for like having his own little dance party to cheer on spectators there. That's kind of a rite of passage, but I think that's what's exciting about going through that race that day. Let's talk about afterwards what makes this race unique.

Speaker 1: 15:45

Oh, I can take two guesses.

Speaker 2: 15:48

Let's let's what are your guesses, coach?

Speaker 1: 15:51

I'm gonna say beer and pretzels.

Speaker 2: 15:53

Amen or prost, I don't know what else I would say. I think prost is for cheers, for for when we're cheering. Yes, october fast Taking place during the exact same time, during September 16th, ending this year October 3rd. It's, of course, not in Berlin. You do have to travel. One of their wonderful trains will get you there if you want to, or you could always fly, but a lot of marathons tend to celebrate posts, their race heading up to Munich and, you know, getting their their big. What do you call that? The boot of beer, I guess, is what they have, isn't it das boot? I'm gonna say yes, I don't know, I'm not a real beer drinker.

Speaker 1: 16:32

I love beer, but my, my beer connoisseurness is, excuse me, I think it's das boot. Okay, so we're gonna go with that. I think it actually is the the boot. I don't know. I don't know. Language is hard.

Speaker 2: 16:42

English is hard for me. Talking about language, let's talk about the foods that are there. There is a huge team savory Like. I feel like if there's ever a country that will speak to your heart and team savory. I had a hard time nearing it down. Truly, I had a hard time nearing it down from foods, but I'd love you to talk about maybe some of your favorite foods that you would look forward to or things that you have regularly here that you would love to try from Germany.

Speaker 1: 17:07

I'd love sauerkraut. I do love sauerkraut on my veggie dogs. That was some mustard I love. For those who don't know sauerkraut, it's a fermented cabbage. It's so yummy, it's tangy, it's a little acidic, it's just. Oh, my God, I, oh, okay, now I want sauerkraut. Why is it that I crave whatever we're talking about?

Speaker 2: 17:30

Oh, it's because, yeah, like it's delicious. I mean, I would assume that pretzels they're not Mickey shaped, but that's okay, okay, that's probably one of the best darn pretzels you'll ever have.

Speaker 1: 17:40

That would be my other thing Pretzels with. Do they do beer cheese there, or is that an American thing? I did not see beer cheese.

Speaker 2: 17:48

I did see a lot of schnitzel and had never, ever ever consumed schnitzel until I was there, but I think that you would love their potato salad. Oh, I do love the salad. So yummy.

Speaker 2: 18:03

Is there a warm or cold. So that's a great question. I had it warm and I don't know if that's typical, or I guess I should say room temperature. I didn't feel like it was hot. It didn't feel like it was. It was definitely not refrigerated, so I don't know if that's what they consider cold, so I would say it was room temperature, it was. It was definitely pretty yummy. Now I would say that Team Sweet is represented a little bit less so than Team Savory in Germany and Berlin, but Apple Strudel and I know I'm not, there's a fancy German way of pronouncing it is definitely something that's delicious. I know that they also have a tradition that I love. It's called coffee clutch, and every afternoon they get together for just a little bit of a coffee cake and coffee and conversation, and it literally means like conversation with coffee, and I'm like I'm totally down with anything like any cold.

Speaker 1: 18:55

I don't do that.

Speaker 2: 18:58

But I also love that it I feel like speaking to our carb love German bread, hence the marathon's origins from a baker is super incredible and I think that folks will absolutely love, love, Germany and Berlin, and I would say it's a must do. But you know what else is a must? Adding in a little bit of a movie to kind of put you in the mood while you're maybe resting up after a long run, kind of getting to know a little bit about the history. And for me it's the movie Race that of course talks about Jesse Owens and the record breaking black athlete who famously complete competed in the 19th 1936 Olympic Games in front of Hitler and the Nazi elite. And I just I can't even imagine. Talk about my drop Right, Talk about bravery and courage and tenacity, like all of that. So you're going to definitely walk away with an extra pep in your step and a really good reminder of why running is such a beautiful sport that literally helps us break barriers.

Speaker 1: 20:05

Talking about this, I now I've got to watch this. But before we wrap up this episode, I do have to ask. I know you're not usually a beer drinker, but in Berlin did you do as the Berlinians, the Berlinese? I don't know the Berlinese.

Speaker 2: 20:24

Yes, I did drink beer in Germany. I drink a lot of wine, though, because German wine is actually very delicious, and I would not have guessed that because I thought it was going to be super sweet, because, like German beer I mean German wine here usually tends very sweet. So like Riesling's in America I feel like are a little too sweet. But in Germany the white wines were phenomenal. They weren't overly sweet, they had a little bit more crispness. So I did drink a lot of wine. I guess I didn't do as much of the Berlinese, but I did of course partake in some beer. Yeah, but the food was phenomenal. It was so good. I didn't expect the food to be that good, to be honest.

Speaker 1: 21:01

Well, hey, if you're thinking about running Berlin, if you're like our athlete who is going to be over in Berlin, make sure that you keep this one in your back pocket. You go check out the blog with all of the extra and get that workout, Because again we'll run for pretzels and schnitzel and sauerkraut and all of the good things.

Speaker 2: 21:21

I didn't know what you say we will run.

Speaker 2: 21:23

We do run for pretzels and beer and bread and all the deliciousness. Friends, I really really, really, really want you guys to make sure that you are ready for our episode that comes out this Friday. It's going to be very special as we celebrate, so we'll have a lot of really good, fun things coming up for the month of August. We want you guys to hear more about it, so we want you to continue to join us. So make sure you subscribe Spotify or Apple or wherever you usually listen to your podcast, so that you don't miss it. Of course, if you're not part of the Time for brunch community, this is a great reminder that you should join in so you can hear some of the fun and get those direct behind the scenes kind of information. But join us again, of course, hopefully this Friday, and if not, then we'll see you more for some midweek quick bites, because we're going to come back over to our side of the pond for next week's quick bites. We're going to keep serving up more miles with with some major smiles.