BMW Berlin Marathon 2016: 43rd edition, 41,283 entrants
Kenenisa Bekele ran 2:03:03 to win the 43rd BMW Berlin Marathon on 25 September 2016, the second fastest marathon ever and just 6 seconds off the world record.
What made 2016 notable
The defining story was Kenenisa Bekele's near miss. In mild and calm conditions, the track legend dropped Wilson Kipsang late and ran 2:03:03, the second fastest marathon in history, ending just 6 seconds short of Dennis Kimetto's world record set on the same Berlin course two years earlier. It still broke Haile Gebrselassie's Ethiopian record of 2:03:59, and Bekele admitted afterward he was disappointed not to take the global mark. Kipsang chased him home in 2:03:13. Aberu Kebede sealed an Ethiopian sweep with 2:20:45 in the women's race. For ballot applicants, 2016 cemented Berlin's billing as the fastest course in marathoning.
Finishers over time
Questions about the 2016 ballot
Who won the 2016 BMW Berlin Marathon?
Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia won the men's race in 2:03:03. Aberu Kebede, also of Ethiopia, won the women's race in 2:20:45.
How close was Bekele to the world record in 2016?
His 2:03:03 missed Dennis Kimetto's world record of 2:02:57 by just 6 seconds, the second fastest marathon ever run at the time.
How big was the 2016 Berlin Marathon field?
The 43rd edition drew 41,283 runners from 122 countries on 25 September 2016.
Are ballot application numbers public for Berlin?
No. SCC EVENTS does not publish total entries or lottery odds, only participant counts and elite results.