How to Get Into the Berlin Marathon

The Berlin Marathon fills most of its field with a free lottery each autumn. For the 2027 race on September 26, 2027, the lottery runs from October 1 to November 12, 2026, and every applicant gets an email with the result on December 3 (Generali Berlin Marathon). The race has a new name this cycle, the Generali Berlin Marathon, and a new website to match.

The organizers don’t publish how many people apply or how many places the draw fills, so there’s no official acceptance rate to plan around (Marathon Handbook). The field is huge, with 50,069 finishers in 2026 (The Running Channel), and the lottery is only one of several ways in. The others don’t depend on luck.

The lottery

Entering is free, and the €215 entry fee is only charged if you’re drawn, starting December 4. You have to be born in 2009 or earlier. Walkers are welcome as long as they finish inside the 6:15 time limit, but Nordic walking isn’t allowed (Generali Berlin Marathon).

Team entry. You can enter as a team of two or three. The first person registers the team and gets a code, and the others add that code during their own registration, since it can’t be added afterward. The team is drawn or rejected as a unit. If one member can’t run, the others keep their places, but no one can be swapped in (Generali Berlin Marathon).

Places can’t be transferred to another person or another year, and the fee isn’t refunded, which is why the organizers recommend cancellation insurance when you register. Pregnancy is the exception: with a doctor’s note, you can postpone your start by up to three years.

Qualifying times

Fast marathoners can apply for a place outside the draw by uploading proof of a qualifying time when they register. The time has to come from a marathon in 2025 or 2026, on a course that’s in the Abbott World Marathon Majors age group rankings, certified by AIMS or listed by USATF. Virtual races don’t count (Generali Berlin Marathon).

The proof is checked when the lottery results come out. Registering this way doesn’t guarantee a place, and if your proof doesn’t hold up, your entry goes into the general lottery. The youngest group’s standards are 10 minutes faster than Boston’s for men and 15 minutes faster for women (B.A.A.), and the Boston qualifying guide has the full comparison by age.

Charity

Charity places are guaranteed. Berlin’s official charity portal is Realbuzz, which lists more than 150 organizations in UK and US or international categories, and the race’s own charity partner is The Human Safety Net (Generali Berlin Marathon). The race doesn’t publish a fundraising minimum, so the commitment comes from the charity you pick, and some listings sell out.

Tour operators

Official tour operators sell guaranteed places as part of travel packages with hotels, and according to the race, they usually still have places long after the lottery. Only the operators listed on the official site are authorized to sell entries, and the list can be filtered by continent and country (Generali Berlin Marathon).

Every other way in

The Jubilee Club. Runners who have finished Berlin at least 10 times can claim a guaranteed place (Marathon Handbook).

Goodwill codes. If you missed the 2026 race and took the organizers’ goodwill offer, your 2027 registration code arrives by email and has to be redeemed by 11:59 p.m. CET on November 12, 2026 (Generali Berlin Marathon).

Sozialticket. Fifty places are set aside at €50 for holders of Berlin’s Sozialticket S, applied for by email with a copy of your ID and ticket.

The 2027 timeline

• October 1, 2026. The lottery opens.

• November 12, 2026. The lottery closes, and goodwill codes must be redeemed.

• December 3, 2026. Results arrive by email.

• December 4, 2026. Entry fees are charged to runners who were drawn.

• September 26, 2027. Race day.

The Berlin Marathon page on the Race Calendar tracks these dates, and subscribing puts them on your calendar. Expect the lottery for the 2028 race to open next autumn.

Getting ready once you’re in

September 26 is about 10 months after the results, which leaves time for a base phase before a typical 18-week plan starts in late May. How to Choose a Marathon Training Plan walks through the main options, the long run guide covers the workout that matters most, and the race week guide covers the last seven days.

Once you’ve picked a goal, the Pace Lab turns it into a pace and a full set of splits, with goal pages from 3:00 to 6:00.

FAQ

When does the 2027 Berlin Marathon lottery close?

November 12, 2026. It opened October 1, and entering is free.

When are the Berlin Marathon lottery results announced?

December 3, 2026, by email. Everyone who entered gets a result, drawn or not, and the emails can arrive over the course of the day (Generali Berlin Marathon).

What are the odds of getting into the Berlin Marathon?

The organizers don’t publish the number of applicants or lottery places, so there’s no official figure. Qualifying times, charity places, tour operators and the Jubilee Club are the routes that don’t depend on the draw.

How much does it cost to run the Berlin Marathon?

The 2027 entry fee is €215, charged only if you’re drawn. Charity and tour operator places cost more, since they come with a fundraising commitment or a travel package.

What are the Berlin Marathon qualifying times?

For runners born between 1983 and 2009, 2:45 for men and 3:10 for women. The standards ease to 2:55 and 3:30 for runners born between 1968 and 1982, and to 3:25 and 4:20 for runners born in 1967 or earlier.

Can you walk the Berlin Marathon?

Yes, as long as you finish within the 6:15 time limit. Nordic walking isn’t allowed.