BMW Berlin Marathon 1979 ballot: 6th edition, 222 finishers
The 6th Berlin Marathon on 30 September 1979 was still a modest forest race, with just 222 finishers along the Grunewald and Ingo Sensburg winning in 2:21:09.
What made 1979 notable
There was no ballot in 1979: anyone could simply enter. The 6th Berlin Marathon was still a small forest race, run on 30 September along the Grunewald in West Berlin, the woodland course it followed until 1980. Only 222 runners finished, 207 men and 15 women, a fraction of the modern field of nearly 50,000. Ingo Sensburg took the men's title in 2:21:09, his second Berlin win, and Jutta von Haase won the women's race in 3:07:07, having also won the very first edition in 1974. Two years later, in 1981, the race left the forest for the city streets and began its climb toward Major status.
Finishers over time
Good-for-age standards
View full age-group standards
| Age group | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 2:45:00 | 3:10:00 |
| 35-39 | 2:45:00 | 3:10:00 |
| 40-44 | 2:45:00 | 3:10:00 |
| 45-49 | 2:55:00 | 3:30:00 |
| 50-54 | 2:55:00 | 3:30:00 |
| 55-59 | 2:55:00 | 3:30:00 |
| 60-64 | 3:25:00 | 4:20:00 |
| 65-69 | 3:25:00 | 4:20:00 |
| 70-74 | 3:25:00 | 4:20:00 |
| 75-79 | 3:25:00 | 4:20:00 |
| 80-84 | 3:25:00 | 4:20:00 |
| 85-89 | 3:25:00 | 4:20:00 |
| 90+ | 3:25:00 | 4:20:00 |
Questions about the 1979 ballot
Was there a ballot for the 1979 Berlin Marathon?
No. In 1979 there was no lottery or ballot. The Berlin Marathon was a small open-entry forest race, and the demand-driven lottery came decades later.
How many people finished the 1979 Berlin Marathon?
A total of 222 runners finished, 207 men and 15 women. The modern race now sees close to 50,000 finishers.
Who won the 1979 Berlin Marathon?
Ingo Sensburg won the men's race in 2:21:09. Jutta von Haase won the women's race in 3:07:07, having also won the inaugural 1974 edition.
Where was the 1979 race run?
Along the Grunewald, a forest in West Berlin. The course stayed in the forest until 1980, then moved to the city-centre streets in 1981.