BMW Berlin Marathon 1985 ballot: 12th edition, 9,810 finishers
The 12th Berlin Marathon ran entirely inside West Berlin on 29 September 1985, with Britain's James Ashworth winning the men's race in 2:11:43 and Belgium's Magda Ilands taking the women's title in 2:34:10.
What made 1985 notable
Five years before reunification, the 12th Berlin Marathon was still a West Berlin event, looping inside the walled western half of the city on 29 September 1985. There was no lottery and no published entry numbers, just a growing field that sent 9810 runners across the line, 9146 men and 664 women. Britain's James Ashworth took the men's race in 2:11:43, and Belgium's Magda Ilands won the women's race in 2:34:10. No world record fell here, that era was still to come once the course opened onto the full reunited city after 1990. For 1985, the story was a confined Cold War course steadily building the scale that would later make Berlin the fastest Major.
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 1985 ballot
Who won the 1985 Berlin Marathon?
James Ashworth of Great Britain won the men's race in 2:11:43. Magda Ilands of Belgium won the women's race in 2:34:10.
When was the 1985 Berlin Marathon held?
It ran on 29 September 1985, the 12th running of the event.
Was the 1985 Berlin Marathon run through the whole city?
No. The city was still divided, so the course stayed entirely within West Berlin. The race did not open onto the reunited city until after 1990.
How many people finished the 1985 Berlin Marathon?
9810 runners finished, made up of 9146 men and 664 women. SCC EVENTS does not publish entry or ballot application totals.