BMW Berlin Marathon 1990 ballot: 17th edition, 25,000 entrants
The 17th Berlin Marathon on 30 September 1990 was the first to run through the Brandenburg Gate, sending 25,000 runners across the former East-West divide three days before German reunification.
What made 1990 notable
The defining story was the route, not the ballot. For the first time, the Berlin Marathon passed beneath the Brandenburg Gate and through the former East Berlin, the symbolic seam of a city the Wall had split until November 1989. Around 25,000 runners crossed it on 30 September 1990, three days before German reunification, many in tears. Steve Moneghetti of Australia took the men's race in a course-record 2:08:16, the first sub-2:10 ever run in Berlin and the world's fastest marathon that year. Uta Pippig, a former East Berliner, won the women's race in a course-record 2:28:37. The opening 3.2 km to the gate were run unusually fast, with everyone racing to be first through.
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 1990 ballot
Why was the 1990 Berlin Marathon historic?
It was the first edition to run through the Brandenburg Gate and the former East Berlin, held on 30 September 1990, three days before German reunification.
Who won the 1990 Berlin Marathon?
Steve Moneghetti of Australia won the men's race in a course-record 2:08:16. Uta Pippig won the women's race in a course-record 2:28:37.
How fast was Moneghetti's winning time?
His 2:08:16 was the first sub-2:10 ever run in Berlin and the fastest marathon in the world that year.
Are ballot application numbers public for Berlin in 1990?
No. SCC EVENTS does not publish total entries, only participant and finisher figures. Around 25,000 runners took part in 1990.