BMW Berlin Marathon 1996 ballot: 23rd edition
At the 23rd Berlin Marathon on 29 September 1996, Spain's Abel Anton won his debut marathon in 2:09:15, beating defending champion Sammy Lelei.
What made 1996 notable
The 1996 story was a debut nobody saw coming. Spain's Abel Anton, a track 10,000m runner stepping up to the marathon for the first time, ran 2:09:15 to win in Berlin, holding off Tanzania's Francis Naali by 18 seconds and pushing defending champion Sammy Lelei, who had run the second fastest marathon in history a year earlier, back to third. Anton's victory launched a career that brought two World Championship marathon titles. In the women's race, South Africa's Colleen De Reuck clocked 2:26:35 for a national record that would not be broken until Gerda Steyn in 2021. For ballot applicants, 1996 shows Berlin's flat course rewarding bold debuts long before the world records arrived.
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 1996 ballot
Who won the 1996 Berlin Marathon?
Spain's Abel Anton won the men's race in 2:09:15, his debut marathon. South Africa's Colleen De Reuck won the women's race in 2:26:35.
Why was Abel Anton's 1996 win notable?
It was his first ever marathon, and he beat defending champion Sammy Lelei, who had run the second fastest marathon in history the year before.
Was Colleen De Reuck's 1996 time a record?
Yes. Her 2:26:35 set a South African national record that stood until Gerda Steyn broke it in 2021.
Are ballot application numbers public for Berlin in 1996?
No. SCC EVENTS does not publish total entries or ballot figures, and no verified finisher count for 1996 is officially published.