BMW Berlin Marathon 1998 ballot: 25th edition, 21,004 finishers
On 20 September 1998, Ronaldo da Costa of Brazil ran 2:06:05 at the 25th Berlin Marathon to break a world record that had stood for a decade, then celebrated with a cartwheel at the finish.
What made 1998 notable
Berlin 1998 is the day Berlin became the world-record course. Ronaldo da Costa, a Brazilian in only his second marathon, broke clear and ran 2:06:05, taking 45 seconds off Belayneh Dinsamo's 2:06:50 from 1988, a record that had stood for a decade. He passed 40km in 1:59:55, the first man ever under two hours at that point, and closed faster than he opened, then turned a cartwheel at the line. Josephat Kiprono was second in 2:07:27. In the women's race Marleen Renders of Belgium won in 2:25:22 ahead of Susan Chepkemei. For future ballot applicants, this is where the legend of fast, flat Berlin began.
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 1998 ballot
What made the 1998 Berlin Marathon historic?
Ronaldo da Costa of Brazil ran 2:06:05 to break the men's marathon world record, lowering Belayneh Dinsamo's 2:06:50 from 1988 by 45 seconds in only his second marathon.
Why was da Costa's 40km split famous?
He reached the 40km mark in 1:59:55, the first man to cover 40 kilometres of a marathon in under two hours, and he ran a negative split to finish.
Who won the women's race in 1998?
Marleen Renders of Belgium won the women's race in 2:25:22, ahead of Susan Chepkemei of Kenya in 2:28:19.
Was there a ballot for the 1998 Berlin Marathon?
No. Berlin ran open registration in 1998 with no lottery in place. SCC EVENTS does not publish application totals for any year, only finisher counts and, in later years, lottery dates.