12°
Cool, low cloud, no wind
2002 Ballot results
The datasheet
BMW Berlin Marathon 2002 ballot: 29th edition, 32,752 entrants
On 29 September 2002 Naoko Takahashi defended her Berlin Marathon title in 2:21:49, a year after she became the first woman to run under 2:20 on the same course.
Edition
29th edition
Applications not published by race organiser
Field size
32,752
Total entrants
Race day
Sep 29
2002
Good-for-age
M2:45 W3:10
Open category (18–34)
Race day weather
What runners faced on the course
Context
What made 2002 notable
Berlin 2002 belonged to Naoko Takahashi. Twelve months after she became the first woman to break 2:20 here, running a 2:19:46 world record, she returned and defended her title in 2:21:49 under cool, cloudy, windless skies. The men's race produced a Kenyan sweep of the top five, with Raymond Kipkoech outsprinting Simon Biwott and Vincent Kipsos for an unexpected win in 2:06:47, all three inside six seconds of each other. Organisers billed it as the world's largest marathon field, 32,752 runners among 48,599 athletes across every event, watched by more than a million spectators along Berlin's famously flat and fast course.
Year over year
Finishers over time
Finishers · 1995 → 2025
17K15K21K27K33K36K32K41K34K33K34K41K39K41K44K25K35K48K54K50K
'95'97'98'00'02'04'07'09'10'11'12'16'17'18'19'21'22'23'24'25
Qualifying
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 |
FAQ
Questions about the 2002 ballot
Who won the 2002 Berlin Marathon?
Naoko Takahashi won the women's race in 2:21:49, her second straight Berlin title. Raymond Kipkoech took the men's race in 2:06:47, leading an all-Kenyan top five.
What made the 2002 Berlin field a record?
Organisers billed it as the world's largest marathon field at the time, 32,752 runners, with 48,599 athletes across all events and more than a million spectators.
What was the weather like on race day in 2002?
Cool and calm. Temperatures sat around 12 degrees Celsius with low cloud and no wind, well suited to fast running.
Are ballot application numbers public for Berlin 2002?
No. SCC EVENTS does not publish total entries or lottery application figures. Only finisher and field counts and elite results are reported.
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