9°
Cool and calm, between 9 and 16 C with no wind, near-perfect record conditions, rising through the morning
2003 Ballot results
The datasheet
BMW Berlin Marathon 2003 ballot: 30th edition
Paul Tergat of Kenya won the 30th Berlin Marathon on 28 September 2003 in 2:04:55, a marathon world record that made him the first man to break 2:05.
Edition
30th edition
Applications not published by race organiser
Field size
n/a
Not yet reported
Race day
Sep 28
2003
Good-for-age
M2:45 W3:10
Open category (18–34)
Race day weather
What runners faced on the course
Context
What made 2003 notable
The 2003 race rewrote the record books. Berlin had just moved its course to start and finish between the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column, and the flat new layout met perfect conditions: 9 to 16 C and no wind. Paul Tergat seized them, crossing in 2:04:55 to slice 43 seconds off Khalid Khannouchi's mark and become the first man ever under 2:05. Compatriot Sammy Korir pushed him to the line and finished a single second back in 2:04:56, then the second-fastest marathon in history. Japan's Yasuko Hashimoto took the women's title in 2:26:32. The result cemented Berlin's identity as the fastest course in marathoning.
Year over year
Finishers over time
Finishers · 2004 → 2025
36K32K41K34K33K34K41K39K41K44K25K35K48K54K50K
'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 2003 ballot
What was the defining moment of the 2003 Berlin Marathon?
Paul Tergat ran 2:04:55 to set a marathon world record, becoming the first man ever to break 2:05 and lowering the previous mark by 43 seconds.
How close was the men's finish in 2003?
One second. Sammy Korir of Kenya pushed Tergat to the line and finished in 2:04:56, then the second-fastest marathon ever run.
Who won the women's 2003 Berlin Marathon?
Yasuko Hashimoto of Japan won the women's race in 2:26:32, ahead of Kenya's Emily Chepar Kimuria in 2:28:18.
Are ballot application numbers public for Berlin?
No. SCC EVENTS does not publish total entries for the Berlin Marathon, only entrant and finisher counts and elite results.
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