9°
Cool, 9 C at the start, only light rain early on and no strong wind
2004 Ballot results
The datasheet
BMW Berlin Marathon 2004 ballot: 31st edition, 36,193 entrants
Japan's Yoko Shibui won the 31st Berlin Marathon on 26 September 2004 in 2:19:41, a course and Japanese national record that made her the fifth woman in history to break 2:20.
Edition
31st edition
Applications not published by race organiser
Field size
36,193
Total entrants
Race day
Sep 26
2004
Good-for-age
M2:45 W3:10
Open category (18–34)
Race day weather
What runners faced on the course
Context
What made 2004 notable
The 2004 story belonged to Yoko Shibui. Despite grim forecasts, race morning arrived cool at 9 C with only light early rain and no strong wind, and the 25-year-old from Japan attacked the women's record from the gun. She crossed in 2:19:41, breaking Naoko Takahashi's 2001 course record of 2:19:46, setting a Japanese national record and becoming the fifth woman ever under 2:20, two seconds shy of the Asian record. The men's race was a Kenyan duel, Felix Limo edging Joseph Riri 2:06:44 to 2:06:49. A year after Paul Tergat's world record here, Berlin's flat course again rewarded an aggressive front-runner, this time on the women's side.
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 2004 ballot
What was the defining moment of the 2004 Berlin Marathon?
Yoko Shibui won the women's race in 2:19:41, a course and Japanese national record that made her the fifth woman in history to break 2:20.
Who won the men's 2004 Berlin Marathon?
Felix Limo of Kenya took the men's title in 2:06:44, just ahead of compatriot Joseph Riri in 2:06:49.
What was the race-day weather in 2004?
Cool and calm: 9 degrees Celsius at the start with only light rain early on and no strong wind, despite poor forecasts beforehand.
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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