10°
Cool and sunny, 10 C at the 9am start rising to about 14 C by the finish
2008 Ballot results
The datasheet
BMW Berlin Marathon 2008 ballot: 35th edition
Haile Gebrselassie ran 2:03:59 at the 2008 BMW Berlin Marathon on 28 September, becoming the first man in history under 2:04 and taking 27 seconds off the world record he had set on the same course a year earlier.
Edition
35th edition
Applications not published by race organiser
Field size
n/a
Not yet reported
Race day
Sep 28
2008
Good-for-age
M2:45 W3:10
Open category (18–34)
Race day weather
What runners faced on the course
Context
What made 2008 notable
Berlin 2008 is the morning the marathon dipped under 2:04 for the first time. Haile Gebrselassie crossed the line by the Brandenburg Gate in 2:03:59, slicing 27 seconds off the 2:04:26 world record he had set on this same flat course in 2007. He called the conditions perfect, 10 C and sunny at the 9am start, and credited his pacemakers. Kenya's James Kwambai was second in a personal best 2:05:36, Charles Kamathi third in 2:07:48. Irina Mikitenko delighted the home crowd by winning the women's race in 2:19:19, a German record, ahead of Askale Magarsa and Hellen Kiprop. Berlin had cemented its place as the world's fastest marathon.
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 2008 ballot
What made the 2008 Berlin Marathon historic?
Haile Gebrselassie ran 2:03:59 and became the first man ever to break 2:04 for the marathon, taking 27 seconds off his own world record set in Berlin the year before.
Who won the women's race in 2008?
Irina Mikitenko of Germany won in 2:19:19, a German record, ahead of Askale Magarsa and Hellen Kiprop.
What were the race-day conditions in 2008?
Cool and sunny. It was around 10 degrees Celsius at the 9am start, rising to about 14 degrees by the finish, conditions Gebrselassie called perfect.
Does Berlin publish ballot application numbers?
No. SCC EVENTS has never released application or lottery-entry totals for any year, so there is no published acceptance rate for the 2008 Berlin Marathon.
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