10°
Bright sunshine at the 9am start, 10 C rising to 14 C by the finish, little wind
2012 Ballot results
The datasheet
BMW Berlin Marathon 2012 ballot: 39th edition, 34,377 finishers
Geoffrey Mutai won the 39th BMW Berlin Marathon on 30 September 2012 by a single second over marathon debutant Dennis Kimetto, 2:04:15 to 2:04:16, sealing the World Marathon Majors series title and its 500,000 dollar prize.
Edition
39th edition
Applications not published by race organiser
Field size
34,377
Total finishers
Race day
Sep 30
2012
Good-for-age
M2:45 W3:10
Open category (18–34)
Race day weather
What runners faced on the course
Context
What made 2012 notable
The defining story of 2012 was the closest finish Berlin had ever seen. Geoffrey Mutai and his training partner Dennis Kimetto ran shoulder to shoulder into the Brandenburg Gate, with Mutai edging clear by a single second, 2:04:15 to 2:04:16. Kimetto's time was the fastest marathon debut ever run. The one-second margin clinched Mutai the 2011 to 2012 World Marathon Majors series title and its half-million-dollar bonus. Conditions were near ideal: bright sunshine over a 10 C start that rose to only 14 C, with barely any wind. Aberu Kebede took the women's race in 2:20:30. Berlin again confirmed its billing as the fastest of the Majors.
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 2012 ballot
Who won the 2012 Berlin Marathon?
Geoffrey Mutai won the men's race in 2:04:15, one second ahead of Dennis Kimetto. Aberu Kebede won the women's race in 2:20:30.
Why was the 2012 men's finish so significant?
Mutai beat debutant Dennis Kimetto by a single second, the closest finish in Berlin Marathon history. Kimetto's 2:04:16 was the fastest marathon debut ever run at the time.
What did the one-second win earn Geoffrey Mutai?
The victory secured him the 2011 to 2012 World Marathon Majors series title and its 500,000 dollar bonus.
Are ballot application numbers public for Berlin?
No. SCC EVENTS does not publish total entries, only finisher counts. The 2012 race finished 34,377 runners.
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