The short answer
Berlin Marathon weather history from 2015 to 2024 shows mild late-September mornings. The air at the 09:15 start averaged 12.7 °C (55 °F), and six of nine race days stayed at Low heat stress for a four-hour runner. The warm exception was 2021, when the air reached 23.4 °C (74 °F).
Key takeaways
- Berlin's start averaged 12.7 °C (55 °F) across nine race days from 2015 to 2024.
- Six of nine race days stayed at Low heat stress for a four-hour runner.
- The course climbs only about 20 m (66 ft) in total.
- In warm 2021, a five-hour runner met High heat stress near the finish.
On this page
- What does Berlin Marathon weather history show?
- What was the weather at each Berlin Marathon from 2015 to 2024?
- What did the world-record mornings have in common?
- How does the Berlin course change your pace?
- How warm does Berlin get at your finish time?
- How should you plan your Berlin race morning?
- How can you check Berlin weather at your own pace?
- Questions runners ask
- Sources and method
Words this guide uses
- ERA5
- The Copernicus reanalysis of past weather, hourly, on a grid about 31 km (19 miles) apart.
- WBGT
- Wet-bulb globe temperature, a heat-stress number combining air temperature, humidity, sun and wind.
- Masters runner
- A runner aged 35 or over, the group Knechtle and colleagues found most affected by heat and rain in Berlin.
What does Berlin Marathon weather history show?
Berlin Marathon weather history shows why the race stays fast: mild mornings on a flat course. From 2015 to 2024, the start averaged 12.7 °C (55 °F), and six of nine race days stayed at Low heat stress for a four-hour runner. Our marathon weather history hub compares Berlin with Boston, London and Comrades.
The numbers are our own. We took hourly ERA5 weather at the real date and start time, then timed it to a runner along the course: a pace-timed forecast run backwards, giving the weather for each stretch of the course at the time you would have run it.
| The race at a glance | Berlin Marathon, Germany |
|---|---|
| Date | A Sunday in late September (16 September in 2018) |
| Start time in our data | 09:15 |
| Distance | 42.2 km (26.2 miles), a loop from the Tiergarten to the Brandenburg Gate |
| Climbing | About 20 m (66 ft), between 34 and 51 m (112 and 167 ft) above sea level |
| Finish times on our race page | 2:30 to 6:30 |
What was the weather at each Berlin Marathon from 2015 to 2024?
Six Good race days and three Fair, with no Tough day for a four-hour finisher. The table shows each race at 5:41 per km (9:09 per mile).
| Date | Start | Air at the start, °C (°F) | Warmest air, °C (°F) | Highest dew point, °C (°F) | Peak WBGT, °C (°F), level | Rain, mm (in) | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Sep 2015 | 09:15 | 9.8 (50) | 15.7 (60) | 8.9 (48) | 15.7 (60), Low | none | Good |
| 25 Sep 2016 | 09:15 | 12.7 (55) | 21.0 (70) | 9.6 (49) | 19.5 (67), Moderate | none | Fair |
| 24 Sep 2017 | 09:15 | 13.7 (57) | 15.7 (60) | 13.8 (57) | 16.0 (61), Low | 0.2 (0.01) | Good |
| 16 Sep 2018 | 09:15 | 14.1 (57) | 20.4 (69) | 9.7 (49) | 19.4 (67), Moderate | 0.1 (<0.01) | Fair |
| 29 Sep 2019 | 09:15 | 14.5 (58) | 15.1 (59) | 12.2 (54) | 14.4 (58), Low | 2.2 (0.09) | Good |
| 26 Sep 2021 | 09:15 | 16.5 (62) | 23.4 (74) | 14.9 (59) | 22.4 (72), Moderate | none | Fair |
| 25 Sep 2022 | 09:15 | 12.0 (54) | 15.8 (60) | 10.2 (50) | 18.3 (65), Low | none | Good |
| 24 Sep 2023 | 09:15 | 12.5 (55) | 17.5 (64) | 10.8 (51) | 18.1 (65), Low | none | Good |
| 29 Sep 2024 | 09:15 | 8.2 (47) | 13.4 (56) | 6.2 (43) | 14.0 (57), Low | none | Good |
The 2020 race was cancelled. The 2022 WBGT of 18.3 rates Low because the unrounded value sits just under the Moderate line.
This is reanalysis, not a thermometer at the start line. ERA5 gives hourly values on a grid about 31 km (19 miles) apart, and two of them cover the course. We found no published race-day station readings for these years to check against, so treat the numbers as a consistent record rather than official figures.
What did the world-record mornings have in common?
Cool starts. Three world records fell in Berlin in this period, and each morning began between 12 and 14.1 °C (54 and 57 °F).
Eliud Kipchoge ran 2:01:39 on 16 September 2018 and 2:01:09 on 25 September 2022. Tigst Assefa ran 2:11:53 on 24 September 2023, cutting more than two minutes from the women's record, World Athletics reported. Even a three-hour runner stayed at Low heat stress in 2022 and 2023, with peak WBGT of 16.7 °C (62 °F) and 17.5 °C (64 °F).
The research agrees on the direction. Knechtle and colleagues (2021) studied 869,474 Berlin finishers from 1974 to 2019. Race times rose with the day's maximum temperature and hours of sunshine. For masters runners, they found below 15 °C (59 °F) and no rain best.
How does the Berlin course change your pace?
Barely. In our course profile, the whole loop climbs only about 20 m (66 ft), with the highest ground around km 28 (mile 17).
So the weather, not the terrain, decides how hard Berlin feels. Ely and colleagues (2007) found that slower runners lose more time than the leaders as WBGT rises.
How warm does Berlin get at your finish time?
Noticeably warmer for slower runners on a sunny day. On 26 September 2021, the warmest race day in our data, here is the same race at three finish times.
| Finish time | Average pace | Warmest air, °C (°F) | Hottest feels like, °C (°F) | Peak WBGT, °C (°F) | Heat stress | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 4:16 per km (6:52 per mile) | 22.1 (72) | 25.4 (78) | 21.6 (71) | Moderate from km 12 (mile 7.5) | Fair |
| 4:00 | 5:41 per km (9:09 per mile) | 23.4 (74) | 27.9 (82) | 22.4 (72) | Moderate from km 9 (mile 5.6) | Fair |
| 5:00 | 7:07 per km (11:27 per mile) | 24.1 (75) | 29.1 (84) | 22.9 (73) | Moderate from km 7, High from km 40 (mile 25) | Tough |
How should you plan your Berlin race morning?
Expect a cool start and a mild finish, and keep a warm-day plan ready. In our data, the start ranged from 8.2 to 16.5 °C (47 to 62 °F).
- Cool start: a throwaway layer for the wait. Our guide to what to wear for a marathon has the detail.
- Warm day: a cap, sunscreen and a steadier first half, especially if you'll be out past four hours.
- Check heat stress, not just air: our guide to WBGT for runners explains the levels.
The American College of Sports Medicine (2007) warns that heat illness can strike even when it's relatively cool. Official race flags and medical advice override this article, which is not medical advice.
How can you check Berlin weather at your own pace?
Open the Berlin race page, pick a year and set your finish time. It shows the air, feels like, dew point and heat stress you'd have met at Kreuzberg, halfway, Kurfürstendamm and the Brandenburg Gate.
Questions runners ask
Why is the Berlin Marathon so fast?
Two reasons stand out: a flat course and mild weather. Our course profile climbs only about 20 m (66 ft) in 42.2 km (26.2 miles). Late-September mornings started at 12.7 °C (55 °F) on average from 2015 to 2024, with Low heat stress on most race days. Strong elite fields and pacing play their part too, which weather data can't measure.
What was the warmest Berlin Marathon from 2015 to 2024?
2021. The air was 16.5 °C (62 °F) at the 09:15 start and reached 23.4 °C (74 °F) for a four-hour runner, with a dew point of 14.9 °C (59 °F). Heat stress was Moderate from km 9 (mile 5.6) at that pace. A five-hour runner met High heat stress from km 40 (mile 25), the only Tough rating in our Berlin data.
What was the weather like for Kipchoge's 2018 Berlin world record?
Cool and dry at the start. The 2018 race ran on 16 September, earlier than usual. In our data, the air was 14.1 °C (57 °F) at the start, and a three-hour runner met Moderate heat stress only from km 26 (mile 16). Eliud Kipchoge set his first marathon world record that morning, 2:01:39, finishing well before the warmer hours.
Does rain slow runners at the Berlin Marathon?
It can. Knechtle and colleagues (2021), studying Berlin finishers from 1974 to 2019, found higher rainfall impaired performance in most age groups. In our 2015–2024 data, only 2019 was really wet, with 2.2 mm (0.09 in) for a four-hour runner. The other race days had little or no rain. Cool rain mostly changes what you wear on the start line.
Was there a Berlin Marathon in 2020?
No. The 2020 Berlin Marathon was cancelled, so our data has nine race days from 2015 to 2024 rather than ten. The race returned on its usual late-September date, 26 September 2021, which turned out to be the warmest of the nine. Every other year in the table ran on a Sunday between 16 and 29 September, at 09:15 in our data.
Your race, at your pace.
Pick Comrades, Berlin, London or Boston, set your finish time, and see the heat stress, feels like and dew point you’d have met at every landmark, on every race day from 2015 to 2024.
Sources and method
- Copernicus Climate Change Service (ECMWF) (2023). ERA5 hourly data on single levels from 1940 to present
- Frontiers in Physiology (2021). Trends in weather conditions and performance by age groups over the history of the Berlin Marathon (Knechtle et al.)
- World Athletics (2023). Assefa smashes world marathon record in Berlin, Kipchoge wins fifth title
- Runner's World South Africa (2022). Kipchoge smashes world record at 2022 Berlin Marathon
- Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (2007). Impact of weather on marathon-running performance (Ely, Cheuvront, Roberts and Montain)
- American College of Sports Medicine (2007). Position stand: exertional heat illness during training and competition (Armstrong et al.)
Every Berlin Marathon run from 2015 to 2024 (2020 was cancelled), at the real date, starting at 09:15. Weather is hourly ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service, ECMWF) at the two 0.25° grid points the course crosses (west and east Berlin); each stretch takes its nearest point. The RunFast engine times a runner along our 42.7 km course model at an even effort for a 3:00, 4:00 or 5:00 finish, with pace adjusted for gradient, and reads the air, dew point, feels like at running pace, WBGT (Liljegren et al., 2008, with cloud worked back from ERA5 sunshine) and rain at each stretch when the runner is there. WBGT levels: Low below 18.3 °C (65 °F), Moderate to 22.8 °C (73 °F), High to 27.8 °C (82 °F), Extreme above, judged on unrounded values. Ratings: Fair at Moderate heat stress, Tough at High or Extreme, or in cold rain. The average start is the mean of nine race days at a 4:00 finish. Climbing is measured from the course profile, counting rises of 3 m (10 ft) or more. Record times are from World Athletics and Runner's World. Fahrenheit and inch values are our conversions. RunFast is independent of the Berlin Marathon's organisers.
Wes Thomson
Wes Thomson builds RunFast, which times the heat, humidity and dew point to a runner's own pace along the route, and its sister Windline, live wind forecasts for cyclists. Both run on the same forecast engine. He writes these guides with one focus: what the weather will do to your run, kilometre by kilometre, and how to plan around it.