Podcasts · The Marathon Podcast
#221 Berlin Marathon 2026: The Elite Race, the Expo, and a 2:53 That Left Me Feeling Mediocre
· 1 h 04 min · S1 E221
Episode #221 Berlin Marathon 2026: The Elite Race, the Expo, and a 2:53 That Left Me Feeling Mediocre
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Kristian is back from the Berlin Marathon with a special solo episode: a recap of the elite race, followed by an honest look at what race weekend in Berlin is really like for a runner.
He starts with the elites: Tigst Assefa's course record 2:11:04 and the Achilles injury that came to light afterwards, Guye Adola's 2:02:50 personal best, and former Nordic combined athlete Jakob Lange running 2:13:57. Then Kristian walks through his own weekend, from the expo and the Puma and Saysky activations to the Run and Rave shakeout, and the mistakes and lessons he'd pass on to anyone racing Berlin. He wasn't racing it, so his own run was a 16k progression inside a marathon that ended in 2:53, followed by a candid reflection on why that still left him feeling mediocre.
In this episode:
- The elite race: Assefa, Adola, and a big result from Jakob Lange
- Why Sabastian Sawe missed the race
- Meeting the Saysky team at the Berlin expo
- How the Berlin expo works and the wristband tip that gets you free public transit
- The Puma activation and the Run and Rave shakeout
- Race morning: when to actually show up at the start
- Why the plastic cups and one sided aid stations are a problem
- Running a 16k progression inside a marathon
- Comparison culture and feeling mediocre after a 2:53
- Would he recommend Berlin?
Timestamps
00:00 Welcome and what this episode covers
00:50 Meeting Tony from Saysky in Berlin
03:41 The elite women: Tigst Assefa's course record
05:31 Assefa's Achilles injury and surgery
06:05 Women's results and the fastest German woman
07:15 The men's race: Adola wins in 2:02:50
07:46 Sabastian Sawe out injured
09:56 Jakob Lange: from Nordic combined to 2:13:57
11:36 Dextro Energy and the Pfeiffers' withdrawal
13:44 Kristian's own Berlin weekend begins
14:43 The expo at the old airport
15:38 Keep the wristband on: free public transit
18:44 Big brands and the Wahoo Kickr Run
21:27 The Puma activation and the sub 4 challenge
22:52 Meeting the Puma Project 3 team
24:15 Running with Ron Runs NYC and a bottle service tip
26:03 Why he likes Berlin more this time
27:39 Saturday shakeouts and marathonweekend.com
30:23 The Puma Run and Rave
33:14 Watching the inline skating race
33:42 The mistake of forgetting throwaway clothes
36:07 The plan with his coach: a 16k progression
40:04 Race morning and how early to arrive
45:14 A flat, fast, crowded course
46:03 Aid stations and the plastic cup problem
51:54 Running the progression too fast
56:23 Dancing with the crowd through the last 10k
57:31 Finishing through the Brandenburg Gate
58:34 Feeling mediocre after a 2:53
1:01:57 Congratulating the Puma Project 3 winners
1:02:45 Final thoughts on Berlin and what's next
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