The competition was sponsored by German retailer real,- and it was the third World Marathon Major of the year, as well as being an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.

[3] Germany's own Sabrina Mockenhaupt was among the contenders for the women's elite race, as were Ethiopian runners Bezunesh Bekele and Aberu Kebede, and Tomo Morimoto of Japan.

[4] Heavy rain throughout the race put an end to any hopes that Haile Gebrselassie's world record mark from the 2008 edition would be improved.

Aberu Kebede and Bezunesh Bekele were dominant in the women's race and had built up a sizeable lead over the rest of the field by the half-way point.

[5] Although it was the first time in 20 years that the Berlin Marathon was affected by rain, the men's race saw the top three finishers run under two hours and six minutes – a first for the competition renowned for its fast, flat course.