The marathon distance is just over 26 miles (42 km) in length and the course is run around the city and starts and finishes in the Tiergarten.

The elite men's race was won by Kenenisa Bekele in 2:01:41, two seconds slower than the world record set by Eliud Kipchoge in 2018.

The runners continue east through Mitte until 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) before turning south to cross the de:Michaelbrücke into Neukölln.

Cherono was due to face tough competition from Meseret Defar who had won the 5000 metres event at the 2004 and 2012 Summer Olympics and had a marathon personal best of 2:23:33.

[9] The race director, Mark Milde, called it "one of the strongest women's fields in the history of the event".

[10] According to World Athletics,[7] the favourite for the men's race was Kenenisa Bekele, who had won the 2016 edition in a personal best of 2:03:03.

Also racing were 2014 winner Kota Hokinoue and Ernst van Dyk, who had won a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics.

[12] In the women's wheelchair race, four-time winner Manuela Schär returned to defend her 2018 title, which she won in a world record time of 1:36:53.

She faced 2018 third-place finisher Sandra Graf, and others including Madison de Rozario and Amanda McGrory.

[14] The women's race started with a pace that would have the lead pack finishing in the 2:20-2:22 range, with Cherono visible at the front.

Sara Hall ran a four-minute personal best to finish fifth[5] and Melat Yisak Kejeta placed sixth in 2:23:57.