Preparations for Berlin Marathon: First road closures starting Monday

As the new week begins, drivers in Berlin in particular should be prepared for traffic disruptions: The first road closures are in effect for the Berlin Marathon on September 26 and 27.

Before one of the world's largest running events can begin, the course must be prepared for the more than 56,000 participants. In addition, hundreds of thousands of people are once again expected to line the route to celebrate and cheer on the runners. 

Police prepare for a large-scale operation

The Berlin police are preparing for a large-scale operation. Last year, more than 800 police officers were on duty. A ban on knives and weapons has been imposed in certain sections of the marathon route. This year, the race route will once again run along Straße des 17. Juni and Ernst-Reuter-Platz to Alt-Moabit, then through the Tiergarten to Berlin-Mitte, along Karl-Marx-Allee to Strausberger Platz in Friedrichshain. Heading south, the route goes along Lichtenberger Straße to Moritzplatz, Kottbusser Tor, and Kottbusser Damm, then to Hermannplatz in Neukölln, past Hasenheide, and westward via Yorckstraße, Grunewaldstraße, and Martin-Luther-Straße to Schöneberg City Hall. 

Road closures will be lifted after the race ends

Passing through Friedenau and Schmargendorf, the route eventually heads back toward the city center via Hohenzollerndamm and Kurfürstendamm to Wittenbergplatz. It then continues to Potsdamer Platz via Kleiststraße and Potsdamer Straße. The final four kilometers run along Leipziger Straße to Gendarmenmarkt and down Unter den Linden through the Brandenburg Gate to the finish line on Straße des 17. Juni. The streets are generally reopened gradually after the race ends. However, Straße des 17. Juni remains closed for a longer period.

Straße des 17. Juni closed starting Monday, additional closures starting Thursday

Since early Monday morning, Straße des 17. Juni between Großer Stern and the Brandenburg Gate, as well as Yitzhak-Rabin-Straße, have been closed. Starting Thursday, Ebertstraße, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee, Scheidemannstraße, Dorotheenstraße and the government district will also be closed. On Saturday, Potsdamer Straße between Potsdamer Platz and Reichpietschufer, Unter den Linden between Pariser Platz and Friedrichstraße, and the skating route will be closed during the day until approximately 5:30 p.m. On Sunday, the streets along the marathon route, particularly in Tiergarten and Mitte, will be closed almost continuously until the end of the event. In addition, there will be road closures in Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Neukölln, Schöneberg, Steglitz, Wilmersdorf and Zehlendorf.