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The challenging 100-mile Berlin Wall Race commemorates the victims of the former border between West and East Germany. The course follows the former border strip around western Berlin.
Running in the footsteps of the past: The 161-kilometer route leads runners alongs the mostly asphalt Wall Trail, which runs around the former West Berlin and corresponds to the former course of the border. The run is organized under the patronage of former GDR civil rights activist Rainer Eppelmann.
The Berlin Wall Race takes place annually around the official Wall Construction Remembrance Day on August 13. On that day in 1961, construction of the concrete and barbed wire border fortifications began. Until the fall of the Wall, the path along the Berlin Wall was patrolled by armed GDR border troops. By 1989, at least 138 people had died there trying to escape. Memorial steles along the Wall Trail provide information about the fates of the many victims.
The running direction of the Berlin Wall Race changes every year. In 2024, the route will once again lead runners counterclockwise around the former West Berlin. Up to 350 runners and more than 80 relay teams are expected at the start and finish area in the Erika-Hess-Stadion in Berlin-Mitte.
The starting signal will be given at 6 am on August 17, 2024. The time limit is 30 hours for individual runners and between 26 and 27 hours for relay teams. Along the way, volunteers will provide food and drinks for the racers at a total of 26 aid stations set up along the route every 5 to 9 kilometers.
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