BMW BERLIN-MARATHON Features World-Class Line-Ups Across Inline Skating, Handbike, and Wheelchair Fields
- Top Inline Skaters
- World-Class Handbikers
- Elite Wheelchair Athletes
- Daddy Pig Joins the Field
- Press Conference Schedule
- Media Accreditation
Organiser SCC EVENTS is expecting well over 56,000 athletes from more than 160 nations for the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON from 26–27 September. Alongside the international elite heading to the German capital for the foot race, the inline skating, handbike, and wheelchair categories promise high-calibre, fiercely contested competition.
Skating Defending Champion Chases Title
In the women’s inline skating field, 2025 champion Aubane Plouhinec (SPSPSK Rollerblade) returns to defend her crown. Joining her is team-mate Noraly Berber Vonk (NED), runner-up last year and winner in 2024. They face stiff competition from Lianne van Loon (NED) and Colombia’s Keily Delgado (Team Powerslide Vesmaco), who claimed victory at the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON in March. Team SheaStokes also boasts a formidable roster featuring Aura Quintana (ESP) and Marine Lefeuvre (FRA). From a domestic perspective, all eyes will be on Germany’s Josie Hofmann, who could spring a surprise despite officially retiring from her professional speed skating and inline career earlier this spring.
Serial Winner Bart Swings Returns to Berlin
After missing last year’s event to focus on preparations for the Winter Olympic Games in Milan, course record holder and nine-time winner Bart Swings returns to the capital. The Belgian headlines a powerhouse Powerslide Vesmaco squad alongside 2025 champion Ewen Fernandez (FRA) and 2019 winner Felix Rijhnen (GER) — though despite sharing team colours, individual victory remains the sole objective. They face arguably their toughest threat in years from a stacked Team SheaStokes contingent, led by Adrian Alonso, Manuel Taibo, Carlos Tarazona (all ESP), and Julio Mirena (FRA).
Wheelchair and Handbike Fields Set for High-Speed Showdown
The wheelchair and handbike races remain a headline fixture of marathon weekend, setting off over the classic 42.195 km distance just ahead of the main running field. A star-studded lineup guarantees blistering paces and world-class times. Swiss legend Marcel Hug, one of the most decorated wheelchair athletes in history, targets further glory in Berlin, where he has claimed ten victories since 2011 alongside numerous Abbott World Marathon Majors titles. Netherlands’ Jetze Plat, a dominant force in para-athletics, arrives fresh from Paralympic gold in Paris across wheelchair triathlon, handbike time trial, and road race events. In the women's wheelchair division, world No. 1 Catherine Debrunner (SUI) returns to the course where she took victory on her marathon debut four years ago. She is joined by fellow Swiss powerhouse Manuela Schär, a three-time AbbottWMM series champion and multiple Berlin winner.
Daddy Pig Runs the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON
Coinciding with International Day of the Deaf, children’s TV character Daddy Pig will take to the course to raise awareness for deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their families. The initiative ties into a current storyline in the Peppa Pig animated series, bridging on-screen content with real-world advocacy through the character of George, who wears a hearing aid. Daddy Pig is running to raise vital funds for the BundesElternverband gehörloser Kinder e. V. via the Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern e. V. His pre-race preparation included training sessions with Thomas Eller, one of the world's leading deaf runners, Six Star Finisher, and two-time Guinness World Record holder, who also lines up on 27 September.
Over €1 Million Raised for Charity
The initiative forms part of a long-standing partnership between Stiftung RTL – Wir helfen Kindern e. V. and the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, which has generated more than €1 million in donations to date.
"Deaf and hard-of-hearing children need to know they belong, that they are seen, and that they can achieve anything," said Wolfram Kons, Chairman of Stiftung RTL. "Daddy Pig and Thomas Eller are not just running 42 kilometres — they are running for inclusion, awareness, and direct support for affected families."
Christian Jost, Managing Director of SCC EVENTS, added: "The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON thrives on the diversity of its participants. Having a beloved character like Daddy Pig inspire families while raising awareness for pediatric hearing loss fits perfectly with our ethos of a marathon for everyone."
