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Die Teilnehmer (links Norberg Ebbert) in Höhe der East Side-Gallery.
RUNNING GERMANY: BERLIN – 100 miles against forgetting: the Berlin Wall Race on august 13, 2016
Between 1961 and 1989, at least 138 people were killed at the former border, according to research by the Berlin Wall Foundation.
Out of those, 100 were citizens of the GDR who attempted to escape. The Berlin Wall Race commemorates the victims and their personal history. This is why we dedicate the finisher medal to one victim each year.
Below is an overview of those already honored by the Berlin Wall Race.
2011 – Günter Litfin
The first 100MeilenBerlin were dedicated to Günter Litfin. He was the first GDR citizen who was killed by gunfire while escaping. An observation post houses a memorial where his life and death are portrayed. Not far from this observation post, close to the new Hauptbahnhof (main station), Günter Lifin was shot on August 24th, 1961 at an age of only 24 years.
2013 – Chris Gueffroy
Chris Gueffroy was the last victim who was shot at the border. It happened at night time on 5-6 February 1989. A friend, who was a member of the border patrol, told Chris that the firing order was withdrawn. This was tragically not true. At a river in Britz, Chris was mortally wounded by two bullets, one of them directly into the heart. Chris died at the border strip. His mother Karin Gueffroy personally awarded the finishers of the second 100MeilenBerlin the finisher medal showing her son’s profile.
2014 – Peter Fechter
Footage of this event was seen all around the world. On August 17th, 1962, Peter Fechter was hit by no less than 35 bullets. This happened close to Checkpoint Charlie. Though he was heavily wounded, nobody came to help. In the end, he died in a hospital. In 2014, runners laid down red roses at this very spot in Zimmerstraße.
2015 – Marienetta Jirkowsky
In 2015, 100MeilenBerlin commemorated Marienetta Jirkowsky. “Micky” was shot by GDR border patrol on 22 November 1980 in the area between Hohen Neuendorf and Berlin-Frohnau.
She died shortly after in hospital at an age of 18. Marienetta’s father was informed two days later, and the family was not allowed to publish a death notice for her. Members of GDR Ministry of State Security (Stasi) blocked friends and family from attending the funeral.
2016 – Karl-Heinz Kube
Karl-Heinz Kube was born on 10 April 1949 in Ruhlsdorf near Berlin. Together with his 18-year old friend Detlev, he made plans to escape. Both decided to search for a way towards the West in Kleichmachnow. 
In the evening hours of 16 December 1966, it was time to go: Equipped with a wire cutter, they successfully overcome the first separation barrier. At the fence, Karl-Heinz and Detlev were discovered by a patrol of the border guards. Both escaped to a trench at first, where they attracted the attention of another patrol. While Detlev stayed unharmed, Karl-Heinz was shot in the head and chest. The shooters, who fired 40 bullets in total, were honored in December 1966 with the „medal for exemplary boarder duty“ and the „achievement emblem of the border troops“ awards.
On 13 August 1961 the GDR regime started to erect the Berin Wall. From this day on, until 1989, many have tried to overcome the concrete and and barbed wire. At least 138 people were killed at the former border.
Among them was Karl-Heinz Kube, who was shot in an escape attempt. The Berlin Wall Race on 13 and 14 August 2016 is dedicated to him, on behalf of all the victims. 100 miles along the former border, 100 miles against forgetting.
Up-to-date information about the Berlin Wall Race in our Live-Ticker.
Videos live from the race course, the race packet pick-up and the award ceremony.
And Live-Tracking (split times) from the start on via the website of our timing partner.
For the first time in the still young history of the Berlin Wall Race, the course leads through Brandenburg Gate, a symbol for the division of Germany as well as for the reunification. On this occasion there will be a special action: Shortly before the runners reach Brandenburg Gate, approximately at kilometer 7, they will come upon a wall consisting of wooden bricks. Following the Berlin Wall Runners‘ motto „running without borders“, this wooden wall will be torn down piece by piece, it will literally be „run down“. Each participant can take a brick and carry it through Brandenburg Gate. Ultimately the wall will have completely disappeared.
Further information:
The route of the Berlin Wall Race and the aid stations
Entry lists – who will be on the starting line?
Pictures of the Berlin Wall Race 2016
Schedule – Berlin Wall Race 2016
Friday, 12 August
10:30: Guided tours for participants at the Berlin Wall Memorial, Bernauer Strasse (approx. 1 hour)
12:00: Friendship Run from Bernauer Straße to Hotel Ramada (approx. 3 miles)
12:00 – 19:00: Runner check in and race packet pick-up at Hotel Ramada
16:00: Information about the history and the course of the Berlin Wall Race (Ramada, in German)
17:00 – 20:00 Uhr: Pasta party (Ramada)
17:00: Race briefing in English for international solo runners (Ramada)
18:00: Race briefing in German for solo runners (Ramada)
19:00: Race briefing for relay teams (Ramada)
Saturday, 13 August
4:00 – 7:00: Breakfast at Jahn-Sportpark
6:00: Race start solo runners at Jahn-Sportpark
7:00: Race start relay teams at Jahn-Sportpark
Sunday, 14 August
10:00: 27 hour cut off relay teams, Finish at Jahn-Sportpark
09:00 – 13:00: Farewell lunch at Jahn-Sportpark
12:00: 30 hour cut off solo runners, Finish at Jahn-Sportpark
12:00: Award ceremony at Hotel Ramada for all relay teams
14:00: Award ceremony at Hotel Ramada for solo runners
The Berlin Wall Race: Running on the traces of German history
There is hardly any ultramarathon with such a close relationship to recent German history. This is because the Wall Race leads along the former inner-German border, 100 miles around western Berlin. There will be hundreds of runners from all over the world, running where once the Wall stretched for miles, in an athletic commemoration of the separation of Berlin and its victims in the years between 1961 and 1989. The finisher medal will again show the portrait of someone who lost his or her life in an attempt to vanquish the barbed wire and concrete.
The Wall Race is supported – among many others – by the former GDR civil-rights activist Rainer Eppelmann, who is also the patron of the event.
What is there to know about the Berlin Wall Race? It is mostly flat and paved, runs partly through urban areas, but also through forests and along meadows and fields – a course rich in variety.
A specialty: Due to its length and the time limit of 30 hours (for solo runners, 27 hours for relays) the course is not cordoned off, thus encounters with cars, bikes and pedestrians are likely. Due to this reason the Road Traffic Act must be followed at all times! That a runner can be incredibly fast even with red traffic lights was proven to be true by Markin Perkins in 2014 with a new course record. It took the Brit only 13 hours and 6 minutes to complete the 100 miles!
The popularity of the event, which has been held since 2011, is also due to the 350 volunteers along the course. They do not only supply the runners with drinks and food at 27 aid stations, but are motivation and comfort at the same time. One more reason not to give up along the way!
In 2016 the course will be run clockwise, thus following the Wall Trail to the south after starting at Jahn-Sportpark. Besides that the course will remain nearly unchanged, except for one major point: In the past years the participants had to run past the Brandenburg Gate (due to other events), and in 2016 it is planned to run through this landmark. But the final permission is still awaited. Keep your fingers crossed tightly!
A unique finisher medal is awarded to everyone who finishes the race within the time limit. Solo runners, who have completed the 100 Meilen Berlin within 30 hours in 2015 and 2016, will also receive a Back-to-Back Medal.
And finishers, who have completed the course successfully within 24 hours, will in addition receive a 100Meilen-Buckle.
Competitions at the Berlin Wall Race
As a solo runner or together in a relay: There are many ways to take on the running adventure of the Berlin Wall Race.
Solo runner
The grand challenge! About 160.9 kilometers alone, but supported by more than 300 volunteers at the total of 27 aid stations along the Wall Trail. Time limit: 30 hours. Along the route there are 3 cut-off points which must be reached by a certain time.
2-person relay
The 100Meilen will be shared by two runners, but the changeover point is fixed. The changeover will be carried out in Sacrow. There are a total of 20 entries available and the time limit is 27 hours.
4-person relay
As indicated for the 2-person relays the changeover points are fixed for the 4-person relays. Changeover will occur in Teltow, Sacrow and Henningsdorf. A change of clothes can be delivered to these places (collected at the start) and showers are available at some changeover points. Due to high demand, the number of entries has been increased from 30 to 50, but the time limit is still 27 hours.
10plus relay
The 10plus relay competition was introduced in 2014. It offers participation in the Berlin Wall Race to runners who are not yet experienced in ultra or marathon running. Per relay at least 10 and up to 28 runners can participate. Changeover points can be freely chosen by participants. As with all other relays, the time limit for the 100-mile challenge is 27 hours.
Rainer Eppelmann: „A contribution to the commemorative culture“
The Berlin Wall Race along the former border around West Berlin has become an established sporting event which attracts hundreds of exceptional athletes from all over the world year after year. The 100MeilenBerlin is at the same time a contribution to the commemorative culture of this country and this city by which the inhumane Berlin Wall and its fall in 1989 are remembered in an unusual way.
Since the Wall is nowadays almost completely eliminated from the cityscape, it is an 
important duty to remember the meaning of the monstrous construction for the people in the east and the west for 28 years. The Berlin Wall was erected on 13 August 1961 by the authorities of the GDR as an insurmountable bulwark against their own people and later expanded. The western part of the city was completely surrounded by barbed wire and barriers, thus the last loophole through which GDR citizens could escape to freedom obstructed. Families, married couples and friends were separated from each other for decades. Hundreds of people had to pay for their attempts to escape with severe injuries and – even worse – with their lives.
The peaceful opening of the Wall in the night of 9 November 1989 and its quick fall and disappearance is owed to the courage of those who bravely demonstrated for freedom and a better life in the GDR. As comprehensible as the desire for normality subsequently was, by removing the wall remains from the cityscape of Berlin almost entirely, the memories are threatened to fade nowadays as well.
It is all the more important that the participants of the 100MeilenBerlin not only push the envelope of their abilities, but commemorate the separation of Berlin and Germany and its numerous victims.
Sincerly,
Rainer Eppelmann
Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship and Patron of the Berlin Wall Race
Rainer Eppelmann is a former GDR civil rights activist and was Minister for Disarmament and Defense in the cabinet of Lothar de Maizière. In 1990 he joined the Christian Democratic Union and from 1990 to 2005 he was a member of the German Bundestag.
Backward glances to the Berlin Wall Race 2011 until 2015
Since 2011 the LG Mauerweg Berlin e.V. has organized the Berlin Wall Race – the 100MeilenBerlin.
Why just 2011? Well, with the 50th anniversary of the erection of the wall the ideal date was found for the „Race of Commemoration“. Already then it was under the patronage of the former GDR-civil right activist Rainer Eppelmann. Nearly 100 runners joined the premiere – a tremendous organisational effort for the still small team of volunteers.
Since then the 100MeilenBerlin has developed quickly: For the second edition in 2013 already 250 runners were reported (the year before a short creative break was taken), in 2014 more than 300 runners (relay runners included) were registered, and in 2015 there were more than 600 participants at the starting line.
And furthermore: The winner of the 2014 edition, Mark Perkins, was able to set a fabulous new course record with a total time of 13:06 hours. Patricia Rolle from LG Nord Berlin is the new female course record holder with her winning time of 15:57 hours in 2015.
