The adidas Runners City Night Berlin 2025 – an event full of records with VIDEO by Helmut Winter – SCC Events

Record number of participants – course record for women – course record for men

After a week of rain and cloud cover, the skies cleared for the adidas Runners City Night in Berlin on Saturday.

Just in time for the start of the event, skaters and runners found ideal conditions, which was impressively reflected in their performances.

Berlin’s fastest night as a community gathering

The adidas Runners City Night, ‘Berlin’s fastest night’ par excellence, proves that running is now not only about exercise, but also a lifestyle.

With partner activations, running crews and a loud capital city crowd along the route, the race organised by SCC EVENTS has become a difficult get-together for the running and skating community.

The 10 km distance was already fully booked several days in advance with more than 10,000 participants. This makes the adidas Runners City Night one of the largest 10-kilometre races in Germany. Well over 3,000 additional runners registered for the 5-kilometre race, either as debutants or with the aim of achieving a new personal best on the fast course.

Shiny medals and a lively atmosphere

In 2022, the organisers at SCC EVENTS designed a new course along the illuminated Ku’damm. The route runs in all four directions through the City West and is guaranteed to produce fast times. Adenauerplatz serves as a cheering zone and central meeting point for a great atmosphere.

Bands and thousands of spectators once again contributed to the exuberant atmosphere today. As always, the event culminated in the shadow of the Gedächtniskirche with a bright digital finish line. As a reward, each finisher received a fluorescent medal redesigned for this year.

Chloé Herbiet wins the adidas Citynight Berlin – Photo: Tilo Wiedensohler – camera 4 /SCC Events

Exciting race for skaters on the Ku’damm

At 6 p.m., around 500 skaters set off along the capital’s magnificent boulevard, sending their wheels and spectators into a frenzy. The impressive combination of knowledge, speed and elegance that this sport presents never ceases to fascinate.

After an exciting final sprint, Lilly Weidener prevailed against last year’s winner Franziska Petry in 18:42 minutes. In the men’s race, Alexander Bastidas won again with a start-to-finish victory in 15:34 minutes, followed by Tobias Hecht in second place. They were followed at 7 p.m. by the runners of the 5-kilometre distance. They also took advantage of the fast course and rewarded themselves with personal bests. Luca Fahrenson won the race in 14:34 minutes and Lea Brückner in 17:07 minutes.

The skaters at the start of the adidas Runners Citynight Berlin – Photo: Tilo Wiedensohler/camera4/SCC Events

The biggest field in the history of the event

Then the moment finally arrived: the largest field of participants in the history of the adidas Runners City Night took shape (a total of 14,572 athletes registered for all competitions). The fact that it was not just quantity but also quality that was on display was already evident during the warm-up of the top athletes at the front of the starting area.

The field of participants on Brandenburgische Strasse shortly before Adenauerplatz and turning onto Kurfürstendamm – Photo: Horst Milde

Mark Milde, race director of the traditional event, had managed to bring together the national who’s who of the road running scene in both the women’s and men’s fields. But that’s not all: this event is also increasingly attracting top athletes from abroad, including Hanne Verbruggen, Maor Tiyouri, Chloé Herbiet and Eilish McColgan, who competed in last year’s Olympic Games. Eilish McColgan, winner of the GENERALI BERLIN HALF MARATHON 2023, was the favourite, and a new course record was already in the air in the forefield.

Course records for women and men

Both the women’s and men’s races started at a fast pace right from the start. At the halfway point at kilometre four, the times were already well below the previous course records. This was followed by two slightly more cautious kilometres, but there was still hope for new best times on Kurfürstendamm. Mamiyo Hirsuato initially broke away from the field and ran at the front with a difficult lead.

At Adenauerplatz, the participants reach the home stretch on Kurfürstendamm (visible in the background) – Photo: Horst Milde

However, the chasing pack led by Hendrik Pfeiffer turned the tide at kilometre seven. With an impressive final sprint over the last two kilometres, Pfeiffer secured the new course record in 28:27 minutes to thunderous applause. Second place went to Filimon Abraham (28:30 minutes), with Aaron Bienenfeld coming third in 28:34 minutes.

There was also a remarkable result in the women’s race, which was not entirely expected. It was not the favourite Eilish McColgan who dominated the race, but Chloé Herbiet, who surprised everyone with an outstanding race and also set a new course record with a time of 31:12 minutes. McColgan followed in second place with 31:31 minutes, and Esther Pfeiffer took third place in 31:39 minutes.

How the race came about:

On 14 July 1984, Horst Milde, chairman of the SCC athletics department, initiated this race under the motto ‘mit dem SCC in die Ferien’ (Go on holiday with the SCC) in the Tiergarten (winners Bernd Hübner -SCC- and Renate Güttler – LG Süd-).

In 1989, he moved the race to Kurfürstendamm.

The current route and course measurement were developed by Gregor Pfennig together with his instructor John Kunkeler (AIMS-Agrade measurer).

Thanks are due to the many volunteers along the route, the medical services, the police, the fire brigade, the BVG and the BSR. The drum groups, the bands and the enthusiastic spectators and relatives along the running route contributed to the great atmosphere.

Jochen Schmitz

Team Leader Media Relations & Editorial

SCC EVENTS

The video by Prof. Dr. Helmut Winter: