Berlin Wall Trail Run 2026… on plans and borders 

Months of planning and training were behind us—early in the morning on August 15, the 2026 Mauerweg Run began. The forecast called for a hot summer day with a few showers overnight and in the morning. We got both… and much more:

We set a new registration record with over 600 individual runners, more than 500 of whom actually lined up at the starting line. In addition, this year marked the third edition of the MauerwegMarsch, which is enjoying growing popularity…

Last year’s winner, Pascal Rüeger from Switzerland, had traveled to the race to break his own course record of 12:37h. He was right on schedule through the first half of the race and completed the first 80 km in under 6 hours! But even he had to pay the price for the heat and ultimately crossed the finish line in 13:59:05h. Second place went to Wen Sheng Toh (Singapore/Berlin) in 14:30:24, and third place to Marc Schneider (Bern/Berlin) in 15:42:29. Fourth overall and the fastest woman in 2026 was Frida Södermark from Sweden in 16:32:39, followed by Stefanie Bentert from Berlin in 17:25:05 and Susanne Edelmann from Hamburg in 18:13:23. Congratulations to the winners on their outstanding performances!

Incidentally, the two fourth-place finishers in the women’s and men’s divisions—Mandy Gandecki (19:53:58) and Gunnar Fischer (16:58:28)—are both members of the organizing club, LG Mauerweg—we’re very proud of you!

The fastest two-person relay team was “Maui” from (Great Britain/Berlin Harriers) with a time of 14:33:48, followed by their Berlin clubmates “All gas kein brakes” (15:30:56) and the “Optimistic Runners” (Italy/Berlin) with a time of 15:56:49. In the four-person relay, the “Bratwurst Express” from ASV Zeuthen took first place, also posting the fastest overall time of 12:43:11. Second place went to the “Bad Brains” from Berlin in 13:10:45, and third to the “Optimistic Runners” (Hong Kong/Berlin) in 14:38:03. In the 5+ relay category—which was offered for the first time in place of the 10+ relays—the SCC Berlin team took first place (13:18:04), followed by the HBG Runners from Velten (13:45:50) and the “Seilhelden” from Kletterwald Schorfheide (14:02:04).

For the majority of participants, of course, it wasn’t primarily about records and personal bests. Nevertheless, many naturally had their hopes and goals packed in their (running) gear. As is so often the case, however, it became clear that an ultra-run can never be planned down to the last detail—especially not at 35 degrees in the shade.

On this day, many pushed their own limits, had new experiences, and made unforgettable connections. Others recognized their own limits, reevaluated their time goals, or even ended the race early. We hope you’re all recovering well and haven’t lost your desire to push your limits again!

Preparing for and running an event can also push you to your limits—which is why we’re all the more grateful to our more than 450 volunteers, who worked tirelessly at various locations: At the aid stations, in the start and finish areas, and even in the many “behind-the-scenes” tasks involved in the run’s preparation, follow-up, and logistics, well-coordinated teams reunited and new faces joined us. Without you, the Mauerweglauf and MauerwegMarsch 2026 would not have been possible! We’d also like to thank all the companies that supported our event.

For us, it was once again an exciting challenge this year to push the limits with you—though we never forget that borders have been, and in many places still are, threatening and deadly, both throughout history and in the present day. At the 6-kilometer mark near the Schönholz S-Bahn station, we paid special tribute this year to Wernhard Mispelhorn, an 18-year-old locksmith who was shot and killed in 1964 while attempting to escape across the Berlin Wall. Let’s use our freedoms to stand up for human rights and democracy around the world!

The next Mauerweg Run and Mauerweg Walk will take place on August 14–15, 2027. We look forward to seeing you there!

Here are the statistics:

started                         finished

Men’s Individual           409                                   226

Women’s Individual      106                                      71

2-Person-Relay              37                                      31

4-Person-Relay              36                                      36

5+-Person-Relay            73                                      72

March:                           started                         finished

male                                  72                                      61

female                              69                                      64

translated by deepl.com (free version)

Image credits: All photos ©MenschArt https://mensch.one/100meilenberlin/ except: last photo (commemoration at the Wall with the eventual winner): ©Peter Ninas