Great 10k Berlin 2026

What a great race! 😍

The Berliner Morgenpost Great 10K (or “Great 10K” for regulars) is exactly like the German capital: ambitious, fast, and frankly impressive 🇩🇪. Since 2008, every October, this 10 km road race sends runners through the west of the city with one promise: go fast, very fast 💨.

Born under the name ASICS Grand 10, the event arrived in 2008 with already more than 5,000 participants 🙌. It then changed its name to become the Berliner Morgenpost Great 10K, backed by the major Berlin daily that lends it its name 😎. In less than twenty years, the race has firmly established itself among Europe’s great 10Ks, claiming the title of the “fastest city run in Germany”. It’s not marketing: the times confirm it 😅. The start is from Schloss Charlottenburg, one of the most imposing Baroque palaces in Northern Europe 🏛️. From there, the route heads toward Spandauer Damm, then follows the legendary Straße des 17. Juni toward the Victory Column 🏃. But the highlight comes a few kilometers later: the course runs through the Berlin Zoo, one of the oldest and most species-rich in the world 🦒. You run alongside the Elephant Gate, pass in front of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, before heading back toward Schloßstraße and completing the loop at the palace 🔄. Smooth overall, the course remains technical in its pace changes—ideal for chasing a strong time ⏱️. Leonard Patrick Komon, the men’s record holder, has won the race four times, and his marks are close to world standards for the distance 🙂. On the German side, names like Alina Reh and Anna Hahner have also flown over this Berlin asphalt 🚀. The race attracts seasoned athletes from all over Germany, as well as international runners, drawn by the combination of a fast course, an exceptional setting, and a well-oiled organization 🧅. Beyond time goals, the Great 10K positions itself as a true festival of running for the whole family 👶. The forecourt of Schloss Charlottenburg turns into a festive sports village, with a 4.2 km on the program for those who prefer a more accessible format, a 2 × 5 km relay for duos, and specific formats for the youngest (a 1.5 km and even an 800 m reserved for toddlers 😄. Beginners, families, club athletes, and foreign visitors mingle there in a warm, well-organized atmosphere—typical of major German urban races 🤝.

As for the surroundings, Berlin has nothing to envy anyone when it comes to post-race stops 🙂. Just steps from the start, the Charlottenburg neighborhood is full of cafés and restaurants where Currywurst (curry sausage, an iconic dish of the capital) is well earned after 10 km of effort 🌭. To extend the experience, the Tiergarten, Berlin’s green lung that the race runs through, is well worth a visit on foot or by bike 🌳. And if your legs still allow it, the Kurfürstendamm and its gleaming shop windows await finishers just a few hundred meters after the finish line 🏁.

At the Great 10K, you run fast—but you also know why you stop 😋.