Berlin, September 24th, 2026 (The Berlin Spectator) – Preparations for the BMW Berlin Marathon are making movement in the city increasingly difficult. In the Mitte district, around Brandenburg Gate, some streets were closed days ago. The closer the big event comes, the more cordons in the form of metal fences are being set up.
Commuters who insist on going to work by car have to expect to spend a lot of time in traffic jams these days. This situation will not improve until Monday, when the medals will already have been given out and the event is over. By Thursday, October 1st, things are supposed to be back to normal (if any situation deserves this word in this city), according to the authorities in charge. The Berlin Marathon also has implications for the German capital’s public transport.
On Saturday and Sunday, September 26th and 27th, the situation is the worst, from the perspective of motorists in Berlin, and the best, from the point of view of marathon runners as well as their spectators. During the weekend, streets in several boroughs will be blocked, including Mitte, Friedrichshain, Kreuzberg, Schöneberg, Steglitz, Wilmersdorf and even Zehlendorf. Yes, it would have been easier to list the parts that are not affected.
Streets and Squares
Short races for runners and a big one for inline skaters are scheduled to take place on Saturday, while more than 55,000 runners will be competing on Sunday. These big events led to the closure of Strasse des 17. Juni. It will take a week until the city intends to completely open it again. The part between Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column has been blocked since Monday. On Tuesday, September 29th, Strasse des 17. Juni between the intersection with Yitzhak-Rabin-Strasse and the Victory Column will probably be opened again. The other parts will take longer.
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Starting today, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee, Dorotheenstrasse, Ebertstrasse and Scheidemannstrasse are affected. So is the better part of the government quarter. Friday night, Potsdamer Strasse will be closed as well, between Potsdamer Platz and Reichpietschufer. So is Unter den Linden between the Gate and Friedrichstrasse. For the inline skater race, far more streets and squares will be blocked, including Ernst-Reuter-Platz, Otto-Suhr-Allee, Helmut-Kohl-Allee, Potsdamer Strasse, Leipziger Strasse, Jerusalemer Strasse, Markgrafenstrasse, Französische Strasse and Glinkastrasse.
Can this mess get ever worse? Apparently, the answer is yes. Because the Berlin Marathon itself will lead to even more closures on Sunday. Those are supposed to apply from 5:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., in addition to the ones mentioned earlier. In order to cross the Marathon route, pedestrians and cyclists can use underpasses at U-Bahn stations (subway, tube, underground, metro).
The Right Approach
Alexanderplatz square and Tiergarten Tunnel will be open the entire time. But that does not really matter because getting there is not easy. Spectators, inhabitants and tourists who do want to go to Berlin-Mitte are supposed to take the S-Bahn (which does not work well even on good days) and U-Bahn train systems. Some stations might be closed when the crowds there get too big. Bus and tram lines could be rerouted or shut down.
For those who are planning to come to Berlin for the Marathon or any reason: Parking will be a challenge too. Leaving vehicles far away, the further, the better, is the right approach.
