Training and Berlin Marathon race prep:
I ran Berlin under special circumstances. Coming off of a meniscus surgery the year before, this was my first crack at a marathon since 2016. My training over the summer went very well, and I avoided injury. After a great dress rehearsal two weeks before the race I was beginng to feel confident about Berlin. The actual challenge was race week / weekend, though: I was out of the country for work, had to fly into Berlin the day before the race (little sleep! flight delayed!), before rushing to get my bib at Berlin's marathon expo @ the old Tempelhof airport. Also, Berlin is a large city, so it takes a lot of time to get from A to B -- and eventually into bed.

The Berlin Marathon course:
Few, if any Marathon Majors hit as many famous local landmarks as the Berlin Marathon. 

 From the Reichstag, Victory Column and Brandenburg Gate to many other spots lined with thousands of spectators, Berlin offers a lot of sights and impressions to soak in for runners. Like London, Tokyo or Chicago, the course is completely flat. Despite the broad streets, we hit 2-3 smaller bottlenecks along the course. Berlin also offers very good crowd support, with many bands along the course. That said, my view, Chicago, London and New York feature a slightly better atmosphere.

My race:
I got to the start line on time, just soaking in the amazing atmosphere and energy alongside more than 40,000 other runners. But as with overall race prep that weekend - after the starting gun, things didn't exactly go as planned during the race either. I started having stomach issues early on and couldn't really fuel at all with energy bars after that. My stomach wouldn't let me. Naturally, the tank went dry at some point, and I also started having hip cramps around 28k, requiring stretching (in fairness, I was also paying for running a much-too-fast first half of the race). Even so, until a few kilometers out I was still in striking distance of my personal best, but fell short by about 1 1/2 minutes at the end. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this race, and savored some cold beverages with a good friend after the race, overlooking the Spree River. Reflecting on Berlin, my thoughts already drifted off to Chicago. That marathon would be about three weeks later.

Race evaluation:
4 out of 6 stars