Athletics

Berlin Marathon, tomorrow 7.30am.

Get ready as many of the world’s best go toe- to- toe on what is seen as the fastest marathon course in the world. Starting and finishing at the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin event has on seven occasions produced a world’s best time for men and four for women. The current world’s best of 2h 02m 57s was set by Kenyan Dennis Kimetto in 2014, yet the women’s course record of 2h 19m 12s — set by Japan’s Mizuki Noguchi — has survived since 2005. First held in 1974 when 244 of 286 starters finished behind West German Gunter Hallas, who won in 2h 44m 53s, the race is one of six of the IAAF’s world marathon majors. Ethiopian hero Haile Gebrselassie won four times straight from 2006 — the only times the Kenyan dominance since 1999 has been broken. Wilson Kipsang and Kenenisa Bekele head the men’s field which boasts seven sub- 2h 06m runners, while two- time winner Aberu Kebede chases a third in the women’s race. Cheered on by one million spectators along the way, more than 40,000 runners will go to the start line.