The Alberto Marathon Berlin 1999.

This story and description cover my first appearance in the (formerly called) "Alberto Marathon Berlin" in 1999. After that I skated the marathon several times again. It became a kind of tradition. Today the event's name is "Berlin Real,- Marathon", (after the sponsoring super market chain) and the parcours changed a bit. The spectacular finish takes you now under the impressive Brandenburger Tor.

The four copper horses of the quadriga watch the packs marching under them through the Brandenburg Gate again today. No soldiers with boots on this time, carrying swastica's and torches. like they did in 1933. It's much more peaceful, faster too. The big stage at the victory gate doesn't carry a crying dictator now, but touring Japanese kettledrummers.
It is 1999 and the pack, occupying the Pariser Platz, wears rollershoes.
The Alberto Berlin Marathon just started. Sponsored by a pizza seller in a tiny Piaggio delivery chugger. At least it started for us, the four thousend Rollschuhläufer(Innen). The runners, between which are my travel companions Jan and Cees, only sprint half an hour later past the raised starting gun near Charlottenburger Tor. Ten years after that first memorable city run through the just opened Wall I visit the scene where it all happened! Ten thousends of whirring wheels on the beautiful flat asphalt of the arrow-straight, and so wide 17th June Street. In the middle of the Cold War this avenue along the Russian war memorial suddenly was renamed. After the date of the 1953 East Berlin Workers Revolt.

"Berlin, Hauptstadt für Kinder"(Berlin, capital for children), that's the way this city at the frontier of the Cold War presents itself in an UNICEF campaign. No matter if it handles about the Hauptstadt der DDR, about Berlin (West) or about the brandnew Bundeshauptstadt.
I always have a place in my heart for Berlin, to leave a suitcasee. It was easy for me to decide about the proposal by Jan, Cees en Antoon, the hard core gang, to make the city to the set for a legendary Marathon experience.
Two of the gang intended to do the 42 kilometers by feet. Antoon would take care of the food and drink supply. And of course he was charged to deliver the photographic evidence of our presence there. For myself the rolling part of the event would be the most interesting of course.
For preparations most thanks go out to Kerstin. East Berlin ice skate girl friend and my secret agent on site. Always ready to support my skate ambitions. No difficult international transactions for me, when paying the huge registration fee of DM 80,-- (Voreinschreibungsgebühr beim Wohnsitz im Ausland) without a credit card. Just the help of a native who pays at the subscription desk, getting a signed receipt in return.

I skate Unter den Linden in the direction of the Alexanderplatz. It's still bare and windy there. The more than hundred meters high, former Party hotel "Stadt Berlin" is called "Forum" today, but is ugly as usual. The illegal money changers at every street corner ("Deutschmarken tauschen?") have gone, and so are the Volkspolizisten (People's police agents) who were charged to prevent it.
The asphalt is not as bad as the tour organisation represented before. There are only some chippings and the rolling crowds around me, to disturb the skating joy. Next to the Karl Marxallee (yes, still...) the parcours is narrowing. The four thousend people still stick together. I'm condemned to the pack's speed, but try to go faster.
Back in the West again, near the ruin of the former Anhalter Station, it gets risky. There are suddenly two cobbled road thresholds under my feet, with only hundred meters of asphalt in between. They ask for extreme skills. Halfpipe-skaters have much advantage here above ten wheeled inliners. The pack around really leaves no escape route for me. And no brakes too.. But the Zandstra's at my feet don't let me down. Miles away, in the Kreuzberg quarter, I'm still tremble.. In Schöneberg used to be the West Berlin city hall during the German separation. A green line at the road surface shows the ideal route. Some inhabitants don't care for this service by the marathon chiefs. So I loose meters to avoid their cars parked there. But luckily the pack is fading now. I overpass many competitors, to the left ans especially to the right, who had a too powerful start.
Here starts the dreadful elevation in the course. I wooried about it before, at the midnight train to here. The six meter dyke of the Rotte river is quite a problem for me. And here I have to climb more than thirty meters!!
"Oh, what a thrill !?"

Could it be related to my Rotterdam Marathon training experience? Or has it to do with my emergency energy drink supply? But I reach the top without any acidification in my leg muscles. The small bottles of life elixer make me feel I could manage another lap of the capital. Zur Wilden Eber (at the wild boar), a mileage at the parcours. From here on it will be a delight. Freewheeling downwards. Downtown Berlin again, with Polizei-agents keeping the track open for you. With thousands of Berliner cheering along the roadside, reaching to you with their large, foam plastic greeting-hands.
Oh, that's a real good athmosphere here! Even the threatening rain clouds seem to wait for me to reach the finish! Is there any other thing to wish for a Dutch inline skater?
Yes. There is one. Or even two!
I intend to whisk under the Ku'damm finish-banner making a new personal record. And afterwards throw myself into the arms of one of those hundreds of (female) physiotherapists in education, waiting for a caring massage.
That record is okay. The inkjet printer at the finish produces a final time of 1:42 uur! Klasse! But I am sorely disappointed in those caring therapists' hands. All of the reanimating hostesses are busy with the legs of faster skaters than me. So I try to find the exit. Hustle the Champion Chip out of my strings, and cash my DM 40,- deposit back. Some of the German competitors are commenting my rolling shoes. "Fünf Räder! Sind Sie Profi?" (Five wheels! Are you a professional?)
I skip the the shower tents at the Kurfürstenstreet asphalt. Back to my Hotel President. Just in time to have a delightful bath.
Than I'm ready and fresh, to receive Kerstin's single flowered champions bouquet. And, of course, her finish hug!! As a substitute for the missed sports massage....

My running collegues aren't so lucky. Both with the douching and the weather. The rain internet predicted before, bursts out at the very moment. However, for runners rain is les disastrous than for skaters.. So the marathon result of both Jan and Cees are perfect too. Like mine.
It's over. There are some Berlin hours left to habituate. The Ku'damm is crowded because of the marathon. So it's easier for us, former velvet communists, to return to the Alexander square in East-Berlin. (N)Ostalgie again...
We find our place in a small restaurant at the foot of the famous TV-tower. Between the traces of the former socialist glory, and the free market forces afterwards. Like the abandoned buildings of Honeckers parliament, the Palace of the Republic. And the "Alextreff" (meet at Alex'), the socialist eating-house where we used to have our student meals. Desolate between the newly constructed capitalistic glass palaces.
After a nutritious (de)parting meal, it is time to head for the home nighttrain again. The worst moment. At Bahnhof Zoo I bid farewell to Kerstin and her city. Melancholy...
"Berlin, ich komm' bald wieder zurück!"

Route map...

Route description and info...

The Alberto Marathon Berlin parcours is only traffic free at the day itself, of course. It's not recommended to try to skate parts of the route. There are some (safe) separated bikeways, but the traffic is busy, and the inhabitants are not used to troublesome road skaters. It's better to inquire at local inline organisations where it's possible to skate wonderful and safe. The same warnings apply to the later Real,- Marathon routes.
If you understand Dutch, read about my experiences in the 2005 marathon weekend, when I travelled to Berlin with the skate tour operator Skate-A-Round. Beside the marathon itself we skated a part of the famous Fläming Skateroute south of Berlin. We were also part of a real inline skate protest demonstration!

1. Straight on at Strasse des 17. Juni. Under the landmark of the Brandenburger Tor, to the former East part. Than straight on at Unter den Linden, passing the Alexanderplatz and to the right.
2. The Karl Marxallee. Follow it and turn right at Lichtenberger Str.. Right again at Holzmarktstr. Follow the Stralauer-, Gertrauden- and Leipzigerstrasse.
3. Than left to the Wilhelmstrasse, turn about 180 degrees right to the Stresemannstr. Turn around the Anhalter Bahnhof ruin left, and head to Kreuzberg, along the Landwehr canal (first at the left, later the righthand side)
4. In Kreuzberg over the Kottbusserdamm and the Sonnenallee to the Innstr. Later back again over the Karl Marxstr (no, this part never belonged to East..), Hasenheide, Gneisenaustr., Yorckstr. and Goebenstr.
5. You arrive at Potsdamer strasse. That's in the part of Wilmersdorf.
6. Now we followed Grunewaldstr and M. Lutherstr. It's the main route through Steglitz.
7. Via Schlossstr. and Unter den Eichen we turn around the "Kap der guten Hoffnung" (Cape of good hope) in Zehlendorf. After we did, we return to downtown Berlin. Here is the "Platz am wilden Eber" (wild boar square).
8. Over the Rheinbabenallee we turn right to the Hohenzollerndamm and the Fehrbellinerplatz. From there to theBrandenburgische Strasse at your left hand.
9. Turning right again at the end, brings you to the finish, the Ku(rfürsten)-damm, where you receive your victory award. Welcomed by thousands of supporters....

Do you want to join this marathon once? Well, ask for a subscription form at the organisers desk. Or book by skate tour operators like Skate-A-Round for complete tours. Try to subscribe before juin. Than you get a fee reduction, and you'll be sure to start. Usually the event takes place on a mid september sunday.