07.05.2009

Berlin 2009: Fast facts

Event dates: August 15-23, 2009  

Participating nations: 213

Athletes / Officials: 2,500 (forecast)

Spectators: 500,000 spectators across nine days of competition

Media representatives: 3,500

Timetable: Available here

Venue: Berlin Olympic Stadium, in the district of Charlottenburg.

Originally built for the 1936 Summer Olympics, the stadium was renovated and reopened in 2004 with a seating capacity of 74,218 spectators.

The colour of the athletics track was changed from red to blue to reflect the colours of local football team Hertha BSC.

Marathon and walks course: For the first time in the history of the IAAF world championships, the marathon and walks competitions will not begin or end in the stadium but will be held in the heart of Berlin.

Starting and finishing at the Brandenburg Gate, the 10km marathon loop course will take in the major sights of the city including Potsdamer Platz, the Victory Column (Siegessäule), Bellevue Palace, the Reichstag and Museum Island, and will return via the grand boulevard Unter den Linden to its starting point at the Brandenburg Gate.

On the fourth lap, an additional 2.195km loop around Alexanderplatz and past the Red City Hall will be added in order to complete the 42.195 km marathon course.
The course throughout the heart of Berlin will create the best possible atmosphere for athletes and spectators alike. Athletics fans will be able to see each runner up to four times along the course, providing an optimal opportunity to follow the race.

Official mascot: ‘Berlino’ the bear is the official mascot of the championships.                                   

Tickets: For further information, seating locations and to purchase tickets, click here.

Date               Ticket   Start AM*   Start PM*   Finish line   Area 1          2            3
Sat,  15/8/09    DT        10:00 hrs    17:00 hrs       135,00 €    75,00 €    45,00 €    30,00 €
Sun, 16/8/09    DT        10:00 hrs    18:00 hrs       135,00 €    75,00 €    45,00 €    30,00 €
Mon, 17/8/09    ET         -                18:00 hrs       120,00 €    65,00 €    35,00 €    20,00 €
Tue,  18/8/09    VT        10:00 hrs    -                      15,00 €    13,00 €    13,00 €    13,00 €
Tue,  18/8/09    ET        -                 18:00 hrs       120,00 €    65,00 €    35,00 €    20,00 €
Wed, 19/8/09    DT        10:00 hrs    18:00 hrs       135,00 €    75,00 €    45,00 €    30,00 €
Thu,  20/8/09    DT        10:00 hrs    18:00 hrs       135,00 €    75,00 €    45,00 €    30,00 €
Fri,    21/8/09    ET        -                 17:00 hrs       135,00 €    75,00 €    45,00 €    30,00 €
Sat,   22/8/09    ET        -                 18:00 hrs       135,00 €    75,00 €    45,00 €    30,00 €
Sun,  23/8/09    ET        -                 14:00 hrs       135,00 €    75,00 €    45,00 €    30,00 €

DT = Day Ticket - VT = Morning Ticket - ET = Evening Ticket   
*Subject to change

The city of Berlin

Country: Germany
Population: 3.4 million
Size: 890km2
Main language: German
Time zone: UTC/GMT +2 hours (8 hours behind Australian Eastern Time)
Currency: 1 AUD: 0.55 Euro (as at 5 May 2009)

Over 146 million visitors from all corners of the globe visit Berlin – the capital of Germany – every year. Located in eastern Germany approximately 70km west of the border with Poland, Berlin is renowned for its culture, sports, politics and science.

A proud athletics nation, more than 60,000 spectators come out to support the world’s best athletes at the annual ISTAF meeting, part of the IAAF Golden League series.

And hundreds of thousands more line the streets when 35,000 runners set off on the world record Berlin Marathon course.