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Berlin half marathon triggers major road closures starting Thursday

Runners take over the capital this weekend—but drivers, beware. The city's iconic streets will shut down, forcing detours and delays.

The image shows a man running in a marathon on a city street, surrounded by a group of people...
The image shows a man running in a marathon on a city street, surrounded by a group of people standing on the footpath, some of whom are holding bicycles. The street is lined with traffic poles, metal barricades, flags, street poles, street lights, electric poles with wires, trees, buildings with windows, and a cloudy sky.

Berlin half marathon triggers major road closures starting Thursday

Berlin is preparing for a major half marathon this weekend, with road closures starting as early as Thursday. Motorists will face restrictions across key routes, including Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, as organisers set up for the event. Over 48,000 runners took part in last year's Berlin Marathon, making it Germany's largest race of its kind. The first closures begin on Thursday, 26 March, affecting Tiergarten. Unter den Linden will shut in both directions between Yitzhak-Rabin-Straße and the Brandenburg Gate. By Friday, 27 March, the start and finish area—covering Straße des 17. Juni and the Brandenburg Gate—will be off-limits to all traffic, including public transport.

On **Sunday**, the entire 21-kilometre route will close from **7:45 am**. The course runs from Straße des 17. Juni to the Brandenburg Gate, passing landmarks like Ebertstraße, Paul-Löbe-Allee, and Scheidemannstraße. Roads will reopen in stages once the last runners have cleared each section. The Traffic Information Centre (VIZ) has urged drivers to avoid the area. They recommend using public transport or detours such as the A100 city motorway, Tiergarten Tunnel (B96), and Adenauerplatz tunnel during the event.

The closures will disrupt travel from Thursday through Sunday, with the heaviest restrictions on race day. Authorities will monitor the route and reopen sections as soon as possible. Motorists are advised to plan ahead to avoid delays in central Berlin.

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