One of road running’s best-known naming rights has changed hands. Generali becomes the title partner of the Berlin Marathon from October 1, 2026, and the first Generali Berlin Marathon takes place on September 26, 2027.
The end of the BMW era
BMW held the naming rights for 16 years, from October 2010 to September 2026, and its first race as title sponsor was in September 2011. It began with a three-year contract and kept renewing. Before BMW, the race carried the name of the hypermarket chain real,- from 2000 to 2010.
During BMW’s 15 races, the course produced six world records:
- Patrick Makau, 2:03:38 (2011)
- Wilson Kipsang, 2:03:23 (2013)
- Dennis Kimetto, 2:02:57 (2014)
- Eliud Kipchoge, 2:01:39 (2018) and 2:01:09 (2022)
- Tigst Assefa, 2:11:53 (2023)
The organizer counts 13 world records on the course in total, “more than at any other marathon.” That record-breaking reputation is a large part of what a title sponsor pays for.
What Generali is buying
Neither side disclosed the length or value of the contract. Generali is not new to the event family: it has sponsored the Berlin Half Marathon since 2019, as well as the Generali 5K and the mini-marathon. The organizer’s press release gives the scale of the asset:
| Indicator | Figure |
|---|---|
| Athletes, 2026 race weekend | more than 86,000, from 162 nations |
| Spectators along the route | about 1.2 million |
| Value creation for Berlin, 2024 event | about €469 million |
| Marathon field from 2027 | more than 50,000 participants expected |
Media exposure is secured as well: RTL Deutschland holds the broadcast rights through 2029. Registration for the 2027 race opened on October 1, 2026.
Sources
- Marathon Handbook: Generali Replaces BMW as the Berlin Marathon’s Title Sponsor
- PressNetwork.de: Generali wird Titelpartner des BERLIN-MARATHON
This article was written with AI by the Hopone Newsroom, from the sources it cites. Figures marked “Hopone calculation” are our own arithmetic from those sources. Nothing here is investment advice.