A Fueling Plan Built Specifically for the Berlin Marathon

Every aid station on the course, what it serves, and the exact minute you reach it based on your goal time. Then a fueling plan built on this exact course, so every gel is placed where there is water to wash it down and you never hit the wall in the last 10 km.

Build my Berlin plan Start with the course ↓
BMW Berlin Marathon
Sunday 27 September 2026 · 42.195 km
Water only 9 Water + Maurten 160 6 Gel depot 27.5 km
Map of the Berlin Marathon course with the 15 aid tables marked
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Elevation profile drag along the profile to scrub
42.195 km ▲ 102 ft gain ▼ 97 ft loss +57 ft high 0 ft low
0 km 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 42.2 km +57 ft 0 km 10 20 30 42.2 km +57 ft

Aid tables from the official Berlin course page, checked 30 Aug 2026. Berlin publishes kilometres; miles are converted. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Why the course changes the plan

Why you need to adapt your fueling plan to the specifics of the course

Most fueling plans are generic: take a gel every 30 minutes, wash it down with water and drink your carb beverage in between.

But, what if your planned time to take a gel comes right in the middle of a hill? What if there’s no aid station close by to grab water from?

Often, where each gel goes on the course matters as much as how many you take

It’s these small, often ignored parts of executing a fueling plan that trip runners up and have them hitting the wall or slowing down because of an upset stomach, despite having a well-rehearsed fueling plan heading into the race.

4

things go wrong when you don’t account for the course in your fueling plan

1A planned gel with no water

You plan a gel at 60 minutes, but the next water station isn’t for another 15. That means you either have to wait, take it without water and have it sit, or take it with your carb beverage and take in too much sugar for your stomach to process.

2You miss a table

Berlin had 55,146 runners on the road last year. Tables that busy are easy to misjudge and not get the fuel you need. Without a plan for the next one you either double up later and pay for it, or run the rest of the race short.

3Your plan calls for a gel in the middle of a hill

As intensity increases, your stomach’s ability to process carbohydrates slows down. Couple that with breathing harder up a hill and you’ve got the perfect storm for a gel that can’t be digested fast enough.

4Miscalculating the fluid on the course

The distance between aid stations, the concentration of the carbohydrate drink, and how much you’re actually able to swallow all change how much glycogen you’re actually replacing every hour. Your plan calls for 60 g per hour, but if you only hit 40 g you’ll run out of glycogen before you finish.

So your fueling plan needs to start with one question, and everything after it follows.

Option 1

I am going to use what is on the course

Water at 15 tables, Maurten at 6 of them, one gel at kilometre 27.5.

What that adds up to, and what you still carry.

Fuel off the course ↓
Option 2

I am going to carry all of my own fuel

Your products, your timing, nothing riding on a cup you might miss.

What the course still decides for you.

Fuel from your own kit ↓
Option 1

If you are going to use what the course hands you

Berlin is a good course to do this on. Water comes at all 15 tables with Maurten Drink Mix at 6 of them. Below is where you’ll find each station.

Berlin Marathon course strip Elevation relative to the start across 42.195 km, the 15 aid tables marked by kilometre with what is at each, and the 12 feeds of the reference plan as numbered dots. +57 ft 0 ft 5 9 12 15 17.5 20 22.5 25 27.5 30 32.5 34.5 36 38 40 km 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Water only Water + Maurten 160 + tea + fruit Gel depot Feed in the 3:45 plan, on a table Feed with no table, water carried

Elevation is stretched to emphasis location. The numbered dots are your recommended fueling options for your 3:45 goal.

Source: the official BMW Berlin Marathon, checked 30 Aug 2026

1What is on the course

What is provided at Berlin, and where

Water is provided at all 15 tables, from km 5 to km 40, with a BRITA refill point at the last table of every station.

Maurten Drink Mix at 6 tables, km 9, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 36, alongside tea and fruit. One gel, a Maurten Gel 100 at km 27.5.

The course climbs 102 ft in total and its steepest grade is 1.2%, so no hill is long enough to move a feed. That is why CarbRate places yours by the water tables instead.

The Berlin course, table by table
Water stations
15

every table, km 5 to km 40

Maurten 160
6

km 9, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 36, with tea and fruit

Gel 100
1

km 27.5 only, water at that table, no drink mix

2Your goal time

Every table, and the minute you reach it

Put your goal time in and when you arrive at every aid station on the course recalculates. This is the list to put in your pocket, and the one CarbRate builds your feeds on.

Arrival times assume even pace, which holds on a course this flat. At 3:45 you reach the gel depot at 2:27.
Build my Berlin plan
All 15 tables at 3:45
kmmiTableWhat’s at the tableYou arrive
53.1Water onlywater0:27
95.6Refreshment pointwaterMaurten 160tea · fruit0:48
127.5Water onlywater1:04
159.3Refreshment pointwaterMaurten 160tea · fruit1:20
17.510.9Water onlywater1:33
2012.4Refreshment pointwaterMaurten 160tea · fruit1:47
22.514.0Water onlywater2:00
2515.5Refreshment pointwaterMaurten 160tea · fruit2:13
27.517.1Water + Maurten gel depotwaterGel 1002:27
3018.6Refreshment pointwaterMaurten 160tea · fruit2:40
32.520.2Water onlywater2:53
34.521.4Water onlywater3:04
3622.4Refreshment pointwaterMaurten 160tea · fruit3:12
3823.6Water onlywater3:23
4024.9Water onlywater3:33
3The course drink

How much glycogen does the Maurten on the course provide

Maurten Drink Mix is 8 g of carbohydrate per 100 mL. A typical cup contains about 200 mL.

But, you likely won’t actually drink that much. Volunteers typically fill cups about half way to prevent water from splashing and you’ll lose a good amount as you run with the cup and what spills as you drink.

On average, you can expect a net intake of about 60 to 90 mL per cup

This is the part most runners don’t account for in their fueling plan, so CarbRate builds it directly in your plan.

We’ll tell you exactly how many cups at each aid station to drink based on how much glycogen you need and how much you’ll be able to supplement with gels.

What the drink is worth per hour
Glycogen left
200 → 60–90 mL

A cup holds about 200 mL. Half-filled, spilled and sipped on the run, 60 to 90 mL of it actually goes down.

you run out here Planned full cups Real 60–90 mL a cup full empty start finish
Glycogen left across the race, a plan built on full cups against what a cup actually delivers. Illustrative, not your plan.
4What you carry

How many gels you still carry

After you’ve calculated how much of the course drink you’ll likely take at each aid station, you’ll need to fill in your glycogen needs with gels along the course.

A typical gel contains about 25 g of carbohydrate, so use the chart here to calculate how many you’ll need.

If you’ve practiced fueling in training, you can target 75 to 90 g per hour. If you haven’t trained your stomach, err closer to 60 g per hour.

Here’s more on how to practice your fueling schedule to maximize your gut tolerance.

25 g gels to carry, after the course
Finish60 g/h75 g/h90 g/h
3:45 your goal
3:002to44to65to7
3:302to54to76to9
4:003to65to97to11
4:303to76to108to13
5:003to96to129to15
5The products

The 2 products Berlin hands you

Both are Maurten, both score 100 in the CarbRate finder, and neither carries meaningful sodium. Practise with the gel before race day so km 27.5 is not the first time your stomach meets it.

If Maurten does not sit well with you, the closest matches are Precision Fuel PF 30 Gel, SiS Beta Fuel Gel and Maurten Gel 160. Pick one before race week and train on it.

On the Berlin course
Sodium
20 mg
Caffeine
0 mg
Glucose : fructose
about 1.25 : 1
Science score100/100
Full write-up, who it suits →
Sodium
210 mg / sachet
Caffeine
0 mg
Glucose : fructose
about 1.25 : 1
Science score100/100
Full write-up, who it suits →

Get a Fueling Plan Built for Berlin

CarbRate builds you a personalized race fueling plan from your own sweat rate, how your stomach handles gels, and then it coaches you through every feed, live, while you run.

It also customizes every gel and every drink placement to align with the actual elevation profile and aid station on your course.

Build my Berlin plan
Option 2

If you are going to carry all of your own fuel

Even carrying your own fuel, the Berlin course influences 4 things about your fueling plan: the timing of your gels, fluid intake, electrolytes, and caffeine.

1Timing

Set your feed times to Berlin’s tables, unless you carry water

The common advice is to take your gels every 30 to 45 minutes, but that might not coincide with when you hit an aid station.

If you’re not carrying your own water with you, you’ll need those aid stations to wash down your gel.

For a 3:45 finisher, Berlin’s tables arrive 27, 48, 64, 80 and 93 minutes in, then every 8 to 13 minutes.

So, you need to factor this into your fueling plan.

Enter your goal time in the input box below and we’ll show you when each aid station will arrive for your given pace.

If you want a fueling plan with all of these built in, CarbRate does this for you. Start building your plan here.

Feed times assume even pace, which holds on a course this flat. Everything below recalculates from 3:45.
Your watch against Berlin’s tables
Gel alarms with water
3 of 11 alarms

For a 3:45 finisher, 3 of 11 twenty-minute alarms land within 2 minutes of a table. Highlighted tables take a gel in a 75 g an hour plan; the first goes down before km 5 from a bottle you carry.

Gel alarm every 20 min Berlin tables, 3:45 pace 5 9 12 15 20 22.5 27.5 30 32.5 36 40 start 1:00 2:00 3:00 finish
alarm within 2 min of wateralarm with no watertable taking a gelwater-only table
How many 25 g gels that is, carrying everything
Finish60 g/h75 g/h90 g/h
3:45 your goal91214
3:008911
3:3091113
4:00101215
4:30111417
5:00121518
2Water

A gel needs more water than a cup holds

Research has shown that the optimal carbohydrate concentration is 6 to 8 percent carbohydrate to water.

That means you’ll want about 100 mL (3.5 oz) of water for every 8 grams of carbohydrate you take in. A typical gel contains 25 g of carbohydrate, so you’ll want to aim for about 300 mL (10 oz) of water with each gel.

A good estimate is that each cup of water will provide you 100 mL (3.5 oz) of water. That’s because volunteers typically fill cups about half way to prevent water from splashing and you’ll lose a good amount as you run with the cup and what spills as you drink.

So, if you’re not carrying your own water, have your gel open and prepared to take at the start of the aid station so you can take it early with a cup of water and still have time to grab another cup or two.

What a gel needs and what a cup delivers
One 25 g gel needs
300 mL
+3 cupsempties fast, no sloshing8%concentration300 mL+2 cupsstill too thick to empty13%concentration200 mL+1 cupsits in your stomach25%concentration100 mL
3Sodium

The only sodium in your race is what you carry

Berlin does not provide any products with significant sodium at any of its aid stations. This means you’ll need to make sure either your gel or beverage contains sodium.

Aim for 600 mg of sodium per litre (150 mg per 8 oz) of what you drink.

If it’s a hot day or you’re a salty sweater, you should aim for a bit more.

CarbRate can provide your exact amount based on your individual sweat rate and can help you adjust your fueling plan if the weather is hot.

Where the sodium is
Sodium per litre you drink
600 mg / L

Nothing at Berlin’s tables carries a meaningful amount, so the sodium in your race is whatever your gel or your own drink carries.

NaBerlin’s tablesnoneNaAim for600 mg / LNaHot day, salty sweater800–1,000
the target for what you drinkthe hotter, saltier end, where CarbRate sets yours from your sweat rate
4Caffeine

Time your caffeine so it helps you when you need it the most

If you plan to use caffeine, it’s best to time it so the benefits kick in when you need them the most.

Caffeine peaks in your blood about an hour after you swallow it, then it slowly falls.

In that analysis of 4.2 million marathon results, the runners who slowed sharply began to do so just before 30 km (18 miles).

With a goal finish time of 3:45 that would place your caffeine at 25 km (16 miles).

This should provide you with peak benefits from the caffeine right when you need it the most.

When the caffeine is working
Caffeine table, flat course
km 25
2 hours 13 minutes into a 3:45

Blood caffeine peaks about an hour after the dose, so a km 25 gel peaks near km 36 for a 3:45 finisher, after the wall has started. In 4.2 million marathon results, the late slowdown began near km 30.

the wall starts km 30 avg, 4.2 M results dose at the start km 25 table · 2:13 peak ≈ km 36 0 km 10 20 30 42.2 km peaknone
dose at the km 25 tabledose at the startwhere the wall starts on averagecurve shape illustrative, timings from your goal time

Get a Fueling Plan Built for Berlin

CarbRate builds you a personalized race fueling plan from your own sweat rate, how your stomach handles gels, and then it coaches you through every feed, live, while you run.

It also customizes every gel and every drink placement to align with the actual elevation profile and aid station on your course.

Build my Berlin plan
Built for your exact course

What a finished Berlin plan looks like

This is a real CarbRate plan rather than an example we wrote out: a 68 kg runner, 3:45 goal, trained stomach, drinking the Maurten and taking the course gel, 14 °C at the start. Adjusted finish 3:48. Target 81 g an hour, 307 g in total, as 12 feeds of 25 g.

11 of the 12 feeds land on a real Berlin aid table, so there is water in your hand for every one of them.

#ClockmiWhereWhat
10:091.1No table here · km 1.8 (water in hand)One 25 g gel, your own
20:283.2Water only · km 5One 25 g gel, your own
30:485.5Refreshment point · km 9One 25 g gel, your own
41:067.6Water only · km 12One 25 g gel, your own
51:229.4Refreshment point · km 15One 25 g gel, your own
61:4712.3Refreshment point · km 20One 25 g gel, your own
72:0214.1Water only · km 22.5One 25 g gel, your own
82:2817.0Gel depot · km 27.5Gel 100 from the depot
92:4118.6Refreshment point · km 30One 25 g gel, your own
102:5620.3Water only · km 32.5One 25 g gel, your own
113:1522.5Refreshment point · km 36One 25 g gel, your own
123:3725.0Water only · km 40One 25 g gel, your own

The first feed comes before the first table on purpose: CarbRate starts you early, with the water you carry from the start line. Say you are carrying your own instead and it rebuilds this same timeline with your products and more feeds, on the same tables. On race day the app calls each feed by voice as you reach it.

This is one runner. Yours will look different.

CarbRate builds yours from your weight, your sweat rate, your goal time, the gels you already train with, and the race-day forecast. Answer a few quick questions and it is built, with the Berlin course already loaded.

Build my Berlin plan
What CarbRate says about Berlin

What CarbRate flags on a Berlin plan

These are the warnings CarbRate attaches to a Berlin plan, word for word, for the 3:45 runner above.

Plan to carry

Berlin hands out Gel 100 at 1 point. You need about 12 feeds, so that covers roughly 8% of your carbohydrate. Take them if you want them, and carry the other 11.

In your favour

Berlin has Maurten Drink Mix 160 at 8 g per 100 ml, which is strong. Drinking 500 ml an hour covers about 40 g/h of your 81 g/h target, and your plan has already taken that off your gels.

Only at 5:00 pace

The longest stretch without water on Berlin runs 2.5 miles, from mile 3.1 to mile 5.6. At your pace that is about 29 minutes. Carry fluid through it rather than waiting for the next table. Under 5 hours that stretch takes less than 27 minutes, and CarbRate stays quiet.

Quiet on purpose

The first table is at km 5. CarbRate allows 45 minutes for the opening stretch instead of the usual 27, because you start hydrated and fed. So Berlin’s first 5 km never trigger a warning.

Sodium: not published

Berlin does not publish sodium figures for anything at its tables, and we could not confirm one for the on-course mix from the race or from Maurten. Other guides say the course has no electrolytes. We cannot confirm that either.

Treat the course as water and carbohydrate, and bring your own sodium. CarbRate works out how much from your sweat rate and the forecast, and puts it on the same schedule as your gels.

Shows inside 10 days
18 days to go

From 17 September the start-line forecast appears here, with what it changes in your plan. On a warm day: more fluid and more sodium.

The short answers

Berlin Marathon fueling at a glance

Every fact on this page in one block, for the runner who wants the answer and nothing else.

Race
BMW Berlin Marathon, 27 September 2026
Distance
42.195 km / 26.2 mi
Aid tables on the course
15
First table
km 5 (mile 3.1)
Spacing after the first table
every 1.5 to 4 km
Water
at every table, plus a refill point at the last table of each
Sports drink
Maurten Drink Mix 160, at km 9, km 15, km 20, km 25, km 30, km 36
Drink strength
8 g carbohydrate per 100 ml
Gel handout
Maurten Gel 100, km 27.5 (mile 17.1), one point only
Food on course
tea and fruit at the 6 refreshment points
Personal refreshment
accepted at km 5, 9, 15, 20, 25, 30, 36 and 40
Published sodium
none, for anything on the course
Total climb
102 ft, steepest grade 1.2%
Typical carbohydrate target
60 to 90 g an hour
Gels to carry, 3:45 at 75 g/h
5 to 8 using the course drink, 12 carrying everything

Berlin fueling questions, answered

Is there Maurten on the Berlin Marathon course?

Yes. Maurten Drink Mix 160 is at km 9, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 36, alongside water, tea and fruit. Maurten Gel 100 is handed out at one point only, km 27.5.

Where is the gel station at the Berlin Marathon?

Kilometre 27.5, which is mile 17.1. There is water at the same table but no drink mix. It is the only gel handout on the course, so plan to carry the rest of your own.

How many gels do I need for the Berlin Marathon?

It depends on your carbohydrate target and how much of the course drink you take. At 75 g an hour a 3:45 finish needs about 280 g. Drinking one cup of Maurten at each drink table covers roughly 70 g of that, which leaves about 9 gels of 25 g, one of them handed out at km 27.5, so carry 8. Drinking half a litre of Maurten an hour, carry 5. The grid above works this out for any finish time.

Is the Berlin Marathon flat?

Yes. Our course profile shows 102 ft of climbing across 42.195 km, a net change of +5 ft, and a steepest grade of 1.2%. Nothing on the course changes where a feed should land, so even pacing and even fueling are both fair.

Does Berlin have electrolytes or sodium on the course?

The race does not publish sodium figures for anything at its tables, and we could not confirm one for the on-course mix. Treat the course as water and carbohydrate and bring your own sodium plan.

Is there food on the Berlin Marathon course?

Tea and fruit are served at the 6 refreshment points, km 9, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 36. The water-only tables carry water and nothing else.

How far apart are the water stations at Berlin?

The first table is at km 5. After that they come every 1.5 to 4 km. The longest gap after the start is km 5 to km 9, about 2.5 miles, which is 23 minutes at 4:00 pace and 29 minutes at 5:00 pace.

When will I reach the gel depot at km 27.5?

At even pace: 2:17 into a 3:30 race, 2:27 into a 3:45, 2:36 into a 4:00, and 3:16 into a 5:00. Enter your own goal time in the station table above to see every table.

Where are the aid stations at the Berlin Marathon?

There are 15, at km 5, 9, 12, 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, 25, 27.5, 30, 32.5, 34.5, 36, 38 and 40. All 15 have water. 6 of them, km 9, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 36, also have Maurten Drink Mix 160 with tea and fruit.

Can I carry all of my own fuel at the Berlin Marathon?

Yes, and Berlin makes it easier than most races: personal refreshment is accepted at 8 points on the course, km 5, 9, 15, 20, 25, 30, 36 and 40, and every aid station has a refill point at its last table. Carrying everything at 75 g an hour is 12 gels of 25 g for a 3:45 finish, or 11 if you take the course gel at km 27.5.

How much carbohydrate should I take during the Berlin Marathon?

60 to 90 grams an hour, set by your body size and by how much your stomach has practised absorbing. Start at the rate you have already trained at rather than the rate you want: 90 g an hour is a target to build toward over a training cycle before you race on it.

Do I need to carry water at the Berlin Marathon?

Only for the opening 5 km. The first table is at km 5, about 27 minutes into a 3:45 race, and after that tables come every 1.5 to 4 km. If your first feed comes before km 5, carry the fluid for it from the start line.

What should I eat before the Berlin Marathon?

1 to 4 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight in the 1 to 4 hours before the start, from food you have already eaten before long runs. A 68 kg runner eating 3 hours before the start needs roughly 130 to 200 g of carbohydrate. Berlin sets off in waves, so work backwards from your own wave time rather than from the elite start.

Your Berlin plan

Build your Berlin plan with the course already loaded

The tables, the Maurten and the course profile above are already in. Add your weight, goal time, sweat rate and the gels you like, and CarbRate builds your feed-by-feed plan for Berlin, then calls each feed by voice on race day.

Build my Berlin plan

The plan is free. Live race-day guidance and the practice schedule are in the app, $9.95 a month or a one-time $49.95 Race Pass that expires after your race.

Fueling guides for the other courses

Berlin, 27 Sep 2026
Free plan, course loadedBuild my Berlin plan