Racing Through History: Conquering the Berlin Wall 100 Mile Challenge Amidst Cold War Echoes

The Mauerweglauf is far more than a mere 100-mile running event in Berlin; it’s a profound journey through history, a testament to resilience, and a tribute to the divided city that once stood as a flashpoint of Cold War tensions. This race retraces the path of the infamous Berlin Wall, taking runners on a poignant tour of the sites where two conflicting ideologies once collided in concrete and steel.

A City Divided: The Rise of the Berlin Wall

In the aftermath of World War II, Germany found itself carved into four occupation zones, each controlled by one ofthe Allied powers: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union. Berlin, although deep withinthe Soviet sector, was similarly divided. As the Cold War intensified, the political and economic chasm between the zones deepened, setting the stage for one of history’s most notorious barriers.

By the late 1950s, East Germany was haemorrhaging citizens at an alarming rate. Disillusioned by the oppressive communist regime, millions fled to the more prosperous and freer West Berlin. Despite the Iron Curtain that separated East and West Germany, Berlin remained a gateway to freedom, with relatively open borders allowing East Germans to escape to the West. This exodus, which drained the German Democratic Republic (GDR) of valuable human resources, prompted a drastic and secretive response.

In the early hours of August 13, 1961, East German troops, police, and workers began constructing what would evolve into the Berlin Wall. What started as a barbed-wire fence quickly transformed into a formidable system of concrete walls, fences, watchtowers, and a deadly no-man’s land stretching over 155 kilometres. The Wall tore Berlin apart overnight, leaving families, friends, and neighbours suddenly separated, their lives divided by ideology and concrete.

Building the wall in Bernauer Strasse in 1961

The Wall stood for 28 years, a grim symbol of the Cold War. It represented not just the division of a city, but the stark ideological divide between communism and capitalism. While the Berlin Wall eventually fell on November 9, 1989, leading to the reunification of Germany and the collapse of the Soviet Union, its legacy endures, especially for those who now race along its former path.

The Mauerweglauf: A Journey Through Time

The Mauerweglauf is more than a race; it’s an immersion into Berlin’s complex past. Starting at 6 a.m. in the suburb of Wedding, runners have 30 hours to complete the 100-mile course, which winds through forests, suburbs, parks, and bustling city streets. The route is diverse, from small forestry roads to cobblestone streets and single-track trails, constantly shifting from urban landscapes to tranquil natural settings.

As runners progress, the contrasts between the old and new become starkly apparent. On the western side of the former Wall, older houses and apartment blocks stand in sharp contrast to the modern buildings on the eastern side. These architectural differences are a living testament to the city’s turbulent history and the dramatic changes that followed the fall of the Wall.

A monument for two victims of the wall. There is a disturbing amount of these monuments along the route.

The most poignant reminders, however, are the large orange poles that serve as monuments to the victims of the Wall. Scattered along the route, each pole represents a life lost in an attempt to escape the GDR. The monuments include the victim’s portrait, the exact location of their death, and their story, creating an emotional connection to the past that resonates deeply, especially for those with personal ties to the history.

A Run Through Cold War Landmarks

As the kilometres pass, runners encounter some of Berlin’s most significant historical sites. In Potsdam, often referred to as the "Versailles of the North," the race crosses the Glienicke Bridge, famously known as the "Bridge of Spies." This unassuming bridge over the Havel River was the site of several high-profile exchanges of captured spies between the United States and the Soviet Union, including the 1962 exchange of U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel.

The Glienicke Bridge or Bridge of Spies

The route follows the Havel River, passing through picturesque parks, small villages, and even stretches of treacherous cobblestone roads that demand concentration from weary runners. The journey continues through industrial areas, long stretches alongside highways, and finally into the city, where the route takes unexpected twists and turns, as the Wall once did.

As the race nears its end, runners reach the East Side Gallery, a 1.3-kilometer stretch of the Berlin Wall that has been preserved as an outdoor art gallery. The murals, painted by artists from around the world, capture the spirit of freedom, unity, and the city’s tumultuous history. Passing through crowds of city revellers, runners push on, despite their exhaustion, driven by the historical significance of the journey they are completing.

The race route includes Checkpoint Charlie, one of the most famous border crossings during the Cold War, and the Brandenburg Gate, perhaps the most iconic symbol of Berlin. Situated just behind the Berlin Wall on the East German side, the Brandenburg Gate was a potent symbol of the city’s division. When the Wall fell, it became a powerful emblem of unity and the end of the Cold War.

It was with the Brandenburg Gate as the backdrop that President John F Kennedy gave his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech. Here a few lines that resonate with me:

“There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin. There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin. And there are even a few who say that it is true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Lass' sie nach Berlin kommen -- Let them come to Berlin!”

Running through Berlin’s vibrant streets, past the Reichstag, and along the Spree River, the race finally reaches Bernauer Straße, a street that holds historical significance. It was here that some of the most dramatic escape attempts occurred, where East Berliners leaped from their apartment windows into West Berlin, often with tragic consequences. Today, parts of the Wall have been preserved as a memorial, serving as a solemn reminder of the city’s divided past.

Running Through History

Completing the Mauerweglauf is more than a physical challenge; it’s a deeply emotional experience. As runners navigate the 162-kilometer course, they pass through landscapes that have borne witness to some of the most significant events of the 20th century. The race is a tribute to the resilience of Berlin and its people, a celebration of freedom, and a reminder of the cost of division.

The wall fell on the 9 November 1989, changing the world as we knew it forever. It caused the demise of the Soviet Union and directly contributed to the dismantling of Apartheid in South Africa.

The Berlin Wall may have fallen over three decades ago, but its impact continues to resonate. Through the Mauerweglauf, runners not only conquer physical distance but also connect with a history that changed the world. As they cross the finish line, they do so with a deeper understanding of the past and its enduring influence on the present.

Every year the Mauerweglauf is dedicated to a victim of the Wall. This year it was dedicated to Silvio Proksch, who was shot on the 25 December 1983 in Pankow III cemetery whilst approaching the rear security wall of the Berlin Wall.

On 25th December 1983, the two heavily intoxicated brothers left their parents’ apartment at around 7 pm.  Silvio Proksch told his brother that he wanted to flee to West Berlin, although he had never previously expressed any intention of fleeing and had not made any escape preparations.

On the way to the Pankow III cemetery, bordering the rear security wall (the Hinterlandmauer), Silvio’s brother tried in vain to dissuade him from escaping.  They parted after crossing the Berlin-Pankow Bürgerpark.  Proksch then climbed over the cemetery fence.  At 7.30 pm, before reaching the rear security wall, he triggered a border fence alarm.  A border guard first fired two warning shots and shouted at Proksch to stop.  Proksch continued towards the wall.  The border guard then opened fire.  Two shots pierced Silvio’s right hip artery and his femoral vein.  He lay for a long time without medical help and bled to death.  He was already dead when he arrived in hospital at around 9:15 pm.

Silvio’s brother heard the shots and informed his family. One of Proksch’s sisters filed a missing person’s report with the criminal investigation department in Berlin-Pankow on 28th December 1983. The Ministry for State Security interrogated several of Silvio Proksch’s relatives, denied Proksch’s death, and imprisoned his brother for petty offenses for over two years.

The marksman who shot him was awarded the Bronze Medal of Merit of the Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic

It was not until August 1990, after numerous complaints and petitions, that the GDR military prosecutor finally informed the family of the events of 25th December 1983.  On Boxing Day 1983 Silvio Proksch’s body had been impounded by GDR state security and taken to the military forensic institute in Bad Saarow.  Silvio Proksch is not recorded in any GDR death register, and he remains ‘missing without trace’ since 30th December 1983.

This article was written by Oliver Ruhl, head coach of Complete Athlete, a science based run and nutrition coaching company, that prides itself in training athletes to the highest standards be it road running or trail running,

Three athletes from Complete Athlete entered the Mauerweg 100 mile run and all three finished in under 24 hours, earning the coveted 100-mile buckle.

Check us out on www.completeathleteza.com