Berlin was my first international marathon, and it did not disappoint! I can see why so many WR's have been run here. It's a very fast course! The start was well organized into corrals, and it was easy to get going since runners were seeded appropriately. I found the plastic cups at the aid stations annoying (prefer paper), but the stations were plentiful and well-staffed. The kilometres were all marked, and seemed pretty accurate (no mile markers, not a problem, but just FYI be prepared for that). The only minor improvements I could see: I'd prefer real beer vs. alkohol frei beer post-race; the chip return was not right at the finish, but way across the field somewhere; the gear drop off tables were not ordered in any logical way -- the pre-race guide talked about color coding, but when we arrived all the tents were white, and not in order by Bib #. We all 4 threw our crap in one guy's bag and just checked it at his table, since that one was obvious. Berlin is also great due to start/finish at same location- so you can stay nearby and just walk to and from- no crazy shuttles involved.