+++ From the BMW Group Plant Berlin to the Brandenburg Gate: eScooters BMW CE 04 and eParkourer BMW CE 02 ride emission-free through the German capital +++ Bart Swings (BEL) and Noraly Berber Vonk (NED) win the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON Inline Skating +++ Record: nearly 85,000 active people on the track for the anniversary +++
Berlin. Traditionally, it is reserved for inline skaters to open the competitions on Saturday as part of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. For the 50th anniversary of Germany’s largest marathon, a course with a vibrant stadium atmosphere was driven for the first time, initially leading through a five-time loop from the Großer Stern via Ernst-Reuter-Platz and Otto-Suhr-Allee to Charlottenburg Palace and back from there. For the grand finale, the inline skaters raced, cheered on by the usual euphoric Berlin crowd, over the traditional section of the course along the Landwehr Canal, Potsdamer Platz, Gendarmenmarkt, Unter den Linden, to the finish line.
Ahead of the athletes, a small fleet of fully electric BMW CE 04 and BMW CE 02 scooters drove the course. The electrically powered two-wheelers ate specifically developed for urban driving pleasure, and the BMW CE 04 is manufactured at the BMW Group Plant Berlin, the home of international BMW motorcycle production. This exclusive ride also began there, ending with the crossing of the iconic Brandenburg Gate. A special moment that will also be unforgettable for all athletes on the following Sunday. At the 50th BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, the BMW CE 04, as well as fully electric BMW cars, are also in use as timekeeping, course, and organizational vehicles.
Following the scooter fleet were more than 3,300 inline skaters, who due to the high speed, held their race separate from other athletes. In total, around 85,000 people from 161 nations – both are records for the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON – will be active in various disciplines over the weekend.
Bart Swings delivered a committed solo race and secured his ninth victory in this event. The Belgian attacked very early, gaining a 30-second lead, which he continued to extend. His teammates Jason Suttels (BEL, winner in 2023) and Felix Rijhnen (GER, winner in 2019) controlled the field, then secured the remaining podium spots in the final sprint. Swings won in 1:00:02 hours, ahead of Suttels and Rijhnen (both 1:01:31). The women’s race was also marked by many attacks, though no rider managed to break away. The eventual winner, Noraly Berber, initiated the sprint together with her teammates well before the Brandenburg Gate – a tactic that proved successful, though just barely. Berber Vonk crossed the finish line in 1:13:53 hours, with second and third places going to Colombians Johana Viveros (1:13:53) and Aura Quintana Herrera (1:13:54) in a nail-biting finish.
The BMW CE 04 is the perfect urban companion. With its electric drive, forward-looking design and innovative connectivity solutions, the scooter perfectly merges transport and communication functions. Offering a maximum output of 31 kW (42 hp), a maximum speed of 120 km/h and a range of some 130 kilometres, the BMW CE 04 is capable of speedy progress not just in the city but on main roads and motorway sections, too.
With the new BMW CE 02, BMW Motorrad is offering another electric vehicle for urban conurbations and a new way into the world of BMW Motorrad. The BMW CE 02 is electric, particularly appealing to younger people, and is made for the city: nimble, practical, robust and reduced to the essentials in terms of design.
With a maximum power output of 11 kW /15 PS, the new CE 02 can be ridden by persons aged 16 and above. In a 4 kW / 5 hp (rated power 3.2 kW / 4 hp) version limited to 45 km/h, the new CE 02 also meets the requirements of the AM driving licence class and can be ridden in Germany, for example, from the age of 15 and by riders who have a car licence.
The BMW Group plant in Berlin can look back on a long tradition of motorcycle manufacturing. BMW motorcycles have been produced in Berlin-Spandau since 1969. With over 2,400 employees and a capacity of up to 900 motorcycles and premium e-scooters per day, the plant is the heart of BMW Motorrad’s global production.
