Summary
BMW says its all-electric i3 will serve as the lead vehicle for the elite men’s race at the 2026 Berlin Marathon. The company lists a range of up to 906 kilometres, but says the figure is provisional.
BMW says its new all-electric i3 will lead the elite men’s race at the 2026 BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, in one of the car’s first active appearances. The announcement, dated 25 September 2026, also identifies the i3 as the second model in BMW’s Neue Klasse and the first all-electric BMW 3 Series. The company says deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2026.
The i3’s role and the event fleet
The i3 is assigned to the elite men’s field. BMW lists an iX3 as the lead vehicle for the elite women, an i5 for national elite men and an i4 for national elite women; an iX will serve as the official safety car.
BMW says 60 course and organisational vehicles will support the event. The all-electric fleet also includes the iX, iX2 and iX1, alongside the i3, iX3, i5 and i4. The company is providing 14 motorcycles and two e-scooters as well. More than 84,000 athletes from 162 nations are expected to take part, according to the announcement.
BMW’s stated range and technology
BMW quotes an all-electric range of up to 906 kilometres for the i3. The company labels the figure provisional, noting that binding WLTP values are not yet available. It also says actual range depends on factors including load, driving style, route and weather, so the quoted maximum should be read as a provisional figure rather than a guaranteed distance in everyday use.
BMW describes its Heart of Joy high-performance computer as a central part of the i3’s software and electronics architecture, alongside three other high-performance computers. The company says its responses are ten times faster than those of previous systems. The marathon appearance gives the new electric 3 Series an early public role before its scheduled start of deliveries.