In 50 days the European Championships in Athletics will start in Berlin

Berlin, 18 June 2018 This summer Berlin will once again become a pilgrimage site for sports enthusiasts from all over Europe. More than 1,600 athletes from 50 countries will compete in a total of 48 disciplines over six days of competition. Most of the competitions will be held in the Olympic Stadium. But sports fans can also join in on the excitement in the city centre this year: for the first time there will be a second venue on the European Mile around Breitscheidplatz in the City West. In addition to the award ceremonies, live broadcasts of the competitions and an ongoing show and music programme will be held here. Individual disciplines such as the walking and marathon competitions as well as shot put will also be held in the European Mile area. Up to 3,000 spectators can follow the medal ceremonies and finishes free of charge in the specially built cultural arena at the foot of the Memorial Church - a novelty in the history of the competition.

50 days before the start of the event, the organisers of "Berlin 2018" have already sold more than 200,000 tickets. While the majority of sports fans are travelling from the rest of Germany (115,000 tickets sold in Germany), 22 percent of the tickets, i.e. a total of around 40,000, have been sold abroad. With around 7,000 tickets, the UK leads the list of foreign European Championship fans, followed by Switzerland (around 4,000) and France (around 3,700). But the British are not only drawn to the German capital for sporting events: last year, around 1.7 million guests from the United Kingdom came to Berlin - which makes the islands the biggest source market for Berlin tourism after Germany.

"Berlin 2018" aims to build on the success of the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, which also took place in Berlin, with a varied programme and top-class athletes. In addition to a reunion with the mascot Berlino, there will be two weddings in the Olympic Stadium for the first time. Also new is "Day Q" on 6 August, which offers free entry to all visitors to the qualification competitions. For many, the farewell of discus thrower Robert Harting, who is leaving the international competition stage with a final performance in his Berlin "living room", is likely to be a sports highlight.

For more information, schedules, and ticket prices see www.berlin2018.info.