After celebrating the start of 2026, thousands of runners gathered at Berlin's landmark Brandenburg Gate on Thursday morning (January 1) to get the New Year off to a positive start.

The 53rd edition of the event, which pulled in some 4,376 runners, began at the landmark Brandenburg Gate and continued down the famous boulevard Unter den Linden to the city's cathedral and back again, a circuit of 4 km (2.5 miles).

For many people it is about trading in the traditional New Year's Day hangover by getting into the spirit of their fitness resolutions, it is also a chance to shake off world worries and be in good company.

There is no entry fee for the fun run, with this year's donations going to a childrens' hospice.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

1. VARIOUS OF NEW YEAR'S DAY RUNNERS WITH COUNTRY FLAGS JUMPING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

2. QUADRIGA ON TOP OF BRANDENBURG GATE

3. RUN BEING STARTED WITH PUSH OF BUTTON

4. VARIOUS OF START OF RUN FROM BRANDENBURG GATE

5. (SOUNDBITE) (German) RUN PARTICIPANT, SUSANNE KESHISHIAN, SAYING:

"It's great fun to start the new running year with a run. And running this lovely route in a relaxed manner with such a large community of runners is simply fantastic."

6. (SOUNDBITE) (German) RUN PARTICIPANT, KATARINA, SAYING:

"Together with lots of friends, this is how we start the year, as we ended it. It's great. It's a great start."

7. (SOUNDBITE) (German) RUN PARTICIPANT, NO NAME GIVEN, SAYING:

"This is my third or fourth time participating, and it has become something of a tradition over the last three or four years. We will continue to participate in the coming years. It's simple: keep at it, stay fit, stay healthy. That's what matters."

8. RUNNING LABELS ON CLOTHING

9. (SOUNDBITE) (German) RUN PARTICIPANT, KAI ROTENHAGEN, SAYING:

"May things be a little more positive, may there be peace and not so much bad mood."

10. RUNNERS LEAVING BRANDENBURG GATE

11. MASCOT GREETING RUNNERS

12. RUNNERS SMILING SAYING IT IS COLD

13. TV TOWER / RUNNERS

14. RUNNERS PASSING