This was my 6th WMM and meant I was eligible for a SixFinisherStar. The expo was held at Templehoff disused airport and this made a change from the convention centre based expo. A finisher t-shirt was disappointingly NOT included in the entry fee, so those that had purchased in advance had a long queue to collect theirs, whilst I (who had not pre-purchased) had a bun fight to find one in the merchandise store. As a SixStarFinisher I was invited to a meet and greet/photo shoot at the start line on the Friday evening. Trouble was, the start line was not clearly explained in the start instructions (described as being on Stasse des 17 Juni - which is quite long!) so I had trouble finding it and missed the event :-( Race day morning was a similar experience - from the joining instructions it wasn't clear which entrance to use and once inside, baggage tents were poorly signed. There was a distinct lack of toilets (or if there were more, I didn't see them). I ended up squatting in a bush, surrounded by fellow runners doing the same. The path to the start corrals was very crowded, lots of trip hazards and, again, poorly signed. Thankfully, I was in no hurry as I was I was not 'racing', but I can imagine for a first timer. or someone who wanted to get a decent starting spot, this would be quite stressful. We were given a security wrist band at the expo but no-one checked it, nor was my bib checked to ensure I was in the correct corral. Out on the course there were not as many drink stations as I've experienced in other big races and water was given in plastic cups. Bit of fruit and energy drinks were at most of the water stops and later on in the race gels were available. The course was fairly uninspiring, although I enjoyed the smart residences of Charlottenburg and running through the Brandenburg gate at the finish. Crowd support was not as heavy as some majors, but it was enough. The finisher medal was nice - I like the fact it had the colours of the German flag on it. And receiving my SixFinisherStar was something special. I had been carrying an injury for most of the summer so was in poor shape and risked a DNF, so it was an absolute joy (and relief) to make it to the end. Once medals were collected, I hobbled to the baggage reclaim and tried to find the exit - again, it was poorly signed and not what I needed after 26 miles. We were also required to return the timing chip which was laced into our shoes. This was a faff, and it would be nice if cable ties were given out to fix the chip to the laces and could be snipped off by a volunteer at the end. Despite these minor criticisms, I still enjoyed the race and, considering the logistics of staging a huge event, the organisers put on a race.