The marathon at this year's European Athletics Championship's will take athletes past Berlin's most iconic landmarks ©Getty Images

The marathon and race walking courses at the European Athletics Championships this August will start and finish in Berlin city centre. 

The races will begin and end on the European Mile at the Breitscheidplatz after the routes were confirmed.

In the marathon the athletes will pass many of the city's most iconic landmarks on their way around the course, including the Brandenburg Gate, the Victory Column, Bellevue Castle and Berlin Zoo.

During the marathon the athletes will run through the Brandenburg Gate eight times in all, as they run four circuits of a 10 kilometre loop plus an additional loop of just over 2km. 

The additional loop will take them around the Strasse des 17. Juni on the final lap to make up the distance.

It is seen as "a fast and flat" course.

Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate will feature heavily on the marathon course ©Getty Images
Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate will feature heavily on the marathon course ©Getty Images

The race walking events will also start at the Breitscheidplatz.

In the 20km event the athletes will cover a one kilometre loop which will take them past the European Mile 20 times, while in the 50km event the race walkers will cover a two kilometre loop 25 times. 

The Berlin 2018 European Athletics Championships form part of the first multi-sport European Championships along with co-hosts Glasgow.

All the other sports, aquatics, rowing, golf, cycling, gymnastics and triathlon, are being held in Scotland. 

In all, 4,500 athletes and 52 nations are expected to compete.

Athletics will take place between August 7 and 12 with the Olympiastadion the main venue.