This weekend the 35th Real Berlin Inline Marathon expects as many as 8000 skaters to start the race. This event is the final leg of the World Inline Cup and the world's biggest get together of the season for both the professionals and the proficient in the inline skating community.

In addition to the marathon event, there will be festivities at the Inline Village Fair and at the Brandenburg Gate. Rollerblade will give away 200 MP3 players in race kits. And the event will also be televised on RBB on September 27th and 28th.

So, who or what is the mysterious "Real" that keeps this important marathon event going? Real is a large chain of retail superstores in Germany that sell everything from groceries, electronics and housewares to vacations. They sponsor youth sporting events, too. This company is real-ly making an effort to give back to the community.

Graphic © Real Berlin Marathon