The most beautiful running events in Germany

Are you still looking for a run for this year or already want to get inspired for the next running season? Germany is a paradise for runners! From dynamic city marathons to idyllic countryside runs through the mountains - there is the right event for every running passion here. Whether you want to push yourself for a new personal best time or simply enjoy the unique atmosphere or view: The most beautiful running events in Germany offer unforgettable experiences that you shouldn't miss. In this blog post, we show you which races you should definitely mark in your calendar - and why they are worth more than just a starting shot. These are the most beautiful running events in Germany.

The 12 most beautiful running events in Germany:

Here are the 12 best running events in Germany - we know, of course, that this is completely subjective, selected according to our own experiences, the size, the location and of course feedback from our community. A quick note: the really big events are certainly also good and offer great experiences, but we have deliberately left them out here because you already know them anyway! For most running events, you will of course find your training plans at Trait, that's for sure.

Hermannslauf

27.04.2025

30 kilometers and relatively hilly, that's the iconic Hermannslauf. It starts at the Hermannsdenkmal in Detmold and ends at Sparrenburg Castle in Bielefeld.The run always takes place at the end of April, you can register here and read more about it!

Wings For Life Run

04.05.2025

Since 2014, Wings For Life Run has been taking place worldwide as a decentralized running challenge and is now the largest running event in the world. In 2024, 265,000 runners from over 190 nations took part worldwide! You choose the distance yourself. And: 100% of all entry fees and donations goes directly to spinal cord research to find a cure for spinal cord injury.

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The next Wings For Life Run will take place on May 4, 2025, you can register here.

S25 Berlin

11.05.2025

The second huge half marathon event in the German capital nowadays attracts more than 10,000 runners over various distances from 5 to 25 kilometers. The S25 Berlin is also the oldest city run in Germany! The finishline in Berlin's Olympic Stadium is definitely something special!

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Click here for more information and to register.

Rennsteiglauf

17.05.2025

The Gutsmuths-Rennsteiglauf is a classic 42-kilometer run through the Thuringian Forest, from Neuhaus to Schmiedefeld. If you want, you can also run a half marathon or even an ultramarathon distance! All participants should know that you are not only running a distance here, but also have to overcome a lot of altitude meters. What an amazing route!

Special route, great experience! By the way: the Rennsteiglauf is Europe's biggest cross-country race!

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Check it out here!

Zugspitz-Ultratrail Garmisch-Partenkirchen

14.-16.06.2025

Zugspitz-Ultratrail aka ZUT is the biggest trail running event in Germany and offers 3000+ runners several distances to choose from, even the 100 miles will be available for the first time in 2025. Unfortunately tho, the 2025 edition of ZUT is almost fully booked right now so mark your cfalendars for 2026 already!

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Here's the website!

Schwebebahn-Lauf Wuppertal

15.06.2025

The so-called Schwebebahnlauf has been taking place in Wuppertal since 2013 and now attracts well over 5,000 participants per year. This involves running distances of up to half a marathon along the famous suspension railroad through Wuppertal, whereby the length of the lap is rather short at just under 5 km. But that means it gets crowded and the atmosphere is great every year!

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Register here!

Allgäuer-Panorama-Marathon

10.08.2025

In 2025, the Panorama Marathon will be entering its 28th round and attracts thousands of running fans (not only) from all over Germany every year. The routes start at 5k and go up to the ultramarathon with 3000 meters of altitude, so the race certainly lives up to its name in terms of views! The race starts in Sonthofen and the finish of all routes is also located there. To put it in perspective: over 2000 runners have taken part in the Panorama Run in the Allgäu in recent years!

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Find out more.

Tegernseelauf

28.09.2025

A weekend at Lake Tegernsee? Nice. A half marathon around the Tegernsee? Hell yeah, we're in, that sounds amazing! The scenery of the Tegernsee run is simply bombastic and the route along the lakeside promenade is absolutely entertaining. You can start from 5km, but for the most comprehensive experience we would recommend the 21km around Lake Tegernsee.

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More info and registration here.

Köhlbrand-brückenlauf

The Hamburg Köhlbrand Bridge Run - Germany's largest bridge run - takes place every October. Over a total distance of 12.3 km, runners cross the impressive cable-stayed bridge twice, which is the second longest road bridge in Europe with a length of 3.8 km. Registration is open!

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Find out more about the Köhlbrand Bridge Run here.

Rügen-Brücken-Marathon

11.10.2025

A marathon from Stralsund to Rügen? Sounds cool, and actually it is cool, because it includes crossing the 4-kilometer long bridge to the island of Rügen, then you'll be running along the shore for a few kilometers before heading back to the finish in Stralsund. This one is special!

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You can reister here.

Harz-Gebirgslauf

11.10.2025

As the name suggests, the Harz mountain run leads across the Harz Mountains on various routes (up to marathon), the marathon route even crosses the summit of the Brocken once, including a good portion of altitude! If you're lucky, weather's nice and you'll have a great view around Harz!

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Find out more via their website.

Marathon AROUND Baldeneysee

12.10.2025

Did you know that the marathon around Lake Baldeney in Essen has been held since 1963, making it the oldest marathon still in existence in Germany? 3000 starters run the 2 laps around the lake every year - this number is capped in order to maintain the charm of the race!

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Here you can find all the information and the registration form.

How can i register?

Many big half and marathon events in Germany (especially Berlin Marathon, but also Frankfurt and Hamburg) are fully booked early, so you need to be quick or choose one of the wonderful running events in great locations from our list. We have also made sure that you can still register for many of the best running events.

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Registration for running events is usually very easy via the organizer's website. And psst, cancellation insurance in the event of illness is often part of the price or can be purchased for a small surcharge - in case something comes up in the end.

How can i train for my race?

Of course, it is clear that there is no single answer. If you have a little running experience and regularly run kilometers, 16 weeks is probably the “classic” period for a marathon training plan, for the half marathon plan it is more likely to be 12 weeks.

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You can find more information about the individual plans HERE in our overview, because in the end it is very individual and depends not only on your running experience, but also on the commitment you want to put into your training!‍

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To the TRAIT training plans - overview
Marathon training plans with TRAIT
Half marathon training plans with TRAIT

The best running events worldwide

It's getting a bit wild here, simply because there are hundreds of thousands of running events worldwide and we don't even know them all. The 6 World Major Marathons are certainly on the bucket list of many runners, in the trail segment the Golden Trail Series and UTMB should have incredibly attractive races to offer on every continent.

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However, it is often smaller, more informal races that attract people around the world time and time again. If you are interested in the most beautiful races in the world, please send us an email to support@trait.club - maybe we'll put together a list!

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(Photos via organizer's websites)

Have a race? Find your training plan here!

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