Einstein Marathon

The Einstein Marathon is Ulm's flagship road race, held annually on the banks of the Danube in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and named for Ulm's most famous native son, Albert Einstein, who was born in the city in 1879. First staged in 2005 as a one-off project, the event proved popular enough to become an annual fixture, and the 22nd edition runs on Sunday, September 27, 2026. All long-distance events — the full marathon (42.2 km), half marathon (21.1 km), Nordic walking, and the marathon relay — start together at 09:10 from the Ulm-Messe fairgrounds and finish at Münsterplatz beneath the towering spire of the Ulmer Münster, the world's tallest church. The marathon course loops along the Danube through Pfuhl and Offenhausen, crosses repeatedly between Ulm and Neu-Ulm, and finishes through the historic old town; total elevation gain across the route is roughly 100 meters, making it a largely flat, PR-friendly course. Shorter events — the 10 km Citylauf and 5 km Gesundheitslauf — start in the early afternoon and finish at the same Münsterplatz line. More than 10,000 participants take part across all distances each year, making the Einstein Marathon one of the larger road races in southern Germany. The marathon finish line closes at 15:00, giving full-distance runners a time limit of roughly 5 hours 50 minutes from the start.