Fürst Carl Seenlandmarathon
The Lowdown
The Fürst Carl Seenlandmarathon is a flat, scenic loop race through the Fränkisches Seenland (Franconian Lake District) in Bavaria, with start and finish on the Volksfestplatz in Pleinfeld. The full marathon covers two laps of the officially DLV-certified 21.0975 km half-marathon route, tracing the shoreline of the Brombachsee with open lake views for much of the way. First held in 2011, the race reaches its 14th edition in 2026 and is organized by OAI e.V., with roughly 2,000-3,000 finishers across all distances in recent years. Alongside the marathon and half marathon, the event offers a 2-6 person marathon relay, (Nordic) walking over the half-marathon distance, a 5.2 km hobby run, and separate children's and Bambini races. Both the marathon and half-marathon courses are measured to IAAF/World Athletics Competition Rule 240.3. A festival atmosphere with a sports expo and beer tent surrounds the finish area, reflecting the event's title sponsor, the regional Fürst Carl brewery. Course time limits are 6 hours for the marathon and 4 hours for the half marathon. The flat profile and lakeside scenery make it a popular pick for runners chasing a fast late-summer time in southern Germany.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
Medium-sized race
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Moderate spectator support
Brombachsee (Großer Brombachsee) lakeshore
Volksfestplatz, Pleinfeld (start/finish)
Fränkisches Seenland (Franconian Lake District)
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Pleinfeld, Bavaria, Germany
DE
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
Eligibility
- Minimum age 18 for the marathon; 16 for the half marathon, walking, and relay; 12 for the 5.2 km hobby run
Required Documents
- Valid photo ID for bib pickup
Entry Methods
- Online registration via seenlandmarathon.de
Cancellation & Refund Policy
No confirmed refund policy published on the official site; standard German road-race practice of no refunds on withdrawal, with bib transfer sometimes permitted for a fee ahead of a cutoff date, is not independently confirmed for this event.
14th edition in 2026; the race has run in Pleinfeld since 2011.
Title sponsor is the regional Fürst Carl brewery; other sponsors include N-ERGIE, Sparkasse Mittelfranken-Süd, and Gore.
Organized by OAI e.V.; supporting distances include (Nordic) Walking (21.1 km), a 5.2 km Hobbylauf, a 1.5 km Schülerlauf, and a 300m Bambinilauf.
Community
Stories, tips, and race-day snapshots from runners who have tackled this course.
Community Reviews
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