Kiel.Lauf

Kiel.Lauf is northern Germany's largest running event, held annually in Kiel, the Baltic Sea port city and capital of Schleswig-Holstein. Organized by ZIPPEL'S Läuferwelt Veranstaltungs GmbH with the City of Kiel and presented by title sponsor Förde Sparkasse, the event traces its roots to 1988 and reaches its 38th edition on September 13, 2026, drawing more than 10,000 participants across six races. The half marathon (21.1 km) has served as the event's flagship closing race since 2003: two laps of a flat, waterfront-heavy course starting and finishing at Rathausplatz, Kiel's city hall square, with roughly three kilometers of each lap tracing the Kieler Förde, the Baltic Sea inlet at the heart of the city. Alongside the half marathon, Kiel.Lauf offers the 10.2 km Volkslauf, the 5.1 km Kurzlauf, two Schülerlauf youth races (5.1 km and 2.7 km), and a roughly 0.7 km Bambinilauf around the Kleiner Kiel pond for the youngest runners. Half marathon, Volkslauf, Kurzlauf, and 5.3 km Schülerlauf finishers receive a complimentary functional running shirt at bib pickup, and every participant is timed with a disposable foot transponder. The 2026 edition sold out well ahead of race day across every category, though a Startplatzbörse (start-place exchange) remains open for runners hoping to pick up a released bib.