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Magdeburg Marathon

October 4, 2026 · 9:10 AMMagdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

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Race snapshot

Race Day

52°F

48–64°F · Feels cool

Total elevation gain

197ft

Relatively flat course · Net elevation change +0 ft

Participants

5,000

Large field

Crowd Rating

5/ 10

Good crowd energy

Entry

Registration Open

Marathon

€60

Full marathon (42.195 km) entry, current tiered price through the September 22, 2026 online registration deadline. Late entry (through October 3 online, or on-site October 3-4) costs €65.

Official Website

Key Dates

1. Online Registration Deadline
  Sep 22, 2026
  Standard online registration (Anmeldeschluss) closes; prices rise to the late-entry tier after this date.
2. Late Registration / Packet Pickup
  Oct 3, 2026
  Final online late registration (Nachmeldung) until 12:00, plus in-person late registration and bib pickup at Messe Magdeburg from 14:00-18:00.
3. Race Day
  Oct 4, 2026
  22. Magdeburg Marathon — marathon starts 09:10, half marathon 09:50, 10K 09:30, all from Tessenowstraße near Messe Magdeburg; marathon finish line closes at 14:40 (~5.5-hour limit).

Found in

Marathons in Germany Half Marathons in Germany Marathons in Europe Half Marathons in Europe

The Lowdown

The Magdeburg Marathon is the largest running event in Saxony-Anhalt, drawing roughly 5,000 runners, walkers and team relay participants to the German state capital each October. Organized by VLG 1991 Magdeburg since 2004, the marathon sends runners on two laps of a flat, mostly paved loop that follows the Elbe river promenade through the Alte Neustadt and Rotehornpark, passes Magdeburg Cathedral in the historic old town, and finishes back at the Messe Magdeburg exhibition grounds. Alongside the full marathon, the weekend program includes a half marathon, a 10K, a mini-marathon, team relay and walking events, and a children's run, making it a family-friendly festival as much as a competitive race. The course profile is gentle, with only modest elevation change, which has helped local runners set personal bests here, including the men's course record of 2:28:41 set in 2024. The 22nd edition takes place on October 4, 2026.

Minimum Age: 18 years
Entry Methods: Online registration via my.raceresult.com through the official site magdeburg-marathon.eu
In-person late registration at Messe Magdeburg on October 3 (14:00-18:00) and October 4 (08:00-09:00)
Eligibility: Run under DLV (German Athletics Federation) regulations
No bicycle escorts, baby joggers, or other wheeled/sports equipment on course
Required Documents: Race bib (non-transferable, must remain unaltered/unbent for the built-in timing transponder)
Photo ID recommended for on-site late registration/bib pickup
Cancellation & Refund Policy: No confirmed refund/cancellation policy published on the official site; standard German road-race practice of no refunds on withdrawal was not independently confirmed for this event

01: 22nd edition in 2026; held annually since 2004, organized by Volkslaufgemeinschaft 1991 Magdeburg e.V. (VLG 1991 Magdeburg).
02: The 2020 edition was cancelled due to COVID-19, with entries carried over to an October 2021 edition; otherwise the race has run every year since 2004.
03: Largest running event in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, with a peak field of roughly 6,000 across all distances in 2014; recent full-marathon finisher counts are much smaller (287 in 2024, 280 in 2023).
04: Aid stations roughly every 5 km with water and sports drinks; fruit and cola added from the 15 km mark onward.
05: Bag check available in Hall 2 at Messe Magdeburg (no liability for valuables); items must be collected by 15:00.

Prepare for This Race

Pace CalculatorPlan splits for marathon Race PredictorPredict your marathon time BQ CalculatorCheck BQ time for marathon Fuel PlannerPlan nutrition for marathon, cool weather Difficulty Analyzer197ft gain, 52°F avg, marathon Training PacesTraining zones for marathon

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