Magdeburg Marathon
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.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
Large field
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Good crowd energy
Elbe river promenade (Elbuferweg)
Magdeburg Cathedral (Magdeburger Dom)
Rotehornpark
Klosterbergegarten
Alte Neustadt / Wissenschaftshafen
Messe Magdeburg (start/finish)
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
DE
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
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
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)
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
22nd edition in 2026; held annually since 2004, organized by Volkslaufgemeinschaft 1991 Magdeburg e.V. (VLG 1991 Magdeburg).
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.
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).
Aid stations roughly every 5 km with water and sports drinks; fruit and cola added from the 15 km mark onward.
Bag check available in Hall 2 at Messe Magdeburg (no liability for valuables); items must be collected by 15:00.
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