swb-Marathon Bremen

The swb-Marathon Bremen is the Hanseatic city's flagship running event, held annually since its modern revival in 2005 under title sponsor swb (Stadtwerke Bremen), the local municipal utility. The 21st edition takes place on September 13, 2026 — earlier than the event's traditional October date, moved up because Bremen hosts the national German Unity Day celebrations on October 3, 2026. Start and finish are both on the Marktplatz in the heart of Bremen's old town, with the marathon course running a sightseeing loop through Neustadt, past the Werdersee lake and Weserwehr weir, out to Hastedt, Schwachhausen and Horn, through the Universum science center and Bürgerpark, on to Findorff and the Überseestadt harbor quarter, then back along the Weser river past the Schlachte waterfront promenade and Weserstadion before returning to the Marktplatz. The course is flat and officially measured, eligible for national records; the men's course record of 2:22:56 was set in 2006 by Poland's Jarosław Cichocki. Alongside the full marathon (42.195 km), the event offers the AOK Halbmarathon Bremen (21.0975 km), the HIRSCH-10km-Lauf (10 km), and the AOK-Kinderlauf children's race, with organizers projecting a record 15,000 participants across all distances in 2026. Marathon and half marathon runners have until 15:30 to finish (a six-hour limit from the 9:30 start); the 10km field must finish by 11:25. Online registration runs through davengo.com and closes August 30, 2026, with tiered pricing rising as race day approaches; the official rules state no right of withdrawal on paid entry fees.