With many beautiful parks and stunning trails along the river, Munich is a great place to run. Running is a popular pastime here to get outside and enjoy nature. As a result, Munich has many great running races throughout the year. Here the Go! Running Tours Munich team lists a few of their favorites.
Generali München Marathon
Date: 13 October 2024
Distance: 42.195 km
The Generali Munich Marathon, starting and finishing in the iconic Olympic Park, is a must-run event of the year. With live music and scenic routes, it’s like a sightseeing tour, passing Munich’s landmarks. The finish line at the Olympic stadium is unforgettable, with a tunnel entrance and a legendary track finish. Plus, the quirky “Lebkuchen” medal serves as a unique keepsake. For those not up for the full marathon, there are 10K and half-marathon options, or join a relay team. Just be prepared for the post-Oktoberfest timing, adding to the training challenge.
Sportscheck Run München RUN MUC – Munich Half Marathon
Date: 30 June 2024
Distance: 21.1 km
The Run München Half Marathon, organized by Sportscheck, is part of a popular running series across Germany, drawing over 70,000 participants annually. Despite its city-center location, the route winds through Munich’s picturesque Englischer Garten, offering a scenic experience. The vibrant atmosphere, with crowds of spectators cheering along the route, adds to the race’s appeal.
Nikolauslauf and the Munich Winter Running Series
Photo credit: Larasch.de
Date: 6 January 2024 & 17 February 2024
Distance: 10km
The Olympic Park is home to many sporting events throughout the year and this one is our favourite. Organised by a local running club, this 10K race is the first in the Munich Winter Running Series (there is a 15K in January and a 20K in February) that keeps you fit and motivated throughout the winter. We’ll be honest and admit that it might be really cold and even snow, but there are mountains of gingerbread and stollen with warm tea or warm isotonic waiting to help you warm up at the end. As an added bonus, some years when we collected our starting numbers, we got a Santa Claus hat to get into the spirit of the season!
Cross the River Run
Date: Various
Distance: up to you
Starting and ending at Porto City Hall, this tour explores the pleasant and unique places of Cidade Velha, as well as crossing the river to Gaia.
Wings for Life World Run in Munich
Date: 5 May 2024
Distance: up to you
Number of Participants (2023): 206,728
We love the concept of this unique race: participants start in the Olympic Park and run out of the city pursued by a “catcher car” that overtakes each runner one by one until only one runner remains. Having no finish line means that the race is great for runners of all abilities, with the best part being that 100% of the registration fee goes towards research for finding a cure for spinal cord injury. We can’t fault the organisation – you might finish your race in the middle of nowhere (personal experience here!) but buses are provided all along the route to take finishers back to the Olympic stadium. This is truly a world run in the sense that there are Wings for Life races taking place simultaneously throughout the world at the same time, both in real life and virtually using the Wings for Life app.
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