Running Events in the Bergisches Land 2027: Königsforst-Marathon, Röntgenlauf, Firmenlauf

Marathon and ultra in the Königsforst in March, a stage trail from Wermelskirchen in May, the Klingenlauf on Corpus Christi, a Firmenlauf in Remscheid in September and the 25th anniversary of the Röntgenlauf in October: all the key running events in the Bergisches Land for 2027 – plus what's still coming before New Year's Eve 2026.

Chris Mühlnickel · 30 September 2026 · 11 min read

Running Events in the Bergisches Land 2027: Königsforst-Marathon, Röntgenlauf, Firmenlauf

The Bergisches Land runs uphill, downhill and a lot in the woods. In the Königsforst on the border between Cologne and Bergisch Gladbach, TV Refrath's marathon and autumn race start; around Remscheid the Röntgenweg (a circular hiking trail) passes the Eschbachtalsperre (reservoir), Schloss Burg and the Müngstener Brücke; and at the Sengbach and Bever reservoirs people run and swim. Then there are the town centres and village cores: the Südpark in Solingen, the Schützenplatz in Remscheid, the pedestrian zone in Bergisch Gladbach and, in the Oberbergisches Land, the centres of Lindlar, Wipperfürth, Wiehl, Bergneustadt and Gummersbach. Wuppertal is also part of the Bergisches Land but has its own overview: Running events in Wuppertal.

This overview shows which events are coming up and who they suit, sorted by what's still coming before New Year's Eve and then by sub-region. Where the organizer has already confirmed the 2027 date, it's listed; otherwise we give the date of the last edition for orientation. As of 30 September 2026.

Which event suits you?

Your goal Events that fit
Your first race bib 3 km at the Burscheider Stadtlauf, 5 km at the Klingenlauf, 4 km in Lindlar, 5 km at the Wiehler Sommerlauf
Your first half marathon Königsforst-Marathon, Röntgenlauf
Your marathon Königsforst-Marathon, Röntgenlauf
Ultra and long days 63.3 km at the Königsforst-Marathon, 63.3 km at the Röntgenlauf, Bergischer 6-Stundenlauf, Bergische 5
A new personal best Refrather Herbstlauf, Wipperfürther Stadtlauf, Wiehler Sommerlauf
Running in the evening Lindlar läuft, Bergneustädter Nachtlauf, Wipperfürther Stadtlauf, Bergisch Gladbacher Stadtlauf, EWR*Firmenlauf Remscheid
With colleagues EWR*Firmenlauf Remscheid, Company ranking at the Klingenlauf
Hills and forest Müngstener Brückenlauf, Sengbachtalsperrenlauf, Glühweinlauf Marienhagen
Fit through the winter Glühweinlauf Marienhagen, Gummersbacher Silvestercrosslauf
Triathlon ATV Triathlon Hückeswagen, IRONMAN 70.3 Duisburg

Still in 2026: Burscheid, the Müngstener Brücke and the Röntgenweg

In the Bergisches Land, October is the month of traditional races: three Sundays, three completely different courses.

It starts on 11 October 2026 with the Burscheider Stadtlauf (town run) in the centre of Burscheid. The Stadtsportverband Burscheid offers 10 km as the main race, plus 3 km and 800 m, and everyone who finishes gets a Stadtlaufbrot (a loaf of bread baked for the run) (stadtsportverband-burscheid.de). The 3 km makes a good first race; online registration for 2026 runs via the Stadtsportverband's website.

A week later, on 18 October 2026, it gets hilly. The Müngstener Brückenlauf of the Solinger Leichtathletik-Club takes place for the 51st time, starting at the Herbert-Schade-Sportanlage in Solingen-Steinberg. The 10 km course runs through the area around the Müngstener Brücke, Germany's highest railway bridge, and adds up to around 200 metres of climbing (muengstener-brueckenlauf.de).

On 25 October 2026 the Röntgenlauf Remscheid follows in its 24th edition. The start is at the Sportanlage Hackenberg in Remscheid-Lennep, and the course follows the Röntgenweg around Remscheid, passing the Eschbachtalsperre, Schloss Burg and the Müngstener Brücke, among other sights. The distances are 63.3 km, marathon and half marathon, plus 10 km, 5 km, walking and a school cross-country race. Around 500 people help out as volunteers (roentgenlauf.de). The Röntgenlauf traditionally takes place on the last Sunday in October. For October 2027 the Röntgen Sport Club Remscheid has announced the 25th edition as an anniversary; an exact date hasn't been set yet.

Still in 2026: Königsforst, Glühwein and Silvestercross

In November and December the clubs carry the running year – with one flat course, one hilly one and a finale off-road.

On 8 November 2026 TV Refrath invites runners to the Refrather Herbstlauf (autumn run) in the Königsforst in Bergisch Gladbach-Refrath, for the 40th time since 1986. The out-and-back course over 10 km and 5 km is flat, and in 2025 the event also hosted the Leichtathletik-Verband Nordrhein (regional athletics association) championships over 5 km (refrather-herbstlauf.de). If you want to run a fast time in autumn, it's the obvious choice in the hilly Bergisches Land.

Things get hilly, on the other hand, on 28 November 2026 at the Glühweinlauf Marienhagen (mulled-wine run) in Wiehl-Marienhagen, which takes place for the 14th time. VfR Marienhagen offers 10 km and 5 km, 7.3 km walking and Nordic walking, and courses for children. The participant limit is 1,500 across all disciplines (gluehweinlauf-marienhagen.de).

The year ends on 31 December 2026 with LG Gummersbach's Gummersbacher Silvestercrosslauf (New Year's Eve cross-country run) in its 67th edition. The start is at the Stadion Lochwiese, and the distances are 10.5 km, 5 km and 1.5 km on forest paths with cross-country sections. The organizer calls it the oldest and toughest New Year's Eve run in Germany (lg-gm.de).

March: the Königsforst-Marathon

The first big goal of 2027 lies in the forest. TV Refrath's Königsforst-Marathon has existed since 1973, and on 14 March 2027 it takes place for the 53rd time. According to the DLV running calendar, the start is in Bergisch Gladbach-Bensberg, and the courses run over hilly forest paths in the Königsforst on the border between Cologne and Bergisch Gladbach. The options are a half marathon, a marathon and an ultramarathon over 63.3 km (koenigsforst-marathon.de).

The ultra distance has a special feature: anyone who finishes the 63.3 km in the Königsforst can also collect a combined ranking with the Röntgenlauf, which offers the same distance in October. That turns two events into an ultra year with a spring goal and an autumn goal. If you're doing the half marathon or marathon in March, you train through the winter – ideally on forest paths with some climbing.

Solingen and Remscheid: Klingenlauf and Firmenlauf

The two large towns in the south of the Bergisches Land each have one event that gets a lot of people onto the streets.

The Klingenlauf Solingen is Solingen's traditional town run and, according to the organizer, always takes place on Corpus Christi. The start is in the Südpark behind the ice rink in Solingen-Mitte. Alongside 10 km as the main race there are 5 km and 1 km, plus family, school and company rankings. On 4 June 2026 it took place for the 38th time, according to the organizer with more than 1,500 participants (klingenlauf.de). The organizing group hasn't published the 2027 date yet. With 5 km in the park and its own company ranking, it suits a first event just as well as a department starting together.

Among the region's events with published participant numbers, the EWR*Firmenlauf Remscheid (corporate run) is the largest: according to the organizer, more than 2,200 people took part in 2026. It's run on a Thursday evening, starting at the Schützenplatz; the 4.3 km lead through the Stadtpark and the Edelhoffpark, followed by an after-run party. The 7th edition takes place on 2 September 2027 (remscheid-firmenlauf.de). The short distance is manageable for almost everyone – a good reason to bring along colleagues who don't usually run.

Kürten and Bergisch Gladbach: Dorflauf and Stadtlauf

In the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis there are two more fixed dates alongside the Königsforst and Burscheid: a small one in a village and a big one in the district town.

The Internationale Biesfelder Dorflauf (village run) in Kürten-Biesfeld is organized by the triathlon club Union Biesfeld. On 30 May 2026 it took place for the 19th time, and the club has announced the 20th edition for 22 May 2027 (union-biesfeld-triathlon.de).

The Bergisch Gladbacher Stadtlauf takes you through the pedestrian zone in the evening. The start is at the Konrad-Adenauer-Platz, and it's run on a 3 km loop: one lap for 3 km, three laps for 9 km, plus an untimed 3 km fun run. On 11 September 2026 it took place as the 29th BELKAW Stadtlauf, and the participant limit is 1,000 (blau-weiss-hand.de). The organizer hasn't announced the 2027 date yet.

Oberberg: evenings through the town centres

In the Oberbergischer Kreis most events take place in the town centres, often in the evening and on short loops where the spectators see you go past several times.

It kicks off in May with Lindlar läuft – Lindlarer Ortskernlauf, run in the evening on a 2 km loop through the centre of Lindlar. The distances are 10 km, 4 km, 2 km and 600 m. On 8 May 2026 it took place for the 17th time; the club hasn't announced the 2027 date yet (lindlar-laeuft.de). The 4 km is a good way in.

September brings four events in three weeks. The Wiehler Sommerlauf (summer run) is the youngest of them: on 5 September 2026 it started for the third time at the Wiehltalstadion, over 10 km and 5 km on a DLV-measured course through the parks in the centre of Wiehl (stadtsportverband-wiehl.de). The Stadtsportverband hasn't published the 2027 date yet.

On 11 September 2026 the Bergneustädter Nachtlauf (night run), officially the AggerEnergie- und Sparkassen-Nachtlauf, ran through Bergneustadt for the 44th time. The town of Bergneustadt hasn't yet given a 2027 date or the distances on its website (bergneustadt.de).

The Wipperfürther Stadtlauf, by contrast, is already fixed: on 17 September 2027 it once again runs on a Friday evening through the historic centre of Wipperfürth (stadtlauf-wipperfuerth.de). The 10 km is DLV-measured and runs over seven laps, plus there's a 4.4 km race and a school relay. In 2026 it took place on 18 September for the 20th time.

September closes with LG Gummersbach's AggerEnergie- und Sparkassenlauf Gummersbach. On 20 September 2026 it ran for the 24th time in the district town, over 10 km and 4 km according to running calendars (lg-gm.de). The club hasn't confirmed the 2027 date yet.

Reservoirs and trails: stages, six hours and Sengbach

For anyone who prefers to be out long and off-road, the Bergisches Land offers three events at reservoirs and on hiking trails.

The Bergische 5 is a five-day stage trail run from 5 to 9 May 2027. All stages start and finish at the Hotel Zum Schwanen in Wermelskirchen, and the courses run over the Röntgenweg in Remscheid and the Klingenpfad in Solingen, among other trails. The full round covers 275 km, the shorter "Kindergartenrunde" (kindergarten round) 176 km, and individual stages between 25 and 70 km can also be booked (bergische5.run). A small format for people with ultra experience.

If you'd rather memorize a single loop, run the Bergischer 6-Stundenlauf (six-hour run) at the Eschbachtalsperre in Remscheid. For six hours you go round a shady forest loop of around 3 km around the reservoir, and there are around 200 places. The 14th edition takes place on 22 May 2027, earlier than usual; in 2026 it was on 27 June (feinerlauf.de).

In summer comes TV Witzhelden's Sengbachtalsperrenlauf, a scenic run around the Sengbachtalsperre between Leichlingen-Witzhelden and Solingen. According to the organizer, 972 people took part in 2026, and the next date is expected to be 22 August 2027 (sengbachlauf.de).

Triathlon at the Bever-Talsperre

The reservoirs are for swimming too. The ATV Triathlon Hückeswagen starts in the Bever-Talsperre and, according to the organizer, is one of the first triathlon events in Germany. On offer are an Olympic distance with 1.5 km swim, 36 km bike and 10 km run, a sprint-style Volksdistanz (entry-level distance) over 0.5, 18 and 5 km, a quadrathlon with an additional paddling leg and a relay, plus league races. On 21 June 2026 it took place for the 41st time; the 2027 date hasn't been published yet (atv-triathlon.de). The Volksdistanz is a good way into triathlon.

Nearby: IRONMAN 70.3 Duisburg

There's no IRONMAN race in the Bergisches Land. The nearest one is around 50 km to the west: the IRONMAN 70.3 Duisburg on 29 August 2027. The swim is 1.9 km on the regatta course in the Sportpark Duisburg, followed by 90 km on the bike over the Brücke der Solidarität towards Moers and a half marathon over three laps in the Sportpark. In 2026 the race took place on 16 August (ironman.com).

Planning tips for your running year

Watch the limits. At the Bergisch Gladbacher Stadtlauf the field is capped at 1,000 people, at the Glühweinlauf Marienhagen at 1,500 across all disciplines, and the Bergischer 6-Stundenlauf has around 200 places. If you want to be sure of a spot at these events, register early.

Many 2027 dates are still to come. For some events the organizer hasn't published the 2027 date yet, including the Klingenlauf, Müngstener Brückenlauf, ATV Triathlon, Bergisch Gladbacher Stadtlauf and most events in the Oberbergisches Land. Two rules help with planning: the Klingenlauf is always on Corpus Christi, and the Röntgenlauf is traditionally on the last Sunday in October. Some running calendars already list dates that the organizer hasn't confirmed itself – if in doubt, the organizer's website is what counts.

One Saturday, two dates. On 22 May 2027 both the Biesfelder Dorflauf and the Bergischer 6-Stundenlauf take place.

Plan for climbing. The Müngstener Brückenlauf, Königsforst-Marathon, Röntgenlauf and Glühweinlauf are hilly, and the Silvestercrosslauf includes cross-country sections. If you're hoping for a flat course, you'll find one at the Refrather Herbstlauf, and measured courses at the Wiehler Sommerlauf and the Wipperfürther Stadtlauf.

Don't train alone

The year in the Bergisches Land has two goals that fit well together: the Königsforst-Marathon in March, for which you train on forest paths through the winter, and the Röntgenlauf in October, for which the long runs fall in summer. The climbing in between is easier in a group, and the start line is nicer when you know someone. You'll find the right group among the running groups and run clubs in the Bergisches Land.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2027 Röntgenlauf?
The Röntgen Sport Club Remscheid has announced the 25th edition as an anniversary for October 2027; the exact date is still to come. The Röntgenlauf traditionally takes place on the last Sunday in October; the 24th edition is on 25 October 2026 with 63.3 km, marathon, half marathon, 10 km and 5 km from Remscheid-Lennep (roentgenlauf.de).
When is the 2027 Königsforst-Marathon?
On 14 March 2027, for the 53rd time. TV Refrath offers a half marathon, marathon and 63.3 km ultra on hilly forest paths in the Königsforst; according to the DLV running calendar, the start is in Bergisch Gladbach-Bensberg (koenigsforst-marathon.de).
When is the 2027 Firmenlauf Remscheid?
The 7th edition of the EWR*Firmenlauf Remscheid takes place on Thursday, 2 September 2027. The start is at the Schützenplatz, and the 4.3 km lead through the Stadtpark and the Edelhoffpark. According to the organizer, more than 2,200 people took part in 2026 (remscheid-firmenlauf.de).
When is the 2027 Klingenlauf Solingen?
According to the organizer, the Klingenlauf always takes place on Corpus Christi, but the organizing group hasn't published the 2027 date yet. In 2026 it ran for the 38th time on 4 June in the Südpark, over 10 km, 5 km and 1 km (klingenlauf.de).
Which ultra events are there in the Bergisches Land?
The Königsforst-Marathon with 63.3 km on 14 March 2027, the Bergische 5 as a stage trail run from 5 to 9 May 2027 from Wermelskirchen, the Bergischer 6-Stundenlauf at the Eschbachtalsperre on 22 May 2027 and the Röntgenlauf with 63.3 km in October (koenigsforst-marathon.de, bergische5.run, feinerlauf.de, roentgenlauf.de).
Which running events are still on in the Bergisches Land in 2026?
The Burscheider Stadtlauf on 11 October, the Müngstener Brückenlauf in Solingen on 18 October, the Röntgenlauf in Remscheid on 25 October, the Refrather Herbstlauf in Bergisch Gladbach on 8 November, the Glühweinlauf Marienhagen in Wiehl on 28 November and the Gummersbacher Silvestercrosslauf on 31 December.

Running events in other cities