AOK-Firmenlauf Bochum 2027: 5.5 km at Lake Kemnade
Around 4,000 people, sold out by May, turning at the Oveney jetty: what you need to know about the after-work run at Lake Kemnade, from the parking problem to how your employer puts a team together.
Daniel Gruber · 4 October 2026 · 6 min read
Early July, a Thursday evening, 7 pm at Lake Kemnade: at the 16th AOK-Firmenlauf Bochum (company run) on 2 July 2026, around 4,000 people from 230 companies took part, and the event had sold out by early May (source: bochum-journal.de, report of 3 July 2026). For 2027 the organiser's site so far only says: "Registration for the AOK-Firmenlauf Bochum 2027 coming soon!" (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Anmeldung; as of 3 October 2026). The race calendar hdsports.org lists 1 July 2027 as confirmed by the organiser (source: hdsports.org), but we have not yet found it on the official site. So plan for early July and wait for confirmation before you book anything.
The run is organised by the agency upletics, with AOK NordWest as naming partner (sources: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de; bochum-journal.de). Why the AOK company runs are not one series with shared rules is explained in our overview of AOK company runs.
An out-and-back on the north shore
The course is simple: start level with the Heveney car park, along the cycle path on the north shore of Lake Kemnade to the Oveney jetty, turn there and come back along the footpath to the finish next to Heveney harbour. The organiser gives 5.5 km (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, home and Dein Lauf).
What that means for you:
- Two paths, no head-on traffic in the field: out on the cycle path, back on the footpath. The fast runners pass you on the parallel path, not in your lane.
- The turn is halfway: the only water station is roughly at the midpoint too (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Streckeninfos). Stay relaxed until the turn and you will have enough left to pick it up on the way back.
- Start corrals by expected time: target times are marked in the start area, and each team lines itself up accordingly (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Dein Lauf). Walkers go to the back.
- Cheer zone at the finish: just before the end you run through a cheer zone on the event site (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Streckeninfos).
Timing is by chip on the bib; time and certificate are available by QR code after the finish (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Dein Lauf).
The real bottleneck: parking
Most of the organiser's advice is not about the course but about getting there. Most car parks at the lake are now paid, and extra meadows only open depending on the weather. In 2026 an additional area behind the blue:beach cost €5, cash and exact change. A parking map distinguishes free, barrier-controlled and privately run areas (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Streckeninfos). For 2026 the organiser already warned that the parking situation would change and that people should allow extra time (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de).
The alternatives:
- Bus: the "Freizeitbad Heveney" stop is served by several lines.
- Bike: in the surrounding side streets, locked and at your own risk.
- Car sharing: explicitly recommended by the organiser.
(Source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Streckeninfos.) There are no changing rooms and no bag drop at the lake; toilets are near the start and finish (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Streckeninfos). Arrive changed and leave valuables at the office.
How Bochum employers organise their teams
It is worth looking at how big employers run this internally. Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), for example, collected entries itself in 2026: an internal deadline of 2 April, a €24 fee paid by bank transfer to the university, contacts on campus. That got the RUB 250 runners by February, and in 2025 it defended its title as the company with the most participants (source: news.rub.de, February 2026). In 2026 that title went to the Katholisches Klinikum Bochum hospital group (source: bochum-journal.de).
The model works for smaller firms too: one person collects names internally, registers early through the company account and reserves a few extra places. Reserved places can be filled with names until the closing date; after that they are printed without names (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Anmeldung). For an event that sells out in May, January is when it is decided.
Turnout is not the only ranking. Also honoured on stage: the three fastest women and men, the fastest men's and women's teams (combined time of a company's three fastest), the fastest apprentices and the fastest female and male boss (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Dein Lauf). In 2026 Aleyna Orzesek and Elias Kroll were fastest, and Zeptrum won the team ranking (source: bochum-journal.de).
Fees and deadlines: 2026 as a guide
No 2027 prices have been published. In 2026 (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Anmeldung):
| 2026 phase | Entry fee per person (incl. VAT) |
|---|---|
| Early bird until 12 April | €24 |
| until closing date 4 June | €26 |
| from 5 June | €31 |
| Late entry or name change on site | plus €5 |
| Posting race packs, per team | €9.90 |
The fee included a finisher medal, water on course and at the finish and, if you registered by the closing date, a bib with your first name. In 2026 race packs could be collected on the Monday before the race at the sailing club house on Lake Kemnade (Blumenau 7) or on race day from 5 pm at the event tent (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Anmeldung). Schedule: race office from 5 pm, programme from 5:30 pm, start at 7 pm, end at 10 pm (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Dein Lauf). Afterwards there is an after-run party with awards; food and drinks are paid with vouchers, and bringing your own drinks onto the site is not allowed (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, After Run).
Numbers have grown for years: according to hdsports.org, 2,776 people finished in 2024 and 2,284 in 2018 (source: hdsports.org). In 2026 it was around 4,000 (source: bochum-journal.de).
From company run to half marathon
For many people the July company run is their first race ever. In Bochum the next logical step comes only weeks later: the Stadtwerke Halbmarathon Bochum in September, starting in the city centre. If you have done 5.5 km at the lake, you have the base for longer summer runs.
A realistic path if you want to keep going:
- July: after the company run, two or three weeks of easy running, three times a week.
- August: add one long, slow run per week and extend it by a few kilometres each week. You already know the north shore of Lake Kemnade, and the lakeside paths work well for this.
- September: if time to the half marathon gets too short, the half-marathon relay is a good team alternative.
It is easier with others: Lauftreffs (group runs) and run clubs in the city are listed under running in Bochum. All races of the year, from the Kemnader Seelauf in May to the Halloween evening run, are on our Bochum race calendar.
A format with the same agency and the same ranking but a longer course takes place next door: the AOK-Firmenlauf Dortmund, 6.7 km around Phoenix Lake. The AOK-Firmenlauf im Märkischen Kreis takes a different approach – it is run by a running club from Lüdenscheid.
Sources
- aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de
- aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de/dein-lauf
- aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de/streckeninfos
- aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de/anmeldung
- aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de/after-run
- bochum-journal.de/2026/07/03/rekordkulisse-am-kemnader-see-…
- news.rub.de/kultur-und-freizeit/2026-02-17-rund-um-den-kemn…
- hdsports.org/laufen/firmenlauf-bochum
Frequently asked questions
- When is the AOK-Firmenlauf Bochum 2027?
- The organiser has not published the date; registration is due "soon" (as of 3 October 2026). The race calendar hdsports.org lists Thursday, 1 July 2027. The last edition was on 2 July 2026 (sources: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de; hdsports.org).
- Where does it start?
- At Lake Kemnade: start level with the Heveney car park, finish next to Heveney harbour, turning point at the Oveney jetty (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de).
- How long is the course?
- The organiser gives 5.5 km, out on the cycle path and back on the footpath along the north shore (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Dein Lauf).
- What is the best way to get there?
- By bus to the "Freizeitbad Heveney" stop, by bike or by car sharing. Most car parks at the lake are paid; in 2026 there was an extra area behind the blue:beach for €5 (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Streckeninfos).
- How quickly does it sell out?
- In 2026, with around 4,000 participants, it was sold out by early May (source: bochum-journal.de). To be sure of a place, reserve team places early.
- Can I walk?
- Yes, walkers are allowed. Walking poles, dogs, buggies and other means of transport are not; wheelchairs by arrangement via email (source: aok-firmenlauf-bochum.de, Streckeninfos).