B2Run Cologne 2027: date, course, getting there and schedule

In 2026, 20,000 people from 930 companies ran into Cologne's RheinEnergieSTADION at B2Run. The 2027 date is still to come – here is how the evening works, how to get there and what the 2026 numbers tell you.

Daniel Gruber · 4 October 2026 · 7 min read

B2Run Cologne 2027: date, course, getting there and schedule

On Wednesday, 9 September 2026, 20,000 people from 930 companies ran and walked the 17th B2Run Cologne around the RheinEnergieSTADION – according to the organiser, the biggest corporate run in North Rhine-Westphalia (source: b2run.de, Cologne press release 2026). The 2027 date is still to come: as of 3 October 2026 B2Run has not announced it, and its shop shows "no places available" (source: b2run.de, shop). What we can already tell you is how the evening in Müngersdorf works, how to get there and what you and your colleagues can work on in the meantime.

Don't mix them up: B2Run Cologne vs. Firmenlauf Köln

Cologne has two big corporate runs. B2Run finishes inside the football stadium in Müngersdorf and takes place in late summer. The Firmenlauf Köln (Cologne company run) is a separate event by a different organiser: 5 km around Fühlinger See lake, in 2026 on Thursday, 7 May, with more than 2,300 participants from over 123 companies (source: firmenlauf-koeln.de). How the B2Run series works in general – team captains, team rankings, tiered prices – is covered in our B2Run 2027 overview. This page is only about Cologne.

The 2026 edition in numbers

B2Run Cologne 2026
Date Wednesday, 9 September 2026
Edition 17th
Participants 20,000 from 930 companies
Venue RheinEnergieSTADION, Cologne-Müngersdorf
Course approx. 5.3 km, mostly flat loop, finish inside the stadium
Start times 5 pm to 7 pm, nine waves 15 minutes apart
Charity 1,004 charity starters from 47 teams (€5 surcharge per place)
2027 date to be announced (as of 3 October 2026)

(Source: b2run.de, Cologne A-Z, course page and 2026 press release)

For comparison: in 2025 the event took place on 3 September with almost 20,000 participants from 851 companies (source: b2run.de, Cologne press release 2025). The number of companies grew noticeably; the field stayed at around 20,000.

An evening in Müngersdorf, hour by hour

This is not an event where you turn up at 5 pm and leave at 5:40. The 2026 schedule shows how long the evening is (source: b2run.de, Cologne A-Z):

Two hours separate the first and the last wave. For a large company team, that means: if you don't agree on a plan, you'll end up in different blocks and only meet again at the bar. B2Run sells fixed meeting points – beer tables in the beer garden area for about 8 to 10 people, or a pagoda tent – with a minimum order of €200 plus VAT (source: b2run.de, Cologne A-Z). Spectators don't need a fan ticket in Cologne; entry to the grounds and the stadium is free (source: b2run.de, Cologne A-Z).

Afterwards: showers are available in shower trucks at the south stand, in the Abelbauten (women only) and at the athletics stadium of the German Sport University. Food and drink are paid with vouchers that can only be bought by card on site – no cash. Your own food is not allowed; one PET bottle of up to one litre is (source: b2run.de, Cologne A-Z).

Getting there: your bib is not a transit ticket

In some B2Run cities your bib doubles as a public transport ticket. Not in Cologne: "the bib is not a ticket for public transport", the organiser writes, although the local operator KVB adds extra trams (source: b2run.de, Cologne A-Z). So budget for a ticket. The main routes:

(Source: b2run.de, Cologne A-Z)

The organiser warns that trams will be packed. If your team is coming from the city centre, take a tram together one earlier than planned.

The course: 5.3 kilometres and a stadium finish

The official course page describes a varied, mostly flat loop of around 5.3 km around the RheinEnergieSTADION, finishing inside the stadium (source: b2run.de, Cologne course). A course map and a virtual course video are available there.

What that means for you: flat doesn't mean empty. With 20,000 people, the first half kilometre is the tightest part. The organiser explicitly asks runners to go no more than two abreast there, keep right and line up towards the back if they're taking it easy (source: b2run.de, Cologne A-Z). If you want to run fast, you lose more time here than anywhere else – which is what the Durchstarter ticket for the first block is for, intended for men under 4 and women under 5 minutes per kilometre (source: b2run.de, Cologne A-Z). Everyone else takes the start easy and saves some energy for the moment you run into the stadium.

Who led in 2026

The fastest man was Robert Fülle of the MACS Track & Field Team in 16:50 minutes, the fastest woman Franziska Hinte of RWE in 19:12. Team wins went to the MACS Track & Field Team (men, 1:32 hours for five runners), REWE Group (women, 1:52) and Generali Lions (mixed, 1:39) (source: b2run.de, Cologne press release 2026).

More relevant for most teams is "Die Fittesten" (the fittest), the ranking of the biggest teams. The fittest corporation was once again REWE Group, this time with a record 986 participants, up from 900 in 2025. The fittest mid-sized company was the Cellitinnen hospital St. Marien with 152, the fittest small business INFODAS GmbH with 57 people (source: b2run.de, Cologne press releases 2025 and 2026). In 2025, 51 participants were enough to win the small-business category (Haus der Kommunikation) – a realistic target for a small company.

New in 2026 was the "Carry4Water Challenge": teams carried a canister with eight litres of water around the course together, a campaign by charity partner Menschen für Menschen (source: b2run.de, Cologne press release 2026).

Until September: after-work runs with colleagues

A September date has one advantage: you have the whole summer to prepare, and the long light evenings fall exactly into your training months. If you hardly run at the moment, two or three sessions a week over a few months will get you through 5.3 km. Walking is allowed anyway, with a Funstarter ticket in any block; only Nordic walking with poles starts in the last wave (source: b2run.de, Cologne A-Z).

What works best is a fixed evening after work when you set off together from the office. If nobody at your company has started yet, join an open group first: run clubs and Lauftreffs (group runs) with weekly meet-ups are listed under running in Cologne. Other races to test yourselves on beforehand are in the Cologne race calendar.

Don't want to wait until September? The B2Run in the neighbouring city took place in May in 2026 – see our page on B2Run Düsseldorf.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When is B2Run Cologne 2027?
Not yet known. As of 3 October 2026 B2Run has not announced a 2027 date. The last editions took place on 3 September 2025 and 9 September 2026 (source: b2run.de).
Is my B2Run Cologne bib valid on public transport?
No. According to the organiser, the bib is not a public transport ticket in Cologne. KVB runs extra trams, and the most direct option is line 1 to RheinEnergieSTADION (source: b2run.de, Cologne A-Z).
How long is the B2Run Cologne course?
About 5.3 kilometres on a mostly flat loop around the RheinEnergieSTADION, finishing inside the stadium. Walking is allowed (source: b2run.de, Cologne course).
What is the difference between B2Run Cologne and Firmenlauf Köln?
They are two separate events. B2Run finishes in the RheinEnergieSTADION and took place in September in 2026. Firmenlauf Köln is 5 km around Fühlinger See lake and took place on 7 May 2026 (source: b2run.de; firmenlauf-koeln.de).
Do spectators need a ticket at B2Run Cologne?
No. No fan ticket is needed in Cologne; non-runners get free access to the grounds and the stadium (source: b2run.de, Cologne A-Z).

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