Badische Meile 2027: 8.88889 km through Karlsruhe on 2 May

On 2 May 2027 Karlsruhe runs the Badische Meile for the 36th time – 8.88889 kilometres, flat, finishing inside a stadium. Here are the date, fees and deadlines, plus how to pace a distance just short of ten kilometres.

Daniel Gruber · 4 October 2026 · 8 min read

Badische Meile 2027: 8.88889 km through Karlsruhe on 2 May

The 36th Badische Meile takes place on Sunday, 2 May 2027 in Karlsruhe: start at 10 am on Hermann-Veit-Straße, finish inside the Carl-Kaufmann-Stadion (source: badischemeile.de, race information). The distance is not a round number but 8.88889 kilometres. That odd figure is what makes the event more than just another city race – and it is worth doing the pacing maths before you toe the line.

Why exactly 8.88889 kilometres?

The Badische Meile ("Baden mile") is a historical unit of length. According to the organiser, Margrave Carl Friedrich and his entourage walked 8 kilometres, 888 metres and 89 centimetres through the Hardtwald forest in two hours and thereby defined the longest land mile in Germany. The measure was used in Baden until 1819; when the region switched to the metric system the conversion did not come out even, which is how the "crooked number" of 8.88889 km stuck (source: badischemeile.de, home page).

The race itself dates back to 1990 and Karlsruhe's 275th anniversary. It was conceived as a fun run to warm up for the Red Cross marathon held the following day – today's Baden-Marathon. For many years it has been held in early May, which according to the organiser makes it the first big Volkslauf (community road race) of the year in the region. Since 2011 it has been run as a loop through Karlsruhe's city centre, starting on Sunday morning on Hermann-Veit-Straße and finishing in the Carl-Kaufmann-Stadion (source: badischemeile.de, home page).

Race day 2027 at a glance

Item Details
Date Sunday, 2 May 2027 (36th edition), kids' and family races on the same weekend
Distance 8.88889 km – running, walking and Nordic walking
Start times Main race 10:00 · Walking 10:15 · Nordic walking 10:17
Start / finish Hermann-Veit-Straße / Carl-Kaufmann-Stadion, Hermann-Veit-Str. 3
Course closes 11:45 for all events
Field limit Running 6,500 · Walking 220 · Nordic walking 120
Entry fee €22 until 28 February 2027 · €25 from 1 March to 28 April 2027 · late entry €30
Registration opens 1 January 2027, 00:01
Timing Net time via chip in the bib
Last edition 3 May 2026: 7,458 finishers in total, 5,733 of them on the mile

Sources: badischemeile.de (race information, registration), runnersworld.de (2026 report). As of 3 October 2026.

Registration: 28 February is the date that matters

Registration opens on 1 January 2027 at 00:01 via the official Badische Meile website. Until 28 February the entry costs €22, from 1 March to 28 April it is €25 (source: badischemeile.de, race information). Individual entries close on 28 April and are online only by SEPA direct debit, unless the 6,500-runner limit is reached earlier. Late entries are possible on Saturday, 1 May, from 2 to 5 pm and on race morning from 8 to 9:30 am at the Elisabeth-Selbert-Schule, for €30 (source: badischemeile.de, race information).

Two points from the small print: there are no refunds if you don't start. Name changes can be made via the link in your confirmation email, but after the bibs are printed on 18 April 2027 the new name will no longer appear on your number (source: badischemeile.de, race information). There are no finisher medals, for sustainability and cost reasons; you print your certificate yourself from the results list (source: badischemeile.de, race information).

Pacing: 8.9 km is not a short 10K

The mile sits just below the 10 km mark, and that is exactly what makes it tricky. It is far too long to sprint from the gun like a 5K. But it is also about 1,100 metres short of a 10K, so it is not a race where you can afford to ease into the first few kilometres. The right effort sits between the two: a little quicker than your 10K pace, but not so hard that your legs go heavy after three kilometres.

A practical way to make the distance tangible is to scale your target pace to the mile. Over 8.88889 km you get these finish times (our own calculation):

Pace per km Finish time Badische Meile
4:30 min 40:00
5:00 min 44:27
5:30 min 48:53
6:00 min 53:20
6:30 min 57:47
7:00 min 1:02:13

The 40-minute mark is a neat quirk: run exactly 4:30 per kilometre and you cross the line after exactly 40 minutes. For context at the front: in 2026 Simon Stützel won in 27:35, a little over 3:06 per kilometre, and Celine Kistner won the women's race in 29:44 (source: runnersworld.de, 2026 report).

Three things that help you actually run that time:

On the time limit: the course closes at 11:45 for all events (source: badischemeile.de, race information). If you start at 10 am you have an hour and 45 minutes, enough even for a very relaxed pace. Walkers start a quarter of an hour later and have correspondingly less time.

Train on the original distance in the park

A feature few races offer: in the Günther-Klotz-Anlage park there is a training loop measuring exactly 8.88889 kilometres. The city's parks department and LG Region Karlsruhe laid it out as a circuit for recreational runners (source: badischemeile.de, course). That lets you test the distance at goal pace once or twice before race day without constantly converting numbers on your watch.

If you want a warm-up with a bib, the clubs of LG Region Karlsruhe hold two preparation races in spring: the Rißnertlauf by TuS Rüppurr over 5 and 15 km in March and the Neureuter Volkslauf by TuS Neureut over 5 and 10 km in April. Each raffles ten free entries to the Badische Meile; exact 2027 dates have not been set yet (source: badischemeile.de, preparation races).

For midweek sessions, a group helps. You'll find Lauftreffs (group runs) and run clubs with regular slots on Running in Karlsruhe. Counting back from 2 May, an eight-week build-up starts in early March – exactly when the entry fee rises from €22 to €25. If you already know you want to run, register in February.

With your group, school or company

The mile has its own ranking for the three largest groups, which receive cash prizes of €300, €200 and €100 (source: badischemeile.de, race information). Groups should register by 21 March 2027; groups of 20 or more can also register with a voucher and be invoiced afterwards (source: badischemeile.de, race information). For a running group or run club, that is a good reason to sign up together.

There are also special rankings: a tradespeople's ranking by the Karlsruhe Chamber of Crafts for apprentices, journeymen, master craftspeople and employees of craft businesses, a school team ranking based on the six fastest pupils (born 2009 or later), and an award for the school with the most participants (source: badischemeile.de, special rankings). If you're after a pure corporate-run format, look at B2Run Karlsruhe.

Families get their own formats in the Carl-Kaufmann-Stadion: a mini race over 388.9 metres, a pupils' race over 1,111.1 metres and a youth race over 2,222.2 metres – all fractions of the mile – plus the ARTUS AG family relay with two adults and two children over 4 x 400 metres for €14 per team (source: badischemeile.de, mini, pupils' and youth races and family relay). The organiser says it dedicates the entire day before to the junior races; the family relay starts on Saturday, 1 May 2027, at 4:30 pm (source: badischemeile.de, family relay).

Bib, bags, getting there

Bibs are handed out on Friday, 30 April 2027, from 10 am to 5 pm in front of the Carl-Kaufmann-Stadion, on Saturday, 1 May, from 2 to 5 pm, and on race morning from 8 to 9:45 am at the Elisabeth-Selbert-Schule. The bag drop is there too on race day from 8:15 am to 1 pm, bib required (source: badischemeile.de, race information). Showers are available in the Carl-Kaufmann-Stadion and the Lina-Radke-Halle, toilets in the Europahalle and the Lina-Radke-Halle. If you come by car, the organiser recommends the car parks at the Carl-Kaufmann-Stadion and the Europahalle or the paid underground car park of the Europabad (source: badischemeile.de, race information).

If May gives you a taste for more: registration can be combined with an entry to the 12th Bergdorfmeile, also organised by LG Region Karlsruhe; the site does not yet give a 2027 date (source: badischemeile.de, home page). All other races in the city throughout the year are listed in our overview of running events in Karlsruhe.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When is the Badische Meile 2027?
The 36th Badische Meile is on Sunday, 2 May 2027. The main race starts at 10 am, walking at 10:15 and Nordic walking at 10:17 (source: badischemeile.de, race information).
How long is the Badische Meile?
8.88889 kilometres. The length matches the historical Baden mile used until 1819; converting it to the metric system left this odd figure (source: badischemeile.de, home page).
How much does it cost to enter the Badische Meile 2027?
€22 until 28 February 2027, €25 from 1 March to 28 April 2027, and €30 for late entry on site. Registration opens on 1 January 2027 at 00:01 (source: badischemeile.de, race information).
How many people run the Badische Meile?
In 2026 a total of 7,458 participants finished, 5,733 of them on the 8.88889 km course (source: runnersworld.de, 2026 report). For 2027 the running field is capped at 6,500 places (source: badischemeile.de, race information).
Can I walk the Badische Meile?
Yes. There are separate categories for walking (limit 220) and Nordic walking (limit 120) over the same distance. There is no podium ceremony for them because correct walking technique cannot be checked (source: badischemeile.de, race information).
Is there a finisher medal?
No – for the main race the organiser skips finisher medals for sustainability and cost reasons. In the kids' races and the family relay everyone gets a medal (source: badischemeile.de, race information and family relay).

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