Bonn Marathon 2027: registration from 12 October, start at 11:00

The Deutsche Post Marathon Bonn runs on 11 April 2027. Why you should secure a place early, what the late marathon start means for your training and what is already known about 2027.

Daniel Gruber · 4 October 2026 · 7 min read

Bonn Marathon 2027: registration from 12 October, start at 11:00

The Deutsche Post Marathon Bonn 2027 takes place on Sunday, 11 April 2027, starting at Koblenzer Tor and finishing at the Old Town Hall. Registration for the marathon, half marathon and 10 km runs from 12 October 2026, 00:00, through the cologne timing portal; for the marathon relay, no opening date had been announced by early October (source: cologne-timing.de, Deutsche Post Marathon Bonn registration). With this race, a lot is decided before your first training kilometre: in 2026 the event sold out with 22,222 entries, and the 12,500 half-marathon places were gone by January (sources: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, news of 17 and 13 March 2026). And on race day, Bonn runs on a different clock from most city marathons: the marathon does not start until 11:00.

Key facts 2027

Item Details
Date Sunday, 11 April 2027
Start and finish Start Koblenzer Tor, finish Old Town Hall on the market square
Registration from 12 October 2026, 00:00 (marathon, half marathon, 10 km); relay: no date announced by early October
Marathon Start 11:00, time limit 6 hours, minimum age 18 · early bird €79, up to place 750: €89, up to 1,550: €95, then €99
Half marathon Start from 8:15 in blocks, time limit 3 hours, minimum age 16 · up to place 1,200: €59, from 1,201: €69, from 3,801: €79, then €85 · capped field
Marathon relay 4 people, legs of 8.8 to 12.195 km, start 11:00, minimum age 14 · €169 to €189 per team
10 km Start 14:15, time limit 2 hours, minimum age 14 · €29 to €39
Companies Marathon, half, 10 km and relay, registration deadline 28 February 2027
School marathon Relays of six pupils over the marathon distance, free of charge
Course 2027 not yet published
2026 edition 19 April 2026, 23rd edition, 22,222 entries (sold out)

Sources: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de (home, marathon, half marathon, relay, 10 km, companies, school marathon, course, 2026 news); cologne-timing.de (registration). As of 4 October 2026; start times subject to change according to the organiser.

Registration from 12 October: why Bonn is a race for places

Bonn has grown quickly. In 2026 there were around 4,000 more entries than the year before, the cap of 22,222 was reached in March and late entries were no longer possible (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, news of 17 March 2026). The organiser says this number is the maximum the city-centre concept can handle (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, news of 13 March 2026). The half marathon is capped again in 2027 (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, half marathon).

Prices rise by place number, not by date, and the marathon, relay and 10 km also have an early-bird price (sources: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, marathon, relay, 10 km). The jump is steepest in the half marathon: €59 for the first 1,200 places, €85 for anyone who books after more than 8,800 others (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, half marathon). If you plan to go with your running group, agree before you register who runs which distance and who registers the relay. The marathon, half marathon and 10 km can be booked from 00:00 on 12 October 2026 (source: cologne-timing.de, Deutsche Post Marathon Bonn registration). The organiser does not say how long the early-bird price lasts.

In the 10 km, anyone registered by mid-March gets a bib printed with their name; after that, entries continue without names while places last (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, 10 km). New this year is home delivery of race packs, bookable until 11 March 2027, from €15 per person and €24 per relay (sources: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, marathon and relay). Transfer rules for 2027 have not been published. In 2026, you could switch to another distance until 6 April, except into the half marathon, and transfer your place to another person for €10 until the day before (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, registration and transfer info 2026).

A marathon that starts at 11:00

In Bonn, the morning belongs to the half marathon. In 2026 it started in four blocks between 8:15 and 10:00, assigned by target time, with inline skaters and handbikers going off at 8:00. Marathon, relays and the school marathon started at 11:00, the 10 km at 14:15 (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, adjusted start times). For 2027 the race pages list the same times, subject to change (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, marathon and half marathon).

For the marathon, that has consequences you can prepare for in training:

What is known about the course

The organiser has not yet published the 2027 course. What is certain: all courses are measured by a licensed course measurer and record-eligible. Results are based on net time, except the overall and gender top 20, which use gun time (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, course). Based on last year's information, the main station is a three-minute walk from the start, the finish at the town hall is on paving stones, and in 2026 the city centre, the government quarter and the Kennedy bridge were closed to traffic at times on race day (source: participant information 2026). Spectators gather on Münsterplatz, which also hosts the expo tent and bib pick-up on Friday and Saturday (sources: participant information 2026; deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, marathon).

Looking back: the 23rd edition in 2026

The race on 19 April 2026 ran under the motto "Laufend jeck" (roughly "running crazy", a carnival phrase) and celebrated 200 years of Bonn carnival. Of the 22,222 entries, 12,500 were for the half marathon, more than 2,200 for the marathon, the most since 2008, 3,336 for the 10 km and 1,652 for the marathon relay. On top came 2,000 pupils in the school marathon, supported by more than 500 volunteers (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, review of 28 May 2026).

Florian Girard of France won the marathon in 2:29:11, Jana Kappenberg the women's race in 2:45:04. Recep Arslan took the half marathon in 1:06:11, a week after winning the half in Hannover; Caroline Jeptoo Kiprop won the women's half in 1:14:54 (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, review of 28 May 2026). The average age of entrants was 35.6, according to the organiser (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, news of 13 March 2026).

Bonn and the Rhineland April

For running groups in the Rhineland, Bonn opens a busy April: one week later, on 18 April 2027, comes the Uniper Düsseldorf Marathon (source: uniper-duesseldorfmarathon.de). If you run the half in Bonn, you will find more races over that distance in our overview of spring half marathons 2027 in the Rhineland. The ADAC Marathon Hannover takes place on the same Sunday as Bonn.

You will find the Lauftreffs (group runs) and run clubs that get you through the winter under running in Bonn. Shorter races to test your form are in the annual overview of running events in Bonn. All spring dates nationwide are collected in the marathon calendar 2027, and how Bonn ranks by size is in our article on Germany's biggest marathons.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When is the Bonn Marathon 2027?
The Deutsche Post Marathon Bonn takes place on Sunday, 11 April 2027. The start is at Koblenzer Tor, the finish at the Old Town Hall (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de).
From when can I register for the Bonn Marathon 2027?
The marathon, half marathon and 10 km can be booked from 00:00 on 12 October 2026 in the cologne timing registration portal; for the marathon relay, no opening date had been announced by early October (source: cologne-timing.de, registration). In 2026 the event sold out with 22,222 entries (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de).
How much does the Bonn Marathon 2027 cost?
Marathon: early bird €79, then €89, €95 and €99 depending on place number. Half marathon: €59, €69, €79 and €85. 10 km: €29 to €39. Relay: €169 to €189 per team (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de).
When do the marathon and half marathon start in Bonn?
The half marathon starts from 8:15 in blocks by target time; marathon, relay and school marathon at 11:00; the 10 km at 14:15. Times are subject to change according to the organiser (source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de).
Can I run the Bonn Marathon with headphones?
In 2026 headphones of any kind were banned during the race, including open-ear models and single earbuds, with disqualification as the penalty (source: participant information 2026, deutschepostmarathonbonn.de). The 2027 rules have not been published yet.

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