Freiburg Marathon 2027: two laps and the 2:45 rule

On 4 April 2027, Freiburg runs its marathon as two laps from the trade fair grounds. What the lap limit means for your pacing, when places get tight and how your plan gets through Christmas and Easter.

Daniel Gruber · 4 October 2026 · 7 min read

Freiburg Marathon 2027: two laps and the 2:45 rule

The Mein Freiburg Marathon 2027 takes place on Sunday, 4 April 2027, with start and finish at Messe Freiburg, the city's trade fair grounds (source: fwtm.freiburg.de, registration 2027). That puts Freiburg one week ahead of the ADAC Marathon Hannover and the Deutsche Post Marathon Bonn, both on 11 April. What really sets it apart is the course: the marathon is two identical laps of roughly 21 kilometres, and anyone who does not finish the first lap within 2:45 hours is not allowed onto the second but is diverted to the finish (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de, Marathon). So preparing for Freiburg means training for 42 kilometres and for a split time.

Key facts

Item Details
Date Sunday, 4 April 2027 · Badeparadies Mini-Marathon for children on Saturday, 3 April
Start and finish Messe Freiburg
Races Marathon, half marathon, AOK-Gesundheitslauf (10 km), badenova Schülermarathon (school half-marathon relay), Badeparadies Mini-Marathon (approx. 400 to 1,800 m)
Start times Marathon 9:00 and 9:10 · 10 km 9:35 and 9:45 · half marathon 10:30 to 11:40 in five blocks · school relay 11:00 and 11:15
Entry fee Marathon €80 · half marathon €70 · 10 km €48 · school relay €49 · Mini-Marathon €7
Elevation gain Marathon 200 m · half marathon 100 m · 10 km 40 m
Time limits Marathon 5:45 hours, first lap 2:45 hours · half marathon 3:15 hours · 10 km 1:30 hours
Minimum age Marathon 18 · half marathon 16 · school relay 12
Late entry 2 to 4 April 2027 in Hall 3, plus €13
2026 edition 18,483 registrations according to the organiser

Sources: fwtm.freiburg.de (registration announcement), mein-freiburgmarathon.de (home, Marathon, races, registration). As of 3 October 2026.

Entry fees for 2027 are flat, with no price tiers that rise over time (source: fwtm.freiburg.de, registration 2027). Two size figures are published: the race website lists 18,483 registrations for 2026, while FWTM, the city's tourism and trade fair company, speaks of around 13,200 runners taking part (sources: mein-freiburgmarathon.de, fwtm.freiburg.de). The first counts registrations, the second participants.

Two laps through the city

The lap runs from the fair grounds through Seepark and the districts of Weingarten, Haslach, St. Georgen and Wiehre, then along the Dreisam river into the old town and back over the Wiwili bridge to the fair grounds (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de, Marathon). The organiser marks Seepark at km 2, Dietenbachpark at km 5, Wiehre at km 12, the Dreisam at km 15, the old town and the Münster (cathedral) at km 16 and the Wiwili bridge at km 17. In the marathon you pass all of it twice, so the cathedral comes round again just after km 37.

The organiser gives 200 metres of elevation gain for the marathon and describes the course as flat to gently rolling, with steady, soft undulations. The surface mixes asphalt, cobblestones and paving (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de, Marathon). That averages just under five metres of climb per kilometre: not a mountain race, but not a course where every kilometre split looks the same either. Pace the rollers by effort and heart rate rather than by the watch.

Aid stations serve water, bananas and an isotonic sports drink (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de, Marathon). The home page lists 34 bands along the marathon course (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de).

The 2:45 rule: work out your first lap

This is what you should know before you sign up. The overall limit of 5:45 hours equals an average of just over 8:10 minutes per kilometre. The first lap, however, must be done in 2:45 hours, an average of just under 7:50 per kilometre. The split is stricter than the overall limit. If you plan an even 8:00 pace, you would finish in 5:38, but you would reach the lap mark after about 2:49 and be diverted to the finish.

Marathon pacers cover 3:15, 3:30, 3:45, 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, 4:45 and 5:00 hours (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de, Marathon). Running with the 5:00 pacer gives you about 15 minutes of buffer at the lap mark. If you plan to be slower, either run the first lap a little quicker than the second or ask yourself honestly whether the half marathon is the better goal for 2027.

Places, bib exchange and transfers

Registration has been open since 1 September 2026 (source: fwtm.freiburg.de, registration 2027). In early October 2026 the race website showed the half marathon already around 95 per cent booked, and the marathon and 10 km each about two-thirds full (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de, home page). There are no waiting lists; once a race is full, the bib exchange is the only way in (source: ibid.). If you want a half-marathon place, register early.

Neither the registration page nor the FAQ mentions a refund on cancellation. The official way to give up a place is the Startplatzbörse (bib exchange): the buyer pays the entry fee plus a €16 fee, the seller gets the entry fee back within 14 days once the place has been transferred. A place, once offered, cannot be withdrawn; free and discounted entries are excluded; places can be bought up to and including 21 March 2027 (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de, Startplatzbörse).

You can change the name or the race online until 1 April 2027 at 23:59 for €13. Start blocks can no longer be changed after 21 March (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de, registration).

Counting back from 4 April: a plan with holidays

From today, the start is a little over 26 weeks away. Because Freiburg is so early in April, two holiday blocks land inside the plan: Christmas at the beginning and Easter right at the end.

How to handle clothing and visibility in the dark weeks is covered in our article on running in winter.

Race day: your bib is your ticket

Bib pick-up is in Hall 3 of the fair grounds: Friday 15:00 to 19:00, Saturday 9:00 to 18:00 and Sunday from 7:30. On race day your bib works as a return ticket on all RVF public transport, from three hours before your start at the earliest. Bag drop is in Hall 2 (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de, FAQ). Finish-line food is in Hall 1 (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de, Marathon), and the organiser offers free physio and massage after the race (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de). Supporters are advised to take tram line 4 to the Stadttheater stop (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de, FAQ).

Going with your running group

Not everyone in a group has to run 42 kilometres. The half marathon has pacers from 1:30 to 2:30 hours, the 10 km from 50 to 60 minutes (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de, FAQ). Schools can enter the badenova Schülermarathon, a seven-person relay over the half-marathon distance (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de, FAQ). On Saturday, children born 2015 to 2024 run the Badeparadies Mini-Marathon (source: fwtm.freiburg.de, registration 2027).

If you are looking for company on winter long runs, you will find the city's Lauftreffs (group runs) under running in Freiburg. Shorter races to test your form are in the annual overview of running events in Freiburg. To see how Freiburg fits among the year's other races, check our marathon calendar 2027 and the overview of Germany's biggest marathons. A flatter spring marathon without a lap limit one week later is the ADAC Marathon Hannover.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When is the Freiburg Marathon 2027?
On Sunday, 4 April 2027. The Badeparadies Mini-Marathon for children is on Saturday, 3 April. Start and finish are at Messe Freiburg (source: fwtm.freiburg.de).
How much is the entry fee for the Freiburg Marathon 2027?
Fees are flat: €80 for the marathon, €70 for the half marathon, €48 for the 10 km, €49 for the school relay and €7 for the Mini-Marathon. Late entry from 2 to 4 April adds €13 (sources: fwtm.freiburg.de, mein-freiburgmarathon.de).
How does the lap limit work?
The marathon is two identical laps. If you do not finish the first lap within 2:45 hours, you are not allowed onto the second and are diverted to the finish. The overall limit is 5:45 hours (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de, Marathon).
How hilly is the Freiburg Marathon?
The organiser gives 200 metres of elevation gain for the marathon, 100 for the half marathon and 40 for the 10 km, and describes the course as flat to gently rolling (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de).
Can I pass on my place?
Yes, via the official bib exchange until 21 March 2027. Buyers pay the entry fee plus €16, sellers get their fee back after the transfer. Changing the name or race costs €13 and is possible online until 1 April 2027 (source: mein-freiburgmarathon.de).

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