Spring Half Marathons 2027 in the Rhineland: Dates and Which to Pick

Between 13 March and 9 May 2027 the Rhineland has nine half marathons, two of them brand new. Here's which one fits your training plan, your pace and how much crowd you want.

Chris Mühlnickel · 4 October 2026 · 12 min read

Spring Half Marathons 2027 in the Rhineland: Dates and Which to Pick

Spring 2027 packs an unusual number of half marathons into the Rhineland: between 13 March and 9 May you can race 21.1 km in Duisburg, Erftstadt, Bergisch Gladbach, Cologne, Bonn, Tönisvorst and Düsseldorf, and two of these events make their debut in 2027. So the question isn't whether there's a date that works, it's which race fits your training, your pace and how much crowd you want around you. This guide sorts the races not just by date but by who they suit.

All details as of 3 October 2026. Dates and prices come from the organisers' websites, named in brackets.

Every spring 2027 half marathon at a glance

Date Event Place Character Entry fee (current tier)
Sat, 13 March Winter series, finale Duisburg, Sportpark series finale over 21.1 km series entry only, €60–90
Sun, 14 March GVG-Donatuslauf Erftstadt-Liblar laps of Lake Donatus not yet published
Sun, 14 March Königsforst-Marathon (21.1 km) Bergisch Gladbach-Bensberg 85% forest paths, small start groups not yet published
Sun, 21 March KöZon 21 (debut) Cologne-Fühlingen to Zons point to point along the Rhine €59.90
Sun, 11 April Deutsche Post Marathon Bonn Bonn big city race €59 (entries open in October)
Sun, 11 April Apfelblütenlauf (apple blossom run) Tönisvorst apple orchards, charity run entries open early 2027
Sun, 18 April Uniper Düsseldorf Marathon (HM) Düsseldorf Königsallee, Medienhafen, riverfront €70
Sun, 2 May Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon (HM) Duisburg flat, finish inside the arena €60 until 31 Dec 2026
Sun, 9 May 21KÖLN (debut) Cologne, MediaPark loop through the city centre €48

Sources: asv-winterlaufserie.de, donatuslauf.de, koenigsforst-marathon.de, koezon-21.de, deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, apfel-blueten-lauf.de, uniper-duesseldorfmarathon.de, rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, 21köln.de.

Which half marathon suits you?

You're looking for … Then look at
your first half marathon with big crowds Bonn, Düsseldorf
a fast time on a flat course KöZon 21, Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon
a quiet race away from the big city Donatuslauf, Apfelblütenlauf
forest instead of tarmac Königsforst-Marathon
a late date, so winter doesn't become your peak training block 21KÖLN, Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon
a build-up across three races Duisburg winter series

The table is a shortcut. The sections below explain the reasoning.

Big crowds: Bonn and Düsseldorf

If you want spectators to carry you through your first half marathon, the two big April city races are the obvious choice.

At the Deutsche Post Marathon Bonn on 11 April 2027, the start is at the Koblenzer Tor and the finish at the Old Town Hall (Source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de). The half marathon is the heart of the event: in 2026 more than 12,000 people ran the half distance and the race sold out (Source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, Halbmarathon). Starts begin at 8:15 am in blocks based on your declared target time, and the time limit is about three hours. Prices rise with the number of entries: €59 up to entry 1,200, then €69, €79 and €85 from entry 8,801 (Source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, Halbmarathon). The organiser says entries for 2027 open in October 2026; there's no race-day entry. The 2027 course hasn't been published yet, but as before it will be officially measured and eligible for the German ranking lists (Source: deutschepostmarathonbonn.de, Strecke). There's more on the whole weekend in our Bonn Marathon guide, and every other race in the city is listed under running events in Bonn.

A week later it's Düsseldorf's turn. The half marathon at the Uniper Düsseldorf Marathon on 18 April 2027 starts in three waves at 8:00, 8:20 and 8:40 am on the Joseph-Beuys-Ufer by the Rhine (Source: uniper-duesseldorfmarathon.de, Halbmarathon). The course passes the Hofgarten, runs along the Königsallee, through the Zoopark and the Medienhafen, back over the Kö and into the finish on the Untere Rheinwerft in the Old Town; the organiser describes it as fast and full of atmosphere (Source: uniper-duesseldorfmarathon.de, half marathon course). Here too the price depends on your bib number: €70 for the first 1,000, then €85, and €100 from entry 2,003. Entries close on 4 April 2027; after that, late entry costs a €25 surcharge (Source: uniper-duesseldorfmarathon.de, Halbmarathon). Worth knowing before winter: until 31 December 2026 you get 50% of your fee back with a doctor's certificate, after that nothing. Everything else about the race weekend is in our Düsseldorf Marathon guide.

Who it suits: anyone who wants atmosphere and enjoys a big field. The trade-off is crowded start areas and an early alarm, because in both cities the half marathon starts before the marathon.

Flat and fast: KöZon 21 and the Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon

If you're chasing a personal best, look at two courses that their organisers explicitly describe as flat and fast.

KöZon 21 makes its debut on 21 March 2027. It's a point-to-point half marathon: the start is at Blackfoot Beach on Lake Fühlingen in Cologne, the finish at Burg Friedestrom castle in Zons, part of Dormagen (Source: koezon-21.de). The gun goes at 9:30 am. The organiser takes your kit bag to the finish if you drop it off by 9:15 am, and when you register you can book a €2.50 shuttle back to the start (Source: koezon-21.de, Ausschreibung). By early October 2026 the first 250 places had gone; after that a place costs €59.90, rising to €69.90 from entry 1,000. The finish closes three hours after the last start, which works out at about 8:30 min/km. A point-to-point course has one quirk worth planning for: a tailwind helps, a headwind stays with you the whole way. Because it's early in the season, KöZon 21 also works as a fitness test for an April marathon.

The Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon in Duisburg on 2 May 2027 includes a half marathon that the organiser promotes as a flat, fast course through the city, finishing inside the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena (Source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de). The start is at 10 am and the time limit is 3:15 hours. Prices here rise by date: €60 until 31 December 2026, €65 until 15 March, €70 until 22 April and €80 up to race day. Groups of 10 or more get 10% off, 50 or more 15%, and 100 or more 20% (Source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, half marathon course). For a Lauftreff (group run) that enters together, that's the simplest maths of the whole spring. More on Duisburg's racing year under running events in Duisburg.

Who it suits: anyone working towards a time. KöZon 21 for early-season form, Duisburg if you'd rather use winter for base training.

New in Cologne: 21KÖLN at the MediaPark

With 21KÖLN, Cologne gets a spring half marathon right in the city on 9 May 2027. Start and finish are at the MediaPark, and the first block goes at 10:30 am. The 21.1 km is a loop through Cologne with views of the Rhine and the cathedral, measured to German athletics federation (DLV) standards and ranking-list eligible, with every kilometre marked (Source: 21köln.de, Infos). The organiser is pulsschlag Event GmbH, which also runs Cologne's Swim & Run and Halloween Run, among others (Source: 21köln.de). The first 500 bibs cost €48, the next 500 €58, and €66 after that; from 3 May 2027 a €10 late fee applies. The time limit is three hours net (Source: 21köln.de, Infos). You can also find the date and details on the 21KÖLN event page on We Up.

Who it suits: Cologne residents who don't want a travel day, and anyone who'd rather start their training plan in February than December. If you'd like to race Cologne in late summer, the Cologne Half Marathon at the end of August is the counterpart. Every Cologne race is listed under running events in Cologne.

Quiet, with a character of their own: Donatuslauf, Königsforst, Apfelblütenlauf

Not every half marathon needs 10,000 people. Three smaller Rhineland races each have their own profile.

The GVG-Donatuslauf in Erftstadt-Liblar takes place for the 20th time on 14 March 2027. The route loops around Lake Donatus, and alongside the half marathon there's a 10 km, a 5.5 km family run and races for schoolchildren and toddlers. The half marathon starts at 11 am, an hour before the 10 km main race (Source: donatuslauf.de). Entry fees for 2027 haven't been published yet.

On the same day, TV Refrath hosts the Königsforst-Marathon near Bensberg, with 21.1, 42.2 and 63.3 km. Instead of a mass start there are many small start groups between 8:45 am and 2 pm. Around 85% of the course is on forest paths, with no country roads, over the "Monte Troodelöh" and past a Kneipp water-treading pool (Source: koenigsforst-marathon.de). This isn't a race for a road PB; it's for people who'd rather run under trees than on tarmac. More races in the region under running events in the Bergisches Land.

The Tönisvorst Apfelblütenlauf on 11 April 2027 is in its eleventh year. It runs through the apple orchards of the Huverheide over 5 km, 10 km and a half marathon, and the proceeds go to the aid organisation action medeor (Source: apfel-blueten-lauf.de). The organiser says entries open in early 2027.

No date yet, but worth a mention: the Benrather Volkslauf (a traditional community race) run by Lauftreff Düsseldorf-Süd, with a half marathon through the Benrath and Hassel forests and around Lake Unterbach, last took place on 4 April 2026. The 2027 date hasn't been published (Source: lt-duesseldorf-sued.de).

Who they suit: anyone who prefers a small field and a club-run event, and anyone looking for a relaxed test before a big city race.

Three races as a build-up: the Duisburg winter series

The ASV Duisburg winter series isn't a single half marathon, it's a training plan with a race bib. The long series covers 10 km on 23 January, 15 km on 13 February and 21.1 km on 13 March 2027, each at 3 pm in the Sportpark Duisburg; the start is on Margarethenstraße and the finish in the athletics stadium on Kalkweg. For the half marathon the finish closes at 5:45 pm (Source: asv-winterlaufserie.de, Ausschreibung). Adult series entry costs €60 to €90 depending on when you sign up, and entries close on 24 December 2026. If you'd like to start shorter, the short series covers 5, 7.5 and 10 km.

The clever part is the progression: every three to four weeks a longer distance under race conditions, ending with 21.1 km in mid-March. That makes the series either an early half marathon in itself, or the build-up to Bonn, Düsseldorf or Duisburg later in spring. There's more in our Duisburg winter series guide.

Counting back: when your training starts

A spring half marathon is prepared in winter. With a 12-week plan, the calendar looks like this:

Event Race day Start of a 12-week plan
Donatuslauf, Königsforst 14 March Monday, 21 December 2026
KöZon 21 21 March Monday, 28 December 2026
Bonn, Apfelblütenlauf 11 April Monday, 18 January 2027
Düsseldorf 18 April Monday, 25 January 2027
Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon 2 May Monday, 8 February 2027
21KÖLN 9 May Monday, 15 February 2027

The right-hand column is the most useful decision aid in this article. If you don't want to train over Christmas, the March races aren't for you. If January is always a struggle, 21KÖLN or the Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon push your longest runs into March and April, when evenings are light again.

Two combinations work well if you'd like to race twice in spring: KöZon 21 as a fitness test and Düsseldorf four weeks later, or Bonn on 11 April and 21KÖLN four weeks after that. Düsseldorf and 21KÖLN are only three weeks apart, which is enough for a second relaxed run but hardly for two PB attempts.

If you mostly run 10 km so far, our plan from 10 km to half marathon helps you build up.

When to sign up

Entry fees rise at almost every big race, but by different rules. In Bonn, Düsseldorf, Cologne (21KÖLN) and at KöZon 21 it's your bib number that counts, i.e. how quickly others sign up. At the Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon it's the date, with the next tier kicking in on 1 January 2027. The winter series closes entries on Christmas Eve. For Bonn, keep an eye on the organiser's site over the coming weeks: entries open in October and the race sold out in 2026.

Beyond the Rhineland: two NRW classics

If you don't mind travelling for a spring half, Westphalia has two races with a long history. The Paderborner Osterlauf (Paderborn Easter Run) on Holy Saturday, 27 March 2027, is in its 79th year and calls itself Germany's oldest road race. The course is a flat loop run twice for the half marathon; the only notable climb is the Nordbrücke over the railway tracks after about a kilometre. According to the organiser, 15,070 people entered in 2026, and entries are open (Source: paderborner-osterlauf.de).

In Münster, the Lauf rund um den Allwetterzoo (run around the zoo) on 11 April 2027 takes place for the 41st time over 5 km, 10 km and a half marathon, which is also offered as a relay for four people running one lap each. The organiser describes the courses as mostly flat and fully paved; pre-registration opens on 1 December 2026 (Source: wasser-freizeit.de, Zoolauf Münster). More under running events in Münster.

For all the other races around Cologne and Düsseldorf, from Neuss to Ratingen, see our guide to running events in the Rhineland 2027. If you're planning beyond spring, have a look at the 2027 marathon calendar.

Through the winter together

Twelve weeks of training between December and March are mostly a matter of habit. It gets easier when a group is waiting for you on Sunday morning and the long run doesn't happen alone in the rain. Cologne and Düsseldorf have plenty of Lauftreffs and run clubs with fixed weekly sessions, and some train together for exactly these spring races. Find an overview under running in Cologne and running in Düsseldorf, and the races of both cities in the annual overview of running events in Düsseldorf.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Which half marathons are there in the Rhineland in spring 2027?
Between March and May 2027: the Duisburg winter series (13 March), Donatuslauf Erftstadt and Königsforst-Marathon (14 March), KöZon 21 (21 March), Bonn and the Tönisvorst Apfelblütenlauf (11 April), Düsseldorf (18 April), Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon Duisburg (2 May) and 21KÖLN (9 May). Sources: the organisers' websites, as of 3 October 2026.
Which spring half marathon in NRW is flat and fast?
KöZon 21 (21 March) and the half marathon at the Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon in Duisburg (2 May) are explicitly described as flat and fast by their organisers (Source: koezon-21.de, rhein-ruhr-marathon.de). The Paderborner Osterlauf on 27 March is also a flat loop with just one short climb (Source: paderborner-osterlauf.de).
When should I start training for an April half marathon?
On a 12-week plan you start on Monday 18 January 2027 for Bonn (11 April) and on Monday 25 January 2027 for Düsseldorf (18 April). For the March races, the start falls between Christmas and New Year.
How much is the half marathon at the Düsseldorf Marathon 2027?
€70 for bibs 1 to 1,000, €85 up to 2,002 and €100 after that. Entries close on 4 April 2027; late entry then costs a €25 surcharge (Source: uniper-duesseldorfmarathon.de, Halbmarathon).
Is 21KÖLN new?
Yes. 21KÖLN makes its debut on 9 May 2027, with start and finish at Cologne's MediaPark on a course measured to German athletics federation standards. The first 500 bibs cost €48 (Source: 21köln.de).
Can I run two half marathons in one spring?
It works, for example, with KöZon 21 on 21 March and Düsseldorf on 18 April, or Bonn on 11 April and 21KÖLN on 9 May, each four weeks apart. Düsseldorf and 21KÖLN are only three weeks apart.

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