When does the 2026 Cologne Marathon start?

On Sunday, 4 October 2026. The half marathon starts at 8:30 am, the marathon and relay marathon at 10:30 am, both on Ottoplatz in Cologne-Deutz. The organizer notes that short-notice changes are possible (generali-koeln-marathon.de).

Where and when do I pick up my bib?

At the Running.EXPO in the MOTORWORLD at Butzweilerhof: Friday, 2 October, 12 to 8 pm, and Saturday, 3 October, 9 am to 6 pm. There is no bib pickup on Sunday (generali-koeln-marathon.de/expo).

Can I still register?

No. Registration closed on 20 September 2026, and the half marathon and relay are sold out. If you can't race, you can offer your place on the organizer's official bib exchange (generali-koeln-marathon.de).

Where is the best place to watch?

Rudolfplatz, because both courses pass it three times; the stretch along Hohenzollernring up to Friesenplatz is considered the heart of the race. For the final kilometres, Neumarkt and Hohe Straße are good spots (generali-koeln-marathon.de/strecken). On top of that there are cheering zones run by Cologne's run clubs and running shops, for example on Aachener Straße (km 23 and 24), Venloer Straße (km 27.5) and Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring (km 39) – all with kilometre markers in the Cologne Marathon Guide on We Up.

Which shake-out runs are there on the Saturday before the Cologne Marathon?

On 3 October, HYPE Cologne (9 am), KRAFT Runners × Unity Run, DRYLL × Iron&Soul, OACE Club, Another Cotton Lab, the Crew Collab and True Motion, among others, host shake-out runs, many with a pasta party. The official PUMA Shake Out Run (10 am, An der Bastei) is sold out. All dates with meeting points are in the Cologne Marathon Guide on We Up.

When are the award ceremonies?

On Neumarkt: 12 noon for the half marathon and 3 pm for the marathon (generali-koeln-marathon.de).

Cologne Marathon 2026: Start Times, Course and the Weekend of 4 October

On 4 October the Generali Köln Marathon starts with 40,990 entries – more than ever before. Start times, course, bib pickup, the best spots to cheer, Saturday's shake-out runs and Sunday's cheering zones at a glance.

Chris Mühlnickel · 28 September 2026 · 8 min read · Updated 2 October 2026

Cologne Marathon 2026: Start Times, Course and the Weekend of 4 October

On Sunday, 4 October 2026, Cologne belongs to runners: the Generali Köln Marathon (Cologne Marathon) takes place for the 28th time – with more entries than ever before. If you're racing, what matters now is clarity on start times, bib pickup and the course. If you're watching, you want to know where to stand. And if you'd rather not spend the weekend on your own, there are several shake-out runs across the city on Saturday and cheering zones run by Cologne's running scene along the course on Sunday. Here is everything in one place.

Every event of the weekend with time, meeting point and kilometre marker is also collected as a list and map in our Cologne Marathon Guide (in German).

Key facts at a glance

Aspect	Details
Date	Sunday, 4 October 2026
Start times	Half marathon 8:30 am, marathon and relay marathon 10:30 am (the organizer notes that short-notice changes are possible)
Start	Ottoplatz in Cologne-Deutz
Finish	Komödienstraße next to Cologne Cathedral
Entries	40,990 across all races, a new record
Bib pickup	only Friday 12–8 pm and Saturday 9 am–6 pm at the Running.EXPO, not on race day
Award ceremonies	Neumarkt, 12 noon (half marathon) and 3 pm (marathon)
Registration	closed, the deadline was 20 September

(Source: generali-koeln-marathon.de, marathon, half marathon and Running.EXPO pages)

A record year: 40,990 entries

For the first time, the Cologne Marathon has passed 40,000 entries – 10.6 percent more than last year. The half marathon and the relay are sold out, as are the kids' race and the PUMA Shake Out Run (Generali Köln Marathon press release, 25 Sept 2026). The breakdown:

Marathon: 13,720 entries, 25 percent more than in 2025
Half marathon: 20,000, sold out
Relay marathon: 4,400 runners in 1,100 teams of four, sold out
RheinEnergie school marathon: 1,470 in 210 teams of seven
RheinEnergie kids' race: 750, sold out
PUMA Shake Out Run: 650, sold out

At the front of the field, records are in play: the men's course record of 2:06:54 is under threat, and in the women's race defending champion Fantu Shugi faces a strong field chasing a course record that dates back to 2012 (Generali Köln Marathon press releases, 25 Sept 2026).

The course: from Ottoplatz to the Cathedral

Both courses start on Ottoplatz in Deutz and head straight over the Deutz Bridge – with a postcard view of the Cathedral and the Old Town in the very first kilometre.

The marathon first follows the Rhine south, past the Chocolate Museum and the Crane Houses, through Bayenthal to Rodenkirchen (km 7). Alteburger Straße takes it back into the Südstadt and along Severinstraße, followed by the first pass over Rudolfplatz (km 14.5). Then come Sülz, Lindenthal with Dürener Straße, Aachener Weiher and the second pass over Rudolfplatz (km 24), before the course heads along Venloer Straße into Ehrenfeld and along Neusser Straße into Nippes. At km 40 it's Rudolfplatz for the third time, then Neumarkt, Hohe Straße and the finish on Komödienstraße. There are eleven aid stations along the way (generali-koeln-marathon.de/strecken).

The half marathon takes the more compact inner-city loop: Deutz Bridge, Rudolfplatz (km 3), Sülz, Lindenthal, Aachener Weiher, Rudolfplatz again (km 12), Ehrenfeld and a third pass over Rudolfplatz (km 19), before running via Neumarkt to the Cathedral (generali-koeln-marathon.de/strecken).

Before the start: bib pickup and Running.EXPO

Bibs are only handed out at the Running.EXPO in the MOTORWORLD at Butzweilerhof (Butzweilerstraße 35–39): on Friday, 2 October, from 12 to 8 pm and on Saturday, 3 October, from 9 am to 6 pm. There is no bib pickup on race day. Entry to the expo is free, with around 60 exhibitors (generali-koeln-marathon.de/expo). Saturday is a public holiday in Germany, so Friday is the calmer option if you can make it.

A practical detail: your entry confirmation comes with two public transport tickets valid across the VRS network on Saturday and Sunday – one for you, one for a companion, plus up to two children aged 11 or under (generali-koeln-marathon.de/zuschauer).

Saturday: shake-out runs and pasta parties

Loosen up the day before and meet people who are also racing on Sunday – Cologne's run clubs, running shops and brands host a whole series of events on 3 October:

Shake Out Run with HYPE Cologne – 9:00 am, Moltkehöfe (Moltkestraße 123–131, entrance B); 5 km from 9:15 am, coffee at Brüsseler Platz afterwards
PUMA Shake Out Run – 10:00 am at An der Bastei (Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer 80), the marathon's official shake-out run; sold out with 650 entries
KRAFT Runners × Unity Run Shake Out – 10:00 am at Emmis (Von-Werth-Straße 5), free, coffee and shakes included
DRYLL × Iron&Soul Shake Out + Stretching – meet at 10:15 am at Iron&Soul in Sülz (Weyerstraßerweg 10A), 5–6 km from 10:45 am, stretching class at 12:15 pm; free, 60 places via Luma
Pre Marathon Shake Out Run (OACE Club) – 11:30 am, Athletica Gym (Hildeboldplatz 18); about 6 km at around 6:30 min/km, followed by a mobility class; free
Another Cotton Lab Shake Out + Pasta – 12:00 noon at Just Come By (Brüsseler Straße 70), 5 km at 12:30 pm, then pasta from L’Osteria; free via Eventbrite
Crew Collab: Shake Out Run & Pasta Party – from 12:00 noon at Zappes Süd in the Stollwerck, run around 1:00 pm along the Rhine, pasta from 2:00 pm (ticket €28.95)
PALS Pasta Party – from 12:00 noon in the courtyard at Holzmarkt 59–65, pasta from 12:30 pm; €5 flat fee, sign up via Instagram DM to @pals_club_cgn
Pre-Marathon Hangout: Central × Offtrack – 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm at Café Central (Jülicher Straße 1), just drop by, no sign-up needed
True Motion Shake Out Run + Pasta Party – from 12:30 pm at Antwerpener Straße 42, run at 1:30 pm, pasta party afterwards; free

The Cologne Marathon Guide shows every meeting point on one map. You'll find more events in and around Cologne on We Up.

For the youngest runners there's also the RheinEnergie kids' race on Saturday at Roncalliplatz – sold out with 750 children (Generali Köln Marathon press release, 25 Sept 2026).

Spectating: where it's worth standing

Rudolfplatz is where you'll see the runners most often: both courses pass over it three times, and the organizer calls the stretch along Hohenzollernring up to Friesenplatz the heart of the race (generali-koeln-marathon.de/strecken). For the final push, Neumarkt and Hohe Straße are good spots, where the last kilometres lead towards the Cathedral.

If you want to catch several points, take the tram: the KVB lines along the Ring connect Rudolfplatz, Friesenplatz and Neumarkt. The organizer offers course maps with passing times and a map of the roads that stay open to download (generali-koeln-marathon.de/zuschauer).

Sunday: cheering zones along the course

If you'd rather not stand at the roadside alone, join one of the cheering zones that Cologne's run clubs and running shops set up on race day – with music, drinks and plenty of noise, open to everyone, no sign-up needed. Sorted by marathon kilometre:

PALS Cheering Zone – Holzmarkt, marathon km 2 (marathon only), from 9:00 am; the first runners arrive a few minutes after the 10:30 am start
Crew Collab Cheering Zone – Cäcilienstraße / corner of Hohe Straße, from 9:00 am; the field passes four times: marathon km 14 and 41.5, half marathon km 1.5 and 20.5
PUMA × Bunert Cheering Zone – outside Bunert, Aachener Straße 233–237, from 8:30 am; marathon km 23, half marathon km 11.1; PUMA shirt for the first 100 spectators, coffee, barbecue and a DJ
Another Cotton Lab Cheering Zone – Aachener Straße 50, marathon km 24, from 10:00 am all day
Milers Colonia Cheer Zone – Bismarckstraße / Vogelsanger Straße near Friesenplatz, marathon km 25.5, half marathon km 13.5, from 9:00 am; first half marathon runners around 9:10 am, marathon leaders around 11:45 am
Run Squad CGN Cheering Zone – Venloer Straße / corner of Piusstraße in Ehrenfeld, marathon km 27.5, half marathon km 15, from 9:00 am until the sweeper bus
KRAFT Runners Cheering Zone – Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring / corner of Christophstraße, marathon km 39, half marathon km 18, from 9:00 am; free drinks and a DJ set

After the finish you'll only meet your runners once they're past the check-out – the usual meeting point is Neumarkt. The Sunday map in the Cologne Marathon Guide shows every zone with the course and kilometre markers.

And 2027?

The organizer has not yet announced a date for 2027 (as of 28 Sept 2026). For everything else coming up in Cologne – from the half marathon in August to the Brückenlauf in September – see our overview of running events in Cologne 2027. We'll add a review of the 4 October race and the new date here as soon as both are available.

Don't train alone

A marathon is a project that takes months, and the long runs through winter and spring are far easier in a group. Cologne has plenty of running groups (Lauftreffs) and run clubs that prepare for races like this one together – from easy Sunday runs to structured interval sessions. If you're looking for company for next autumn, you'll find them among the running groups in Cologne.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When does the 2026 Cologne Marathon start?: On Sunday, 4 October 2026. The half marathon starts at 8:30 am, the marathon and relay marathon at 10:30 am, both on Ottoplatz in Cologne-Deutz. The organizer notes that short-notice changes are possible (generali-koeln-marathon.de).
Where and when do I pick up my bib?: At the Running.EXPO in the MOTORWORLD at Butzweilerhof: Friday, 2 October, 12 to 8 pm, and Saturday, 3 October, 9 am to 6 pm. There is no bib pickup on Sunday (generali-koeln-marathon.de/expo).
Can I still register?: No. Registration closed on 20 September 2026, and the half marathon and relay are sold out. If you can't race, you can offer your place on the organizer's official bib exchange (generali-koeln-marathon.de).
Where is the best place to watch?: Rudolfplatz, because both courses pass it three times; the stretch along Hohenzollernring up to Friesenplatz is considered the heart of the race. For the final kilometres, Neumarkt and Hohe Straße are good spots (generali-koeln-marathon.de/strecken). On top of that there are cheering zones run by Cologne's run clubs and running shops, for example on Aachener Straße (km 23 and 24), Venloer Straße (km 27.5) and Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring (km 39) – all with kilometre markers in the Cologne Marathon Guide on We Up.
Which shake-out runs are there on the Saturday before the Cologne Marathon?: On 3 October, HYPE Cologne (9 am), KRAFT Runners × Unity Run, DRYLL × Iron&Soul, OACE Club, Another Cotton Lab, the Crew Collab and True Motion, among others, host shake-out runs, many with a pasta party. The official PUMA Shake Out Run (10 am, An der Bastei) is sold out. All dates with meeting points are in the Cologne Marathon Guide on We Up.
When are the award ceremonies?: On Neumarkt: 12 noon for the half marathon and 3 pm for the marathon (generali-koeln-marathon.de).