Running Events in the Rhineland 2027: Neuss, Krefeld, Leverkusen and More

Neuss, Leverkusen, Krefeld, Mönchengladbach, Ratingen and Dormagen have a racing year of their own, from a carnival run in Hardt to a night race through Zons. Here are the 2027 dates, town by town.

Chris Mühlnickel · 4 October 2026 · 11 min read

Running Events in the Rhineland 2027: Neuss, Krefeld, Leverkusen and More

Between Cologne and Düsseldorf there's a whole racing year that never shows up in the big-city overviews. In Mönchengladbach-Hardt, runners in carnival costume race 10 km in February; in Neuss, the relay starts at half past nine on a June evening; in Zons, the September night race winds through the lit-up old town; and in Ratingen the year begins with laps around the market square. This guide collects the 2027 events in Neuss, Leverkusen, Krefeld, Mönchengladbach, Ratingen and Dormagen. Cologne and Düsseldorf themselves have their own overviews: running events in Cologne and running events in Düsseldorf.

All details as of 3 October 2026. Many clubs only publish their dates over the winter. Where the organiser hasn't announced a date yet, we say "date to follow" and give the last edition as a guide. Where only a regional race calendar lists a date, we say so.

The 2027 dates at a glance

Date Event Town Distances Status
Sun, 10 January Ratinger Neujahrslauf (New Year's run) Ratingen 500 m to 10 km confirmed (asc-ratingen.de)
Sat, 16 January Cross-country race in Straberg Dormagen 3.8 and 7.5 km per runme.de
Sat, 6 February Hardter Karnevalslauf (carnival run) Mönchengladbach 400 m to 10 km confirmed (hkl-mg.de)
Sun, 7 March Rund um das Bayerkreuz Leverkusen 5 and 10 km per laufen-im-rheinland.de
Sun, 21 March KöZon 21 (finish in Zons) Cologne/Dormagen 21.1 km confirmed (koezon-21.de)
Sat, 27 March Osterlauf (Easter run) Neuss Neuss 400 m to 10 km per laufen-im-rheinland.de
Sun, 11 April Apfelblütenlauf (apple blossom run) Tönisvorst near Krefeld 5 km to half marathon confirmed (apfel-blueten-lauf.de)
Sun, 18 April Korschenbroicher Citylauf Korschenbroich near Mönchengladbach 1.1 to 10 km per laufen-im-rheinland.de
Sat, 5 June Neusser Sommernachtslauf (summer night run) Neuss 1.25 to 10 km, relay confirmed (tg-neuss.de)
Sun, 13 June EVL-Halbmarathon Leverkusen 5 km to half marathon confirmed (leverkusen-halbmarathon.de)
date to follow RUN & FUN Krefelder Firmenlauf (company run) Krefeld approx. 5 km 2026: 2 September
date to follow Zonser Nachtlauf "7 Meilen von Zons" (night run) Dormagen 5 km and 7 miles 2026: 25 September
date to follow Westbahnlauf Ratingen 500 m to 10 km 2026: 11 October
date to follow Neusser Erftlauf Neuss 5 and 15 km 2026: 14 November

Neuss: Easter, a summer night and the Erft

The town's biggest event is the Neusser Sommernachtslauf run by the Turngemeinde Neuss sports club. The 43rd edition takes place on Saturday, 5 June 2027, with 18 races and more than 3,000 participants expected, on a new route around the Stadtgarten park (Source: tg-neuss.de, Sommernachtslauf). It's a long day: the parent-and-child run starts at 4 pm, school races at 4:30 pm, the 10 km at 6:30 pm, the 5 km at 7:50 pm, and the relay closes the evening at 9:30 pm (Source: tg-neuss.de). According to the city of Neuss, around 3,600 people took part in 2026 (Source: neuss.de, Sommernachtslauf).

The Neuss year opens with the Osterlauf Neuss, which the regional calendar laufen-im-rheinland.de lists for Saturday, 27 March 2027, in its fifth edition, with distances from 400 m to 10 km. In November comes the Neusser Erftlauf run by DJK Novesia, which according to the city takes place every November and celebrated its 50th edition in 2023 (Source: neuss.de). The 53rd edition is on 14 November 2026 over 5 and 15 km (Source: runme.de, race calendar); the organiser hasn't published the 2027 date yet. There's also a 10 km New Year's Eve run (Source: runme.de).

Elsewhere in the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district, laufen-im-rheinland.de lists two more evening and town races: the Rosellener Abendlauf on 21 May and the Citylauf Grevenbroich on 11 June 2027.

Leverkusen: the Bayer cross in March, the BayArena in June

Leverkusen has two events with distinct personalities. In spring, the TSV Bayer 04 club stages Rund um das Bayerkreuz (around the Bayer cross), a road race over 5 and 10 km around the Chempark industrial site. The 43rd edition in 2025 drew more than 2,600 participants; alongside the main races there were taster and club races and, for the first time, a 2.5 km walking race (Source: tsvbayer04.de). The club hasn't confirmed its 2027 date yet; laufen-im-rheinland.de lists Sunday, 7 March 2027.

In June it's the EVL-Halbmarathon, celebrating its 25th edition on 13 June 2027. Besides the half marathon there's the EVL 10 km, a 5 km and kids' races. Start and finish are on Bismarckstraße between the Ostermann-Arena and the BayArena, the course runs through the football stadium, and there's a climb up the Sauerberg. The organiser sums up the course in three words: "rich in tradition. Beautiful. Demanding." Entries open on 13 December 2026 (Source: leverkusen-halbmarathon.de). If you've already run a flat half in spring, this is the summer counterpoint; the spring dates are in our guide to spring half marathons 2027 in the Rhineland.

East of Leverkusen begins the Bergisches Land, whose races we've collected under running events in the Bergisches Land.

Krefeld: racecourse, forest and apple blossom

Several Krefeld events head into the woods. The RUN & FUN Krefelder Firmenlauf starts at the horse-racing track and covers about 5 km, 85% of it on forest ground (Source: run-fun-kr.de, Ausschreibung). In 2026 it took place on Wednesday, 2 September, at 7 pm, with more than 120 companies from the region (Source: run-fun-kr.de). The organiser has announced a 2027 edition but no date yet. As a budget guide: in 2026 a place cost €31 plus VAT if booked by the end of March, then €35 plus VAT (Source: run-fun-kr.de, Ausschreibung).

Winter belongs to the Forstwald. On 8 November 2026 there's the Martins-Crosslauf over 3 and 5 km, and on New Year's Eve DJK VfL Forstwald stages its Forstwalder Silvesterlauf for the 55th time, over 4.1 and 8.1 km (Source: runme.de). Less conventional is the First Loop Backyard on 17 October 2026 in Krefeld-Hüls: a backyard ultra in which a new lap starts every hour until only one person is left. Details are on the event page on We Up.

Just over the city boundary lies Tönisvorst. The Apfelblütenlauf runs through the apple orchards of the Huverheide for the eleventh time on 11 April 2027, over 5 km, 10 km and a half marathon. Proceeds go to the aid organisation action medeor, and entries open in early 2027 (Source: apfel-blueten-lauf.de).

Mönchengladbach: carnival in Hardt

Mönchengladbach's classic is the Hardter Karnevalslauf run by LG Mönchengladbach. The 44th edition takes place on Saturday, 6 February 2027 (Source: hkl-mg.de). In 2026, a record 1,044 people registered in advance. Start and finish are at the Vossenbäumchen school campus in Hardt; in 2026 there were races over 400 m, 1 km, 2 km, 5 km and 10 km, with the 10 km main race at 2 pm. Anyone running the 5 km in costume got a small surprise at the finish, and entry fees ranged from €2 to €15 (Source: hkl-mg.de, 2026 race information). For an event where costumes and PB ambitions share the same start line, that's a cheap way in.

There's also a format without a race bib: the club Laufen gegen Leiden invites runners to a Gutenachtlauf (good-night run) on every full-moon night, Mönchengladbach included. The group runs a five-to-seven-kilometre loop at the group's pace, there's no registration, and each runner is asked for a €1 donation to animal welfare. The usual start is 8:30 pm, with some locations differing (Source: laufengegenleiden.de).

Between Mönchengladbach and Neuss lies Korschenbroich, where Korschenbroicher LC held its 21st forest run on 3 October 2026 (event page). For 2027, laufen-im-rheinland.de lists the 37th Korschenbroicher Citylauf on 18 April.

Ratingen: New Year at the market, autumn on the Westbahn

Ratingen has two events that suit the town. On Sunday, 10 January 2027, ASC Ratingen West hosts the 47th Ratinger Neujahrslauf on a loop around the market square. There's a 500 m toddler race, school races, a 5 km and the 10 km main race; according to the club up to 2,000 people take part, and online entry is open (Source: asc-ratingen.de, Neujahrslauf). We collect more races around the turn of the year in our guide to New Year's runs 2027.

In autumn comes the Westbahnlauf, organised by the local business initiative InWest. Start and finish are in the Stadion Ratingen Mitte, and the course follows the Westbahn railway line through Tiefenbroich and Lintorf. The race campaigns for reopening the line to passenger trains between Düsseldorf and Duisburg, with three stops in Ratingen (Source: westbahnlauf.de). The 2026 edition on 11 October offers 10 km, 2.5 km and a 500 m kids' race (Source: westbahnlauf-2026.racepedia.de); it's also on our Westbahnlauf event page. No 2027 date has been published yet.

Dormagen: a finish in Zons, a night run through the old town

In 2027 Dormagen is a finish line twice over. On 21 March, KöZon 21, the new half marathon from Lake Fühlingen in Cologne, ends at Burg Friedestrom castle in Zons. The start is at 9:30 am in Cologne; the organiser takes your kit bag to the finish and offers a shuttle back (Source: koezon-21.de, Ausschreibung).

In September, Zons belongs to the night runners. The Zonser Nachtlauf "7 Meilen von Zons" run by SG Zons 1971 held its 50th edition on 25 September 2026. At 7 pm the 5 km fun run starts around the Zonser Heide, and at 8 pm the main race over 7 miles, i.e. 11.263 km, goes through the illuminated old town, accompanied by the samba band Quasi-Samba (Source: sg-zons.de, 7 Meilen von Zons). Fields are capped at 1,250 runners over 7 miles and 750 over 5 km, and there's no late entry. The club hasn't published the 2027 date; laufen-im-rheinland.de lists Friday, 24 September 2027.

The Straberg district also has a winter cross-country race, which runme.de lists for 16 January 2027 over 3.8 and 7.5 km, and in late summer the Straberger Drittelmarathon (third-marathon) over 14.065 km, on 3 September 2027 according to laufen-im-rheinland.de.

Still in 2026: autumn and winter outside the cities

Before 2027 begins, there are still a few dates in the surrounding towns:

For the St Nicholas and New Year's Eve races in Cologne and Düsseldorf as well, see our overviews of St Nicholas and Christmas runs in the Rhineland and New Year's Eve runs in the Rhineland.

Planning a year outside the big cities: what's different

Almost all the events between Cologne and Düsseldorf are run by clubs, and you notice that in three ways.

Dates come late. For many events, the new date is only fixed after the club's annual meeting or after talks with the town. A race calendar like laufen-im-rheinland.de often lists a date early, but only the organiser's site is binding. If you're planning your year around a specific event, check again in January.

Places are capped, and late entry isn't always possible. The Zonser Nachtlauf stops at 1,250 starters over 7 miles, with no race-day entry (Source: sg-zons.de). If you'd like to go to Zons with your group in September, sign up together and early.

Distances are short. Neuss, Ratingen, Leverkusen and Dormagen border directly on Cologne or Düsseldorf. An evening race in Neuss or a night run in Zons makes a good group outing for a big-city running club too, and it feels different from the big city races.

For a varied year, a simple rhythm works: a short race in Ratingen or Hardt in winter, a half marathon in spring, an evening race in Neuss in June, the night run in Zons in September. If you want more than running in summer, the region's triathlons are in our guide to triathlons in NRW 2027.

Getting to the start as a group

Many of these events have formats that are more fun with others: the relay that closes the Neusser Sommernachtslauf, the company run in Krefeld, or the full-moon Gutenachtlauf, where the group sets the pace anyway. If you don't have a regular running group yet, you'll find Lauftreffs (group runs) and run clubs nearby under running in Düsseldorf and running in Cologne, and more groups and events across the region via Explore.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Which running events are there in Neuss in 2027?
Confirmed is the 43rd Neusser Sommernachtslauf on 5 June 2027 (Source: tg-neuss.de). The regional calendar laufen-im-rheinland.de also lists the Osterlauf Neuss on 27 March 2027; the Neusser Erftlauf takes place every November (Source: neuss.de), with the 2027 date still to come.
When is the EVL-Halbmarathon in Leverkusen in 2027?
On Sunday 13 June 2027, for the 25th time. Besides the half marathon there are 10 km, 5 km and kids' races, with start and finish between the Ostermann-Arena and the BayArena. Entries open on 13 December 2026 (Source: leverkusen-halbmarathon.de).
When is the Hardter Karnevalslauf 2027?
The 44th edition takes place on Saturday 6 February 2027 in Mönchengladbach-Hardt (Source: hkl-mg.de). In 2026 there were races from 400 m to 10 km.
When is the Zonser Nachtlauf 2027?
SG Zons hasn't published the date yet (as of 3 October 2026). The regional calendar laufen-im-rheinland.de lists Friday 24 September 2027. The 50th edition took place on 25 September 2026 (Source: sg-zons.de).
Is there a company run in Krefeld?
Yes, the RUN & FUN Krefelder Firmenlauf at the racecourse, about 5 km mostly on forest ground. In 2026 it took place on 2 September with more than 120 companies; the organiser has announced a 2027 edition, but the date is still to come (Source: run-fun-kr.de).

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