When is the Berlin New Year's Day Run 2027?

On Friday, 1 January 2027. The start is at 12:00 at the Brandenburg Gate (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de; scc-events.com, calendar).

Do I need to register?

No. Registration is not required – just turn up at the start (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de).

How much does it cost?

Nothing. SCC EVENTS waives entry fees and collects donations for the Björn Schulz Foundation instead, in cash or via a donation platform (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de).

How long is the course, and is it timed?

The course is 4 km, from the Brandenburg Gate to Berlin Cathedral and back. There is no timing, and flag-bearing pacers deliberately keep the pace low (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de).

How is it different from the Berlin New Year's Eve Run?

The Silvesterlauf on 31 December is a timed 4, 6 or 10 km trail event in the Grunewald with an entry fee. The Neujahrslauf on 1 January is a 4 km event in central Berlin with no registration, fee or timing. SCC EVENTS organises both (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, berliner-neujahrslauf.de).

Berlin New Year's Day Run 2027: 4 km from the Brandenburg Gate

At noon on 1 January 2027 you run from the Brandenburg Gate to Berlin Cathedral and back – no registration, no fee, no clock. What to know about New Year's noon and how it differs from the New Year's Eve run.

Daniel Gruber · 4 October 2026 · 6 min read

Berlin New Year's Day Run 2027: 4 km from the Brandenburg Gate

At noon on Friday, 1 January 2027, the Berliner Neujahrslauf (Berlin New Year's Day Run) starts at the Brandenburg Gate: 4 km to Berlin Cathedral and back, with no registration, no entry fee and no timing (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de; date: scc-events.com, calendar). Instead of fees, the organiser SCC EVENTS collects donations for the Björn Schulz Foundation. In 2026, 4,378 people turned up for the first event of the year (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de, 2026 news).

Key facts

Item	Details
Date	Friday, 1 January 2027, 12:00
Start and finish	Brandenburg Gate
Course	4 km to Berlin Cathedral and back, closed to traffic
Registration	Not required
Entry fee	None – donations instead, in cash or via a donation platform
Timing	None; flag-bearing pacers keep the pace low
At the finish	Certificate and a drink
Donations go to	Sonnenhof, the Björn Schulz Foundation's hospice for children, teenagers and young adults
Organiser	SCC EVENTS GmbH
Last edition	1 January 2026, 4,378 participants

Sources: berliner-neujahrslauf.de (home page, about the event, 2026 news), scc-events.com (calendar). As of 3 October 2026.

Not a race, but a shared start to the year

The Neujahrslauf is deliberately not a competition. There is no timing and no results list, and the organiser's flag-bearers run at the front to keep the pace low for everyone, so that "the first run of the year stays a good memory" (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de). The 4 km go from the Brandenburg Gate to Berlin Cathedral and back on a closed course (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de). The organiser calls it a "relaxed entry into the coming sports season" and light exercise just the thing "to get back on your feet" (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de).

That makes it one of the most accessible events in Berlin's calendar. You don't need to prove any training, commit in advance or pay a fee. If you wake up on New Year's morning and feel like it, just come to the Gate at noon. And if 4 km isn't enough, the organiser points out that the Tiergarten right next door is "open for more kilometres" (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de).

Donations instead of entry fees

SCC EVENTS traditionally waives entry fees for the Neujahrslauf and collects donations instead, in cash on site or through a donation platform (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de). For many years the money has gone to the Björn Schulz Foundation, currently to Sonnenhof, its hospice for children, teenagers and young adults in Berlin (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de, about the event). The foundation has supported families with terminally ill children since 1996 (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de, about the event).

Since 2013, the event has raised more than €75,000 in total (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de, about the event). For the 2024 edition, the organiser reported more than 4,200 participants who donated over €10,000 (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de). The site has not yet published a total for 2026. So bring some cash – it is the only "price" of this event.

New Year's noon: planning the day

Most running events start early in the morning. The Neujahrslauf starts at 12:00 (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de) – a time made for this particular day. A few thoughts to keep it relaxed:

No registration means no race pack. There is nothing to collect – no bib, no chip. Still allow some time before noon, as more than 4,000 people gathered at the Gate in recent years (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de).
Pace doesn't matter. Because the flag-bearers hold the front back, the event suits anyone who only wants to jog gently after New Year's Eve, people returning from a break and first-timers starting in a big crowd.
Dress for standing and running. Before the start you stand in the crowd; the run itself takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes. An extra layer for the wait that you hand to someone or tie around your waist makes more sense than race kit.
Costumes welcome. According to the organiser, you will recognise the odd costume from the previous day's New Year's Eve run (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de). In 2026, many ran partly dressed up and decorated with streamers (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de, 2026 news).
At the finish you get the first certificate of the year and a drink (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de).

A long tradition

The Neujahrslauf has been around for a long time: the 1 January 2025 edition was the 52nd, according to the organiser (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de, 2025 news). In 2026, 4,378 people were there when the starting signal sounded at noon (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de, 2026 news). So on 1 January 2026 it was bigger than the New Year's Eve run in the Grunewald the day before, which drew around 3,500 people (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, 2025 review).

New Year's Eve in the Grunewald, New Year's Day in Mitte

SCC EVENTS organises both events, just one day apart. Still, they are two very different ways to run the turn of the year:

	Berliner Silvesterlauf	Berliner Neujahrslauf
Date	Thu, 31 Dec 2026, from 12:00	Fri, 1 Jan 2027, 12:00
Location	Grunewald forest, start at Mommsenstadion	Mitte, start at the Brandenburg Gate
Course	4, 6 or 10 km on forest trails over Teufelsberg and Drachenfliegerberg	4 km on closed roads to the Cathedral and back
Registration	Online until 30 Dec	None
Cost	€17 to €28 (youth €10 to €20)	Donation of your choice
Timing	Yes, transponder	No
At the finish	Doughnut, medal, tea	Certificate, drink

Sources: berliner-silvesterlauf.de (event info, registration), berliner-neujahrslauf.de.

The Silvesterlauf is the sporty end of the year with hills and a bib; the Neujahrslauf is the calm start without a clock. If you want to do both, all the details for 31 December are in our guide to the Berliner Silvesterlauf.

New Year's resolutions, with a group

The Neujahrslauf is a beginning, not a goal. If you want to run more regularly in 2027, fixed dates and other people are the easiest way to keep the momentum: under running in Berlin you'll find run clubs and Lauftreffs (weekly group runs) with regular meeting points. A concrete goal for later in the year helps too – we list bib events from spring to autumn under running events in Berlin, and if your resolution is a half marathon, read our guide to the Berlin Half Marathon.

New Year's Day events in other regions, such as the Rhineland around Cologne and Düsseldorf, are in our overview of New Year's Day runs 2027.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When is the Berlin New Year's Day Run 2027?: On Friday, 1 January 2027. The start is at 12:00 at the Brandenburg Gate (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de; scc-events.com, calendar).
Do I need to register?: No. Registration is not required – just turn up at the start (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de).
How much does it cost?: Nothing. SCC EVENTS waives entry fees and collects donations for the Björn Schulz Foundation instead, in cash or via a donation platform (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de).
How long is the course, and is it timed?: The course is 4 km, from the Brandenburg Gate to Berlin Cathedral and back. There is no timing, and flag-bearing pacers deliberately keep the pace low (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de).
How is it different from the Berlin New Year's Eve Run?: The Silvesterlauf on 31 December is a timed 4, 6 or 10 km trail event in the Grunewald with an entry fee. The Neujahrslauf on 1 January is a 4 km event in central Berlin with no registration, fee or timing. SCC EVENTS organises both (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, berliner-neujahrslauf.de).