Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon 2027 in Duisburg: date, fees, relay

On 2 May 2027 the 44th Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon starts in Duisburg's Sportpark and finishes inside the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena. When to enter, how the relay works and how to plan from December.

Daniel Gruber · 4 October 2026 · 9 min read

Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon 2027 in Duisburg: date, fees, relay

The 44th schauinsland-reisen Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon takes place in Duisburg on Sunday, 2 May 2027. The start is on Kruppstraße in the Sportpark Duisburg, and the finish arch stands, as usual, inside the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena football stadium (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, press release of 24 August 2026). Registration opened at the end of August, and more than 1,000 places were taken within four days (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, press release of 31 August 2026). The organiser has set itself a clear target for 2027: more than 10,000 participants for the first time.

Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon 2027 at a glance

Item Details
Date Sunday, 2 May 2027
Start Kruppstraße, Sportpark Duisburg (Wedau)
Finish Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena
Races 44th marathon · 26th half marathon · 5th half-marathon relay · 28th inline marathon · 19th handbike marathon
Start times marathon 8:30 · half marathon and relay 10:00 · first starts from 8:00
Time limit marathon 5:30 hours · half marathon 3:15 hours
Current entry fee (until 31.12.2026) marathon €75 · half €60 · relay €135
Free transfer of entry until 15 March 2027
School marathon Friday, 30 April 2027
Last edition 10 May 2026, 9,651 entries (record)

Sources: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de (marathon, half marathon, relay, cancellation/transfer pages, press releases of 24 and 31 August 2026 and 11 May 2026). As of 3 October 2026.

Enter early, pay less

In Duisburg the fee rises by date, not by bib number. The marathon costs €75 until 31 December 2026, then €85 until 15 March 2027, €95 until 22 April and €105 up to race day (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, marathon). The half marathon costs €60, €65, €70 and €80 in the same tiers (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, half marathon), the half-marathon relay €135, €135, €145 and €155 per team, including the baton rental (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, relay). The cheapest tier, until the end of August, has already passed.

For running groups the group discount matters: 10% from 10 participants, 15% from 50 and 20% from 100. For relays it is 10% from 5 teams, 15% from 25 and 20% from 50 (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, marathon and relay). A run club that enters together before Christmas combines the second-cheapest tier with the group discount.

Worth knowing: there are no refunds if you cancel, not even with a doctor's note. Until 15 March 2027 you can transfer your place to someone else for free, and you can switch distance up to race day (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, cancellation/transfer/late entry). If winter shows that 42 km is too much, you can move to the half. Late entries are possible at bib pick-up until shortly before the start (source: ibid.). Registration is online only via the official Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon website (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, online registration).

The half-marathon relay: four legs, three handovers

The relay will run for the fifth time in 2027 (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, press release of 24 August 2026). Four people share the 21.1 km, starting at 10:00 with the half marathon (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, relay). The 2026 handover points were:

Leg From – to Length
1 Start to Steinsche Gasse, city centre (km 5) approx. 5 km
2 Steinsche Gasse to Düsseldorfer Straße 590, Wanheimerort (km 10) approx. 5 km
3 Wanheimerort to Gesamtschule Süd, Großenbaumer Allee 168 (km 16) approx. 6 km
4 Großenbaum to the finish in the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena approx. 5.1 km

Source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, relay.

Getting to the handovers is easy: from 9:00, shuttle buses run every 10 to 15 minutes from the stadium to all three points. Handover 1 is also on the U79 and tram 903 (stop Steinsche Gasse), handover 2 on the U79 (stop Waldfriedhof) (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, relay). Each handover has a fenced-off "pit lane" with zones sorted by bib number. Runner 2 should be at the first handover by 10:15, runner 3 at the next by 10:30 (source: ibid.). You can gather before the finish and run into the stadium together; waiting for your last runner right at the finish line is not allowed (source: ibid.).

That makes the relay a good entry point for a group where not everyone wants to run a half: five to six kilometres each is realistic even with a few months of training. Group runs and run clubs where you can build a team are listed under running in Duisburg.

The course: twelve districts, two Rhine bridges

One caveat first: the organiser says the course may change in 2027, with details to follow (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, course). The description below is based on the course highlights the organiser currently publishes.

The route passes through twelve districts (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, press release of 7 May 2026). From the Sportpark it soon passes the Theater Duisburg; at km 5 comes the Innenhafen (inner harbour) with its brick warehouses. The marathon then runs through the port of Duisburg across the Pontwert and Kiffward peninsulas, on to Ruhrort and over the Friedrich-Ebert-Brücke to the left bank of the Rhine. It returns via the Brücke der Solidarität between Rheinhausen and Hochfeld and passes the Sechs-Seen-Platte lakes shortly before the finish (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, course highlights).

The course is flat, fully paved, closed to traffic and measured by a licensed WA-AIMS/DLV measurer, so times count for official rankings (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, course). A green line marks the ideal racing line, every kilometre is signed and there is a clock every five kilometres (source: ibid.). Half-marathon winner Simon Bong called it "one of the fastest courses in Germany" in 2026 (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, press release of 11 May 2026).

For pacing, the two bridges are the only climbs worth mentioning. Pacers cover 3:00 to 5:30 hours in the marathon and 1:30 to 2:45 hours in the half (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, service). According to winner Katharina Wehr, support in 2026 was strongest in the south of the city, which means on the final kilometres (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, press release of 11 May 2026). In 2026 eleven samba bands played along the route, with a street festival at Buchholzer Markt and a party on Neidenburger Straße (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, press release of 7 May 2026).

A May marathon starts in December

From early October to the start on 2 May is a little over 30 weeks. The late date helps: in Duisburg you get one more week of spring training than at an April marathon. Counting back:

For many runners in the Rhineland, Duisburg is also an alternative to the Düsseldorf Marathon on 18 April: two weeks later, with more time for the final long runs. More spring dates are in the 2027 marathon calendar and our overview of Germany's biggest marathons.

Race weekend in Duisburg

Bib pick-up: Saturday, 1 May 2027, 10:00–19:00, and Sunday from 6:00 in the business area of the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena, Margaretenstraße 5–7. There is no postal delivery (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, race packs).

Saturday: the marathon expo runs in the stadium at the same time. At 11:00 there is a breakfast run of about 5 km from the main entrance, and a pasta party from 15:00 to 19:00 in the business lounge (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, service). You can hand in clearly labelled personal drinks for the course until 19:00 on Saturday (source: ibid.).

Getting there on race day: your registration confirmation is a free ticket across the VRR (the regional transport network) on marathon day. From Duisburg Hauptbahnhof take the S1 towards Düsseldorf to "Im Schlenk", then walk about ten minutes (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, service). By car, the stadium car parks are inaccessible from 7:00 because the start/finish area is closed. Alternative parking is on Masurenallee, including a large free Deutsche Bahn car park (source: ibid.).

Kit bags: drop-off in the tent on the event area at Bertaallee, not in the stadium (source: ibid.).

Family and friends: free shuttle buses run from 9:00 to 12:50 to the handover points and back, leaving from the last row of the car park at Kalkweg. The stadium stand is open to spectators via the east side. The organiser suggests the "Schattenbäume" (shade trees) on the Marathon Plaza at Bertaallee as a meeting point; childcare is available there during the race if booked in advance (source: ibid.).

After the finish: finishers get a medal, a finisher shirt and a freshly tapped beer (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, home page). From 12:00 to 15:00 you can use the pool in the swimming stadium for a recovery swim with a valid bib; relay runners are excluded (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, recovery swim).

Looking back: a record 43rd edition

The first edition took place in 1981 (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, press release of 31 August 2026). The race is organised by Stadtsportbund Duisburg (the city sports federation) together with LC Duisburg; schauinsland-reisen has been title sponsor since 2026 (source: ibid. and press release of 24 August 2026).

On 10 May 2026 there were 9,651 entries across all races, a new record; the year before, 7,969 names were on the start list (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, press release of 11 May 2026). An estimated 50,000 people lined the course, and more than 2,000 helpers were involved, over 1,000 of them volunteers (source: ibid.). Elias Kroll from Bochum won the marathon on his Duisburg debut in 2:28:06; Katharina Wehr of ASV Duisburg won the women's race in 2:50:29, her fourth victory (source: ibid.). Simon Bong won the half marathon for the third time, in 1:08:48 (source: ibid.). Extreme athlete Joey Kelly also made headlines by finishing together with runners from 41 nations, a world record for the most nationalities crossing the line together (source: ibid.).

If you are looking for a new goal in Duisburg after spring, try the IRONMAN 70.3 Duisburg. All other races in the city are in our overview of Duisburg running events.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When is the Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon 2027?
On Sunday, 2 May 2027. The marathon starts at 8:30, the half marathon and relay at 10:00 (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de).
How much does the Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon cost?
Until 31 December 2026 the marathon costs €75, the half €60 and the relay €135 per team. Prices then rise in three steps to €105, €80 and €155. Groups of 10 or more get 10% off (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de).
Where do the races start and finish?
The start is on Kruppstraße in the Sportpark Duisburg in Wedau; the finish is inside the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena. Your registration confirmation is a free VRR ticket on race day; the nearest station is Im Schlenk on the S1 (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, service).
Can I cancel my entry?
There are no refunds, not even with a doctor's note. Until 15 March 2027 you can transfer your place to someone else for free, and you can switch distance up to race day (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, cancellation/transfer).
How does the relay work?
Four people run the half marathon together. In 2026 the handovers were at Steinsche Gasse (km 5), Wanheimerort (km 10) and Gesamtschule Süd in Großenbaum (km 16). Shuttle buses run to all handovers from the stadium from 9:00 (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de, relay).
Is the Rhein-Ruhr-Marathon course fast?
It is flat, fully paved and measured by a WA-AIMS/DLV measurer. Half-marathon winner Simon Bong called it one of the fastest courses in Germany in 2026. The organiser says the route may change for 2027 (source: rhein-ruhr-marathon.de).

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