Berlin New Year's Eve Run 2026: Grunewald, Teufelsberg, doughnuts
On 31 December 2026 the Berliner Silvesterlauf sends you from Mommsenstadion over 4, 6 or 10 km through the Grunewald forest – with costumes, hills and a doughnut at the finish. Here are the schedule, prices and everything you need for the day.
Daniel Gruber · 4 October 2026 · 8 min read
On Thursday, 31 December 2026, SCC EVENTS stages the Berliner Silvesterlauf (Berlin New Year's Eve Run) in the Grunewald forest. Start and finish are right next to Mommsenstadion at Waldschulallee 34 in Charlottenburg, and the courses climb the Drachenfliegerberg and the Teufelsberg (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, event info and FAQ). You can pick 4, 6 or 10 km, the first start is at noon, and every finisher gets a Pfannkuchen – Berlin's word for a jam doughnut – both to eat and as a medal (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de).
Which New Year's Eve run this is
"Silvesterlauf Berlin" is not a unique name: several events take place in and around Berlin on 31 December. This page covers only the Berliner Silvesterlauf organised by SCC EVENTS GmbH (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de). Three things identify it: the start at Mommsenstadion, trail courses through the Grunewald around the Teufelsberg, and the doughnut at the finish. Other year-end dates in the city are listed in our overview of running events in Berlin.
The same organiser runs the Berliner Neujahrslauf (New Year's Day Run) at the Brandenburg Gate the next day – a completely different format, more on that below.
Key facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Date | Thursday, 31 December 2026 |
| Start and finish | Next to Mommsenstadion, Waldschulallee 34, 14055 Berlin |
| Start times | 4 km 12:00 · 6 km 12:30 · 10 km 13:00 |
| Minimum age | 4 km from U10 (born 2018 or earlier) · 6 km from U16 (born 2012) · 10 km from U18 (born 2010) |
| Entry fee | Tier 1: €17 adults, €10 youth · Tier 2: €28 adults, €20 youth (depending on availability) |
| Registration | Online from 17 September to 30 December 2026, unless the field fills up first |
| Time limit | 1 hour 30 minutes from crossing the start line |
| At the finish | Water, tea, doughnut, medal for everyone |
| Getting there | S-Bahn stations Messe Süd and Heerstraße within walking distance, little parking |
| Last edition | 31 December 2025, around 3,500 participants across all distances |
Sources: berliner-silvesterlauf.de (event info, FAQ, registration, news). As of 3 October 2026.
Three distances, three ways to end the year
The organiser describes the courses as forest trails over the Drachenfliegerberg and Teufelsberg that cost "plenty of sweat" on the way up and demand sure footing on the way down, but are deliberately not too technical so that people in costume can run them carefree (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de). According to the event info, the 6 km includes the Teufelsberg and the 10 km takes in both hills (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, event info). The 6 and 10 km figures are rounded (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, course), and because these are trail courses, times do not count for official rankings (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, registration).
What that means for you:
- 4 km, noon: Open from birth year 2018, so this is the family option. The organiser calls it the distance that leaves "reserves for a long New Year's Eve night".
- 6 km, 12:30: From birth year 2012. One climb, the Teufelsberg, and lots of forest. A good step up if you run 5 km regularly.
- 10 km, 13:00: From birth year 2010. Both hills, so two climbs and two technical descents. If you are racing, save energy for the second hill and take the descents calmly, especially on wet or frozen ground.
The cut-off is generous: 90 minutes from the start line, even for the 10 km (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, event info).
Registration: early pays twice
Online registration opened on 17 September 2026 and stays open until 30 December, unless the participant limit is reached earlier (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, FAQ). The price depends on which quota is currently available: tier 1 costs €17 for adults and €10 for youth, tier 2 €28 and €20 (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, registration). Signing up early saves you up to €11.
Keep in mind: your entry is tied to you and to this event. It cannot be transferred to another person or to next year, and without the cancellation cover offered at checkout there are no refunds (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, FAQ). To switch distance, contact the organiser via the form: your original entry is cancelled and refunded, and you pay for the new distance plus a €5 fee (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, FAQ). Sign up on the official Berliner Silvesterlauf website.
Your 31 December in the Grunewald, hour by hour
New Year's Eve has its own rhythm, and the event fits into it: everything happens between late morning and early afternoon. Here is the day according to the organiser (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, event info and FAQ):
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| from 10:00 | Bib pick-up on the lawn in front of Mommsenstadion, info point open |
| 11:30 | Costume contest sign-up at the photo wall in front of the stadium |
| 11:45 | Best-costume awards |
| 12:00 | Start 4 km |
| 12:30 | Start 6 km |
| 13:00 | Start 10 km |
| 13:15 | Awards 6 km |
| 13:50 | Awards 10 km |
| 14:00 | Awards 10 km youth |
To collect your bib you need the race pass, emailed seven to ten days beforehand, and photo ID. If the pass never arrives, your bib number from your account plus ID will do (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, FAQ). Timing is by a transponder on the back of the bib, and results go online the same evening (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, event info).
Two details worth knowing in advance: there are changing rooms in the basement of Mommsenstadion, but no showers and no supervised bag storage (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, event info). In the cold, that means dry clothes and a warm jacket go into a backpack that someone in your group looks after, and you change straight after finishing rather than waiting for the awards in a wet shirt. The organiser recommends public transport; the S-Bahn stations Messe Süd and Heerstraße are a short walk away, and parking is limited (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, FAQ).
Costumes, cold and the doughnut
Costumes are not an afterthought here. The organiser awards prizes for the most original outfits for children and adults and especially likes home-made ones, "for the fun of crafting and for the environment" (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de). Because the course goes downhill on forest paths, one simple rule applies: nothing that blocks your view of the ground and nothing that flaps around your feet. A cape, a wig or a onesie over warm running kit works; a rigid cardboard box over your head on the way down the Teufelsberg does not.
At the finish there is water, tea and the doughnut from the Wiedemann bakery (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de). Since the 2025 edition, the medal is doughnut-shaped too (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, 2025 review). Drinks come in reusable cups only, and leftover doughnuts are donated to people in need (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, sustainability).
Looking back: New Year's Eve in the snow, 2025
The last edition shows how much a December forest event depends on the weather. On the morning of 31 December 2025, Berlin was covered in thick snow, and the organiser set up alternative courses without steep climbs or descents at short notice. Around 3,500 people started across all distances in front of Mommsenstadion (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, 2025 review). Runners entered for the 10 km could stop after one 4.9 km lap; since there was no split timing, times were published alphabetically, without rankings (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, 2025 review). The lesson for 2026: pack shoes with good grip and keep the personal-best plan loose. The course maps are explicitly subject to change (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, course).
New Year's Eve in the forest, New Year's Day at the Gate
If you want to run the turn of the year twice, Berlin has a matching pair: on 31 December with a bib and timing over the hills of the Grunewald, on 1 January with no registration and no clock, 4 km from the Brandenburg Gate to Berlin Cathedral and back. According to the organiser, some costumes from the Silvesterlauf show up again on New Year's Day (source: berliner-neujahrslauf.de). Everything about part two is in our guide to the Berliner Neujahrslauf.
Not in Berlin over the holidays? We collect New Year's Eve events around Cologne and Düsseldorf in New Year's Eve runs in the Rhineland, and there are separate guides to the MRRC Silvesterlauf in Munich and the Spiridon Silvesterlauf in Frankfurt.
Into the Grunewald with your running group
A New Year's Eve run is the easiest event to bring friends to: short distances, a free choice between 4, 6 and 10 km, and a costume to talk about. Groups do well with a shared theme, from matching pairs to everyone in one colour – plus one person without a bib who holds the bags and takes photos. So that the 10 km with two climbs is no surprise, add a few hilly sessions in December. Regular weekly group runs, called Lauftreffs in German, are listed under running in Berlin, and tips on clothing and visibility in the dark are in our article on running in winter.
Sources
- berliner-silvesterlauf.de
- berliner-silvesterlauf.de/event/event-info
- berliner-silvesterlauf.de/event/event-faq
- berliner-silvesterlauf.de/event/strecke
- berliner-silvesterlauf.de/anmelden/anmeldung
- berliner-silvesterlauf.de/news-medien/news/detail/ein-unver…
- berliner-silvesterlauf.de/news-medien/news/detail/nachhalti…
- berliner-neujahrslauf.de
- scc-events.com/kalender
Frequently asked questions
- When is the Berlin New Year's Eve Run 2026?
- On Thursday, 31 December 2026. The 4 km starts at 12:00, the 6 km at 12:30 and the 10 km at 13:00, all next to Mommsenstadion, Waldschulallee 34 (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, event info).
- How much does it cost?
- It depends on the available quota: tier 1 costs €17 for adults and €10 for youth, tier 2 €28 and €20 (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, registration).
- What is the minimum age?
- The 4 km is open from U10 (born 2018 or earlier), the 6 km from U16 (born 2012) and the 10 km from U18 (born 2010) (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, registration).
- Can I still register on 31 December?
- According to the organiser, online registration runs until 30 December 2026 unless the field fills up first. Entries cannot be transferred to another person (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, FAQ).
- How do I get to the start?
- The organiser recommends public transport: the S-Bahn stations Messe Süd and Heerstraße are within walking distance, and parking is limited (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, FAQ).
- Is this the same organiser as the New Year's Day run at the Brandenburg Gate?
- Yes, SCC EVENTS runs both. The Silvesterlauf is a timed trail event in the Grunewald; the Neujahrslauf on 1 January is a 4 km event in central Berlin with no registration and no timing (source: berliner-silvesterlauf.de, berliner-neujahrslauf.de).