Running Events in Kiel 2027: Kiel.Lauf, Hochbrückenlauf and Fischhallen-Lauf

The Hochbrückenlauf on the Kiel Canal in March, the Fischhallen-Lauf through the shipyard and the fish auction hall in May, the Firmenlauf on the Kiellinie, the Förde Triathlon in August and the Kiel.Lauf on 12 September: all the key running events in Kiel for 2027 – plus what's still coming before New Year's Eve 2026.

Chris Mühlnickel · 30 September 2026 · 8 min read

Running Events in Kiel 2027: Kiel.Lauf, Hochbrückenlauf and Fischhallen-Lauf

Kiel runs by the water. The Kiel.Lauf, the Firmenlauf and the triathlon take place on the Förde (the Kiel Fjord): the Firmenlauf starts in front of the Landtag (state parliament) and runs along the Kiellinie and through the Schlossgarten, and the triathlon has its race centre on the Reventlouwiese. In the north of the city it's the Kiel Canal (Nord-Ostsee-Kanal): in Holtenau you run past the locks and around the lighthouse, and from Projensdorf the Hochbrückenlauf follows the canal over road, forest and field paths. Finally, on the east bank lies Ellerbek, where one club starts twice a year at the Rohdehoffplatz – once through the shipyard and the fish hall, once on New Year's Eve in costume.

This overview shows which events are coming up and who they suit. Where the organizer has already confirmed the 2027 date, it's listed; otherwise we give the date of the last edition for orientation. As of 30 September 2026.

Which event suits you?

Your goal Events that fit
Your first race bib 5 km at the Fischhallen-Lauf, 5.1 km at the Kiel.Lauf, Kieler Silvester-Lauf
Your first half marathon Half marathon at the Kiel.Lauf
10 km with timing Fischhallen-Lauf, Rund um den Holtenauer Leuchtturm, 10.2 km at the Kiel.Lauf
Long distances off the road Kieler Hochbrückenlauf
Running in the evening Rund um den Holtenauer Leuchtturm, AOK-Business.Run
With colleagues AOK-Business.Run
For a good cause Kieler MUT-LAUF
Something completely different Fischhallen-Lauf, Kieler Silvester-Lauf
Triathlon KN Förde Triathlon, IRONMAN Hamburg

Still in 2026: New Year's Eve on the east bank

With the Kiel.Lauf in September, Kiel's 2026 running year is already largely done. One date is still to come, and it has tradition.

On 31 December 2026 at 1 pm, the Kieler Silvester-Lauf starts in Ellerbek on Kiel's east bank; the meeting point is the Klausdorfer Weg at the Rohdehoffplatz. The LTV Kiel-Ost is organizing it for the 51st time. The course is around 5.5 km, and it's not only the time that counts: there's a costume ranking for individuals, groups and children. The award ceremony takes place with punch and cake in the gym of the Ellerbeker Schule. The field is capped at 250 participants, and registration via davengo is open (ltvkiel-ost.de). For a first event with a race bib, it's a relaxed setting.

Spring: the Hochbrückenlauf by the canal

Kiel's 2027 running year begins in the north of the city. The Kieler Hochbrückenlauf of the LG Albatros Kiel takes place for the 37th time on 21 March 2027; the start is at the sports ground of the Ernst-Barlach-Gymnasium on the Charles-Roß-Ring in Kiel-Projensdorf. Traditionally it crosses the high bridges (Hochbrücken) of the Kiel Canal. Because the Levensauer Hochbrücke is being rebuilt, the courses currently run through Suchsdorf along the canal, over road, forest ground and field paths. You can choose between 29.1 km, 15.7 km and 9.5 km; the middle distance counts towards the Zippel's Kiel.Cup. The limit is 1,200 places, and according to the organizer the event is "usually sold out" (lg-albatros-kiel.de).

At 29.1 km, the Hochbrückenlauf is the longest option in this overview – and a good spring test for anyone who wants to run the half marathon at the Kiel.Lauf in September.

May: through the fish hall

In May it's back to the east bank. At the Ostufer Fischhallen-Lauf of the LTV Kiel-Ost on 23 May 2027, you start, as on New Year's Eve, at the Ellerbeker Schule on the Klausdorfer Weg (Rohdehoffplatz). The 10 km cross the grounds of the shipyard and the naval arsenal and run right through the fish auction hall; there's also 5 km and 5 km walking. At the finish, everyone gets a wooden crate of smoked Kieler Sprotten (Kiel sprats). In 2026 the Fischhallen-Lauf took place for the 20th time, and according to the 2027 race announcement the field is capped at 1,600 participants (ltvkiel-ost.de). The 5 km suit beginners, the 10 km anyone who wants to time themselves on an unusual course.

With your team: AOK-Business.Run

Kiel's Firmenlauf (corporate run) is the AOK-Business.Run Kiel by ZIPPEL'S Läuferwelt. The start is in front of the Landtag on the Düsternbrooker Weg, and the flat 4.5 km loop runs through Düsternbrook, along the Kiellinie on the Förde and through the Schlossgarten. The event is spread over two evenings, each starting at 6 pm. According to an AOK press release, more than 6,000 runners from 350 companies took part in 2025 (aok.de). In 2026 the Business.Run took place in May, on 6 May according to hdsports.org. The organizer hasn't named a 2027 date yet, and registration is announced as "coming soon" (businessrun-zippels.de).

For a good cause: Kieler MUT-LAUF

At the Kieler MUT-LAUF you run without a clock and without a ranking. On the Moorteichwiese on the Johann-Meyer-Straße, people run for two hours on a 1.15 km loop, and there's an 830 m loop for children. The event campaigns for more openness in dealing with depression and mental illness, and it includes a market with regional counselling services, clinics and self-help groups. The MUT-LAUF has existed in Kiel since 2017, and on 13 June 2026 it took place for the tenth time. The 2027 date is still pending (mut-tour.de).

August: Förde triathlon and lighthouse

In August, Kiel's running year moves to the water – once into the Förde, once to the canal.

At the KN Förde Triathlon of the USC Kiel, the swim is in the Förde. The race centre is on the Reventlouwiese on the Kiellinie, the bike laps run along the Düsternbrooker Weg, and the run lap follows the Kiellinie between the Landtag and the Seeburg. On offer are a sprint with 0.5 km swimming, 20 km cycling and 5 km running, a sprint relay and the Team Relay of the SHTU-Landesliga. According to the race announcement there are 400 places in the sprint and 30 relays. The 37th edition took place on 16 August 2026; the 2027 date is still pending (kiel-triathlon.de). With the sprint distance and the relay, it's a good way into triathlon.

Two weeks later, on the Friday evening of 28 August 2026, the TuS Holtenau's road race "Rund um den Holtenauer Leuchtturm" (around the Holtenau lighthouse) took place for the 31st time. The start is at the stadium on the Nixenweg in Kiel-Holtenau, and the 5 km out-and-back course runs along the Kiel Canal, past the locks and over the Tiessenkai around the Holtenau lighthouse. The distances are 10 km and 5 km, and the 10 km counts towards the Zippel's Kiel.Cup. The fields are capped at 500 places over 10 km and 250 over 5 km. A 2027 date hasn't been published yet (tus-holtenau.de).

September: the Kiel.Lauf

The biggest day in Kiel's running year is the Kiel.Lauf powered by Förde Sparkasse. The 39th edition takes place on 12 September 2027, and registration is open (kiellauf.de). The courses run through Kiel's city centre, the west of Kiel and along the Förde. You can choose between the half marathon over 21.1 km, 10.2 km and 5.1 km, plus school and Bambini races. According to the organizer, more than 10,000 people take part across all competitions; the Kiel.Lauf is organized by ZIPPEL'S Läuferwelt.

In 2026 the 38th Kiel.Lauf took place on 13 September and was sold out, with a waiting list. So if you want to be there in 2027, it's best to register early. It's the only half marathon in this overview and therefore the date for your first one, and the 5.1 km are a good start for anyone running with a race bib for the first time.

Nearby: IRONMAN Hamburg

There's no IRONMAN or IRONMAN 70.3 in Kiel. The nearest race is around 95 km away: the IRONMAN Hamburg on 6 June 2027. The swim is 3.8 km in the Binnenalster and Außenalster from the Jungfernstieg, followed by 180 km on the bike and a marathon, with the finish on the Rathausmarkt. In 2026 just under 3,000 age-group athletes were registered. Main registration for 2027 is sold out (ironman.com).

Planning tips for your running year

Registering early pays off. The Kiel.Lauf was sold out in 2026, and registration for 2027 is already open (kiellauf.de). At the Hochbrückenlauf, the 1,200 places are "usually sold out" according to the organizer (lg-albatros-kiel.de). Elsewhere there are fixed limits too: 1,600 at the Fischhallen-Lauf, 500 and 250 in Holtenau, 250 at the Silvester-Lauf and 400 individual places at the Förde Triathlon.

Many 2027 dates are still pending. So far the Hochbrückenlauf (21 March), the Fischhallen-Lauf (23 May) and the Kiel.Lauf (12 September) are confirmed. For the Business.Run, the MUT-LAUF, the Förde Triathlon and the lighthouse run in Holtenau, the organizers haven't named a date yet.

The Kiel.Cup links events. The middle distance at the Hochbrückenlauf and the 10 km in Holtenau count towards the Zippel's Kiel.Cup – if you run several Kiel events in a year, you can use it as a guide.

Three places shape Kiel's running year. The Kiel.Lauf, the Business.Run and the Förde Triathlon take place on the Förde. On the Kiel Canal in the north are the Hochbrückenlauf and the lighthouse run in Holtenau. And in Ellerbek on the east bank, the Fischhallen-Lauf and the Silvester-Lauf start, both organized by the LTV Kiel-Ost.

Don't train alone

Kiel's year has one clear highlight: the Kiel.Lauf in September, for which the long training runs fall in the summer. The Hochbrückenlauf in March is a good stopover on the way there. Training is easier in a group, and at the start it's nicer when you know someone. You'll find the right group near you among the running groups and run clubs in Kiel.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2027 Kiel.Lauf?
On 12 September 2027, for the 39th time. There's a half marathon (21.1 km), 10.2 km and 5.1 km plus school and Bambini races, and the courses run through the city centre, the west of Kiel and along the Förde. Registration is open; in 2026 the event was sold out (kiellauf.de).
When is the 2027 Kieler Hochbrückenlauf?
On 21 March 2027, for the 37th time. The start is at the sports ground of the Ernst-Barlach-Gymnasium in Kiel-Projensdorf, and the distances are 29.1, 15.7 or 9.5 km. The limit is 1,200 places, and according to the organizer the event is "usually sold out" (lg-albatros-kiel.de).
Does the Hochbrückenlauf still cross the canal bridges?
Not at the moment: because the Levensauer Hochbrücke is being rebuilt, the courses run through Suchsdorf along the Kiel Canal, over road, forest ground and field paths (lg-albatros-kiel.de).
When is the 2027 Firmenlauf in Kiel?
The organizer hasn't published the date for the 2027 AOK-Business.Run Kiel yet. In 2026 it took place on 6 May according to hdsports.org. The course is 4.5 km from the Landtag along the Kiellinie and through the Schlossgarten, spread over two evenings with a 6 pm start (businessrun-zippels.de).
Is there a triathlon in Kiel?
Yes, the KN Förde Triathlon of the USC Kiel, with the swim in the Förde and the race centre on the Reventlouwiese: a sprint over 0.5 km, 20 km and 5 km, plus relays. The 37th edition was on 16 August 2026; the 2027 date is still pending (kiel-triathlon.de). The nearest long distance is the IRONMAN Hamburg on 6 June 2027 (ironman.com).
Which running events are still coming up in Kiel in 2026?
The Kieler Silvester-Lauf on 31 December 2026 at 1 pm in Kiel-Ellerbek, with around 5.5 km, a costume ranking and a limit of 250 participants. Registration is open (ltvkiel-ost.de).

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