MORE ABOUT RUNNING IN MAINZ
The classic route is the car-free Rhine riverbank from the Zollhafen to the Winterhafen, flat and always by the water. But the most popular running ground is the Lennebergwald, with its marked 5-, 10-, and 15-kilometer loops on soft sandy trails. It's green and quiet in the Volkspark, through the Mainzer Sand nature reserve, or along the green corridor of the Gonsbachtal — and for a longer session, the 3-Brücken-Tour offers about ten kilometers along both banks of the Rhine.
Groups meet in nearly every district — in the Alt- and Neustadt, in Gonsenheim, Bretzenheim, Mombach, or Hechtsheim. Every group lists when, where, and how fast it runs before you join. Most meetups are free and beginner-friendly, with breaks whenever you need them. Just how much Mainz loves to run shows in the Gutenberg Halbmarathon, which brought around 13,700 runners to the Rhine across all distances in 2025.
A meetup in your district, the next event just a click away — that's all it takes. The best part of running in Mainz isn't your half-marathon time, it's the regular loop along the Rhine with people who like to stick around afterward. Come join in.
Last updated 13 July 2026
Sources: de.wikipedia.org · hdsports.org · halbmarathon-mainz.de · spoferan.com · merkurist.de · mainz.de · mainz.de