Running Events in the Sauerland 2027: Rothaarsteig-Marathon, P-Weg-Marathon and AOK-Firmenlauf

Panoramalauf at the Hennesee in April, trail runs near Lennestadt and Sundern in June, the AOK-Firmenlauf through Lüdenscheid in July, ultra around Plettenberg in September: all the key running events in the Sauerland for 2027 – plus what's still coming before New Year's Eve 2026.

Chris Mühlnickel · 30 September 2026 · 11 min read

Running Events in the Sauerland 2027: Rothaarsteig-Marathon, P-Weg-Marathon and AOK-Firmenlauf

The Sauerland is rarely flat, and that shapes its events. On the Rothaarsteig (a long-distance ridge trail) near Schmallenberg and Lennestadt, runners climb hundreds of metres of elevation, as they do on the Sauerland-Höhenflug ridge trail near Sundern, and around Plettenberg the P-Weg goes all the way to ultra distance. In between lie the reservoirs: at the Hennesee near Meschede there's a Panoramalauf in spring and a triathlon in summer. In the towns it gets busier – on the Rathausplatz in Lüdenscheid, in the Sauerlandpark Hemer, on the Attendorn town walls and in Neheim's town centre. And then there's the Lauf-Cup of the LAC Veltins Hochsauerland, which links the small club events in Freienohl, Herdringen, Calle or Fleckenberg into one season from March to October.

This overview shows which events are coming up and who they suit. The location is given for every event. 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 Hennesee Panoramalauf, 5 km at the Attendorner Citylauf, 5 km at the MedeRun, 5 km at the Silvesterlauf am Danzturm
Your first half marathon Menden-Citylauf, Sauerland-Höhenflug-Trailrun, Herbstwaldlauf Fretter
Your marathon FALKE Rothaarsteig-Marathon, P-Weg-Marathon
Ultra and long distances 73 km at the P-Weg-Marathon, 20 km Plus at the Josef-Kaderhandt-Waldlauf, 30 km at the MedeRun
Trail and elevation La Sportiva Sauerland TrailRun, Sauerland-Höhenflug-Trailrun, FALKE Rothaarsteig-Marathon
A new personal best Half marathon at the Menden-Citylauf
With colleagues AOK-Firmenlauf im Märkischen Kreis, Sauerländer AOK Firmenlauf, Mendener Firmenlauf
A whole season Volksbank Sauerland Lauf Cup
Something completely different FORT FUN Westernlauf, Silvesterlauf am Danzturm
Triathlon ITH-Hennesee-Triathlon, IRONMAN 70.3 Duisburg

Still in 2026: Rothaarsteig, Medebach and Danzturm

In the Sauerland, October is landscape season: two long courses in the Hochsauerland, then the Lauf-Cup finale and, to close the year, a New Year's Eve classic in the forest.

First up, on 10 October 2026, is the MedeRun in Medebach, in its fourth edition. Start and finish are at the town hall, the distances range from 5 through 10 and 22 to 30 km, plus children's and youth races (medebach.de). With a span of 5 to 30 km, the event suits both newcomers and anyone looking for a long form test in autumn.

A week later, on 17 October 2026, comes the FALKE Rothaarsteig-Marathon in Schmallenberg-Fleckenberg, starting at the Schützenhalle (marksmen's hall). The landscape marathon follows the Rothaarsteig and adds up to 838 metres of elevation gain; if you prefer something shorter, you can run the half marathon over 22.6 km or 12.5 km, and the 22.6 km is also offered as walking and Nordic walking. VfL Fleckenberg is hosting the 23rd edition in 2026 and expects more than 1,000 participants. The event is thus making a comeback after a break: the 2025 edition was cancelled, and the marathon was last held in 2024 (rothaarsteig-marathon.de). The 2027 date is still pending.

On 25 October 2026, the Oeventroper Volks- und Straßenlauf in Arnsberg-Oeventrop concludes the Volksbank Sauerland Lauf Cup. TuS 1896 Oeventrop invites runners to the 44th edition over 10 km, 5 km and 1.3 km (lac-veltins-hochsauerland.de).

To close the year, on 31 December 2026, the action moves to Iserlohn. The TuS Silvesterlauf „Rund um den Danzturm“ runs for the 43rd time through the forest around the Danzturm tower; according to the organizer, it's Iserlohn's biggest public run. The start is at the car park of the Fachhochschule Südwestfalen (University of Applied Sciences) on Frauenstuhlweg, and you can choose between 10.3 km, 5 km and 5 km walking. Registration is handled by the timing company (silvesterlauf.nrw).

The Lauf-Cup: club events from March to October

The backbone of the Sauerland running year is its club events, and many of them are connected: the Volksbank Sauerland Lauf Cup combines them into a series ranking; the LAC Veltins Hochsauerland runs the series and publishes the results (lac-veltins-hochsauerland.de). If you run several dates, you collect points across the whole season. The Hennesee Panoramalauf, the Neheimer Citylauf, the Höhenflug-Trailrun and the finale in Oeventrop each have their own section. The smaller ones are mostly traditional events with a long history whose 2027 date hasn't been published yet. Here are the 2026 dates for orientation:

The traditional opener is the Freienohler Crosslauf in Meschede-Freienohl, which went cross-country over 9.6 km for the 41st time on 8 March 2026. At the end of April came the Lauf zum Alten vom Müssenberg in Arnsberg-Herdringen, on 25 April 2026 in its 40th edition over 10 km, 5 km and 1.1 km. On Ascension Day, 14 May 2026, the Lauf um den Allendorfer Bahnhof in Sundern-Allendorf went around the former railway station, with distances from 1 to 21 km (lanet3.de).

The FORT FUN Westernlauf in Bestwig-Wasserfall has a special backdrop: it runs through and around the Fort Fun amusement park, over 10, 8 and 2.7 km plus children's races. According to the organizer, just under 300 people took part in the 22nd edition on 20 June 2026 (tus-valmetal.de).

In September, the Cup dates pile up. At the Herbstwaldlauf Fretter in Finnentrop-Fretter, a half marathon, 10 km and 2 km were held for the 62nd time on 5 September 2026, combined with a hobby mountain-bike race (skiclub-fretter.de). On 13 September 2026, TuS Calle-Wallen hosted the 46th Waldlauf des TuS Calle-Wallen in Meschede-Calle, over 10, 7.5 and 4 km plus children's races. The Fleckenberger Herbstlauf in Schmallenberg-Fleckenberg took place for the 39th time on 20 September 2026, with 15 km as the main distance and a hiking day alongside; in 2025 it had been cancelled (vflfleckenberg.de). The Bergklosterlauf in Bestwig, by contrast, is young: on 27 September 2026 it started its fourth edition at the Bergkloster (convent), with distances up to 21 km and a 0.7 km children's race (my.raceresult.com).

At the Hennesee: Panoramalauf and triathlon

The Hennesee near Meschede is the setting for two events from the same club, TriFun Hennesee.

On 18 April 2027, the Hennesee Panoramalauf takes place for the 14th time. The courses run around the reservoir and range from 1 and 1.5 km through 5 and 10 km up to 17.5 km (trifunhennesee.de). The event is part of the Lauf-Cup, and with its choice of distances it suits a first race bib just as well as a form test in spring.

In summer, there's swimming in the lake. The ITH-Hennesee-Triathlon offers an Olympic distance, a sprint distance, a beginners' or fun distance and a relay category. The edition on 27 June 2026 had to be cancelled because of a heat warning from the German Weather Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst). The next attempt is on 26 June 2027 (trifunhennesee.de). If you want to get into triathlon, the fun distance and the relay offer an easy entry.

Through the town centres: Attendorn, Neheim and Menden

In May and June, the Sauerland runs through its town centres – with school races, company teams and far more spectators than in the forest.

The Attendorner Citylauf in Attendorn runs along the old town's walls, starting at the Südwall indoor pool. The distances are 10 and 5 km, plus a 1.5 km school race and races for the youngest children. According to TV Attendorn, more than 1,400 people started at the 34th edition on 9 May 2026, school and children's races included (tv-attendorn.de). The 2027 date is still pending.

A day later, on 10 May 2026, the Neheimer Citylauf in Arnsberg-Neheim ran through the town centre for the 36th time, over 10 km and 4.3 km. TV Neheim has announced the 37th Citylauf for 2027 but hasn't given a date yet (tv-neheim.de). The event is part of the Lauf-Cup.

The Menden-Citylauf in Menden offers the most choice, starting on the Rathausplatz. Marathon-Club Menden hosts a DLV-certified half marathon (measured to German Athletics Association standards), plus 10 and 5 km and school races. The Mendener Firmenlauf over 5 km is integrated into it. The 10th edition took place on 14 June 2026; the 2027 date hasn't been published yet (menden-citylauf.de). Thanks to the certified course, the half marathon is also suitable for an official personal best.

With your team: company runs in Lüdenscheid and Hemer

The Sauerland has two big company runs, one established and one young.

Measured by participant numbers, the AOK-Firmenlauf im Märkischen Kreis in Lüdenscheid is the biggest event on this page. According to the organizer's annual statistics, 6,805 people took part in 2025, and 7,015 in 2024; the club calls the 2026 edition a record event without giving a number. The course covers around 6 km through Lüdenscheid's town centre, starting on the Rathausplatz. The Turbo-Schnecken Lüdenscheid have organized the event since 2003, and the 23rd edition is on 9 July 2027 (lauf-im-kreis.de).

Younger is the Sauerländer AOK Firmenlauf in Hemer. Since 2024, it has taken runners over 6.1 km through the Sauerlandpark after work. According to a report by a participating hotel, 1,830 people took part in the third edition on 11 June 2026 (vierjahreszeiten-iserlohn.de); there's no figure from the organizer. The next edition is on 3 June 2027, and registration opens on 14 November 2026 (sauerlaender-firmenlauf.de).

Trail, forest and ultra: from the Rothaarsteig to Plettenberg

For elevation, forest trails and long distances, the Sauerland is the right region. From June to September, four events in a row offer exactly that.

On 6 June 2027, the La Sportiva Sauerland TrailRun starts at the Halberbracht sports ground in Lennestadt. Over 21 or 11 km, it goes through the forests around the Rothaarsteig, with more than 600 metres of elevation gain on the long course. According to hdsports, 259 people finished in 2026. Registration is online only (sauerland-trailrun.de).

A week later, on 13 June 2027, comes the Sauerland-Höhenflug-Trailrun in Sundern-Hagen. It follows the Sauerland-Höhenflug ridge trail, with a half marathon, 10 and 5 km to choose from (sauerland-hoehenflug.de). It took place for the twelfth time in 2026 and is part of the Lauf-Cup. If you're looking for a first half marathon off-road, this is the right place.

In August, things get long at the Josef-Kaderhandt-Waldlauf in Menden, starting at the Leitmecke. The race is run on a loop through the Mendener Wald (Menden forest): 7.8 km or 20 km, and in the „20 km Plus“ format you can add extra loops up to marathon distance and up to a 50 km ultra. The limit is 300 participants per race. The 42nd edition took place on 15 August 2026; the 2027 date is still pending (menden-waldlauf.de).

The finale in September is the P-Weg-Marathon in Plettenberg. The start is at the ZOB (central bus station) on Grünestraße, and the programme ranges from 12 km through the half marathon and marathon to the 73 km ultra with 1,960 metres of elevation gain. The finish is on a stage in the town centre, and the running races are part of a weekend with hiking and mountain-bike competitions. In 2026, the running races took place on 12 September. For 2027, the organizer names the weekend of 10 to 12 September; the exact race day is still pending, and registration opens in May 2027 (p-weg.de).

Nearby: IRONMAN 70.3 Duisburg

There's no IRONMAN race in the Sauerland. The nearest one is IRONMAN 70.3 Duisburg, around 105 km west of Meschede. On 29 August 2027, athletes swim 1.9 km on the regatta course in the Sportpark Duisburg, then ride 90 km by bike over the Brücke der Solidarität (Bridge of Solidarity) towards Moers, and finally run 21.1 km over three laps through the Sportpark (ironman.com).

Planning tips for your running year

Many 2027 dates are still to come. Confirmed so far are the Hennesee Panoramalauf (18 April), the Sauerländer AOK Firmenlauf (3 June), the La Sportiva Sauerland TrailRun (6 June), the Sauerland-Höhenflug-Trailrun (13 June), the ITH-Hennesee-Triathlon (26 June) and the AOK-Firmenlauf im Märkischen Kreis (9 July). For the club events, it's worth checking the Lauf-Cup website in spring.

Keep an eye on registration windows. For the Sauerländer AOK Firmenlauf in Hemer, registration opens on 14 November 2026, and for the P-Weg-Marathon in May 2027. The La Sportiva Sauerland TrailRun only offers online registration, and at the Josef-Kaderhandt-Waldlauf places are limited to 300 per race.

Not every edition takes place. The ITH-Hennesee-Triathlon was cancelled in 2026 because of the heat, and the FALKE Rothaarsteig-Marathon and the Fleckenberger Herbstlauf didn't take place in 2025. Keep an eye on the organizer's website until shortly before the start.

Train for the climbs. The Rothaarsteig-Marathon (838 metres of elevation gain), the La Sportiva Sauerland TrailRun (more than 600 metres of elevation gain over 21 km) and the ultra at the P-Weg-Marathon (1,960 metres of elevation gain) demand more than flat kilometres. Long runs with climbs belong in your preparation.

Don't train alone

The Sauerland year has two sides: the big company runs in summer, which you bring your colleagues along to, and the trail and landscape events from the Rothaarsteig to Plettenberg, for which you collect elevation over months. The long runs through the forest are easier in a group, and at the start it's nicer when you know someone. You'll find the right group among the running groups and run clubs in the Sauerland.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

When is the Rothaarsteig-Marathon?
The next edition is on 17 October 2026, starting at the Schützenhalle in Schmallenberg-Fleckenberg. Alongside the marathon with 838 metres of elevation gain, there's 22.6 km (also as walking and Nordic walking) and 12.5 km. The 2027 date is still pending (rothaarsteig-marathon.de).
When are the company runs in the Sauerland in 2027?
The Sauerländer AOK Firmenlauf through the Sauerlandpark Hemer is on 3 June 2027, and registration opens on 14 November 2026 (sauerlaender-firmenlauf.de). The AOK-Firmenlauf im Märkischen Kreis in Lüdenscheid follows on 9 July 2027 over around 6 km from the Rathausplatz (lauf-im-kreis.de).
When is the 2027 Hennesee triathlon?
On 26 June 2027 at the Hennesee near Meschede, with an Olympic distance, sprint, beginners'/fun distance and relay. The edition on 27 June 2026 was cancelled because of a heat warning from the German Weather Service (trifunhennesee.de).
Which trail runs are there in the Sauerland in 2027?
The La Sportiva Sauerland TrailRun on 6 June 2027 in Lennestadt over 21 or 11 km (sauerland-trailrun.de) and the Sauerland-Höhenflug-Trailrun on 13 June 2027 in Sundern-Hagen over a half marathon, 10 and 5 km (sauerland-hoehenflug.de). For the P-Weg-Marathon in Plettenberg, the organizer names the weekend of 10 to 12 September for 2027 (p-weg.de).
What is the Volksbank Sauerland Lauf Cup?
A series ranking that links many club events in the Sauerland from March to October, including the Freienohler Crosslauf, the Hennesee Panoramalauf, the Neheimer Citylauf, the FORT FUN Westernlauf and, as the finale, the Oeventroper Volks- und Straßenlauf. The LAC Veltins Hochsauerland runs the series and the results (lac-veltins-hochsauerland.de).
Which running events are still on in the Sauerland in 2026?
The MedeRun in Medebach on 10 October, the FALKE Rothaarsteig-Marathon in Schmallenberg-Fleckenberg on 17 October, the Oeventroper Volks- und Straßenlauf in Arnsberg-Oeventrop on 25 October and the TuS Silvesterlauf „Rund um den Danzturm“ in Iserlohn on 31 December.

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