Sport-Events
Cologne Marathon 2026 – Your sporting highlight with stylish comfort
The next Generali Cologne Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 4, 2026. Registration for the 28th edition of the event is now open.
Races & Start Times (Tentative)
The event offers various distances for different age groups and abilities:
Half Marathon (21.1 km): Start at 8:30 a.m. at Ottoplatz in Deutz.
Marathon (42.195 km): Start at 10:30 a.m. (together with the relay and school marathons) at Ottoplatz.
Relay Marathon: A team of four runners shares the marathon distance.
School Marathon: Relay race for school groups.
Kids' Run: Special race for younger participants.
Course & Highlights
Start & Finish: The race traditionally starts in Cologne-Deutz (Ottoplatz/Deutz train station). The finish line is on Komödienstraße, directly next to Cologne Cathedral.
Neighborhood Tour: The flat and fast course leads through popular Cologne neighborhoods such as Rodenkirchen, Sülz, Lindenthal, Ehrenfeld, and Nippes.
Atmosphere: Known for its carnival-like atmosphere with around 300,000 spectators and numerous parties along the route.
Entry Fees & Registration (as of 2026)
Prices vary depending on the registration date and availability:
Marathon: Currently around €130.00.
Half Marathon: Currently around €95.00 (Often sells out very early!).
Relay Marathon: Approximately €199.00 per team.
Important Information for Runners
Race Packets: Collection is at the Running.EXPO in MOTORWORLD Cologne on the Friday and Saturday before the race.
Travel: Participants generally receive a VRS ticket for free travel to and from the event weekend.
Records: In 2025, new course records were set: Barnaba Kipkoech (Marathon Men: 2:06:54) and Esther Pfeiffer (Half Marathon Women: 1:07:28).
The 2027 Handball World Championship in Cologne
Cologne will play a central role in the 2027 Men's Handball World Championship and is scheduled to host the main round as well as the entire final round (quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final).
The matches will be played in the LANXESS arena, which, with a capacity of approximately 19,250, is considered one of the "Meccas of handball."
Dates: The World Championship will take place from January 13 to 31, 2027.
Key dates in Cologne:
Main round (Group II): January 21–25, 2027.
Final weekend: The semi-finals and placement matches are scheduled for January 29, 2027, with the grand final concluding on January 31, 2027.
German team: Germany will play its preliminary round in Munich. If the team qualifies, they will travel to Cologne for the main round.
Tickets and Advance Sales
General ticket sales for the 2027 World Championship in Germany began on December 15, 2025. Tickets can be purchased through official platforms such as the LANXESS arena ticket shop or Eventim.