19. Lübeck Marathon

The Stadtwerke Lübeck Marathon is an October running event in Lübeck, Germany, held since 2008. The main race is the full 42.195 km marathon, but the day includes a half marathon, 10 km race, 10 x 4.2 km corporate relay, 4.2 km family run, and 2.1 km student run. TSB Lübeck e.V. and the Hanseatic City of Lübeck organize it, continuing a marathon tradition in the city after an earlier Lübeck race ran briefly and then disappeared after organizer disputes. The marathon starts in Lübeck’s old town and runs out and back toward Travemünde, offering runners the historic city and the Baltic-side finish area. The course passes the Holstentor, follows Travemünder Allee toward the coast, crosses the roughly 800-meter Herrentunnel twice with about 50 meters of climbing each time, and now turns around by circling the lighthouse on the Travemünde pier. The race quickly drew the biggest marathon field in Schleswig-Holstein at its launch, later passed 2,800 entries, and its mix of relay teams, students, families, club runners, and marathoners gives it more of a city sports day feel than a single-distance road race.