28. Generali Köln Marathon

The Generali Köln Marathon finishes next to Cologne Cathedral, providing the race one of the clearest landmarks in German road running. Held in early October in Cologne since 1997, it is a city marathon with a half marathon included, ranking as Germany’s fifth-largest marathon. The full race covers 42.195 km, the half covers 21.0975 km, and the event has attracted over 30,000 registered runners in its largest editions. The course is a flat loop with a long stretch along the Rhine, then sends runners in a star pattern through the city center before the cathedral finish. Organizers adjusted the layout across several editions to make it faster, leading to course records of 2:06:53 for men and 2:25:34 for women in the marathon. Inline skaters were part of the race program from the start, handbikers joined later, and both formats were eventually dropped. The event draws fast runners, club runners, and first-timers, with spectators contributing to the good street atmosphere often associated with the Cologne race.