Ratinger Neujahrslauf 2026

The Ratinger Neujahrslauf begins the running year on the first Sunday after New Year's Day, with as many as 2,000 participants assembling in Ratingen, North Rhine-Westphalia. This city-center road race, organized by ASC Ratingen West e.V., offers short, accessible distances: a 5 km run, a 10 km run, school races, and a 500 m Bambini run for very young children. The route follows a circuit around Ratingen’s market square, keeping the event contained and easy for spectators. The main race attracts serious athletes, while the age-group events draw schoolchildren and families. ASC Ratingen West also coaches children from several daycare centers for the Bambini run, and the school races recognize individual winners and the school with the most participants. Having been held for dozens of years, the race functions as a local New Year tradition as much as a contest.