Schulmarathon 2026

The RheinEnergie Schulmarathon Köln is a school relay within the Generali Köln Marathon, where seven students cover the entire 42.195 km marathon distance. It begins in Deutz and concludes at the Kölner Dom, providing teams with the same city finish as the main marathon participants. The event welcomes relay teams from all secondary school types, starting from grade 5, with a minimum age of 10 years for each runner. The seven segments are intentionally varied: 5.0 km, 7.0 km, 5.5 km, 6.5 km, 6.0 km, 8.0 km, and 4.2 km. This allows schools to assign runners to distances that suit them. Students compete within the main marathon field, not in a separate children's event; they share the course and spectators with adult marathoners. Each team requires approval from its school administration, and the city of Cologne's school sports committee, with assistance from the marathon team, organizes the competition.