Magdeburg Marathon
The Magdeburg Marathon begins and ends at Messe Magdeburg, the city’s exhibition grounds, and takes place in the latter half of October. It offers more than just the full marathon: runners can select the half marathon, 10 km, 4.2 km, a 400 m children’s run, and in some editions a marathon relay. VLG 1991 Magdeburg has organized it since its inception, and the field has grown to over 6,000 registered runners, including walking events. This makes it the largest running event in Saxony-Anhalt, resembling a regional running festival more than a single-distance race. The current marathon follows a two-lap city course, while the half marathon completes the same loop once. Starting from the Messe, it crosses the Elbe, passes through Alte Neustadt, goes by the Science Port, follows the Elbe riverbank toward Klosterbergegarten, then proceeds into the city center, past the cathedral, through Rotehorn Park, over Werder, and returns to the Messe. Previous route versions extended farther along the Elbe cycle path toward the Magdeburg Waterway Crossing and also included landmarks like the Otto von Guericke monument, city hall, the Magdeburg Rider, the Hundertwasser House, Elbauenpark, and the Millennium Tower. The race records stand at 2:31:10 for men and 2:57:05 for women, with repeat winners including Robert Linz, Yves Löbel, Nadja Koch, and Sigrid Hoffmann.
