5. MidSummerRun 2026

The MidSummerRun begins and ends on the meadow before Torhaus Wellingsbüttel in Hamburg, with participants setting off near the summer solstice. Lauftreff Alstertal e.V. puts on the event, which includes a children’s run of approximately 970 meters, and 5 km and 10 km races. The children start first, then the 10 km, and finally the 5 km, structuring the evening for families and regular runners alike. The course follows the wild upper Alster river, providing a tranquil Hamburg setting removed from the city center. This is the fifth running of the event, and organizers call it Hamburg’s first sustainable running event, planned with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals in mind. It received second place in the Hanse Environment Prize for this approach. Reused advertising banners become picnic blankets on the finish meadow, a food truck offers snacks, and beach volleyball medalists Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler are the event's patrons.