A cannon blast from the local firecracker club signals the start of the Silvesterlauf Rund um die Thülsfelder Talsperre, a New Year’s Eve race held at the Thülsfelder Talsperre in Lower Saxony. Based in Garrel and Molbergen-Dwergte, the event offers participants a final run of the year around the reservoir. SV Molbergen Laufbewerbe manages the program, featuring 10 km and 5 km races, shorter 2 km and 1 km children’s races, and Nordic walking. This race has been a fixture on the local running calendar since 1975, typically drawing hundreds of participants, with record editions exceeding a thousand finishers.
The courses consist of marked circuits on paved forest paths and the paved dike encircling the reservoir. They have a flat profile and include kilometer markers. All races conclude at Große Tredde in Molbergen-Dwergte. The event provides online and on-site registration, parking, showers, printed certificates, and medals for children. Beyond race times, participants are drawn to the end-of-year atmosphere, the distinct starting signal, and the post-race gathering, where pea soup is a customary part of the tradition.