49. Augsburger AOK-Winterlaufserie Nord-Südring 2026

The Augsburger AOK-Winterlaufserie Nord-Südring sends runners into the Westliche Wälder nature park near Augsburg for four winter races in November and December. It is a local series, with each round approximately 9 to 10 kilometers long. The main meeting point is the forest car park by Kathreinerstrasse and Brennhölzerweg in Augsburg-Bergheim. TG Viktoria Augsburg organizes the series with support from AOK-Gesundheitskasse. The format has been running since 1978, when the first event had 83 starters, all men. The order has stayed mostly the same: the series opens with the 9.0 km Südring-Lauf and Hermann-Böving memorial race, where Augsburg's forest-run city champions are also decided. This is followed by the 9.9 km Nord-Südring-Lauf. The Viktoria-Cross moves off the firm forest paths and onto rougher ground over 9.6 km, before the 9.3 km Weihnachtslauf concludes the series around the Rentnerhütte. Awards are held outdoors near Schloss Wellenburg. Fields now usually range between 200 and 300 runners per race. The overall record totals about 37,000 starters across 175 races, including athletes with Olympic and World Championship experience. The wider Westliche Wälder area is also significant in German running history: Bobingen hosted the first German Volkslauf there, contributing to the popular running boom.