🇩🇪Cologne, Germany
Köln Marathon
Oct 4, 2026
Distance
42.2 km
Elevation gain
55 m
Terrain
Road
Entry type
Open entry
PB potential
Excellent PB course — flat, fast, and well-paced
Beginner friendly
Great for newcomers — manageable course, strong support
About this race
Cologne's marathon is one of Germany's finest after Berlin and Frankfurt. The near-flat course (55m elevation) crosses the Rhine twice on the famous Hohenzollernbrücke with its love-lock railings, runs along the Rheinuferpromenade, and loops through the historic Altstadt with the twin-spired Gothic Cathedral as an ever-present backdrop. October conditions are reliably good — 10–16°C — and German organisational efficiency means well-stocked aid stations and accurate timing. Cologne's vibrant nightlife and 2,000 years of history make it an excellent marathon travel destination. Entry is straightforward and affordable by Western European standards.
Typical race-day weather
Temperature
10–16°C
Humidity
65–75%
Conditions
Rhine valley autumn — cool and often clear
Wind
10–15 km/h
Pace Band
Generate a free elevation-adjusted pace band for Köln Marathon. Print it, wear it, hit your splits.
Build my pace band →More races
You might also like
Amsterdam, Netherlands
TCS Amsterdam Marathon
Oct 18, 2026 · Road · ↑ 45 m
OpenOne of Europe's flattest and fastest marathons — looping through Amsterdam's iconic canals and Vondelpark for world-class PB conditions.
World MajorBerlin, Germany
BMW Berlin Marathon
Sep 27, 2026 · Road · ↑ 61 m
Sold outThe world's fastest marathon course — dead flat, perfectly organised, and the site of more world records than any other race.
Frankfurt, Germany
BMW Frankfurt Marathon
Oct 25, 2026 · Road · ↑ 65 m
OpenGermany's second-fastest marathon course — near-flat with ideal October conditions, consistently producing top-10 world-rankings finish times.
Explore the region
More Europe marathons
Rotterdam, Netherlands
NN Rotterdam Marathon
Apr 5, 2027 · Road · ↑ 15 m
Registered openStatistically the world's fastest marathon course — virtually no elevation, sea-level altitude, perfect spring climate. Come to Rotterdam to run your best.
Valencia, Spain
Valencia Trinidad Alfonso Marathon
Dec 6, 2026 · Road · ↑ 36 m
Registration openDecember's perfect PB race — flat, fast, and held in ideal cool Mediterranean conditions that produce faster times than almost any course on earth.
Seville, Spain
Zurich Maratón de Sevilla
Feb 15, 2027 · Road · ↑ 58 m
Registration openFebruary's fastest marathon — a flat loop through Seville's old town and riverside promenades in crisp Andalusian winter conditions.