City guide
Munich Marathon: from the Olympic Park through the city and back
This is our home race, so we are a little biased. But honestly: the Munich Marathon has grown seriously big in recent years. In 2026 around 37,800 runners started across all distances, a new record, with an estimated 150,000 spectators along the route.
When and where?
The marathon takes place every October, in 2026 on 11 October. All weekend long there is a Runners Festival in the Olympic Park with bib collection, stands and programme. The start is on Spiridon-Louis-Ring in the Olympic Park, the finish at Willi-Daume-Platz right by the Olympic Lake.
The course
Since 2025 the marathon runs on a one-lap course, so no more running the same streets twice. From the Olympic Park it heads into the centre and right through everything that makes Munich:
- Siegestor and Odeonsplatz, the classic postcard view
- Marienplatz and Sendlinger Tor through the old town
- the English Garden with the Chinese Tower, green, calm and suddenly very Bavarian
- towards the Isar and Werksviertel in the east
- and back to the Olympic Park and the finish
More than 50 cheering zones with bands, drummers and brass bands keep the mood up. Anyone who has been cheered on by a brass band at kilometre 35 knows: it helps more than any gel.
Race day tips
- October in Munich can do anything: 5 degrees and fog or 18 degrees and sunshine. Pack for both.
- Take the U-Bahn to the Olympic Park, parking on race day is a lottery.
- Alongside the marathon there is a half marathon, a relay and a 10 km. Perfect for bringing friends along.
A shirt for home
Of course we have a shirt for our city: the Munich 42.2 shirt shows the Frauenkirche, the Olympic Tower and the Alps on the horizon, with 42.195 below. And if you prefer running in the mountains: around Munich there are half marathon shirts for Tegernsee and Innsbruck.
