From a 40 km Run in 1897
1897The organisers trace the Leipzig Marathon back to 1897, when a 40 km run modelled on the Olympic Games was held in Leipzig. In its present form the race has existed since 1977.
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Course & Elevation
The Leipzig Marathon is a spring marathon in the centre of Leipzig, held on a Sunday in April. The organisers, the Stadtsportbund Leipzig together with Leipzig Marathon e.V., trace its origins to a 40 km run in 1897 and say it has existed in its present form since 1977. The 2027 race will be the 49th edition. The marathon starts at 10:00 on Am Sportforum, right next to the Red Bull Arena, and finishes in the same street. Runners complete two laps of the half-marathon circuit. The route passes the Waldplatz and the Neues Rathaus, runs to the Augustusplatz with the Gewandhaus, the Opera and the Krochhochhaus, and then leads to the Völkerschlachtdenkmal and towards the southern Auwald. The finish straight is almost 800 metres long. A half marathon, a 10 km run and walk, a 4 km run and walk and children's runs take place on the same day. The marathon has a gross time limit of six hours, and the finish closes at 16:00. In 2026, the event had more than 14,000 participants across all distances, a record.
Surface: road Profile: Flat
Weather
Typical climate for the race month — an estimate, not a forecast or a race-day record
Temperature 10°C
Humidity 68%
Rain Chance 37%
April in Leipzig is cool: average highs are about 15°C and lows about 4°C, with measurable rain on roughly 11 days of the month.
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The Race
Leipzig
Race Lore
A Debut Win in 2026
2026At the 48th Leipzig Marathon in April 2026, former Nordic combined athlete Jakob Lange won on his marathon debut in Leipzig in 2:17:43, about eight minutes ahead of the runner-up. Antonia Müller of LG eXa Leipzig won the women's race in 2:43:07, her second victory after 2024.
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Fun Facts
- ▸ The organisers trace the race to a 40 km run held in Leipzig in 1897, modelled on the Olympic Games.
- ▸ Over 14,000 participants took part across all distances in 2026, a record for the event.
- ▸ A race number gives free public transport in MDV zone 110 on race day.
- ▸ The finish straight is almost 800 metres long.
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