Germany
Frankfurt Marathon 2026
Sunday 25 October 2026 · confirmed date
2 days to go
Key facts
- Race day
- Sunday 25 October 2026
- Confirmed by the organisers
- Start
- 10:00
- local time
- Course
- Flat · Loop
- Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage, beside the Messeturm to Festhalle (indoor finish on the exhibition grounds)
- Course record, men
- 2:03:42
- Wilson Kipsang, 2011
- Course record, women
- 2:17:25
- Hawi Feysa, 2024
- Finishers
- 12,329
- in 2025
- Time limit
- 6h00
- First held
- 1981
The race
About the Frankfurt Marathon
The Frankfurt Marathon has been run since 1981 and is one of the fastest courses in Europe. Wilson Kipsang's 2:03:42 from 2011 still stands as the course record, and the race regularly draws a strong international elite field.
For everyone else, Frankfurt is a calm, well-organised autumn marathon between the towers of the banking district and the banks of the River Main. The finish is what people remember: you run into the Festhalle and cross the line on a red carpet under its arched roof, with music and full stands. It suits runners chasing a personal best as much as first-timers looking for an autumn goal.
Course
The Frankfurt Marathon course
The race starts on the Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage beside the Messeturm. After an early lap of the Taunusanlage, the course heads out to the Bockenheimer Warte and comes back past the Alte Oper, through the city centre and the banking district. Around 13 km it crosses the Main into Sachsenhausen and follows the south bank, returns to the north side at about 24 km, and makes a short loop in Höchst.
The long run back into town along the Mainzer Landstraße is where the race is decided: wide, straight and easy to pace, but mentally long. The only notable climb is the bridge back over the Main at Schwanheim. There are just 27.8 m between the lowest and highest points, so this is a course for even pacing.
Race-day weather
Race morning in late October is usually cool, around 6–12°C, often grey and sometimes windy or damp.
Train
Training for the Frankfurt Marathon 2027
Under twelve weeks to go is short for a marathon block, so these dates count down to the edition after, on Sunday 31 October 2027.
| Plan | Starts on |
|---|---|
| 24 weeks | Monday 17 May 2027 |
| 20 weeks | Monday 14 June 2027 |
| 16 weeks | Monday 12 July 2027 |
| 12 weeks | Monday 9 August 2027 |
For this course
Your build-up runs through July, August and September, so much of it happens in summer heat while the race is usually cool: do key sessions early in the morning and don't judge your fitness by hot-weather paces. The course is flat with long straight roads, so practise steady marathon-pace blocks of 10–16 km on flat routes. Late October can be windy; practise running in a group on long runs, and bring layers you can discard at the start.
See the marathon pace chart or a sample sub-4 plan.
Print a pace band for the Frankfurt Marathon, with the race clock at every kilometre.
Entry
How to get a place
Entry is through online registration on the official website, first come, first served until places run out. The 2025 marathon sold out ahead of race day, so it is worth registering early in the year.
Every marathon lottery date for 2027 → Which marathons have no lottery? →Organised by motion events GmbH
Official websiteQuestions
Frequently asked
When is the Frankfurt Marathon 2026?
The Frankfurt Marathon 2026 is on Sunday 25 October 2026. The organisers have confirmed the date.
When should I start training for the Frankfurt Marathon?
Count back from race day: a 16-week plan for the 2027 edition starts on 12 July 2027, a 20-week plan on 14 June 2027. Most runners need 16 to 20 weeks; 12 is the shortest block worth doing.
Is the Frankfurt Marathon fast?
Yes. The course is flat, with only 27.8 m between its lowest and highest points, and the men's course record is 2:03:42. Wind in late October is the main thing that can slow you down.
What is the time limit?
The finish closes at 16:45, which gives you six hours net to complete the course.
Where does the Frankfurt Marathon finish?
Inside the Festhalle on the exhibition grounds, on a red carpet, close to the start beside the Messeturm.
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