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Bienwald-Marathon
The Bienwald-Marathon is a course of 42.2 km with 57.8 m of climbing. Its lowest point is 121 m and its highest 136 m above sea level. Next race: Sunday 14 March 2027, starting at 10:00.
At a glance
- Race day
- The 2027 race
- Start
- 10:0010:00 AM
- Distance
- 42.2 km26.2 mi
- Marathon · Half marathon
- Total climb
- 57.8 m190 ft
- Highest point 15 m49 ft above lowest
- Time limit
- 5 hours
- Finish closes 15:003:00 PM
The course
Drag along the profileThe course stays between 120.6 m and 135.5 m above sea level and climbs 57.8 m in the full marathon.
Start, finish
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Height drawn many times taller than life · GEDTM30
0 10 20 30 40 km
0 10 20 26.2 mi
Your 5 gels, at the orange marksFor a 4:00 finish, one every 40 minutes
- km 7mile 4.4
- km 14.1mile 8.7
- km 21.1mile 13.1
- km 28.1mile 17.5
- km 35.2mile 21.8
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- A forest course within 15 metresHighest point at 19.1 km, lowest at 0.2 km; 14.9 m from low to high.
- Flat, traffic-free and measured to IAAF rulesFlat, paved, car-free, record-eligible; aid about every 5 km.
- 2,500 places, sold out in under a weekCapped at 2,500; the 2027 marathon sold out in under a week.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
km 0 to 42.2GradientA forest course within 15 metresHighest point at 19.1 km, lowest at 0.2 km; 14.9 m from low to high.
The road runs from 120.6 m, at 0.2 km, to 135.5 m, at 19.1 km: 14.9 m from the lowest point to the highest. The marathon climbs 57.8 m in total, so a watch on the day will count more small rises than this from road crossings and bridges.
The organiser calls the courses “vollkommen eben”, completely flat.
Measured
Whole courseTacticsFlat, traffic-free and measured to IAAF rulesFlat, paved, car-free, record-eligible; aid about every 5 km.
The marathon page describes the courses as completely flat, paved and free of traffic, measured under IAAF rules and therefore eligible for best-performance lists, with certificates on file. Each kilometre is signed. Aid stations stand about every 5 km with electrolyte drinks, tea, water and fruit, and runners may leave their own supplies at the info stand in the exhibition hall until 9:30 for delivery to the aid station they choose. The home page calls the Bienwald-Marathon one of the fastest marathons in Germany, run since 1976.
Sourced
Whole courseCrowd2,500 places, sold out in under a weekCapped at 2,500; the 2027 marathon sold out in under a week.
The marathon page limits the field to 2,500 participants. The organiser’s news item of 19 September 2026 says the 52nd Bienwald-Marathon, on 14 March 2027, sold out in under a week after the entry portal opened; the year before it took about six weeks. A resale portal lets runners offer their place to others, and the marathon doubles as the 2027 Pfalz marathon championship.
Sourced
Race weekend
Saturday 13 March Bib pickup
-
15:003:00 PM–17:305:30 PM
Bib pickup Saturday pickup.
Bib in hand?A number belt holds it without pins through your race top. Clip it on tonight.
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Sunday 14 March Race day
-
07:307:30 AM
Bib pickup Sunday pickup from 07:30. -
09:309:30 AM
Start blocks open Runners find their own start block from about 9:30. -
10:0010:00 AM
Marathon start In front of the Bienwaldhalle. The marathon is also the Pfalz marathon championship in 2027. -
15:003:00 PM
Finish closes Bienwaldstadion. Closing time at the finish is 15:00, five hours after the 10:00 start. 5:00 limit: 7:06/km for 42.195 km5:00 limit: 11:26/mi for 26.2 mi
Times as published by the organiser, in Kandel time, checked . Confirm on their site before you travel.
The forecast for Sunday
Race morning, on the record
Add to calendar .ics file, times in Kandel time
Entry
Race fuel
Energy gel
5 gels for Kandel, plus 1 spare
Finish
One every 40 minutes, the orange marks on the profile. Kandel stays within 15 m49 ft of height, so they go by the clock:
Under about 75 minutes most runners need no gel: water at the aid stations does it.
- km 7mile 4.4
- km 14.1mile 8.7
- km 21.1mile 13.1
- km 28.1mile 17.5
- km 35.2mile 21.8
For your long training runs:
Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side. Enough for race day and two test long runs.
Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.
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In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.
Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.
Anti-chafe
Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml
An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.
Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.
Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.
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We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Number belt
Compressport Race Belt
Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.
Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.
Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.
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Electrolytes
SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20
One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.
One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.
Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.
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Blister plasters
Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6
One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.
Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.
Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Questions about the Bienwald-Marathon
- Is the Bienwald-Marathon course flat?
- Not entirely. It has 57.8 m of climbing over 42.2 km. The highest point is 15 m above the lowest.
- When is the Bienwald-Marathon 2027?
- Sunday 14 March 2027. The start is at 10:00.
- What is the time limit at the Bienwald-Marathon?
- Runners have 5 hours to finish. The finish closes at 15:00.
- Where does the Bienwald-Marathon start?
- Start: In front of the Bienwaldhalle.
Keep exploring
More races to look at after the Bienwald-Marathon.
