Entry through the organiser
Entry details on the organiser’s site →
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Hamburg Half Marathon
At a glance
- Race day
- The 2026 race
- Next race
- Date not out yet
- Last run Sun 25 Oct
- Start
- 09:309:30 AM
- Distance
- 21.1 km13.1 mi
- Half marathon
- Entry fee
- €87
- For the 2026 race
- Time limit
- 3 h 30 min
- Finish closes 14:402:40 PM
The course
The half marathon starts on the Reeperbahn and finishes on Karolinenstrasse at the Messegelände, on a certified point-to-point course that is mostly flat.
- Reeperbahn to the Messe, point to pointStart on the Reeperbahn, finish at the Messegelände; mostly flat, all asphalt.
- Moved to autumn, started in wavesThe 2026 race was moved to 25 October after a heat wave; first start 09:30.
Course notes 2 short reads on the course
km 0 to 21.1GeometryReeperbahn to the Messe, point to pointStart on the Reeperbahn, finish at the Messegelände; mostly flat, all asphalt.
The organiser describes an officially measured 21.0975 km point-to-point course, mostly flat and asphalted throughout, closed to traffic by police and marshals, with every kilometre marked by signs. The start is on the Reeperbahn at the St. Pauli U-Bahn station and the finish is on Karolinenstrasse at the Messegelände, by the Messehallen U-Bahn and Dammtor S-Bahn stations.
Sourced
km 0 to 21.1ConditionsMoved to autumn, started in wavesThe 2026 race was moved to 25 October after a heat wave; first start 09:30.
The organiser moved the 32nd hella hamburg halbmarathon to Sunday 25 October 2026 because of the heat wave, and says the autumn date brings cooler temperatures and later start times. The first start is at 09:30 and runners go in waves and blocks according to the finish time they gave at entry. The participation limit is 24,000 and the finish closes at 14:40, a maximum finish time of 3 hours 30 minutes.
Sourced
Race weekend
Bib pickup at Hamburg Messe, hall A4 (middle entrance)Friday 23 October Bib pickup
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10:0010:00 AM–20:008:00 PM
Bib collection Hamburg Messe, hall A4 (middle entrance). Bibs are not sent by post.
Saturday 24 October Last bib day
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10:0010:00 AM–20:008:00 PM
Bib collection Hamburg Messe, hall A4 (middle entrance)
Bib in hand?A number belt holds it without pins through your race top. Clip it on tonight.
Number belt on AmazonAmazon partner link
Sunday 25 October Race day
-
09:309:30 AM
First start Reeperbahn (U-St. Pauli). Runners start in waves and blocks, assigned by the finish time given at entry. -
14:402:40 PM
Finish closes Karolinenstrasse, Messegelände. The maximum finish time is 3 hours 30 minutes. 3:30 limit: 9:57/km for 21.0975 km3:30 limit: 16:01/mi for 13.1 mi
Times as published by the organiser, in Hamburg 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 Hamburg time
Entry
Race fuel
Energy gel
2 gels for Hamburg, plus 1 spare
Finish
One every 40 minutes, by the clock:
Under about 75 minutes most runners need no gel: water at the aid stations does it.
- km 7.3mile 4.6
- km 14.7mile 9.1
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.
Only the gel you trained with. Nothing new on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
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.
Get it on Amazon
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.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
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.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
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 Hamburg Half Marathon
- When is the Hamburg Half Marathon 2026?
- Sunday 25 October 2026. The start is at 09:30.
- How do I enter the Hamburg Half Marathon?
- Entry is through the organiser. Entry fee: €87 (for the 2026 race). Entry details on the organiser’s site
- What is the time limit at the Hamburg Half Marathon?
- Runners have 3 h 30 min to finish. The finish closes at 14:40.
- Where does the Hamburg Half Marathon start?
- Start: Reeperbahn (U-St. Pauli).
Keep exploring
More races to look at after the Hamburg Half Marathon.
