My marathons

Hermannslauf

11:0011:00 AM Bielefeld
Hermann Monument
Hermann Monument. Photograph by Wildhog66, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The course

The Hermannslauf covers 31.1 km from Detmold to Bielefeld through the Teutoburg Forest, starting near the Hermannsdenkmal.

The course in short One line
  • From the Hermannsdenkmal to Bielefeld31.1 km through the Teutoburg Forest, from the Hermannsdenkmal to Bielefeld.
Course notes One short read on the course
Whole courseFinishFrom the Hermannsdenkmal to Bielefeld31.1 km through the Teutoburg Forest, from the Hermannsdenkmal to Bielefeld.

Runners reach the start by the organiser’s bus transfer from Bielefeld or the shuttle from Detmold station. Start groups are placed by the results of the last two Hermannsläufe or comparable runs, and walkers can set off from 08:00. The race had its 54th edition in 2026.

Sourced

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

4 gels for Bielefeld, plus 1 spare

Finish

One every 40 minutes, by the clock:

  1. km 7.1mile 4.4
  2. km 14.2mile 8.8
  3. km 21.3mile 13.3
  4. km 28.4mile 17.7

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.

Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.

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
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

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
A race number belt
Illustration · drag to turn

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
A tube of electrolyte tablets
Illustration · drag to turn

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
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

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.
distance
31.1 km19.3 mi

Race week

Timetable

Sunday 25 April Race day

  1. 08:008:00 AM

    Walkers start at the Hermannsdenkmal Walkers set off from 08:00 and are timed from the gun.

  2. 11:0011:00 AM

    Runners start at the Hermannsdenkmal The start is from 11:00, in start groups placed by the results of the last two Hermannsläufe or comparable runs.

Times as published by the organiser, in Bielefeld time, checked .

Add to calendar .ics file, times in Bielefeld time

Trip

Getting a place

Entry through the organiser

Entry details on the organiser’s site →

The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.

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