31st Würzburg Memorial Run
Preserving remembrance through running. Start: Saturday, 20 March 2027, at 11:00 outside Würzburg Town Hall.
Event information and registration
Saturday, 20 March 2027, at 11:00 outside Würzburg Town Hall.
Registration opens soon.
Organised by Stadtmarathon Würzburg e.V., Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V. and Kolping-Mainfranken GmbH.
Late entry
You can sign up on the day using a smartphone. Your race number is printed on site and can then be completed with your name by hand.
Your race number
After registering, you receive an email containing a link to download your race number as a PDF. Please print it and bring it in a waterproof clear sleeve.
The Memorial Run is not a competitive sporting event. It is an opportunity to remember together and pause in commemoration of the destruction of Würzburg.
Routes and finishes
Choose the distance at which you would like to finish.
| Finish | Approximate distance | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|
| Zell | 5 km | — |
| Margetshöchheim | 10 km | — |
| Himmelstadt – half marathon | 21 km | 16 years |
| Karlstadt | 28 km | 18 years |
| Gemünden – ultra distance | 44 km | 18 years |
Finish in Gemünden: Mittelschule Gemünden, Hofweg 4, 97737 Gemünden, directly beside the indoor swimming pool.
Refreshments and bag transport
Drinks stations are provided at Zell (km 5), Margetshöchheim (km 10), Zellingen (km 17), Himmelstadt (km 21), Karlstadt (km 28) and the Harrbach lock (km 35).
Please carry your own refreshments for the other sections. Drinks, coffee and cake await you at the finish in Gemünden.
A clothing transport service is offered for participants running all the way to Gemünden. If you finish on a shorter route, please arrange transport of your change of clothes yourself. Collect your bags by 18:00 at the latest.
Return journey
There are several places along the route where companions can reach or collect participants. Distances are measured from Würzburg.
Zell – approximately 5 km
Turn right behind the monastery and go down towards the Main before the bridge. The refreshment point is directly on the cycle path. A car park immediately in front is easy to reach from the road.
Margetshöchheim – approximately 10 km
The Marokko-Schänke serves drinks directly beside the cycle path. It is on the route and can be reached from the direction of Würzburg or Karlstadt.
Zellingen – approximately 16 km
A refreshment point is on the cycle path before the swimming pool. This is not an official collection point, although it can be used as a brief meeting point.
Himmelstadt – approximately 21 km
A pavilion stands on the cycle path immediately after the Main bridge. A car park can also be reached from the road. The route follows the left bank of the Main as far as Himmelstadt.
Karlstadt – approximately 28 km
The meeting point is the market square in the town centre. Direct vehicle access is restricted because this is a pedestrian area. You can drive to within approximately 100 metres and walk the remaining distance. Participants have crossed to the other bank of the Main before reaching Karlstadt.
Gemünden – approximately 44 km
Collection is at the school centre, Hofweg 4, 97737 Gemünden. Vehicles can reach the site directly.
Remembering Würzburg in 1945
16 March 1945: A British radio message was intercepted: “550 bombers are approaching Würzburg.” At 21:07 the residents were warned. At 21:25 the bombing began. Very few people in Würzburg found shelter; there were hardly any shelters available.
During the night of 16–17 March 1945, everyone who could still run escaped from the city along the banks of the Main to save their lives. Those who could no longer run, or who did not want to leave their homes, were among the 5,000 people killed.
Running means life. The route the people of Würzburg followed that night was a path of hope.
Donations
We welcome every donation. Donations support disadvantaged people in the region and Johanniter kindergartens in Würzburg.
Donation receipts are not issued.
Bank: SPK Mainfranken Würzburg
Account holder: Stadtmarathon Würzburg e.V.
IBAN: DE88790500000043230002
BIC/SWIFT: BYLADEM1SWU
Payment reference: Spende Gedächtnislauf
Previous editions
Documents from 2026 and photographs from 2025.
Photos from 2026 will follow.
| Year | Participants |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 824 |
| 2025 | 602 |
| 2024 | 465 |
| 2023 | 334 |
| 2022 | 380, with a hygiene protocol |
| 2021 | Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic |
| 2020 | Cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic |
| 2019 | 501 |
| 2018 | 451 |
| 2017 | 421 |
| 2016 | 520 |
| 2015 | 520 |
| 2014 | 625 |
| 2013 | 455 |
| 2012 | 550 |
| 2011 | 410 |
| 2006 | First Memorial Run: approximately 1,000 participants |
Our sponsors
We can achieve more together.
30th Würzburg Memorial Run
Keeping the memory alive – on the run.
Start: Saturday, 21 March 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Würzburg Town Hall
Würzburg 1945
March 16, 1945: A British radio message is intercepted:
"550 bombers are on their way to Würzburg."
9:07 p.m.: Warning issued to the residents.
9:25 p.m.: Hell breaks loose. Most people in Würzburg cannot find a shelter – there are hardly any.
That night, into March 17, 1945, everyone who could still run fled along the river Main, trying to save their lives.
Those who couldn’t (or wouldn’t) leave their homes were among the 5,000 people who perished.
Running means survival.
It was the path the people of Würzburg took that night – the path of hope.
We appreciate every donation:
Bank details:
SPK Mainfranken Würzburg
Account holder: Stadtmarathon Würzburg e.V.
IBAN: DE 88790500000043230002
BIC/SWIFT code: BYLADEM1SWU
Reference: Donation Gedächtnislauf
Your donation supports:
Disadvantaged people in the region and the Johanniter kindergartens in Würzburg.
No donation receipts will be issued.
Event Information – Würzburg Memorial Run
Organizers:
Stadtmarathon Würzburg e.V., Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V. and Kolping-Mainfranken GmbH
Late Registration:
Spontaneous participants can register on race day via smartphone. The race number will be printed on site and can be supplemented with your name by hand.
Start:
Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at Würzburg City Hall
Distances:
The Memorial Run offers several distances – for everyone who wants to be active and remember:
- Zell: approx. 5 km
- Margetshöchheim: approx. 10 km
- Himmelstadt (Half Marathon): approx. 21 km
- Karlstadt: approx. 28 km
- Gemünden (Ultra distance): approx. 44 km
Finish in Gemünden:
Mittelschule Gemünden, Hofweg 4, 97737 Gemünden (right next to the indoor swimming pool)
Race Number:
After registration, you will receive a link via email to download your race number as a PDF. Please print it out and bring it in a waterproof sleeve.
Refreshment Stations:
Drink stations are located in: Zell (km 5), Margetshöchheim (km 10), Zellingen (km 17), Himmelstadt (km 21), Karlstadt (km 28), and at Harrbach lock (km 35). For all other sections, please bring your own supplies. Drinks, coffee and cake will be available at the finish in Gemünden.
Bag Transport:
For those running to Gemünden, we offer bag transport. For shorter distances, please arrange your own clothing transport. Bags must be picked up by 6:00 p.m.
Note:
The Memorial Run is not a competition! The focus is on remembering the destruction of Würzburg together.
Participants
2025 - 602
2024 - 465
2023 - 334
2022 - 380 (with hygiene measures)
2021 - cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2020 - cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019 - 501
2018 - 451
2017 - 421
2016 - 520
2015 - 520
2014 - 625
2013 - 455
2012 - 550
2011 - 410
2006 - First Memorial Run: approx. 1000 participants
Courses and Finish Locations:
Zell: approx. 5 km
Margetshöchheim: approx. 10 km
Himmelstadt: approx. 21 km
Karlstadt: approx. 28 km
Gemünden: approx. 44 km
Our Sponsors
Only together can we achieve great things.