pacertrip.

PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONDE / RACE GUIDE

Mainz Gutenberg Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Mainz
DE

Gruenschuh · CC BY-SA 3.0Kandschwar, CC BY-SA 3.0Gruenschuh, CC BY-SA 3.0

Race date in 201 days: May 2, 2027 Sun
City · Distance: Mainz · 10km
Entry fee: €55Varies by event and entry period
Status: OpenTBD ~ Sun, April 18, 2027See how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 13, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

This is the half marathon-centered race in Mainz, the city of Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press.

It began in 2000 to commemorate the 600th anniversary of Gutenberg’s birth.

It is a signature running festival in Rhineland-Palatinate, with tens of thousands of spectators lining the streets.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 2

Anton LautnerRan in 2024 · Finish time 1:59:30 (gun time)

“I happily high-fived many children.”

The runner ran the Mainz half marathon while taking photos and enjoyed the many bands, the crowd support, and the various downtown courses. The runner finished the half marathon in 1 hour 59 minutes 30 seconds, faster than expected, but felt that the narrow post-finish aid area needed improvement.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

Gerne klatsche ich viele Kinderhände ab.

Read the original on marathon4you

moengelRan in 2009 · Finish time 3:01:17

“I'm just about to set an amazing new personal best.”

The runner raced the Mainz Gutenberg Marathon with support despite heat and worries about calf pain. Although slowing late on, the runner finished in 3 hours 1 minute 17 seconds, improving the personal best by more than 8 minutes.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

Ich bin kurz davor eine sensationelle neue Bestzeit aufzustellen.

Read the original on Moengels Laufblog

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Gutenberg Halbmarathon Mainz - Eventmovie

Gutenberg Halbmarathon Mainz

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

Half

Entry cost €55

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 10km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

From the 2026 edition

Runners start · local timeFrom 10:00

The start time and cutoff follow the official announcement (checked Aug 3, 2026) — re-check on the official page before entering.

Event	Start	Time limit
Half21.0975km	—	3h
10K	08:45	—
10K10km	08:45	—

City center · not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet. The map shows the host city.

START

Mainz

The Mainz Gutenberg Marathon (now a race centered on half marathon) was first held in 2000 to mark the 600th anniversary of the birth of Johannes Gutenberg,

the Mainz native credited with inventing movable-type printing.

More than 20 years on, it has become one of Rhineland-Palatinate’s flagship running festivals, drawing tens of thousands of spectators.

The major change came in 2024.

The full marathon marathon event, which had accounted for just 10–15% of total entries,

was discontinued, and the race was restructured around the half marathon and 10K.

Race operations were also taken over by Frankfurt-based motion events,

which has adopted a strategy of raising the event’s profile by offering appearance fees to invite top international athletes.

Course starts on Große Bleiche in the heart of Mainz’s Old Town, near the Electoral Palace (Kurfürstliches Schloss),

then passes the Roman Theatre ruins before continuing along Rheinstraße.

Between kilometers 2 and 5, runners enjoy views of the Rhine while passing the State Chancellery,

the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament, Theodor Heuss Bridge and the Electoral Palace in succession.

The course then heads through Kaiser-Karl-Ring and Hattenbergstraße into the Mombach district.

In the final 4 kilometers, it cuts through the historic Old Town,

passing Gutenbergplatz and the Mainz State Theatre, while the mark at 18–19 km offers a view of Mainz Cathedral.

Finish then returns to the area in front of the Electoral Palace.

Typical race-season temperature: around 13°C (56°F): Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers
Landmarks on course: Electoral Palace, Roman Theater, Rheinstrasse, Theodor Heuss Bridge, Gutenbergplatz, Mainz Cathedral

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

From the most recent edition

Bag drop 2026

Finisher certificate 2026

Finisher medal 2026

Pacers 2026

Timing chip 2026

This may change for the next edition.

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2026 edition

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startMainz Hauptbahnhof (main train station), plus tram
Getting to the finishMainz Hauptbahnhof · "Rathaus" tram stop

Source · checked Aug 23, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Mainz Hauptbahnhof (main train station), plus tram/bus stop "Rathaus" directly adjacent to the start area

Start (half marathon) is at Große Bleiche/Ernst-Ludwig-Platz near the Kurfürstliches Schloss; marathon/finish area is on Rheinstraße between the Rathaus (city hall) and Rheingoldhalle, a roughly 15-20 min walk from Hauptbahnhof, or a short ride/walk from the Rathaus tram stop. Extensive tram network changes/road closures occur citywide on race day per Mainzer Mobilität.

Map

Getting to the finish

Mainz Hauptbahnhof / "Rathaus" tram stop

Finish is on Rheinstraße between Rathaus and Rheingoldhalle, same area as start — walkable from Hauptbahnhof or the adjacent tram stops.

Map

Start shuttle

No dedicated race shuttle bus; instead, the race bib doubles as a free ticket on Mainzer Mobilität (local trams/buses) on race day, and extra night-service tram lines (90-93) run to Hauptbahnhof around 7:40am for early race-morning access.

Source · checked Aug 23, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

The race is highly popular and often sells out early.

Online registration typically closes around two weeks before race day, and when places remain,

on-site registration has reportedly been available at the bib collection desk on the day before and on race day.

Start times are split, with the 10K starting at 8:45 a.m. and the half marathon at 10:00 a.m.

Entry fee uses a tiered pricing structure, with fees increasing according to when you register and the number of entries already received.

For the exact fee, check the official website for the relevant race season.

Note that although the event is still called a “marathon,” the full marathon is no longer offered;

the race is now centered on the half marathon and 10K.

Times are local to Mainz. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Brunfels Hotel, In The Unbound Collection By Hyatt

Hotel · 588m

9.3/10(1704)

View on Booking.com

Cologne Pub Crawl

€27

Mainz Gutenberg Marathon

About Mainz Gutenberg Marathon — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run