Frankfurt Marathon 2026: road closures and transport on 25 October

The Mainova Frankfurt Marathon returns on Sunday, 25 October, bringing tens of thousands of runners and large crowds of spectators onto the streets of Frankfurt. The Frankfurter Rundschau says residents should expect widespread road closures from early morning until the evening, and should plan their journeys around the course.

What happened

The Frankfurter Rundschau has published its service guide to this year’s race. It describes the event as Germany’s oldest city marathon and one of the major sporting events in Hessen, the federal state that includes Frankfurt. The main field starts on the Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage, the broad avenue in front of the Messeturm, the tower at the city’s trade fair grounds. Runners set off in several start waves. The newspaper does not give the start times of the individual waves in this article.

According to the paper, the course has only about 28 metres of difference in elevation, which puts it among the flattest and fastest marathon routes in the world. It starts in the Bankenviertel (banking district) and the city centre, then crosses the Main river into Sachsenhausen. From there it continues through Niederrad, Schwanheim and Nied as far as Höchst. Runners come back along the long straight of the Mainzer Landstraße and through the Westend to the Messe (trade fair) grounds. As usual, the race finishes on a red carpet inside the Festhalle, the large event hall on the trade fair site.

The event has been sold out since mid-August, which the Frankfurter Rundschau calls a record. You cannot sign up to run on the day.

What it means for you

If you live or work near the course, Sunday will be difficult for driving. The Frankfurter Rundschau reports that roads along the route will be closed to normal traffic from the early morning until the evening. While runners are on the course, you cannot cross it. The paper advises residents and visitors to leave the car at home or to drive around the city at a good distance.

The newspaper recommends the underground rail network as the best way to get around Frankfurt on race day:

• U-Bahn (underground): line U4 runs directly to the station Festhalle/Messe.
• S-Bahn (suburban rail): lines S3, S4, S5 and S6 stop at the station Frankfurt Messe.
• Trams and buses: lines that run above ground will have partial cancellations and diversions because of the course.

If you normally travel by tram or bus through the city centre, Sachsenhausen, Niederrad, Schwanheim, Nied, Höchst or the Westend, expect your route to be affected. The article does not list which tram or bus lines will change, so check with your local transport provider before you travel.

If you have to drive to the trade fair area, the Frankfurter Rundschau suggests taking the Westkreuz junction (where the A5 and A648 motorways meet) and heading for the Messeparkhaus Rebstock, the trade fair car park at Rebstock. Free shuttle buses run from there to the trade fair grounds.

If you want to watch, music stages will be set up along the route. The paper says spectators usually gather at well-known spots such as the Opernplatz (the square in front of the Alte Oper), the Hauptwache (a central square and transport hub), the banking district along the Taunusanlage, and the district of Frankfurt-Höchst. Expect these places to be crowded, and allow extra time if you need to pass through them for other reasons.

Before Sunday, it is worth checking:

• whether your street or your usual route lies on or across the course;
• whether any appointments, shifts or journeys on 25 October need to be moved or planned by U-Bahn or S-Bahn;
• whether your tram or bus line is diverted or partly cancelled.

What to watch next

The Frankfurter Rundschau’s guide does not give exact times for when individual roads close and reopen, and it does not list the affected tram and bus lines. Watch for detailed closure times and line changes from the city and the local transport operators in the days before the race, and check again shortly before you travel. Closures along the course last from the early morning into the evening on Sunday, 25 October.

Source: Frankfurter Rundschau