Alstertallauf Hamburg

Hamburg's quiet autumn fun run

The Alstertallauf is one of Hamburg's traditional running events, standing in the shadow of the big city marathons — and that's precisely why it's so popular. While the hella Hamburg Marathon sends 24,000 runners across the Reeperbahn in June, the Alstertallauf in October is a quieter, more rural running format in the Wandsbek district.

A course along the upper Alster

The course leads along the upper Alster hiking trail between the districts of Rahlstedt, Meiendorf, and Alstertal. Unlike the inner-city Hamburg races, the Alstertallauf follows a nature-oriented route — along the Alster river, through wooded areas, past suburban Hamburg gardens. The course profile is flat: no significant inclines, ideal for personal best times.

Four races for all levels

The program combines several distances, running in parallel or staggered times:

• Half Marathon (21.1 km) — the main distance for ambitious hobby runners and club athletes
• 10 km — for the intermediate distance
• 4 km — for beginners and families
• 1.5 km — beginner and children's run

This staggered setup makes the Alstertallauf a family-friendly event: parents can run the half marathon, children the 1.5 km — everyone experiences the same day.

Hamburger Turnerbund since 1862

The organizer is the Hamburger Turnerbund von 1862 e.V., one of the most traditional sports clubs in the Hanseatic city. For over 160 years, the HTB has been promoting club sports in Hamburg and has made a firm name for itself in the running scene with events like the Alstertallauf.

Not to be confused with the CURREX Alsterlauf

Important for Hamburg runner statistics: The Alstertallauf is *not* the CURREX Alsterlauf. The CURREX Alsterlauf is a separate 10 km event in the city area (St. Pauli / Innenstadt) and has nothing to do with the Alstertallauf except for the river as the namesake. Those wishing to register should pay attention to the event name.