Dessauer Rathaus-Center CityRUN

City Run through the Bauhaus City

When over 2,000 runners stream into Dessau's city center on the second weekend in September, it's CityRUN time. The city run has been a mandatory sporting event in the Bauhaus city since the late 1990s and celebrates its 27th edition in 2026. The start and finish point has for years been the Rathaus-Center at Zerbster Straße 4 — the central hub of Dessau-Roßlau's city center.

The course is a classic city run circuit: 2 kilometers through the pedestrian zone and around the Rathaus-Center, with the corresponding number of laps depending on the distance. The mix of participants ranges from 5-year-old beginner child runners to sub-40-minute 10 km specialists — a true public running format with a family atmosphere and at the same time sporting ambition in the 10 km championship. The organizer is Anhalt Sport e.V., which has been responsible for the city's running sports infrastructure for years.

Four Distances, One Day

The program is staggered by age group and ambition: At 10 a.m., the children start over 1 kilometer, then five minutes later the 4 km distance for young people and hobby runners. At 11 a.m., the fun run over 2 km follows — company teams also run this distance, making the run a sporting and social obligation for many Dessau companies. The crowning finale is at 11:30 a.m. with the 10 km Championship, the ambitious main race, where personal bests are fought for on a signposted circuit.

Sport in Dessau-Roßlau and the State

Dessau-Roßlau is one of the three independent cities in the state of Saxony-Anhalt and is also active in sports: Alongside the Dessau Half Marathon and several marathon stations, the CityRUN forms the largest city run in the region. Compared to the major German city runs, the CityRUN is small — but that's precisely what makes it special. You can find yourself in the middle of the pack, you experience the course up close, and after crossing the finish line, you can get a glass of sparkling water at the Rathaus-Center in two minutes.