Hofmann Flechtkulturlauf Obermain

14th Edition on the Obermain

The Flechtkulturlauf will be held for the 14th time in 2026. The organizer is ASC Burgberg e.V. under the initiative of Jürgen Steinmetz, with organizational support from Stadtmarketing Lichtenfels (City Manager Steffen Hofmann). The main sponsor and namesake is the company Hofmann.

The Course

The start and finish line is Lichtenfels Market Square. The route follows the "Weg der Flechtkultur" (Path of Basket Weaving Culture) — a themed route connecting Lichtenfels with Michelau, passing through the basket-making town of Schney and leading through a landscape on the Obermain that has been shaped by the production of baskets and woven goods since the 19th century. In the 19th century, Lichtenfels was a world leader in basket making and still bears the nickname "Deutsche Korbstadt" (German Basket City) today.

Four Competitions

Four competitions are available: 5.3 km SPORT-PRAXIS-(Nordic)-Walking, 5.3 km THERAMED-Flechtkulturlauf, 10.5 km SPARKASSEN-(Nordic)-Walking, and 10.5 km MOTHERSON-Flechtkulturlauf. This makes the event equally open to hobby runners, ambitious Volkslauf (popular run) participants, and (Nordic) walkers. Company, school, and club teams can also participate.

Lichtenfels Wine Festival in Parallel

In parallel to the run, the Lichtenfels Wine Festival takes place on the Market Square, featuring Franconian wine, culinary stalls, and live music. The combination of a sporting event and a gastronomic city festival makes Lichtenfels Market Square one of Upper Franconia's liveliest squares on race day.

Upper Franconia and Obermain

Lichtenfels is located in the district of Lichtenfels in Upper Franconia on the Obermain river, about 30 km north of Bamberg. The town, with around 20,000 inhabitants, is the economic center of the Obermain Valley and belongs to the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region.