Name: Airship Run — Running Experience at Essen/Mülheim Airport 2026
Start: 2026-10-04T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-10-04T00:00:00+00:00
Location: WDL-Luftschiffhangar, Flughafen Essen/Mülheim

Airship Run

About Airship Run

Where the WDL airship 'Theo' usually takes off, you'll be running: The Airship Run leads directly across the apron, taxiway, and runway of Essen/Mülheim Airport — ending inside the colossal WDL airship hangar. 2nd edition in 2026: 5, 10, and 15 kilometer distances on a flat 2.5 km loop, plus a kids' run for the little ones. Strict prohibitions (no headphones, no littering) are part of the format — after all, we're at an active airport.

Dates 04 Oct — 04 Oct 2026

Venue Mülheim an der Ruhr (05117)

Prices —

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Airship Run — edition 2026

Tickets →

2nd Airship Run on October 4, 2026, at Essen/Mülheim Airport. Three distances (5, 10, 15 km) on a 2.5 km loop that runs across the apron, taxiway, and runway, ending in the WDL airship hangar. Plus a kids' run. Strict headphone and littering ban. Organizer: Marathon und Triathlon Mülheim e.V.

Distances

5 km (2 laps on 2.5 km loop)
10 km (4 laps)
15 km (6 laps)
Kids' Run for children (shortened distance)

Course

Start on the apron → taxiway → runway section → return via the other side → finish in the WDL airship hangar. Asphalt aircraft pavement, fast and flat.

Important Rules

Strict headphone ban (runway safety)
Littering ban (risk of foreign objects for aircraft turbines)
No drones or selfie sticks
ID required for check-in

Organizer

Marathon und Triathlon Mülheim e.V. Registration via my.raceresult.com/378203.

Highlights Airship Run 2026

Run directly on the runway and taxiway of Essen/Mülheim Airport. Finish line inside the WDL airship hangar, one of Europe's largest free-standing hangars. Flat PB course.

Programme Airship Run 2026

Schedule 04/10/2026

Check-in with ID requirement (airport security)
Kids' Run for children
5 km Run (2 laps à 2.5 km)
10 km Run (4 laps)
15 km Run (6 laps)
Award ceremony in the airship hangar
Refreshments inside the hangar

Course Layout per Lap (2.5 km)

Start apron → taxiway → runway section → return → hangar passage → next lap / finish

Prices Airship Run 2026

Registration is subject to a fee via raceresult.com. Current prices on luftschifflauf.de and marathon-muelheim.de.

Practical information

Practical information — Airship Run

Getting There

Essen/Mülheim Airport, Brunshofstraße 110, 45470 Mülheim an der Ruhr. By car via the A40 (exit Mülheim-Heißen). By public transport: U-Bahn line U18 to the terminus Mülheim-Heißen Kirche, then approx. 15 minutes on foot or by bus.

Date & Distances

Sunday, October 4, 2026. Distances 5 km, 10 km, 15 km on a 2.5 km loop. Kids' run for children. Exact start times and registration via my.raceresult.com/378203 and luftschifflauf.de.

Rules

No headphone running, no littering, no drones. ID required for check-in (airport security).

Run between Airship and Runway

There are running events — and then there are experiential runs. The Airship Run at Essen/Mülheim Airport clearly belongs in the second category. The organizer, Marathon und Triathlon Mülheim e.V., launched one of Germany's strangest and most beautiful running routes in 2025: directly across the active airfield of Westdeutsche Luftwerbung (WDL), including the taxiway and runway. The 2nd edition will take place on Sunday, October 4, 2026.

The Course — 2.5 Kilometer Loop

The event uses an approximately 2.5-kilometer loop on the airport grounds. You start on the apron, turn onto the taxiway, run a stretch of the runway, and come back via the other side. At the finish line — and this is where it gets spectacular — you run into the WDL airship hangar, one of Europe's largest free-standing hangar structures. The ground is asphalt aircraft pavement: fast, flat, perfect for personal bests.

Three Distances Plus Kids' Run

You can choose between three distances: 5 km (2 laps), 10 km (4 laps), and 15 km (6 laps). For the little ones, there's also a kids' run over a shorter distance. All finishers receive a medal; refreshments are available at the finish area (in the hangar!).

Strict Rules — Safety at the Airport

As this is an active airport, special rules apply: No headphones (you must be able to hear instructions), strict littering ban (foreign objects on runways can destroy aircraft turbines), no drones, no selfie sticks. These rules are enforced on-site — violators will be disqualified.

Essen/Mülheim Airport — A Special World

Today, Essen/Mülheim Airport is primarily a base for business aviation, airship advertising, and flight schools. Its airship hangar, built in 1971 for WDL airships, is an industrial monument. The advertising Zeppelin 'Theo' took off from here for decades. This very mix of industrial history, open airfield atmosphere, and athlete fascination makes the Airship Run one of the most unusual events in the NRW running calendar — and family-friendly in a way unmatched elsewhere in the Ruhr region.