Neujahrsmarathon Zürich
A marathon that starts at the first second of the new year, near Zurich
Runners come to Schlieren, near Zurich in Switzerland, for a marathon that begins at midnight on 1 January. First held in 2005, the event also offers a half marathon, a quarter marathon, a relay and a children's race, and it is usually the first AIMS race of the year.
When is Neujahrsmarathon Zürich marked?
Neujahrsmarathon Zürich is kept as part of New Year's Eve, which runs from 31 December 2026 to 1 January 2027.
Every year, at the first second of 1 January, a marathon sets off in Schlieren, just outside Zurich. The race began in 2005 and has grown into a night-time meeting point for runners who want to begin the year on the move. Alongside the full marathon distance there are shorter races, a relay and a children's run on New Year's Eve.
What it is
The Neujahrsmarathon Zürich is a road race run on 1 January. It starts at midnight, on the very first moment of the new year. Runners cover four laps beside the Limmat river, and the opening and closing points both lie inside a sports hall, so the field passes through the building after every lap. Other distances share the day: a half marathon of two laps, a quarter marathon of one lap measuring 11 kilometres, and a relay. Five hours is the limit, though bad weather such as snow or ice can stretch it.
How it began
The race was first put on in 2005. It is arranged by a running club that was registered in 2004, whose stated purpose is to encourage and support the sport of running, and which names this race as its main task each turn of the year. The club says it has no commercial aim and looks for no profit. That shows in what runners pay: even with its international standing, the Zurich event is among the cheapest marathons in the country.
Rules and records
Every course is measured to the standards of the IAAF, the world athletics body. The race is one of seven Swiss road races recognised by AIMS, the association of international marathons and distance races, which means finishing times are accepted for official purposes. The other six are the Zurich, Zermatt, Swiss Alpine, Jungfrau, Swiss City and Lausanne marathons. Because it begins in the opening second of the year, it is the first AIMS event on the calendar, so the fastest runners on the day hold the year's first official record times, which draws entrants from roughly fifty countries.
Runners today
Entries rise and fall. The 2020 race listed 959 participants, the 2022 edition 540, and the numbers then dropped to 195 in 2023 and 222 in 2024. A children's marathon over 750 metres was added in 2014, setting off at ten in the evening on 31 December, and children take part without paying. Full results are kept for the marathon, the half marathon, the 10 kilometre run and other distances, along with the fastest times recorded over each.
How Neujahrsmarathon Zürich is kept
Runners enter one of several distances and gather on New Year's Eve. The children's 750 metre race goes first, at ten o'clock that evening. At midnight the main field starts, inside a sports hall. Each lap brings the runners back through the hall before they head out again along the Limmat. The marathon covers four laps, the half marathon two, and the quarter marathon a single 11 kilometre lap; a relay team shares the distance. Everyone must finish within five hours, unless snow or ice forces the organisers to allow more time.
When and where
It is kept on 1 January each year and begins at midnight, at the very start of the new year. The children's race belongs to the evening before, 31 December, starting at ten o'clock. There is no fixed weekday, so the day of the week shifts from year to year.
The event belongs to Switzerland, and it is held in Schlieren, a town beside Zurich. The laps follow the river Limmat. Entrants come from far beyond the country: the organisers report runners from about fifty nations on every continent.
What Neujahrsmarathon Zürich means
For those who take part, the race gives the year a beginning made of effort rather than rest. The clock hands over from one year to the next while the field is standing ready, so the first stride is also the first second of January. Because no other AIMS race starts so early, the leading times become the first official records of the year for each runner's home country, a point of pride for the winners.
Days Neujahrsmarathon Zürich is marked
Questions people ask about Neujahrsmarathon Zürich
When is Neujahrsmarathon Zürich marked?
Neujahrsmarathon Zürich is kept as part of New Year's Eve, which runs from 31 December 2026 to 1 January 2027.
What is the Neujahrsmarathon Zürich?
It is a road marathon in Switzerland that is run on 1 January and starts at midnight, at the first moment of the new year. Besides the full marathon there are half and quarter marathon races, a relay and a children's run.
Where is it run?
In Switzerland, around Schlieren near Zurich. The laps follow the river Limmat, and both the beginning and the end of each race lie inside a sports hall, which runners pass through on every lap.
How long do runners have to finish?
Five hours is the set limit. If the weather turns bad, with snow or ice on the course, the organisers may allow more time. The courses themselves are measured to international athletics standards.
Who organises it?
A running club set up in 2004 arranges the race each year. Its declared aim is to support the sport of running, and it states that it seeks no profit and has no commercial purpose.
See also
Christmas marketA seasonal street market held during Advent in German-speaking regions and beyond, featuring stalls, food, and crafts.
MolybdomancyPouring molten lead or tin into water, then reading the shape as an omen
Saint Sylvester's DayA Christian feast day and year-end celebration marked across Europe and beyond
ChalandamarzA bell-ringing march on the first of March that sends winter out of the Grisons valleysGood reading and sources
- Neujahrsmarathon Zürich on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Neujahrsmarathon Zürich", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryParampara rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-12.
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