Festive runners gather for annual Berlin New Year's Day event

Thousands turned out for Berlin’s traditional New Year’s Day fun run, swapping late-night celebrations for fitness and community spirit. The 4-kilometre event around Brandenburg Gate also raised donations for a children’s hospice.

Reuters

2 January 2026 at 11:24:09

Police officers stand guard as people arrive for New Year's celebrations, near Brandenburg Gate, in Berlin, Germany, December 31, 2025. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

Axel Schmidt

After celebrating the start of 2026, thousands of runners gathered at Berlin's landmark Brandenburg Gate on Thursday morning (January 1) to get the New Year off to a positive start.

The 53rd edition of the event, which pulled in some 4,376 runners, began at the landmark Brandenburg Gate and continued down the famous boulevard Unter den Linden to the city's cathedral and back again, a circuit of 4 km (2.5 miles).

For many people it is about trading in the traditional New Year's Day hangover by getting into the spirit of their fitness resolutions, it is also a chance to shake off world worries and be in good company.

There is no entry fee for the fun run, with this year's donations going to a childrens' hospice.

Production: Oliver Barth, Claudia Doerries, Tanya Wood/Reuters