19th ING Night Marathon Luxembourg Expects Record 18k Participants

On Friday 8 May 2026, the City of Luxembourg (VdL) held a press conference at City Hall ahead of the 19th edition of the ING Night Marathon Luxembourg, with organisers announcing that around 18,000 participants are expected this year.

Luxembourg City Chief Alderman Maurice Bauer, Alderman for Mobility Patrick Goldschmidt, Municipal Councillor Simone Beissel, Alderwoman Corinne Cahen, Michael Busch, CEO of ING Luxembourg, and Erich François, Founder and Managing Director of step by step SA, organisers of the ING Night Marathon Luxembourg, shared details of the upcoming event, scheduled for Saturday 16 May 2026. According to the organisers, participants from 61 countries representing 125 nationalities are expected to take part.

Michael Busch described the ING Night Marathon Luxembourg as “a fixed part of the sporting and social life in Luxembourg” and highlighted ING’s commitment as title sponsor for the past twenty years. He noted that what began as “an ambitious project” has grown into “one of the largest running events in Europe and an important flagship event for Luxembourg”, continuing to develop in terms of organisation, sporting level and international reach.

The marathon will start at 19:00 from Luxexpo The Box in Luxembourg-Kirchberg. The 42.195 km course will take runners through several districts of the capital, including Kirchberg, Limpertsberg, Belair, Merl, Hollerich, Gare and the city centre, before returning to the starting point.

In parallel with the marathon, the eighth edition of the “Roll & Run” will begin at 18:00 from the Glacis. The 7.2 km route through Limpertsberg and the Ville Haute is intended to allow participants to experience the atmosphere of the marathon and the entertainment organised throughout the city.

This year’s edition will feature 71 music stations and around 670 musicians from Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, France and the Netherlands, alongside performers from Portugal, Lithuania, Bulgaria and, for the first time, Rwanda.

The organisers also highlighted several entertainment areas along the route, including live music and broadcasts at the Glacis, DJ performances near the Philharmonie, the traditional scouts’ party at Gëlle Fra, activities at Parc Coque and entertainment zones in the Knuedler and Pétrusse areas.

Participants aged between five and 93 are expected to take part in this year’s sold-out edition, organisers added.

In an interview with Chronicle.lu, Erich François highlighted the importance of the ING Night Marathon Luxembourg for the capital and the country, noting that organisers are currently working on an economic impact study together with the University of Córdoba, STATEC, Luxembourg’s Ministry of Sport and LUNEX University. Referring to a study on the 2025 Brussels Airport Marathon, which estimated an economic impact of €38.8 million, he stressed: “You can see how big this event for the city is and how much impact it has.”

François also explained that organisers now prioritise runners from Luxembourg and the Greater Region rather than elite international athletes. “We want to give runners from this region a chance to really be on the podium,” he stated.

He also revealed that plans for a special slackline performance by Archie Williams, winner of the 2025 “Slackline King” competition in China, had to be cancelled shortly before the presentation. According to François, the athlete had been expected to attempt a world-record slackline crossing between the JFK buildings during the marathon weekend.

According to VdL, around 450 municipal staff members from various departments are involved in the organisation of the marathon before, during and after the event.

VdL will also be strongly represented among participants, with 958 runners registered under the City of Luxembourg colours. Organisers and municipal authorities have also continued efforts to reduce the environmental impact of the event through measures including reusable cups and bottles, waste sorting systems, hybrid buses and renewable electricity along the route.