Overview
- More than 4,000 runners took part across the half marathon, 5 km, 10 km, Schüler- and Bambini races, marking the event's first sell-out.
- The main start moved to just after 9:30 a.m., and later races each began about 25 minutes behind schedule as officials cleared parked vehicles.
- City center traffic was heavily restricted with full closures and enclosed streets around the Bermuda-Dreieck, with only designated crossing points open.
- Authorities and organizers distributed roughly 10,000 notices and expanded restrictions to a 3 a.m. parking ban to ensure a fully car-free route.
- Towing totals far exceeded last year’s roughly 70 removals, according to organizer TV Wattenscheid 01, underscoring persistent compliance gaps.