Running Races in the Canton of Bern

Bern, the federal capital nestled in a loop of the Aare, boasts an Unesco World Heritage old town and bears living by the water 🐻. For a running race in the canton of Bern, the canton offers much more: lakeshores, Emmental hills and streets lined with arcades.

The terrain is easy-going. The roads follow the Aare smoothly, lakeside loops circle Biel/Bienne and Brienz, and gentle climbs lead toward Burgdorf. The temperate climate lengthens the season, with starts as early as May, cool mornings in summer and golden afternoons in autumn 🍂. The only caution: some routes climb steeply as soon as you approach the Oberland. The capital itself is best explored at a good pace, between the Federal Palace, the colorful fountains and the riverbanks where Bernese locals swim as soon as the first sunny days arrive.

The Bernese running race calendar opens in May with Le Grand Prix de Berne in the capital 🏃 and the Bieler Lauftage in Biel/Bienne. June follows with Les Courses de Bienne, the Schweizer Frauenlauf Bern and the Marathon des 2 Vignobles, which runs along Lake Biel. In autumn, the Brienzerseelauf in Brienz, the YB-Stadionlauf and the Herbstlauf Burgdorf in Burgdorf close the season. There is no shortage of choice, whatever your level.

The Bernese have a reputation for never hurrying, a cliché that runners' finishing times happily disprove 😄. Even the local football club, the Young Boys, has a race named after it, proof that sport runs through the whole canton ⚽. Everyone can therefore choose their format according to their level and desire, from a 5 km with friends to a marathon. For a broader overview, head to running races in Switzerland, from one canton to the next.