Marathons in the Netherlands

The story of marathons in the Netherlands began in 1947 with the Enschede Marathon, one of the oldest marathons in Europe. Fun fact: the very first edition had only 51 runners at the start line 😅. This historic marathon paved the way for a national tradition, with races popping up across the country. Nowadays, some of these races have achieved global fame 🗺️.

This is certainly true for the Rotterdam Marathon, the fastest marathon in the country. Established in 1983, Rotterdam has made the "history books" of the sport three times. In 1985, thanks to Carlos Lopes 🇵🇹, who was the first man to run under 2 hours and 8 minutes. Then in 1998, with the world records 🏅 set by Kenyan Tegla Loroupe at 2:20:47 🇰🇪 and Ethiopian Belayneh Densamo at 2:06:50 🇪🇹. Another flagship event in the country is the Amsterdam Marathon, an event that may not be as fast but has a unique atmosphere! A crowd of locals cheering your name, and bands playing music. You have to see it to believe it...

Now, let's head to the fifth largest city in the country, Eindhoven 🏙️. Sorry, but we're going back to the topic of speed! It's hard to talk about Dutch marathons 🇳🇱 without highlighting this quality. If you're looking for a moderately sized event to beat your PR, Eindhoven is THE destination!📍 There's a long list of local marathons, and it's tough to be exhaustive 😅. However, we must mention the Leiden Marathon, which runs through the university city and its historical monuments. If you're more into nature, the Two Rivers Marathon crosses the Waal and the Meuse rivers ♒.

If you prefer shorter distances, don't hesitate to check out our calendar 📅 of Half Marathons in the Netherlands.