# Marathon Course

> Course maps, entry rules and fees, race-day schedules, course records and up to 31 years of race-day weather for 31 of the world's big marathons, every World Marathon Major among them. Every course with an elevation profile is measured by one method (the course line sampled every 25 m against the best terrain model for its country, smoothed over 100 m), and every figure on a race page lists its source and the date it was checked.

Notes for agents:

- Race names are given without sponsors ("Berlin Marathon", not the sponsored title).
- Elevation is in metres (1 m = 3.28084 ft); distances in kilometres. "Climb" is total ascent after 100 m smoothing; organisers' own figures often differ, and each race page says why.
- Athens and Cape Town have a course map but no elevation measurement yet. Any height on those pages is the organiser's, and is credited as such.
- Each race page has a Sources table giving the date every fact was last checked. Race dates move every year: check the page, not this file, for the current edition.

## Race pages

- [Amsterdam Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/amsterdam/): Amsterdam, Netherlands. Next race 2027-10-31; entry by first come, first served, climb 73 m (240 ft). From the 1928 Olympic Stadium, through the Rijksmuseum and twelve kilometres out along the Amstel.
- [Athens Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/athens/): Athens, Greece. Next race 2026-11-08; entry by first come, first served, elevation not yet measured. Round the burial mound at Marathon, south through Nea Makri, then a long climb inland and down into Athens to finish in the marble stadium of 1896.
- [Auckland Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/auckland/): Auckland, New Zealand. Next race 2026-11-01; entry by open entry, climb 212 m (696 ft). The Harbour Bridge on foot at 15 km, and a flat run along the bays to St Heliers and back after it.
- [Austin Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/austin/): Austin, USA. Next race 2027-02-14; entry by first come, first served, climb 333 m (1093 ft). A February marathon from the river up South Congress and out through the university and East Austin, finishing on Congress below the Capitol.
- [Barcelona Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/barcelona/): Barcelona, Spain. Next race 2027-03-14; entry by first come, first served, climb 117 m (384 ft). Through the Eixample past three Gaudí buildings, down to the harbour and along the sea, and back up to the Arc de Triomf.
- [Berlin Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/berlin/): Berlin, Germany. Next race 2027-09-26; entry by ballot, climb 72 m (236 ft). A ten-minute walk from start to finish, and thirteen world records set in between.
- [Big Sur Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/bigsur/): Big Sur, USA. Next race 2027-04-25; entry by free drawing, climb 657 m (2156 ft). Twenty-six miles of Highway 1 with the Pacific on one side and no way out on the other.
- [Boston Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/boston/): Boston, USA. Next race 2027-04-19; entry by qualifying time or charity place, climb 276 m (906 ft). Qualified for by nearly everyone on its Hopkinton start line.
- [California International Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/cim/): Sacramento, USA. Next race 2026-12-06; entry by first come, first served, climb 223 m (732 ft). Point to point from Folsom Dam to the State Capitol in December, rolling for the first half and nearly level for the last eight kilometres.
- [Cape Town Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/capetown/): Cape Town, South Africa. Next race 2027-05-23; entry by ballot, elevation not yet measured. Out through Woodstock to Claremont, back past the Castle and up through the Gardens, then round Sea Point and home along Beach Road.
- [Chicago Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/chicago/): Chicago, USA. Next race 2027-10-10; entry by drawing, climb 76 m (249 ft). Seven world records on a loop through twenty-nine neighbourhoods.
- [Copenhagen Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/copenhagen/): Copenhagen, Denmark. Next race 2027-05-09; entry by ballot, climb 98 m (322 ft). Over the harbour to Christianshavn and back, out through Nørrebro and Frederiksberg, and home by Kongens Nytorv and Nyboder to Øster Allé.
- [Dublin Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/dublin/): Dublin, Ireland. Date to be confirmed; entry by ballot, climb 232 m (761 ft). The bank-holiday marathon: out through Phoenix Park, round the southern suburbs, and home past the Georgian squares.
- [Frankfurt Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/frankfurt/): Frankfurt, Germany. Date to be confirmed; entry by first come, first served, climb 96 m (315 ft). Twice across the Main and out to Höchst, then home to a red carpet inside the Festhalle.
- [Gold Coast Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/goldcoast/): Gold Coast, Australia. Next race 2027-07-04; entry by first come, first served, climb 78 m (256 ft). Flat along the beachfront from Southport to Miami and back, then up the Broadwater to Runaway Bay, in the middle of a Queensland winter.
- [Hamburg Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/hamburg/): Hamburg, Germany. Next race 2027-04-25; entry by first come, first served, climb 156 m (512 ft). Down the Reeperbahn to the harbour, then round the Alster and north to Ohlsdorf before the long run home to the Messe.
- [Honolulu Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/honolulu/): Honolulu, USA. Next race 2026-12-13; entry by open entry, climb 156 m (512 ft). A 5:00am start under fireworks, twice round Diamond Head, and a finish that stays open until the last runner is in.
- [London Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/london/): London, United Kingdom. Next race 2027-04-24; entry by ballot, climb 146 m (479 ft). The fastest marathon ever run, on a course over Tower Bridge just before halfway.
- [Naha Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/naha/): Naha, Japan. Next race 2026-12-06; entry by first come, first served, climb 288 m (945 ft). Out of Naha through the hills of southern Okinawa to the Peace Memorial Park, and back along the low ground by the coast, in December warmth.
- [New York City Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/newyork/): New York, USA. Next race 2026-11-01; entry by drawing, climb 260 m (853 ft). Five boroughs and five bridges, from the Verrazzano to Central Park.
- [Osaka Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/osaka/): Osaka, Japan. Next race 2027-02-28; entry by ballot, climb 87 m (285 ft). Down Midosuji to the docks and back, with one short climb onto the plateau before the castle.
- [Prague Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/prague/): Prague, Czech Republic. Next race 2027-05-02; entry by first come, first served, climb 141 m (463 ft). Across the Charles Bridge in the first three kilometres, along both banks of the Vltava, and through Old Town Square three times.
- [Queenstown Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/queenstown/): Queenstown, New Zealand. Next race 2026-11-14; entry by open entry, climb 307 m (1007 ft). Seventy percent hard-packed trail, between the Crown Range and the Remarkables, and no ballot to get in.
- [Rotterdam Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/rotterdam/): Rotterdam, Netherlands. Next race 2027-04-11; entry by ballot, climb 66 m (217 ft). Over the Erasmus Bridge to the south bank and back, out round the Kralingse Plas, and home up the Coolsingel.
- [Stockholm Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/stockholm/): Stockholm, Sweden. Next race 2027-05-29; entry by first come, first served, climb 234 m (768 ft). From the Olympic stadium round Gamla stan and out to Djurgården, then up onto Södermalm and over Västerbron before the finish on the 1912 track.
- [Sydney Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/sydney/): Sydney, Australia. Next race 2027-08-29; entry by ballot, climb 276 m (906 ft). Over the Harbour Bridge in the first three kilometres, and a finish on the Opera House forecourt.
- [Tokyo Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/tokyo/): Tokyo, Japan. Next race 2027-03-07; entry by ballot, climb 74 m (243 ft). Down off the Shinjuku plateau, out to Asakusa and back through Ginza to a finish by the Imperial Palace.
- [Toronto Waterfront Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/toronto/): Toronto, Canada. Next race 2027-10-17; entry by first come, first served, climb 152 m (499 ft). Canada's biggest marathon spends most of the morning on the shore of Lake Ontario.
- [Valencia Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/valencia/): Valencia, Spain. Next race 2026-12-06; entry by ballot, climb 73 m (240 ft). Out to the port, round the old city and home along the Turia gardens, to a finish laid over the water.
- [Vienna Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/vienna/): Vienna, Austria. Next race 2027-04-18; entry by first come, first served, climb 127 m (417 ft). Over the Danube to the Prater, out along the Wienzeile to Schönbrunn, and home on the Ring to the Burgtheater.
- [Zurich Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/zurich/): Zurich, Switzerland. Next race 2027-04-11; entry by first come, first served, climb 114 m (374 ft). From the Quaibrücke down the lake's eastern shore to Meilen and back, with a loop through the city at each end.

## Half marathons

- [Amsterdam Half Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/half-marathons/amsterdam/): Amsterdam, Netherlands, the same weekend as the marathon. Next race 2027-10-31; climb 45 m (146 ft). An afternoon half that crosses the Amstel twice, loops the east of the city and finishes through the Vondelpark into the Olympic Stadium.
- [Auckland Half Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/half-marathons/auckland/): Auckland, New Zealand, the same weekend as the marathon. Next race 2026-11-01; climb 181 m (593 ft). From Devonport up the North Shore and over the Harbour Bridge, the marathon's first half with a finish of its own in Victoria Park.
- [Austin Half Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/half-marathons/austin/): Austin, USA, the same weekend as the marathon. Next race 2027-02-14; climb 199 m (652 ft). The bigger of Austin's two races: up South Congress, out along Lake Austin Boulevard and back downtown to finish below the Capitol.
- [Gold Coast Half Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/half-marathons/goldcoast/): Gold Coast, Australia, the same weekend as the marathon. Next race 2027-07-03; climb 36 m (118 ft). A Saturday-morning half up the Broadwater from Southport to a turn at Paradise Point, a day before the marathon.
- [Hamburg Half Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/half-marathons/hamburg/): Hamburg, Germany, the same weekend as the marathon. Next race 2027-04-25; climb 77 m (251 ft). An afternoon half up the Alster to the north of the city and back down its west bank, to finish under the marathon's arch at the Messe.
- [Queenstown Half Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/half-marathons/queenstown/): Queenstown, New Zealand, the same weekend as the marathon. Next race 2026-11-14; climb 92 m (301 ft). Down from Hunter Road to the Shotover River, then close to level along the rivers and Lake Wakatipu into Queenstown.
- [Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/half-marathons/toronto/): Toronto, Canada, the same weekend as the marathon. Next race 2027-10-17; climb 74 m (243 ft). Down to Lake Ontario and out along the shore to Humber Bay and back, the marathon's course with an earlier turn for home.
- [Vienna Half Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/half-marathons/vienna/): Vienna, Austria, the same weekend as the marathon. Next race 2027-04-18; climb 83 m (273 ft). Over the Danube, round the Prater and out to Schönbrunn, then back down Mariahilfer Straße to a finish on the Ring.
- [Zurich Half Marathon](https://www.marathoncourse.com/half-marathons/zurich/): Zurich, Switzerland, the same weekend as the marathon. Next race 2027-04-11; climb 44 m (144 ft). Down the lake's east shore to Küsnacht and back, then a loop of the city to a finish beside the opera house.

## Method and trust

- [How every course is measured](https://www.marathoncourse.com/methodology/): the course line, terrain models by country, 25 m sampling, bridges and tunnels, confidence grades, weather climatology and the fact-check.
- [About](https://www.marathoncourse.com/about/): who builds the site (Ben Ford, New Zealand) and how to report an error.
- [Credits](https://www.marathoncourse.com/credits/): terrain models, weather data, map tiles and photographers, with their licences.
- [Terms](https://www.marathoncourse.com/terms/): conditions of use.

## Finding and comparing races

- [All marathon courses](https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/): every race written up, soonest first.
- [Explore](https://www.marathoncourse.com/explore/): every course on a globe, by terrain, season, region and entry.
- [Compare](https://www.marathoncourse.com/compare/): two measured courses side by side, profiles on one scale.

## Data

- [Course index (JSON)](https://www.marathoncourse.com/explore/courses.json): every course with name, city, country, coordinates, next race date, entry method, total climb and a simplified line.
- Course GPX: `https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/<slug>.gpx` for every measured race, a point every 25 m with terrain-model elevation (for example https://www.marathoncourse.com/marathons/berlin.gpx).

## Optional

- [Privacy](https://www.marathoncourse.com/privacy/): what the site stores and who sees a request.
- [Sitemap](https://www.marathoncourse.com/sitemap-index.xml)