Men’s course record
2:08:23
Birhane Tsegay · 2022
- Average pace
- 3:03 / km
- Terrain-adjusted
- +0.07 %
Copenhagen Marathon
Copenhagen, Denmark The second Sunday in May Founded 1980
Over the harbour to Christianshavn and back, out through Nørrebro and Frederiksberg, and home by Kongens Nytorv and Nyboder to Øster Allé.
Overview
The start and finish are on Øster Allé, beside Fælledparken and the national stadium, Parken. The first 9.0 km loop round Østerbro, east to Strandboulevarden and back along the Lakes, then down Gothersgade into the old town.
At 9.4 km the course crosses to Christianshavn past Børsen and over Knippelsbro. It follows the old moat onto Amager and comes back over Langebro, then passes City Hall and reaches Dronning Louises Bro at 14.3 km. A long loop through Nørrebro and Frederiksberg follows, and Frederiksberg Allé takes it down to Vesterbro, past Tivoli and along Istedgade to the harbour front at Kalvebod Brygge.
The last stretch is the old city: Kongens Nytorv at 33.3 km, then the Marble Church and the yellow terraces of Nyboder, before the run back out to Østerbro. For 2027 the places went by ballot, and 80,937 people applied for 35,000 of them.
At 9.4 km the course crosses to Christianshavn past Børsen and over Knippelsbro. It follows the old moat onto Amager and comes back over Langebro, then passes City Hall and reaches Dronning Louises Bro at 14.3 km. A long loop through Nørrebro and Frederiksberg follows, and Frederiksberg Allé takes it down to Vesterbro, past Tivoli and along Istedgade to the harbour front at Kalvebod Brygge.
The last stretch is the old city: Kongens Nytorv at 33.3 km, then the Marble Church and the yellow terraces of Nyboder, before the run back out to Østerbro. For 2027 the places went by ballot, and 80,937 people applied for 35,000 of them.
- When
- The 2027 Copenhagen Marathon is on Sunday, 9 May 2027, starting at 9:30am local time on Øster Allé, by Parken.
- Course
- Copenhagen's course climbs 98 m in all, with its lowest point at 1 m and its highest at 15 m.
- Entry
- Entry to Copenhagen is by ballot (80,937 applied), and costs DKK 995 for 2027.
- Field
- The 2026 Copenhagen Marathon had a marathon field of 22,424.
- Weather
- Across 29 years, Copenhagen's race-day temperature has a median of 13.7 °C.
- Records
- The Copenhagen Marathon course records are 2:08:23 (Birhane Tsegay, 2022) and 2:22:08 (Mercy Chebwogen, 2026).
- Time limit
- Copenhagen's time limit is 6 hours.
Marathon Course · every marathon course, measured the same way
Copenhagen Marathon
Over the harbour to Christianshavn and back, out through Nørrebro and Frederiksberg, and home by Kongens Nytorv and Nyboder to Øster Allé. Øster Allé → Øster Allé, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Distance
- 42.2 km
- Ascent
- 98 m
- Descent
- 98 m
- Net
- +0 m
Course map and elevation
5 km splits marked · hover or drag the profile below to move along the courseElevation · measured on the organiser's course line for the 2025 edition, which it used again in 2026 · Sonny 1" .hgt tiles — CC BY 4.0 · smoothed 100 m 1–15 m
—
0.08.517.125.634.242.7
kmmi — elev — grade — hover or drag the profile
The whole course sits between 1 m and 15 m, and it climbs 98 m in all, most of it a few metres at a time. Østerbro, at the start, rises to 13 m at 2.4 km. By Strandboulevarden it's down to 3 m.
Christianshavn and Amager are barely above the harbour. Coming off Langebro the course climbs 7 m in a kilometre from 12.3 km, up Vester Voldgade past City Hall. That's the steepest climbing kilometre of the race. Nørrebro and Frederiksberg are the high ground, and the top is on Nordre Fasanvej, 15 m at 22.6 km. From 23.7 km Frederiksberg Allé drops 8 m in a kilometre, the steepest descent.
The low point, 1 m, is on Christians Brygge, under BLOX, at 32.1 km. The last rise is the run home. From Strandboulevarden at 40.5 km the road climbs 7 m to the finish. The organiser's map line, which these distances come from, runs long, and reaches the finish at 42.7 km. Add up the energy cost of every gradient and the course comes out about level with a flat 42.195 km.
Take it with you
Course GPX Organiser's course map
The GPX is ours: our resampled line, a point every 25 m, carrying Sonny 1" .hgt tiles — CC BY 4.0 elevation rather than the GPS noise a watch file usually holds.
Sonny 1" .hgt tiles — CC BY 4.0, measured on the organiser's course line for the 2025 edition, which it used again in 2026, smoothed 100 m · marathoncourse.com/marathons/copenhagen/ · checked 2026-09-25
How to enter: ballot odds
For 2027, for the first time, places went by ballot. You could enter alone or in a group of up to three, from 13 May to 3 June 2026. 80,937 people applied for 35,000 places. Those drawn had 48 hours to pay DKK 995, plus a DKK 20 fee.
Places are now personal and can't be transferred, and there's no resale. Instead, cancellation insurance costs DKK 99, and it can only be added when you pay. If you missed the draw, the ways in are a charity place through the organiser's partner realbuzz, or a travel package from one of its official tour operators. You need to be 16 on race day.
Places are now personal and can't be transferred, and there's no resale. Instead, cancellation insurance costs DKK 99, and it can only be added when you pay. If you missed the draw, the ways in are a charity place through the organiser's partner realbuzz, or a travel package from one of its official tour operators. You need to be 16 on race day.
History
Sparta, a Copenhagen athletics club, put on the first Copenhagen Marathon on 24 May 1980. 995 entered, and 784 finished, 47 of them women.
For years the race started and finished on the harbour front at Islands Brygge. In 2023 it moved to Øster Allé, beside Fælledparken, on a new course. The 2025 course was redrawn again, with fewer stretches run twice and the crossings of Knippelsbro and Langebro added, and it was used again in 2026.
The field has grown fast since. The race sold out for the first time in 2024, with 15,000 places, and the 2026 places went in 23 hours. On the day 22,424 started and 21,708 finished, which the organiser calls the biggest marathon ever held in Denmark. Mercy Chebwogen won the women's race on her debut, and on her 30th birthday, in a record 2:22:08.
For years the race started and finished on the harbour front at Islands Brygge. In 2023 it moved to Øster Allé, beside Fælledparken, on a new course. The 2025 course was redrawn again, with fewer stretches run twice and the crossings of Knippelsbro and Langebro added, and it was used again in 2026.
The field has grown fast since. The race sold out for the first time in 2024, with 15,000 places, and the 2026 places went in 23 hours. On the day 22,424 started and 21,708 finished, which the organiser calls the biggest marathon ever held in Denmark. Mercy Chebwogen won the women's race on her debut, and on her 30th birthday, in a record 2:22:08.
- 198024 May: 995 enter the first Copenhagen Marathon. Arne Stigsen wins in 2:19:27, and Lone Dybdal in 2:58:09
- 1987Svend Erik Kristensen wins in 2:14:16. No winner goes faster for thirty years
- 2009A Japanese double: Toyokazu Yoshimura and Chihiro Tanaka win both races
- 2013Anne-Mette Aagaard wins for the fifth time, eleven years after her first
- 2017Julius Karinga's 2:12:10 finally beats the 1987 time
- 2019A record 13,278 enter, and Jackson Limo is the first winner under 2:10, in 2:09:54
- 2020Cancelled in the pandemic, and again in 2021
- 2022Birhane Tsegay runs 2:08:23, still the course record
- 2023The start moves from Islands Brygge to Øster Allé. Rodah Tanui runs 2:23:14, the fastest by a woman in Denmark at the time
- 2024Sold out for the first time, at 15,000. After the fire at Børsen in April, the course detours round it
- 2024Jacob Sommer Simonsen runs 2:11:24, the fastest marathon by a Dane on home soil
- 2025The first man over the line tests positive for EPO. Vincent Mutai, second on the day, is named the winner
- 202527 May: 13,000 are in the queue when entry opens, and the 2026 places are gone in 23 hours
- 2026One of eight founding races in the new European Marathon Classics
- 202622,424 start. Mercy Chebwogen wins on her debut and her 30th birthday, in a record 2:22:08
- 20279 May. The first ballot: 80,937 apply for 35,000 places
19801990200020102020
Course records
Pace is derived from the certified distance. Terrain-adjusted figures come from the same model that ranks every course on this site.
Women’s course record
2:22:08
Mercy Chebwogen · 2026
- Average pace
- 3:22 / km
- Terrain-adjusted
- +0.07 %
Race day: start times and cut-offs
- 9:30am
- 4:00pm
- Time limit
- 6h
Numbers are collected at the expo in the days before the race. There's no collection on race day, and as places are personal you'll need photo ID.
The start area opens at 7:30am, and the nearest metro stations are Trianglen, Vibenshus Runddel and Poul Henningsens Plads. The race starts at 9:30am, and timing is net.
The limit is six hours, with three hours to halfway, and the last runners are in by 4:00pm. Headphones are allowed, but the organiser asks you to leave them at home.
The start area opens at 7:30am, and the nearest metro stations are Trianglen, Vibenshus Runddel and Poul Henningsens Plads. The race starts at 9:30am, and timing is net.
The limit is six hours, with three hours to halfway, and the last runners are in by 4:00pm. Headphones are allowed, but the organiser asks you to leave them at home.
The morning, hour by hour
- 7:30am
- Start area and Runners Area open
- 9:30am
- Start
- 4:00pm
- Last runners in, race closes
Cut-offs
- Halfway · 21.1 km
- 3h
- Finish · 42.2 km
- 6h
The organiser's 2026 programme and start groups; 2027's aren't out yet. The race started at 9:30am in 2024, 2025 and 2026. Denmark is on summer time by May. Both limits are net, counted from when you cross the start line. Roads reopen behind the field, so a runner past the limit may be asked to finish on the pavement. The 2026 programme had the last runners in at 4:00pm.
Race-day weather, 1995–2025
- Median
- 13.7 °C
- Warm years
- 8 of 29
- Wet years
- 3 of 29
Race-day mean temperature, 1995-2025. Lime marks the hottest edition; the coldest and wettest carry a label only, so the colour still means one thing.
Frequently asked questions
Is Copenhagen a flat course?
Nearly. The whole course sits between 1 m and 15 m, and no kilometre climbs more than 7 m. It climbs 98 m in all, in short rises through Nørrebro and Frederiksberg and on the run home.
Sonny's LiDAR DTM of Europe, sampled every 25 m, smoothed over 100 m. Raw-to-smoothed ratio 1.73.
Can I still get a place for 2027?
Only through a charity or a tour operator. The ballot closed on 3 June 2026, and there's no resale. Charity places go through the organiser's partner realbuzz, and its official tour operators sell travel packages with an entry.
The organiser's ballot and charity pages, checked 25 September 2026.
How much does it cost?
DKK 995 for 2027, plus a DKK 20 fee. Cancellation insurance is DKK 99, and it can only be added when you pay for your place.
The organiser's 2027 ballot page.
Can I pass my place to a friend?
No. From 2027 places are personal. You collect your number yourself at the expo, with photo ID, and if you can't run, the insurance is the way to get your money back.
The organiser's 2027 ballot page and FAQ.
Is it a fast course?
Fast enough for a 2:08. Tadesse Kassa won in 2:08:26 in 2026, three seconds outside the record set on the old course in 2022. Mercy Chebwogen's 2:22:08 that day is the women's record. The median temperature across the race hours is 14 °C.
The organiser's race reports and winners' lists; ERA5 race-day climatology.
Where does the race start?
On Øster Allé, by Parken, the national stadium, from 9:30am in 2026. It finishes on the same street, with the Runners Area in Fælledparken beside it.
The organiser's 2026 race-day pages.
Will I see the Little Mermaid on the way round?
No. At its closest, on Kristianiagade at about 39.0 km, it's some 700 m away. It does pass City Hall, Tivoli, the Black Diamond and the Marble Church, and runs through Nyboder.
This site's course line.
Do the distances on this page match the kilometre signs?
Not exactly. They come from the organiser's own map line, which runs long and reaches the finish at 42.7 km. Points on this page fall about 1.2 % past the signs on the road, some 500 m by the end.
The organiser's 2025 course file, measured on this site.
Is there a time limit?
Six hours net for the whole distance, and three hours at halfway, both counted from when you cross the start line. Past the limit you may be asked to finish on the pavement.
The organiser's FAQ.
Is the Øster Allé course record-eligible?
Yes. The start and finish are on the same street, at the same height, so the course passes both World Athletics tests with room to spare.
Start and finish heights from this site's line, against World Athletics Competition Rule 31.21.
How many people run it?
22,424 started in 2026, which the organiser calls the biggest marathon ever held in Denmark, and 21,708 finished. The 2027 ballot was for 35,000 places.
Organiser figures for the 2026 edition.
What is the weather like on race day?
About 13.7 °C during a typical race: that's the median across 29 years, which have run from 7.1 °C to 20.9 °C. 3 of the 29 were wet.
ERA5 reanalysis for the race date, 1995-2025.
Can I use a time here to qualify for Boston?
Start and finish are on the same street at the same height, so the B.A.A.'s downhill adjustment, which begins at 1,500 ft of net loss, has nothing to act on. A Danish Athletics Federation surveyor measures the course, and a time here counts. No kilometre climbs more than 7 m. The last rise comes at the very end, from 40.5 km to the finish on Øster Allé.
Net drop +0 m from this site's course line; 2027 adjustment None. Certification certified: Measured by a Danish Athletics Federation surveyor to international standards, and a World Athletics Label race by the organiser's account; the label's grade isn't confirmed here.
How accurate is the elevation figure?
It comes from Sonny 1" .hgt tiles — CC BY 4.0, sampled every 25 m along the course line and smoothed over 100 m. The raw-to-smoothed ratio here is 1.73. Around 1.3 means the model is reading the ground, not rooftops; above about 2.0 the total climb carries real noise, and the net change is the sturdier number.
0 missing samples · 0 bridge spans corrected.
Sources
Every fact on this page, its source, and the date it was checked · 8
| Fact | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Course line | The organiser's own course file for the 2025 edition, which its interactive map still served for 2026. The 2026 course guide names the same landmarks at the same distances, and no change has been announced for 2027. The file measures 43.017 km, 1.95 % long, from 799 points; our resampled line measures 42.714 km, so distances on this page run about 1.2 % long, some 500 m by the finish. Archived with its hash in data/raw/sources. | 2026-09-25 |
| Elevation | Sonny's LiDAR DTM of Europe (CC BY 4.0), sampled every 25 m, smoothed over 100 m. Raw-to-smoothed gain ratio 1.73. The harbour bridges are drawn as the model reads them, not straightened. | 2026-09-25 |
| Elevation, independent check | The organiser calls the course flat and publishes no climb figure. Its course file carries heights from a route planner's own model, from −0.5 m to 20.3 m, a range of 20.8 m. We measure 1.1 m to 15.0 m, a range of 13.9 m. | 2026-09-25 |
| Race-day weather | ERA5 reanalysis via the Open-Meteo archive, 1995–2025 at the start, 09:00–16:00 local, sampled on the second Sunday in May. That reproduces the 2023, 2025, 2026 and 2027 dates, but not 2024, when the race was on 5 May, and not necessarily every earlier year. 2020 and 2021, when there was no race, are excluded. | 2026-09-25 |
| Course records | Birhane Tsegay 2:08:23 (2022) and Mercy Chebwogen 2:22:08 (2026), from the organiser's lists of winners and its 2026 race report. Tadesse Kassa won the 2026 men's race in 2:08:26. | 2026-09-25 |
| Entry and field | The organiser's 2027 ballot pages: DKK 995 plus a DKK 20 fee, 80,937 applicants for 35,000 places, no transfers and no resale. In 2026, 22,424 started, per the organiser's race report, and 21,708 finished, per its facts page. In 2025, 18,508 finished. | 2026-09-25 |
| Race day | The organiser's 2026 race-day programme, start groups, course page and FAQ. Times for 2027 aren't published yet. | 2026-09-25 |
| Record eligibility | World Athletics Competition Rules, Book C, Part III — Competition Rule 31.21: a record course may lose no more than 1 m per kilometre, and its start and finish may be no more than 21.098 km apart. Copenhagen starts and finishes on Øster Allé, about a metre apart, with no net change in height. Inside both. | 2026-09-25 |
Until the Copenhagen Marathon · 9 May 2027
— days
— hrs— min— sec
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