Men’s course record
2:03:46
Amos Kipruto · 2025
- Average pace
- 2:56 / km
- Terrain-adjusted
- +0.15 %
Hamburg Marathon
Hamburg, Germany The fourth Sunday in April Founded 1986
Down the Reeperbahn to the harbour, then round the Alster and north to Ohlsdorf before the long run home to the Messe.
Overview
A blue line on the road marks the way round, from Karolinenstraße beside the Messe and back to the same street. It heads west first: down the Reeperbahn past the Tanzende Türme, up into Altona and out along the Elbchaussee, then down to the river at the Fischmarkt and east past the Landungsbrücken and the Speicherstadt.
At 16.7 km the course crosses the Alster on the Kennedybrücke and turns north up the east shore of the Außenalster, through Winterhude and the City Nord to Ohlsdorf. Its northernmost point is at 31.1 km. From there it comes home through Eppendorf and down the west side of the Alster.
The organiser calls it Germany's biggest spring marathon. A record 20,000 entered in 2026, and by late September only 1,000 places were left for 2027.
At 16.7 km the course crosses the Alster on the Kennedybrücke and turns north up the east shore of the Außenalster, through Winterhude and the City Nord to Ohlsdorf. Its northernmost point is at 31.1 km. From there it comes home through Eppendorf and down the west side of the Alster.
The organiser calls it Germany's biggest spring marathon. A record 20,000 entered in 2026, and by late September only 1,000 places were left for 2027.
- When
- The 2027 Hamburg Marathon is on Sunday, 25 April 2027, starting at 8:30am local time on Karolinenstraße, by the Heinrich-Hertz-Turm.
- Course
- Hamburg's course climbs 156 m in all, with its lowest point at 4 m and its highest at 40 m.
- Entry
- Entry to Hamburg is first come, first served (open for 2027, nearly full), and costs €135 for 2027.
- Field
- The 2026 Hamburg Marathon had a marathon field of 20,000.
- Weather
- Across 29 years, Hamburg's race-day temperature has a median of 12.2 °C.
- Records
- The Hamburg Marathon course records are 2:03:46 (Amos Kipruto, 2025) and 2:17:05 (Brillian Kipkoech, 2026).
- Time limit
- Hamburg's time limit is 6 hours.
Marathon Course · every marathon course, measured the same way
Hamburg Marathon
Down the Reeperbahn to the harbour, then round the Alster and north to Ohlsdorf before the long run home to the Messe. Karolinenstraße → Karolinenstraße, Hamburg, Germany.
- Distance
- 42.2 km
- Ascent
- 156 m
- Descent
- 156 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 a course line for the 2026 edition · Sonny 1" .hgt tiles — CC BY 4.0 · smoothed 100 m 4–40 m
—
0.08.517.025.534.042.5
kmmi — elev — grade — hover or drag the profile
The hills are all in the first 10.4 km. From the start, at 16 m, the course runs down the Reeperbahn, then climbs 18 m in a kilometre from its end at 2.2 km, up into Altona. That's the steepest climbing kilometre of the race. For the next 6.0 km, out to the west and back, it stays between 29 m and 40 m.
Then comes the drop. Past the Altonaer Balkon the course loses 26 m in a kilometre, the steepest of the race, and reaches the river at the Fischmarkt at 10.4 km. From there to the finish it stays under 21 m. The low point, 4 m at 19.9 km, is beside the Außenalster.
What's left is gentle: a climb of 13 m out of Winterhude from 21.4 km, and another of 12 m from Dammtor in the last 1.5 km. The chart draws the Wallringtunnel, just after 14.0 km, as a straight line, because the elevation model reads the street above it instead of the road through it. Add up the energy cost of every gradient and, for a three-hour runner, the course comes out about 18 seconds slower than a flat 42.195 km (0.15 %).
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 a course line for the 2026 edition, smoothed 100 m · marathoncourse.com/marathons/hamburg/ · checked 2026-09-24
How to enter: dates and fees
For 2027 the price is €135, a cheaper early tier having gone, and places go in the order people enter. The relay's 1,500 teams sold out in three hours when entry opened on 29 April 2026, and the half marathon's 10,000 places in ten days. On 24 September 2026 the organiser said 1,000 marathon places were left.
If you can't run, you can pass your place to another runner through your registration account, and the new runner pays a €25 fee. Withdrawal insurance is sold with the entry and can't be added later. Runners who have finished fifteen times or more join the Blue Line Club, with their own queue for numbers and a discount voucher.
If you can't run, you can pass your place to another runner through your registration account, and the new runner pays a €25 fee. Withdrawal insurance is sold with the entry and can't be added later. Runners who have finished fifteen times or more join the Blue Line Club, with their own queue for numbers and a discount voucher.
History
The first Hamburg Marathon was run in May 1986 by the city's athletics federation, which still owns the company that organises it. About 8,000 ran. The course went west down the Reeperbahn and along the Elbe, then back through the centre and round the Alster in a wide loop, and it still does.
It grew quickly. In 2005 more than 16,000 finished, second in Germany only to Berlin. From 2008 to 2012 the start and finish moved to the Reeperbahn and the Heiligengeistfeld. When the race came back to Karolinenstraße in 2013, Eliud Kipchoge won his first marathon there in 2:05:30.
The fastest times have come since the pandemic. Yalemzerf Yehualaw ran 2:17:23 on her debut in 2022, at the time the fastest first marathon by any woman. The men's record fell three times in four years, to Amos Kipruto's 2:03:46 in 2025. For the 40th race, in 2026, a record 20,000 entered, and Brillian Kipkoech took the women's record to 2:17:05.
It grew quickly. In 2005 more than 16,000 finished, second in Germany only to Berlin. From 2008 to 2012 the start and finish moved to the Reeperbahn and the Heiligengeistfeld. When the race came back to Karolinenstraße in 2013, Eliud Kipchoge won his first marathon there in 2:05:30.
The fastest times have come since the pandemic. Yalemzerf Yehualaw ran 2:17:23 on her debut in 2022, at the time the fastest first marathon by any woman. The men's record fell three times in four years, to Amos Kipruto's 2:03:46 in 2025. For the 40th race, in 2026, a record 20,000 entered, and Brillian Kipkoech took the women's record to 2:17:05.
- 1986In May, about 8,000 run the first Hamburg Marathon, west down the Reeperbahn and round the Alster
- 1996Das Zehntel begins: a tenth of the marathon, 4.2195 km, for children, the day before
- 1997Arne Gabius, aged 16, wins Das Zehntel in 11:38, a record for the children's race
- 1998Inline skaters get their own race on the course. By 2002 there are 2,504 of them, and after 2005 they're gone
- 2005More than 16,000 finish, second in Germany only to Berlin
- 2008The start and finish move to the Reeperbahn and the Heiligengeistfeld. 56 runners have finished all 23 races so far
- 2013Back on Karolinenstraße, Eliud Kipchoge wins his first marathon in 2:05:30, a course record
- 2020Cancelled in the pandemic. On the day, thousands run a route of their own instead, under #runyourownblueline
- 2021Held on 12 September instead, smaller, and only for runners fully vaccinated against Covid
- 2022Yalemzerf Yehualaw runs 2:17:23, the fastest women's debut ever at the time
- 2023Bernard Koech takes the men's record to 2:04:09
- 2025Amos Kipruto runs 2:03:46, the first time under 2:04 here
- 2026The 40th race: a record 20,000 enter, Othmane El Goumri is the first Moroccan winner, and Brillian Kipkoech runs 2:17:05
- 2026Samuel Fitwi, second in 2:04:45, is the first German on the men's podium since 1999
- 202725 April. The relay's 1,500 teams sold out in three hours, and the half marathon in ten days
1990200020102020
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
2:17:05
Brillian Kipkoech · 2026
- Average pace
- 3:15 / km
- Terrain-adjusted
- +0.15 %
Race day: start times and cut-offs
- 8:30am
- About 3:15pm
- Time limit
- 6h
- Every 5 km, with water between
Numbers are collected at the expo in Hall A3 of the Messe on the Friday and Saturday before the race. Collecting on race morning costs €10, and the slot has to be booked in advance. Your race number isn't a transport ticket, so buy one: the U2 runs to Messehallen, and the U3 and S-Bahn to Sternschanze.
Bags go to Hall B6 from 7:00am and must be collected by 4:00pm. Handcyclists and wheelchair racers go at 8:25. Blocks A to L start on Karolinenstraße from 8:30, and blocks M to Q from 9:00 on Bei den Kirchhöfen, a few hundred metres east.
There's a refreshment point on the right every 5 km, with water and electrolyte drink, and bananas from km 10, gels from km 20 and cola from km 25. Water-only points sit between them from km 7.5. Pacers run to nine times from 3:00 to 5:00, and only open-ear headphones are allowed.
Bags go to Hall B6 from 7:00am and must be collected by 4:00pm. Handcyclists and wheelchair racers go at 8:25. Blocks A to L start on Karolinenstraße from 8:30, and blocks M to Q from 9:00 on Bei den Kirchhöfen, a few hundred metres east.
There's a refreshment point on the right every 5 km, with water and electrolyte drink, and bananas from km 10, gels from km 20 and cola from km 25. Water-only points sit between them from km 7.5. Pacers run to nine times from 3:00 to 5:00, and only open-ear headphones are allowed.
The morning, hour by hour
- 7:00am
- Bag drop opens, Hall B6
- 8:25am
- Handcyclists and wheelchair racers
- 8:30am
- Blocks A–L, Karolinenstraße
- 9:00am
- Blocks M–Q, Bei den Kirchhöfen
- 3:15pm
- Finish closes, about
- 4:00pm
- Last bag collection
The organiser's 2027 participant information; the finish closing time is 2026's. Germany is on summer time by late April. No intermediate cut-offs are published. The marathon closes six hours after the last runner crosses the start line, which in 2026 put the close at 3:15pm. Handcyclists and wheelchair racers have three and a half hours.
Race-day weather, 1995–2025
- Median
- 12.2 °C
- Warm years
- 2 of 29
- Wet years
- 6 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 Hamburg a flat course?
After the first 10.4 km, nearly. The hills are in Altona, where the course climbs to 40 m and then drops 26 m in a kilometre to the Fischmarkt. From there it stays under 21 m. It climbs 156 m in all.
Sonny's LiDAR DTM of Europe, sampled every 25 m, smoothed over 100 m. Raw-to-smoothed ratio 1.74.
Are there Hamburg places left for 2027?
Possibly. On 24 September 2026 the organiser said 1,000 marathon places were left, at €135. The half marathon and the relay sold out in the spring. A registered runner can also pass you their place, for a €25 fee.
The organiser's news and transfer pages, checked 24 September 2026.
How much does it cost?
€135 for 2027. Medal engraving costs €11 booked with your entry, or €13 in cash on the day.
The organiser's 2027 fee chart and participant information.
Is it a fast course?
Yes. Amos Kipruto ran 2:03:46 here in 2025, and Brillian Kipkoech 2:17:05 in 2026. The early start helps too: the median temperature across the race hours is 12 °C.
The organiser's race reports for 2025 and 2026; ERA5 race-day climatology.
Where does the race start?
On Karolinenstraße, beside the Messe, at 8:30am for blocks A to L. Blocks M to Q start from 9:00 on Bei den Kirchhöfen, a few hundred metres east. Everyone finishes on Karolinenstraße.
The organiser's 2027 participant information.
Does the course pass the Elbphilharmonie?
Not right past it. The course runs along the harbour front between the Landungsbrücken and the Speicherstadt, and at about 12.3 km the concert hall is some 350 m away, in view.
This site's course line.
Is my race number a transport ticket?
No. Take the U2 to Messehallen, or the U3 or S-Bahn to Sternschanze, and buy a ticket.
The organiser's 2027 participant information.
What if I have to drop out?
Ride back with one of the medical vehicles at the back of the field, or take the U-Bahn to the finish at Karolinenstraße.
The organiser's 2027 participant information.
Would a fast time in Hamburg stand as a record?
It would. The start and finish are the same spot on Karolinenstraße, at the same height, so the course passes both World Athletics tests with room to spare.
Hamburg's start, finish and net drop from the course line, against World Athletics Competition Rule 31.21.
How many people run it?
A record 20,000 entered the marathon in 2026, and about 15,500 finished.
Organiser figures for the 2026 edition.
What is the weather like on race day?
About 12.2 °C during a typical race: that's the median across 29 years, which have run from 4.7 °C to 17.4 °C. 6 of the 29 were wet.
ERA5 reanalysis for the race date, 1995-2025.
Can I use a time here to qualify for Boston?
It counts. The start and finish are both on Karolinenstraße, at the same height, and the course is certified, so the B.A.A.'s downhill adjustment, which begins at 1,500 ft of net loss, has nothing to act on. The hills are in the first 10.4 km, and the rest is close to flat. Save something for the last 1.5 km, which climb 12 m from Dammtor to the finish.
Net drop +0 m from this site's course line; 2027 adjustment None. Certification unconfirmed: A World Athletics Gold Label race in 2009, 2013 and 2020; its 2026 label is not 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 1.74. 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 · 5 bridge spans corrected.
Sources
Every fact on this page, its source, and the date it was checked · 8
| Fact | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Course line | Third-party GPX for the 2026 edition. It follows the organiser's own 2026 file to within 40 m everywhere, and the organiser's pages for 2027 describe the same course. The file measures 42.679 km, 1.15 % long, from 940 points; our resampled line measures 42.540 km, so distances on this page run about 0.8 % long. Archived with its hash in data/raw/sources. | 2026-09-24 |
| Elevation | Sonny's LiDAR DTM of Europe (CC BY 4.0), sampled every 25 m, smoothed over 100 m. Raw-to-smoothed gain ratio 1.74. Five spans the model misread were straightened between their ends: four bridges it read from underneath, including the Kennedybrücke, and the Wallringtunnel, from 14.2 to 14.7 km, where it reads the street above instead of the road through it. | 2026-09-24 |
| Elevation, independent check | The organiser publishes no climb figure, but its own 2026 course file carries heights from 2 m to 39 m, a range of 37 m. We measure 4.0 m to 40.2 m, a range of 36.2 m. | 2026-09-24 |
| Race-day weather | ERA5 reanalysis via the Open-Meteo archive, 1995–2025 at the start, 08:00–14:00 local, sampled on the fourth Sunday in April. That reproduces every date from 2022 to 2027, but not every earlier one: some older races were a week earlier or later. 2020 and 2021, when there was no April race, are excluded. | 2026-09-24 |
| Course records | Amos Kipruto 2:03:46 (2025) and Brillian Kipkoech 2:17:05 (2026), from the organiser's race reports. The 2026 men's winner, Othmane El Goumri, ran 2:04:24. | 2026-09-24 |
| Entry and field | The organiser's 2027 registration page: €135, with an earlier cheaper tier sold out. 1,000 marathon places were left on 24 September 2026. A record 20,000 entered the 2026 marathon; results services put the finishers at about 15,500. | 2026-09-24 |
| Race day | The organiser's 2027 participant information: handcyclists and wheelchair racers 8:25am, blocks A–L from 8:30am on Karolinenstraße, blocks M–Q from 9:00am on Bei den Kirchhöfen, and a limit of six hours from the last runner's start. The finish closing time is from the 2026 programme. | 2026-09-24 |
| 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. Hamburg starts and finishes in the same place, less than a metre apart, and gains 0.2 m overall. Inside both. | 2026-09-24 |
Until the Hamburg Marathon · 25 Apr 2027
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