Jens Stapelfeldt's Staging Area

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Valencia Half Marathon Trinidad Alfonso Zurich

Valencia Half Marathon is one of the 6 Super Half Marathons and of course is one of the most popular half marathons in Europe. It sells out every year and … MORE

Valencia Half Marathon is one of the 6 Super Half Marathons and of course is one of the most popular half marathons in Europe. It sells out every year and runners have to sign up as early as possible to get a spot for this race. Well, I participated in the Half Marathon World Championships in Valencia in 2018 and for the championships they had changed the course so that runners finished at the super iconic City of Sciences where also the finish of the full marathon is. The course of the half ordinary half marathon is a bit disappointing compared to the one I ran in 2018. The start and finish is in the middle of nowhere. The area for the start was very crowded and not very attractive. The course is very flat which is good to run PBs. The weather also was perfect. The atmosphere during the race was good at some spots. All in all I had so much higher expectations of the race. In my opinion they should us the same course as they did for the World Championships in 2018.

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Franklin Meilenlauf

Small race outside of Mannheim

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Franklin Meilenlauf

The Franklin Meilenlauf takes place in an area outside of the city of Mannheim, where the US-Army was based in former times. The course is quite flat, but the scenery … MORE

The Franklin Meilenlauf takes place in an area outside of the city of Mannheim, where the US-Army was based in former times. The course is quite flat, but the scenery is nothing to talk about. The best part is when runners run through the area of the BUGA (Bundesgartenschau). It´s all easy going and very relaxed!

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Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon

Very scenic course!

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Mattoni Karlovy Vary Half Marathon

This race is really a very special one as the city of Karlovy (Karlsbad) is incredibly beautiful and the course of the half marathon is as scenic as a course … MORE

This race is really a very special one as the city of Karlovy (Karlsbad) is incredibly beautiful and the course of the half marathon is as scenic as a course through a city can be. Like all races by Czech Run the production is very good. Good T-Shirt, nice medal, nice small expo. If you wanna run in Czeck Republic this race is a very good alternative to the popular Prague Half Marathon!

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La Mezza di Genova (Genoa Half Marathon)

Beautiful Race!

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La Mezza di Genova (Genoa Half Marathon)

Genova Half Marathon was so much more beautiful than I expected. The views along the course are amazing and the city is defintively worth a weekend-trip. As start and finish … MORE

Genova Half Marathon was so much more beautiful than I expected. The views along the course are amazing and the city is defintively worth a weekend-trip. As start and finish and also the expo is in downtown and many hotels are nearby it´s all very easy.

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Berlin Half Marathon 🏆

My Favourite

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '23 | Mar 7, 2024

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Berlin Half Marathon 🏆

Berlin Half is always a happening. Even though it was quite chilly this year, the race was awsome and the support along the course was super! Please see also all … MORE

Berlin Half is always a happening. Even though it was quite chilly this year, the race was awsome and the support along the course was super! Please see also all my previous reviews…

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Lisbon Half Marathon

Flat and fast, but quite boring!

Half Marathon | First-timer '23 | Mar 17, 2023

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Lisbon Half Marathon

Lisbon Half is a very popular flat and fast race. As part of the SuperHalf Series it‘s a must run race in Europe. The start is spectacular running over the … MORE

Lisbon Half is a very popular flat and fast race. As part of the SuperHalf Series it‘s a must run race in Europe. The start is spectacular running over the beautiful bridge of 25th April reminding of Golden Gate Bridge. Weather was beautiful with fog clearing right before the start. After crossing the bridge the race becomes quite boring and no spectators along the course. The finish at the beautiful monetary of Belém is great! Water and iso drinks were offered every 2,5km. There were no start waves so the fast runners should be at the start early to line up in the front as slow runners will also do so!

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La Gran Carrera del Mediterraneo (The Greatest Mediterranean Race)

Not as scenic as promised!

Half Marathon | First-timer '22 | Mar 19, 2023

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La Gran Carrera del Mediterraneo (The Greatest Mediterranean Race)

The race says on its page that it might be the most beautiful race in Spain as it‘s all along the coast. It‘s definitely not!!! The scenery is not really … MORE

The race says on its page that it might be the most beautiful race in Spain as it‘s all along the coast. It‘s definitely not!!! The scenery is not really beautiful! The start in downtown Alicante is nice and the finish at the beach also. The rest is boring. The weather conditions were hard as it was much warmer then expected and there is no chance to run in the shadow.

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Lake Maggiore Marathon

Scenic and beautiful 😍

Half Marathon | First-timer '22 | Mar 19, 2023

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Lake Maggiore Marathon

What a lovely race! Start is in Arona. There is a good hotel right at the start where man runners stayed at. It was a sunny but very chilly morning … MORE

What a lovely race! Start is in Arona. There is a good hotel right at the start where man runners stayed at. It was a sunny but very chilly morning at the Lago Maggiore – perfect conditions for a good race. The half marathon takes runners the first 5k in a loop aeound Arona and then straight all the way at the lake to Stresa where the finish is. The full marathon runners continue to Verbana. The medal was made out of wood – very beautiful! After the race all runners got on a boat for a beauty ride across the lake to Verbana and then back to Arona – perfect!!!! I loved it!

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Ljubljana Marathon

Flat and well organised race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '22 | Oct 25, 2022

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Ljubljana Marathon

Flat course which unfortunately is quite boring. A few bands along the course. Marathon and half marathon runners start at 9 am while 10k runners start at 10 am which … MORE

Flat course which unfortunately is quite boring. A few bands along the course. Marathon and half marathon runners start at 9 am while 10k runners start at 10 am which leads to a very congested situation at the finish – getting your bags takes a while. Water, energy drinks as well as gels are offered along the course several times. Nice medal. Best hotel to stay is Best Western Hotel which is very close to start/finish.

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Cardiff Half Marathon

Awesome Race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '22 | Oct 18, 2022

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Cardiff Half Marathon

Cardiff Half Marathon is one of 5 races of the new Super Half Series, which also includes the half marathons of Prague, Lisbon, Valencia and Copenhagen. The course is flat, … MORE

Cardiff Half Marathon is one of 5 races of the new Super Half Series, which also includes the half marathons of Prague, Lisbon, Valencia and Copenhagen. The course is flat, the atmosphere is great and weather conditions couldn’t have been better!

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Tbilisi Marathon

Great Half Marathon in Georgia!

Half Marathon | First-timer '22 | Oct 18, 2022

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Tbilisi Marathon

Tbilisi Marathon is the biggest running event in beautiful Georgia and offers the distances of 10 and 21k. It’s well organised and everything is easy. There is no expo as … MORE

Tbilisi Marathon is the biggest running event in beautiful Georgia and offers the distances of 10 and 21k. It’s well organised and everything is easy. There is no expo as it’s a rather small event with around 500 runners for the half marathon distance. The majority of participants runs the 10k. Beautiful medal! Start and finish in downtown! Stay at Wyndham Grand Hotel as it is perfectly located. Only 300 meters away from start/finish line! The course is a 2 laps course! I loved the race!

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Cuxhaven Marathon

Awesome Race at the North Sea!

Half Marathon | First-timer '20 | Oct 23, 2020

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Cuxhaven Marathon

Cuxhaven Marathon usually takes part at the beginning of April. This year it has been postponed twice due to Covid-19. It finally took part on October 18th and the pandemic … MORE

Cuxhaven Marathon usually takes part at the beginning of April. This year it has been postponed twice due to Covid-19. It finally took part on October 18th and the pandemic concept of the production wich made it possible to get the authorisation was impressive. Marathon and half marathon wich normally start together in the morning were separated into 2 different events which both were limited up to 400 participants. Marathon start was at 9 am and half marathon at 1.30pm. Start was in downtown Cuxhaven (small city of 50.000 people) and the participants were divided into 4 groups of hundred runners each. Every runner had it´s marked point in the starting area with 1,50 meters distance to each other. Every line of 3 runners got its own release! Of course masks had to be worn all time while starting and after finishing. Even the portable toilets were disinfected after every user. The course was a beautiful 2 laps course (half marathon) wich lead runners from downtown to the beautiful seaside and back. Water and other drinks like cola were offered very frequently along the course and in the finish area alcohol free beer was offered. Every finisher got a medal included in a finisher bag with drinks and fruits. T-shirts could be purchased with registration and as the T-Shirts are really beautiful I did so! :-)))

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Helsinki Half Marathon

Awesome Race in Times of Corona!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '20 | Sep 30, 2020

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Helsinki Half Marathon

Super well organised race! Beautiful course along the waterside of Helsinki with start and finish at Finlandia Hall which is a 5-10 minutes walk from main station. The course contains … MORE

Super well organised race! Beautiful course along the waterside of Helsinki with start and finish at Finlandia Hall which is a 5-10 minutes walk from main station. The course contains several slight uphill parts. Drinks (water and iso) and are being offered along the course every 2-3km. At km 11 or 12 even gels were offered. Nice finish area with photo wall! Every runner gets a nice medal, alcohol fee beer and a drinking bottle by sponsor BORG! All in all a perfect half marathon!

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Mattoni Usti nad Labem Half Marathon

Nice Race!!!

Half Marathon | First-timer '20 | Sep 19, 2020

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Mattoni Usti nad Labem Half Marathon

First of all: I haven’t heard of Usti nad Labem before. It’s a smaller Czech city close to the German border not far from the city of Dresden which made … MORE

First of all: I haven’t heard of Usti nad Labem before. It’s a smaller Czech city close to the German border not far from the city of Dresden which made it easy for me to get there. The city does not have anything to offer for tourists but a perfectly organised half marathon in times of COVID-19!!! The race is organised by RunCzech which are always perfectly organised races. The expo took place outdoor, only the hand out of the race numbers and T-Shirts took place indoor. All runners got a free Adidas T-Shirt as it was the 10th edition of the race. Official race T-Shirts and Singlets could be purchased with the registration. Normally I never choose the option to by a shirt, but as this one was really beautiful I got the singlet which is also by Adidas as Adidas is the official sponsor. The race started at 3pm. As it was a sunny and very warm September day I would have appreciated an earlier start-time. The course is mostly flat with some slight uphill parts and a few bridges to cross. The atmosphere in the city was super, but of course there were also some quite industrial areas to run through. Drinks (water and Gatorade) were offered very frequently (like every 3k). In the finish every runner got a medal and some foods and drinks. Special COVID-19 measures were: all Runners had to wear a mask in the start and finish area, the temperature of all runners entering the start corrals were measured, desinfection gel could be found all over! I really felt safe at all times! Thanks to RunCzech for a perfect race!!!

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Paavo Nurmi Marathon (Finland)

Finally a race in Corona times!

Half Marathon | First-timer '20 | Aug 22, 2020

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Paavo Nurmi Marathon (Finland)

Finland seems to be the only the only European country where marathons take place at the moment. We were happy to travel to Turku and finally run again. Turku Marathon … MORE

Finland seems to be the only the only European country where marathons take place at the moment. We were happy to travel to Turku and finally run again. Turku Marathon is a very well organised race. The course is a flat fast course starting and finishing in downtown. Drinks were offered every 2-3km! Unfortunately we didn’t get any medal nor T-Shirt for Corona reasons, what we did not understand!

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Liverpool Half Marathon & 10 Miler

Good race in a lovely city!

Half Marathon | First-timer '20 | Mar 16, 2020

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Liverpool Half Marathon & 10 Miler

I´ve never been to Liverpool before and was surprised how beautiful this city is! Absolutely worth a weekend trip to run a half marathon there. The race was the last … MORE

I´ve never been to Liverpool before and was surprised how beautiful this city is! Absolutely worth a weekend trip to run a half marathon there. The race was the last chance to run this spring as all other races in Europe have been cancelled due to Corona virus. Online registration was possible until Thursday 12pm. British runners get their numbers via mail, overseas runners collect their numbers easily before the race – all well organized. The course is nice and mostly flat. There is just one long and quite steep incline exactly after 1 mile for about 0.6 miles. The rest is flat and takes runners from the waterfront (really amazing) through the city to a huge park and then for the last 4 miles all along the coast. Unfortunately the weather was quite stormy and we had to struggle with heave head winds at the coast. The finish is at the waterfront where the race started. I absolutely loved the atmosphere at the finish zone and appreciated that everything was so easy. Runners put the bags into busses where they picked it up again (not good for valuables as the busses are open for anybody. All runners got a nice medal as well as a Finisher Shirt at the finish line. 3500 runners were registered but due to Corona only 2500 runners started and finished the race.

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Frankfurt Half Marathon

Much better than the years before!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '20 | Mar 9, 2020

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Frankfurt Half Marathon

Frankfurt Half Marathon is still not one of my favorite races, but this year´s race was better than expected. The course has been changed in terms of the direction which … MORE

Frankfurt Half Marathon is still not one of my favorite races, but this year´s race was better than expected. The course has been changed in terms of the direction which leads to the result that the harder part is at the beginning instead of at the end. Also the atmosphere is better. The course is flat and as weather conditions were almost perfect (cloudy and 10 degrees celsius with a little headwind from km 11-15) it was good for running pbs. Finishing in the huge soccer stadium was amazing. Unfortunately runners still don´t get a medal even though it´s one of the biggest half marathon events in Germany with 8500 registered runners.

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Seychelles Eco-Friendly Marathon

Extremely tough race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '20 | Feb 25, 2020

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Seychelles Eco-Friendly Marathon

Seychelles Marathon is a well organised race starting at Beau Vallon on Mahé Island. Runners can choose between the distances 42/21/10/5k. This year 130 half and 70 full marathoners were … MORE

Seychelles Marathon is a well organised race starting at Beau Vallon on Mahé Island. Runners can choose between the distances 42/21/10/5k. This year 130 half and 70 full marathoners were registered. Race Pick Up took place in Victoria in the office of Seychelles Marathon and it was very personally and warm hearted. The course is extremely tough with elevation about 1000 meters. Scenery is beautiful as the course is all along the coast. As temperatures are around 30 degrees Celsius even in the morning and the humidity is extremely high, I would consider it as one of the hardest races I’ve ever run. All runners get a medal and a T-Shirt (different colours for different sizes). The finishers of the half/marathon also get a fresh coconut! 😃

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eDreams Barcelona Half Marathon

One of the fastest!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '20 | Feb 16, 2020

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eDreams Barcelona Half Marathon

Barcelona Half Marathon is the perfect kick off into the season in Europe. The race always takes place on the second/third Sunday of February and most of the time the … MORE

Barcelona Half Marathon is the perfect kick off into the season in Europe. The race always takes place on the second/third Sunday of February and most of the time the weather conditions are almost perfect. That´s why a high number of elite runners come to Barcelona every year. The course is flat and the organization is perfect. And of course Barcelona is a city that´s worth to visit! The expo takes place close to Plaza Espanya which is easily reached by metro. The opening hours are very convenient as it´s open untill 8 pm. We decided to pick up our bibs on Friday and even though the race reached a record number of 23.000 runners the expo was not packed at all. All runners got a T-Shirt for free even though the registration fee is extremely low (around 30 Euro). During the race water and iso drinks are offered every 5km. No gels are offered which was no problem for me as I brought my own gel. The atmosphere along the course is good – there are some nice spots where many people cheer. This year the medal was a bit disappointing, but all in all a fantastic race in a fantastic city!

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Surf City Marathon & Half Marathon

Wonderful race along the beach!

Half Marathon | First-timer '20 | Feb 16, 2020

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Surf City Marathon & Half Marathon

The race was really good - perfect for the start into the new season! The course is flat, easy and beautiful all along the coast. The production is very good … MORE

The race was really good – perfect for the start into the new season! The course is flat, easy and beautiful all along the coast. The production is very good and the atmosphere in the finish area is awesome having live music, a beer garden and good coffee. The beach is perfect for some lovely medal-pictures. The expo is awesome offering a lot of really nice merchandising stuff. Unfortunately the expo closes very early at 5pm in the afternoon, but that seems to be a US thing 🙂

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Gdansk Half Marathon

Flat course outside of Gdansk!

Half Marathon | First-timer '19 | Nov 18, 2019

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Gdansk Half Marathon

Gdansk is one of the most beautiful cities I´ve ever visited. Too bad that the course of the popular half marathon (Polumaraton Gdansk) does hit the city at all. Start … MORE

Gdansk is one of the most beautiful cities I´ve ever visited. Too bad that the course of the popular half marathon (Polumaraton Gdansk) does hit the city at all. Start and finish is at Amber Expo close to the modern and fancy stadium. Unfortunately neither the stadium nor the city is part of the course. Instead the course leads runners along boring streets through the neighborhood of Gdansk. Almost no people are cheering. The good thing about the course is the fact that it´s absolutely flat except of a bridge at km 19. All runners get a nice medal. Even though the event is not too big (ca. 3500 runners for the half marathon) the expo is quite big and well organized as well as the finish area. Massage service is offered for free and all runners can enjoy a warm delicous soup after the race. Weather conditions were perfect. Sunny blue skies and chilly temperatures around 6 degrees Celsius.

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New York City Marathon

Once in a lifetime marathon!

Marathon | First-timer '19 | Nov 5, 2019

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New York City Marathon

New York Marathon is definitively a once in a liftetime must run marathon for every runner. Organization is amazing and the atmosphere along the course spectacular except of a few … MORE

New York Marathon is definitively a once in a liftetime must run marathon for every runner. Organization is amazing and the atmosphere along the course spectacular except of a few parts.
Expo is well organized and even though it was very crowded when I visited the expo on Friday at 11 am waiting times were absolutely ok. The start on Staten Island was breath taking with helicopters flying over Verezzano Bridge and fireworks etc. The starter villages (3 different colors) offered coffee, tea, other drinks, bananas, more than enough toilets etc. Even though we took the ferry 4 hours before the start waiting time was not as horrible as I expected – but to be honest: the weather was sunny and not too cold – I would not like to experience all that with rainy weather. Well, the course is tough – everyone knows that. I expected the bridges to be the toughest parts of the race, but in my opinion the hardest part was 5th avenue with a constant slightly uphill elevation almost at the end of the marathon. From my perspective the weakest part of the race was the finish in Central Park. The atmosphere of the finish is quite poor (compared to e.g. Berlin) and after having reached the finish line the second marathon begins: the marathon to get out of Central Park to get your poncho and to meet your friends. It took me almost 45 minutes constant walking!!! Unfortunately this year´s medal i absolutely not my cup of tea. The design of an apple in my opinion is awkward. Well, all in all a fantastic experience, but I will most probably not run NYC again – too expensive, too stressful getting to the start, waiting, etc.

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Bari21 Half Marathon

Super flat half marathon!

Half Marathon | First-timer '19 | Oct 30, 2019

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Bari21 Half Marathon

Bari is a very nice and easy going half marathon. Start is in downtown in front of the city hall where runners also get their race packages the day before. … MORE

Bari is a very nice and easy going half marathon. Start is in downtown in front of the city hall where runners also get their race packages the day before. The course is super flat – one of the flattest I´ve ever run. It takes runners all along the coast which is quite nice but also a bit boring. At the beginning the markers for every km were not correctly positioned. Atmosphere along the course could have been better, only very few spectators. Finish area was good. All runners got a medal as well as a T-Shirt and of course water, iso-drinks and an apple.

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Tirana Half Marathon

2 lap-course in a very interesting city!

Half Marathon | First-timer '19 | Oct 30, 2019

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Tirana Half Marathon

Tirana is a very interesting city and Albania a country that is absolutely worth to visit! The half marathon which is called Tirana Marathon is a 2 lap-course which starts … MORE

Tirana is a very interesting city and Albania a country that is absolutely worth to visit! The half marathon which is called Tirana Marathon is a 2 lap-course which starts in downtown on the main square in front of the opera house. The course take runners through downtown and leads to a lake. Most of the course is along the lake which is quite nice as you don´t have to run on the street. Unfortunately there were no km markers, but refreshment stations very frequently. The atmosphere of the race was very good, especially on the square. Very well organized.

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Sarajevo Half Marathon

Nice Race in Bosnia

Half Marathon | First-timer '19 | Sep 17, 2019

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Sarajevo Half Marathon

Sarajevo Half Marathon is a well organized race in the capital of Bosnia. The expo is small but nice with snacks and drinks for free. Runners are invited to stay … MORE

Sarajevo Half Marathon is a well organized race in the capital of Bosnia. The expo is small but nice with snacks and drinks for free. Runners are invited to stay a while and chat together in a runners lounge and get connected. Every runner gets a very beautiful backpack (the best one I have ever received so far) with some goodies and a very nice T-Shirt. This year´s color was orange, but other colors were available for 10 Euro (red, green, yellow, blue and black = colors of the olympic rings). The race started on Sunday at 9am in downtown in front of Swissotel. The course was described as flat and fast but has 2 quite tough uphill parts. Runners were given water very frequently and in the second part of the race even oranges and gels were offered. In the finish area different kinds of drinks (water, iso, alcfree beer) were offered as well as bananas! Best of all: the medal is really BEAUTIFUL!
What really has to be improved: the position of the km markers – the markers were totally confusing…

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Lauf Fur Mehr Zeit (Run For More Time)

Charity Race

10K | Repeat Runner '19 | Sep 17, 2019

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Lauf Fur Mehr Zeit (Run For More Time)

Lauf für mehr Zeit is a very nice charity race to support the local AIDS help organization. Runners can choose between 5 or 10 km. The course is a flat … MORE

Lauf für mehr Zeit is a very nice charity race to support the local AIDS help organization. Runners can choose between 5 or 10 km. The course is a flat and fast 5k loop through downtown Frankfurt. The race is accompanied by a nice get-together on Frankfurt´s most beautiful square which is Opernplatz in front of Alte Oper.

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Asuncion International Marathon

Windy and dark race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '19 | Aug 25, 2019

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Asuncion International Marathon

The 10th edition of Asuncion Marathon was a nice event that unfortunately suffered from heavy wind. The course starts at Costanera which is the coastline of Asuncion. We head strong … MORE

The 10th edition of Asuncion Marathon was a nice event that unfortunately suffered from heavy wind. The course starts at Costanera which is the coastline of Asuncion. We head strong headwind for the first 7k and again at the end. In the middle part when you run from the coastline to downtown the course has a 3k uphill part. There are many water stations along the course, but no isotonic drinks or gels. The atmosphere along the course was quite poor as there were no spectators. The city is not beautiful at all, but offers some museums. The distribution of the race packages took place in a modern shopping mall. All runners received a nice T-Shirt, a quite nice medal and some other stuff like a drinking bottle and soap 🙂 If you ever plan on running Asuncion Marathon Asuncion Rent Suites is a perfect place to stay as it’s right at start and finish of the race and a really good place to stay!

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Rio de Janeiro Half Marathon

Amazing course!

Half Marathon | First-timer '19 | Aug 20, 2019

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Rio de Janeiro Half Marathon

Rio Half Marathon is amazing! The course is as beautiful as a course can be! Start is at famous Ipanema Beach! From there the course takes runners to Copacabana before … MORE

Rio Half Marathon is amazing! The course is as beautiful as a course can be! Start is at famous Ipanema Beach! From there the course takes runners to Copacabana before the course turns left towards Botafogo and Flamengo from where you have spectacular views of sugarloaf. Runners pass by the marina of Rio, hit downtown before the course turns back to Flamengo where the half marathon comes to an end! In the finish zone you’ve got a perfect view of sugar loaf for a perfect medal picture! Weather conditions were hot this year, but should normally be a bit better. It was the hottest day of the week – bad luck! But it was sunny! The expo is well organised and quite big! As the race is very popular and many participants take part in the race waiting time at the numbers pick up is quite long. Try to be there as early as you can! In the race package you find gel and bars! A nice T-Shirt could be ordered for a good price
with the registration! All in all a MUST-RUN-RACE! And last, but not least: I’ve never seen so many photographers taking pictures of the runners! I can’t wait to see all the pictures!

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San Francisco Marathon

Such a scenic marathon!!!

Marathon | First-timer '19 | Jul 29, 2019

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San Francisco Marathon

SF Marathon is a wonderful race with a very scenic but also quite challenging course. After I had run the first half and the second half the years before I … MORE

SF Marathon is a wonderful race with a very scenic but also quite challenging course. After I had run the first half and the second half the years before I finally ran the full marathon this year. For the first time it was beautiful weather and the Golden Gate Bridge was clearly visible. The views of the bridge were spectacular while the sun was rising! Of course the course is quite hilly but fortunately the first half is the tougher part. The expo is super and offers a lot to see and to buy. The medal is very big very kitschy but awesome with a movable cable car. All in all it was an amazing and very well organised race!

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Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon

Tawdry medal!

Half Marathon | First-timer '19 | Jul 22, 2019

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Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon

Rock’n Roll Marathons are famous for the medals, but the medal I got at Chicago Half is the ugliest medal I’ve ever received! The T-Shirt as well.... the race is … MORE

Rock’n Roll Marathons are famous for the medals, but the medal I got at Chicago Half is the ugliest medal I’ve ever received! The T-Shirt as well…. the race is nice, but nothing special to talk about. A flat course with a scenic first half through downtown and a boring second half without any atmosphere! All in all a good race to run if you’re in town, but definitely not a race that’s good enough to travel for!

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Marburg Nachtmarathon (Night Marathon)

Scenic race in a beautiful small city!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '19 | Jul 6, 2019

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Marburg Nachtmarathon (Night Marathon)

Marburg marathon is a marathon/half marathon race in the city of Marburg which is a very beautiful small city right in the middle of Germany. The race starts on a … MORE

Marburg marathon is a marathon/half marathon race in the city of Marburg which is a very beautiful small city right in the middle of Germany. The race starts on a Friday night at 7pm at the market square of the old part of the town. It´s a flat beautiful course with parts in the city, outside along beautiful fields and at the river Lahn. It´s a small production with around 1200 runners for the half marathon. Everything is easy going! Perfect race to start the weekend with.

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Hella Hamburg Half Marathon

Super beautiful course!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '19 | Jul 2, 2019

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Hella Hamburg Half Marathon

Hamburg half marathon is one of the biggest solo half marathon races in Germany. 12000 runners were registered to run the most beautiful course in the most beautiful city. This … MORE

Hamburg half marathon is one of the biggest solo half marathon races in Germany. 12000 runners were registered to run the most beautiful course in the most beautiful city. This year weather conditions were very tough as it was sunny and super hot with temperatures in the mid-nineties which is absolutely not normal for Hamburg. Because of the weather only 8400 runners started of which only 8000 finished. Because of the 25th anniversary runners got a nice backpack! I love this race and I have already signed up for Hamburg Half 2020!

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Gorch-Fock-Lauf Wilhelmshaven

Wonderful race at the sea!

Half Marathon | First-timer '19 | Jun 25, 2019

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Gorch-Fock-Lauf Wilhelmshaven

Wonderful race! Beautiful 2 laps course in the city of Wilhelmshaven. Running along the sea while tourists cheer from theirs beach chairs and crossing the famous old Kaiser Wilhelm bridge … MORE

Wonderful race! Beautiful 2 laps course in the city of Wilhelmshaven. Running along the sea while tourists cheer from theirs beach chairs and crossing the famous old Kaiser Wilhelm bridge is spectacular! Super production and lovely medal! Loved it

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EVL Leverkusen Half Marathon

Nice race in a meaningless city!

Half Marathon | First-timer '19 | Jun 27, 2019

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EVL Leverkusen Half Marathon

Well, there is really no reason to visit the city of Leverkusen, but the half marathon was quite nice, much better than expected. As Leverkusen has nothing beautiful to offer … MORE

Well, there is really no reason to visit the city of Leverkusen, but the half marathon was quite nice, much better than expected. As Leverkusen has nothing beautiful to offer it´s very good that the course of the half marathon takes runners around the city through forests and parks which is quite beautiful. The highlight of the course is of course at km 12 when the course leads through the iconic Leverkusen soccer stadium. The atmosphere at the finish line is very nice and as the course is flat and the weather was beautiful it was all in all a nice half to use as a training. All runners (around 1200 runners for the half) got a beautiful medal.

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Luxembourg Night Marathon

Super party in Luxemburg!

Half Marathon | First-timer '19 | Jun 2, 2019

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Luxembourg Night Marathon

Luxemburg Marathon is a big party! The event consists of full marathon, half marathon and different team runs. It´s a night run that starts at 7pm. Nice expo and everything … MORE

Luxemburg Marathon is a big party! The event consists of full marathon, half marathon and different team runs. It´s a night run that starts at 7pm. Nice expo and everything is very well organized. Spectators get orange hats and rattles to make noise with. Start and finish is at the LuxExpo which is about 5 km outside the city centre. The course takes runners from there to the city centre and back. The atmosphere is fantastic! Many people and a lot of DJs at the course and they really know how to cheer. Weather was sunny and hot – definitely a bit too hot with temperatures close to 30 degrees celsius. Finish is in the expo hall which is almost as spectacular as the famous finish of Frankfurt Marathon. All in all a super nice race!

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Riga Marathon & Half

Gold label race in beautiful Riga!

Half Marathon | First-timer '19 | May 19, 2019

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Riga Marathon & Half

First of all: Riga is a wonderful city that is absolute worth a weekend trip! The Riga Marathon is a gold label race and a very good production. Runners have … MORE

First of all: Riga is a wonderful city that is absolute worth a weekend trip! The Riga Marathon is a gold label race and a very good production. Runners have the choice to either run the full or the half marathon that both start at 8.40 am. Elite start is at 8.30 am. A 10k race starts at 1pm. The race starts in downtown and the course is flat. The middle part of the half marathon is very beautiful taking runners through the city centre and through the old town. Unfortunately km 14 to 18 is quite boring why I rated the scenery with 3 shoes only. The finish area is lovely offering milk shakes, massage service, barbecue etc. The medal is beautiful!!! This year weather conditions were extreme as Latvia and the baltic area suffered from a heat wave. It was sunny but too hot to run good times. Normally it should be much cooler in Latvia 🙂

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Gutenberg Marathon Mainz

Jubilee edition of Mainz Marathon

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '19 | May 6, 2019

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Gutenberg Marathon Mainz

Mainz marathon is a very popular and well organized race. Runners can choose between full or half marathon. All runners start at 9.30 am. The course is flat and takes … MORE

Mainz marathon is a very popular and well organized race. Runners can choose between full or half marathon. All runners start at 9.30 am. The course is flat and takes runners to different parts of the city. Of course the best atmosphere is in downtown between km 9 and 15. This part is really amazing. Also the finish is amazing with many spectators cheering for all runners. In the finish area runners get different drinks (incl. alcoholfree beer), bread, bars, cakes and fruits. It´s a tradition that all runners get a present at the expo – this year it was a jubilee towel. By the way, the expo is a very nice one with very good offers.

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Du Motion Runners’ Days Dubrovnik

Fantastic Runner´s Weekend!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '19 | Apr 29, 2019

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Du Motion Runners’ Days Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik Runner´s Weekend is a perfectly organized and super sympathetic event in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The weekend starts with the 2,5km Run The Wall … MORE

Dubrovnik Runner´s Weekend is a perfectly organized and super sympathetic event in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The weekend starts with the 2,5km Run The Wall event. 100 participants start one after the other and run on the ancient city walls of Dubrovnik which is really fun. The course offers spectacular views from the walls which have steep 1080 steps! On Sunday it´s race day for the half marathon runners. Start and finish is at famous Stradum street which might be the most beautiful street in the world. The course is quite tough as it has a steep elevation at the beginning and at the end, but it´s also a beautiful course along the water. Drinks were offered every 2 km which was good because of the warm weather. All runners got a huge medal (for both events) and also a T-Shirt and a runner´s pass for both events. The wall runners even got a VIP Runner´s pass and a beautiful and high quality backpack. The pass includes free entrance to many touristic attractions such as cable car, entrance to the city walls, ferry boat to beautiful Lokrum island and free entrance to all museums and public transport. The pass is valid for 5-6 days! The event is really amazing and I can absolutely recommend Dubrovnik Half Marathon!

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Berlin Half Marathon 🏆

Now even better course!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '19 | Apr 8, 2019

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Berlin Half Marathon 🏆

Berlin Half Marathon is definitively one of the very best races! The course has been slightly changed this year and is now even better as the finish is now at … MORE

Berlin Half Marathon is definitively one of the very best races! The course has been slightly changed this year and is now even better as the finish is now at the Brandenburg Gate similar to the Berlin Marathon. The course is flat and very scenic – a perfect sightseeing tour! Due to the extremely high number of runners (35.500 registered runners / almost 29.000 finishers) it gets a little crowded in the starting area – please be there on time for a little extra waiting time. Weather conditions this year were amazing!

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PZU Warsaw Half Marathon

Well organized race - boring course!

Half Marathon | First-timer '19 | Apr 1, 2019

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PZU Warsaw Half Marathon

Warsaw Half Marathon is a fast growing half marathon in the capital of Poland. Almost 15.000 runners took part in the 14th edition of this race. It´s well organized with … MORE

Warsaw Half Marathon is a fast growing half marathon in the capital of Poland. Almost 15.000 runners took part in the 14th edition of this race. It´s well organized with a small, but good expo. When registering runners can decide if they wanna ad a race T-shirt for 30 Euro. Normally I never buy race shirts, but this time I did, because I liked it. Start of the race is at 10 am on Sunday – due to the time change to summer time I was happy that it was not earlier. The course is absolutely flat – good for PBs. The atmosphere is good with music and a lot of cheering groups. The finish is packed with people cheering the runners. The reason why this race does not get 5 shoes is the absolute boring course. It starts in downtown quite close to the old city, but unfortunately takes runners only to the other side of the river and then back and does not hit the beautiful parts of Warsaw at all. What a pity!

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eDreams Barcelona Half Marathon

Every Year Race

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '19 | Feb 11, 2019

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eDreams Barcelona Half Marathon

Barcelona Half Marathon is one of the top events I love to run every year. This year the weather could not have been better. Sunny, mild and no wind - … MORE

Barcelona Half Marathon is one of the top events I love to run every year. This year the weather could not have been better. Sunny, mild and no wind – perfect running conditions. Nice expo, nice flat course through downtown Barcelona, super atmosphere and nice T-Shirt and medal. Motel One is the best hotel to stay. Good prices and perfect location as start and finish is just in front of the hotel entrance.

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RAK Half Marathon

5 shoes due to overwhelming production!

Half Marathon | First-timer '19 | Feb 11, 2019

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RAK Half Marathon

RAK Half Marathon is considered to be the world´s fastest half marathon. The top elite runners run this race every year. It´s absolutely flat - my runtastic said 0 meters … MORE

RAK Half Marathon is considered to be the world´s fastest half marathon. The top elite runners run this race every year. It´s absolutely flat – my runtastic said 0 meters up and 0 meters down which makes this course the perfect course to run a personal best. Weather conditions in Ras Al Khaimah which is about 1 hour drive from Dubai airport were perfect. Sunny blue skies and moderate temperatures – cool in the morning. The production is really one of the best I have ever experienced and if you stay at Hilton Double Tree Marjan Island you just have to step out of your hotel room and you´re at the start and finish line. The medal is the biggest and heaviest medal I´ve ever seen and it´s absolutely high quality! The course is not very scenic, but every 2,5km water is offered. After the race runners get free downloads of the photos that were taken. All in all it was a fantastic experience to run RAK Half Marathon!

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Funchal Marathon

Sunny and easy going race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '19 | Jan 29, 2019

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Funchal Marathon

Well, it´s quite hard to find a marathon in Europe taking place in January. Funchal Marathon on the beautiful portuguese island of Madeira is one of the few options. Weather … MORE

Well, it´s quite hard to find a marathon in Europe taking place in January. Funchal Marathon on the beautiful portuguese island of Madeira is one of the few options. Weather conditions were perfect. Bright sunshine with a few clouds, almost no wind and temperatures around 18 to 20 degrees celsius. Runners can choose between full and half marathon and a 7k mini race. There is no expo, just a pick-up place in downtown Funchal where runners get their numbers and a race T-Shirt which was red this year. As the city of Funchal is not that big the start is easy to reach by foot from almost every hotel in town which makes it very comfortable. The course takes runners through different parts of the city. Some parts have to be run twice. There are some up- and downhill parts. Every 4-5k runners get offered water and iso-drinks. Unfortunately there is only very little support along the course. The most annoying fact was that the course seemed not to be exactly measured due to a short term course correction, which lead to a very long km 17 and km 19! At the end the course was at least 21.7km long. All in all I can recommend to run Funchal Marathon if you want to escape from winter in Europe and enjoy beautiful spring weather.

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Johnson Arabia Dubai Creek Striders Half Marathon

Well organized race at the Creek!

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | Jan 6, 2019

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Johnson Arabia Dubai Creek Striders Half Marathon

Beautiful course along the Dubai Creek. The first 8 km are a bit boring, but then the course gets beautiful and runners run along the creek while the sun is … MORE

Beautiful course along the Dubai Creek. The first 8 km are a bit boring, but then the course gets beautiful and runners run along the creek while the sun is rising. All runners get a huge sport bag full of race swag. After the race all runners meet on the terrace of Dubai Golf Club for a huge breakfast buffet! All in all a fantastic race! Loved it! Weather by the way was perfect. Sunshine and around 20-22 degrees Celsius.

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Minsk Half Marathon

Run in Europe´s last dictatorship!

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | Sep 10, 2018

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Minsk Half Marathon

Minsk, the capital of Belarus, is a quite big city with around 2 million inhabitants. The half marathon is a wonderful opportunity to see the city as its downtown course … MORE

Minsk, the capital of Belarus, is a quite big city with around 2 million inhabitants. The half marathon is a wonderful opportunity to see the city as its downtown course has quite a few sights to offer. Start and finish is right in the city centre next to Galleria Minsk, a modern shopping mall, in which runners also get their bibs the days before the marathon. For late comers a pre-race pick up is offered in the morning before the race starts – everything is easy going even though the race is quite big with around 10.000 runners for different races (5,5 – 10,55 and 21,1km). Every runner gets a T-Shirt (not really nice and quite cheap looking) and of course a medal after finishing the race. The start was very funny as it was accompanied by Russian folklore dancers and Russian music as well as huge confetti canons. The atmosphere along the course was good with military music bands and cheerleader girls cheering the runners.
Critic points are:
1) only few water stations (every 5km) even though weather was sunny and much warmer than expected. Runners were offered water, oranges and bananas along the course and Coca Cola in the finish area.
2) it was a bit too crowed at the beginning and slow runners were in front…
3) runners only got the bib with a T-Shirt, but no bag

All in all I can recommend the race if one is interested to visit Belarus. The Hilton Double Tree is a perfect option to stay as the hotel is situated right next to start/finish and Galleria Minsk where the bib pick up takes place. Everything is VERY EASY and also very reasonable! 🙂

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Koberstadter Wald-Marathon

Run through the forest!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '18 | Sep 7, 2018

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Koberstadter Wald-Marathon

Koberstädter Waldmarathon is a very unspectacular race in Egelsbach which is a small city close to Frankfurt. Start and finish takes place at the stadium. The course is 85% through … MORE

Koberstädter Waldmarathon is a very unspectacular race in Egelsbach which is a small city close to Frankfurt. Start and finish takes place at the stadium. The course is 85% through the forest and not as flat as expected. Unfortunately runners don´t get a medal.

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Reykjavik Marathon

Lovely race, but cheap medal!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '18 | Aug 21, 2018

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Reykjavik Marathon

I have run Reykjavik half marathon 3 times and I really do like the race and the city. The course is beautiful and except of a few hills it´s a … MORE

I have run Reykjavik half marathon 3 times and I really do like the race and the city. The course is beautiful and except of a few hills it´s a quite flat and fast course. All runners get a T-Shirt and a medal. To be honest it´s definitely not one of my favorite medals, but the race itself is one my favorite ones – everything is easy going and fun!

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San Francisco Marathon

Much faster than the 1st Half!

2nd Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | Jul 31, 2018

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San Francisco Marathon

After having run the 1st half of San Francisco Marathon I finally ran the 2nd half this year. It´s a much faster course and I really liked to finish in … MORE

After having run the 1st half of San Francisco Marathon I finally ran the 2nd half this year. It´s a much faster course and I really liked to finish in downtown. The expo of SF Marathon is good and well organized. All runners get a long sleeve shirt when picking up the bibs. The start of SF Marathon is at 5.30 am. This year for the first time the start of the 1st half was not at the same time, but one hour later at 6.30 am. The course of the 1st has changed and does not allow runners to cross Golden Gate Bridge. The start of the 2nd half is at 6.45 am and runners were brought to the Golden Gate Park by shuttle busses leaving the start/finish area between 5 and 5.45 am. The start was smooth and the course first made a round through Golden Gate Park before going down to downtown. The course is hilly, but as it´s more downhill than uphill it´s good for pb.

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Hella Hamburg Half Marathon

Just wonderful!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '18 | Jul 1, 2018

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Hella Hamburg Half Marathon

Ok, I have written some reviews about Hamburg Half Marathon before and it still belongs to my absolute favorite races. Some slight changes have been done this year so that … MORE

Ok, I have written some reviews about Hamburg Half Marathon before and it still belongs to my absolute favorite races. Some slight changes have been done this year so that the race even got better! The expo takes place at the Hamburg fair and is bigger and better than before. Picking up the race package was very easy and fast. The course also changed a bit. The start at the famous Reeperbahn (Red Light District) is still the same, but at the end the course now takes runners to the beautiful river Alster and the finish is at the fair which is better than before as there is more space for the growing number of runners. This year around 12.000 runners were registered for the race. The weather was as beautiful as it can be which made the race an absolute fantastic event with thousands of spectators and many bands along the course! I once again fell in love with Hamburg Half Marathon!

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Isle of Skye Half Marathon

Beautiful Isle of Skye!

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | Jun 11, 2018

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Isle of Skye Half Marathon

The Isle of Skye is a beautiful island in the northwest of Scotland. It´s really stunning and worth to travel to! The start and finish of the half marathon is … MORE

The Isle of Skye is a beautiful island in the northwest of Scotland. It´s really stunning and worth to travel to! The start and finish of the half marathon is in Portree, the capital of the island, which is a very cosy and small town. Everything is easy. The expo takes place at the high school which is a 5 minutes walk from the centre. That´s also where the start and finish is. The race was sold out which means that 1000 runners were registered. The atmosphere at the start was very nice. Warm up was offered and a band of typical Scottish bagpipe players lead the runners to the start blocks. The race started on time at 10.30 am. The course was quite beautiful and very hilly which made it tough. Actually I expected the course to be even more scenic. All runners got a medal as well as an orange T-Shirt (why are the T-Shirts always orange?) and a certificate.

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JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge – Frankfurt

Wonderful afterwork race!

5.6K | Repeat Runner '18 | Jun 7, 2018

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JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge – Frankfurt

JP Morgan Corporate Challange is a 5,6km run through downtown of Frankfurt. Around 65.000 runners from hundreds of different companies run and party together. The company with the highest number of runners is Lufthansa with round about 1700 runners. Every runner gets a company T-Shirt for the race and a JP Morgan Finisher Shirt after the race!

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Fehmarn Marathon

Scenic, but NO MEDAL!

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | Jun 3, 2018

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Fehmarn Marathon

Fehmarn is a small German island in the Baltic Sea around 1 to 2 hours drive from Hamburg. The marathon is a running festival for the whole family. You can … MORE

Fehmarn is a small German island in the Baltic Sea around 1 to 2 hours drive from Hamburg. The marathon is a running festival for the whole family. You can run a full marathon (2 laps), half marathon (1lap), 10k, 5k and there is also a kid´s run. As the weather was beautiful this year the atmosphere at the start and finish was fantastic. Start of the marathon was at 10 am and the half marathon at 10.30 am which was a bit late as it became very hot. As there is absolutely no shadow along the course (Fehmarn is a very flat island and running at the dike does not provide any shadow at all) it became quite tough at the end. The course is a beautiful round course of 21.1km and absolutely flat. As it is a very small race with 150 half marathon runners and some 70 marathon runners there is no expo. Unfortunately this year runners did not get a medal – I was very disappointed when I realized that fact as it was my 150th half marathon. At least we got a certificate.

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Edinburgh Marathon Festival

Foggy chilly and windy race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | May 29, 2018

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Edinburgh Marathon Festival

Edinburgh Marathon Festival (emf) is the biggest running event in Scotland. Runners can choose between 26.2 and 13.1 miles (and some shorter distances). I ran the half marathon. Start is … MORE

Edinburgh Marathon Festival (emf) is the biggest running event in Scotland. Runners can choose between 26.2 and 13.1 miles (and some shorter distances). I ran the half marathon. Start is in downtown Edinburgh. The course takes runners out of the town quite fast down to the sea. Finish is in Wallyford close to the beach. The course is very scenic and because of the fact that it only has flat and downhill parts it´s good for a pb. Unfortunately weather conditions were quite poor this year. Sunshine was forecasted, but it was foggy, cold and quite windy. At the finish every runner got a medal and nice box including a finisher T-Shirt, a bottle, a silver foil keep warm and a cute 13.1 key chains. A free shuttle brought runners back to the city of Edinburgh. The weak points of the race: no expo on Saturday evening. Runners from UK got their bibs via mail and international runners had to pick the numbers at the help desk in downtown. So we did not get any race-bags. I should have known before. There were only few toilets at the start as no portable toilets were used – only the normal public toilets around. The way to the shuttle bus was around 1.5 miles from the finish – yeah!!! So it took quite a while to get back. I was very happy that I rebooked my flight to the later flight.

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Fraport Lauf (Frankfurt International Airport Run)

Race for the Airport cummunity

10K | Repeat Runner '18 | May 23, 2017

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Fraport Lauf (Frankfurt International Airport Run)

Once every year the airport of Frankfurt is organizing the FRAPORT RUN. Runners can choose between 5 or 10k. The race takes place in a forest close to the airport … MORE

Once every year the airport of Frankfurt is organizing the FRAPORT RUN. Runners can choose between 5 or 10k. The race takes place in a forest close to the airport and is accompanied by a nice party with music and barbecue. The course is flat, beautiful and shady.

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Moscow Half Marathon

Wonderful scenic race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | May 22, 2018

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Moscow Half Marathon

Very nice Expo with lots of opportunities to get running stuff, take photos or have a coffee or grab some food at one of the food trucks. The race starts … MORE

Very nice Expo with lots of opportunities to get running stuff, take photos or have a coffee or grab some food at one of the food trucks. The race starts near the stadium and it´s very easy to get there by taxi / Uber which is extremely cheap in Moscow. Very well organized at the start with music, tribunes for spectators, food trucks, changing rooms etc. The course is flat and very scenic. It takes runners along the river Moskva to downtown and you pass by the famous Kreml and Basilica (Red Square) 2 times – really amazing! Atmosphere at the finish is also fantastic, several opportunities to take pictures in front of huge posters. All runners get a big medal and a T-Shirt. The only thing that could be improved is that at the water stations water was not always handed over to the runners but we had to take it ourselves from the table and the bag drop was a little bit chaotic, because all runners wanted to drop the bags as late as possible due to the bad weather. It was raining and quite cold even though weather in Moscow in May usually is fantastic!

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Auffahrtslauf St. Gallen

Tough and beautiful!

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | May 11, 2018

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Auffahrtslauf St. Gallen

St. Gallen Half Marathon, called Auffahrtslauf, takes place every year at Ascension Day. It´s a running festival for the whole family with a kid´s run, 10k and the half marathon. … MORE

St. Gallen Half Marathon, called Auffahrtslauf, takes place every year at Ascension Day. It´s a running festival for the whole family with a kid´s run, 10k and the half marathon. All races start in the afternoon and the last one is the half marathon at 6.30 pm. Included in the registration fee is a free ticket for the Swiss railway within Switzerland which made it very easy for me to get from Zurich airport to St. Gallen which is a 1 hour train ride. Also included i a free T-Shirt which runners should wear in order to get into the party zone with free beer and other drinks and snacks after the race. I normally never wear the official race shirts but this time I did even though I did not like the color. The course is VERY rich in variety starting at the St. Gallen arena which is about 6km out of the city centre. It´s a very hilly and tough course but it also has a flat part in between which takes runners through beautiful downtown of St. Gallen. The atmosphere along the course is fantastic – many spectators, music bands also playing traditional Swiss instruments like Alphorn. The finish is in the stadium and wearing the official T-Shirt (almost everybody did) you get entrance to the party zone with free alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer as well as other drinks and snacks. Unfortunately the weather was not good at all this year as Ascension Day was the only rainy, cold and windy day within a beautiful sunny period. I would love to run this race again with beautiful weather. It must be gorgeous then!

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Du Motion Runners’ Days Dubrovnik

A fantastic race in a beautiful city!

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | May 1, 2018

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Du Motion Runners’ Days Dubrovnik

Du Motion Running Festival in Dubrovnik was held for the 4th time. It´s very well organized and offers a 2,5km fun race called Run The Wall on Saturday, a Kid´s … MORE

Du Motion Running Festival in Dubrovnik was held for the 4th time. It´s very well organized and offers a 2,5km fun race called Run The Wall on Saturday, a Kid´s Run, 5k and Half Marathon on Sunday. Of course I ran the Half Marathon but I also wanted to do the fun run on Saturday as it´s very unique to run the ancient City Wall of Dubrovnik which is normally packed with tourists. The registration fee of USD 100 seemed a bit expensive to me, but I have to admit, that it was definitely worth the money. I went to the small expo which is very close to the Entrance Gate of the old town. The expo is small, but nice. I got water and espresso for free and everything went smoothly. I picked up my packages and was very surprised to get a quite nice backpack, one T-Shirt each for both races (Ready To Run The Wall and Ready To Run 21k), Gels, Bars, Water, and VIP Runner passes which were good for free public transport, free boat-trip to the island of Lokrum, free entrance to all museums, free entrance to the city wall and reductions in many restaurants – wow that was more than worth the money as all that is very expensive in Dubrovnik. Coming to the races:
Run the Wall was really fun! 100 runners are allowed to run this unique race which starts in the beautiful Stradun – the most famous street in the old town of Dubrovnik. You run ca. 300 meters before you have to run up the stairs to enter the City Wall which is a round about 2km round course with many stairs to climb before you go down again and finish on Stradun again. Photos were taken along the course and you get them for free.
On Sunday the half marathon started at 9.30 am. Normally it´s warm in Dubrovnik at this time of the year, but this time it was even hot and sunny with almost no wind. Round about 1000 runners from all parts of the world took part in the race which also started at Stradun. The atmosphere is unique. The course takes runners from the old town through the east gate to run uphill and then downhill again to get to the harbor and then out of Dubrovnik all along the water up to km 11 where it´s time to run a U-turn back to Dubrovnik. It´s a very scenic course and water as well as energy drinks were provided very frequently. Bands were playing and the sun was burning. Almost at the end of the race the course gets really tough as there runners have to run quite steep uphill for about 1 km before the last km offers an easy downhill part before you enter the west gate to the old town again and finish on beautiful Stradun! Really one of the best races!

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Wizz Air Cluj-Napoca Marathon

Fantastic Race in a lovely city!

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | Apr 17, 2018

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Wizz Air Cluj-Napoca Marathon

Cluj-Napoca Marathon is a running festival in the romanian city of Cluj-Napoca which is located in the area of Transilvania in Romania. It´s a perfectly organized festival with a fantastic … MORE

Cluj-Napoca Marathon is a running festival in the romanian city of Cluj-Napoca which is located in the area of Transilvania in Romania. It´s a perfectly organized festival with a fantastic atmosphere. The expo takes place in a modern hall just next to the iconic Cluj Arena. It´s a nice small expo and everything is easy going. All runners get a coupon for the pasta party where you get tasty pasta either with tomato or carbonara sauce. The cotton goody bag contains gel, bars, a T-Shirt, 20 Euro coupon for low budget airline Wizz-Air (main sponsor), multi functional headwear and playing cards. Wow, really amazing as the registration fee was so low, just 15 Euro! Runners can run 5k in the morning (for free and also with a T-Shirt for free and a medal), full marathon, half marathon or 10 k. The atmosphere is super – it´s like a festival for the whole family. I ran the half marathon, but would definitively run the 5k before next time. The course of the half marathon was flat and quite scenic as it lead through historic downtown several times. Start and finish was in the Cluj Arena – a modern iconic stadium! Of course every runner got a beautiful medal and drinks as well as oranges, bananas etc. were provided. All in all a fantastic race – perfect for all runners looking for a good and VERY REASONABLE race in a city off the beaten track! I will be back for sure!!!

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Paderborn Easter Run (Paderborner Osterlauf)

Nice Easter Race - Nothing spectacular

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | Apr 1, 2018

Overall Rating:

Paderborn Easter Run (Paderborner Osterlauf)

Paderborner Easter Running Festival is one of the oldest street races in Germany. It was the 72nd edition and it always takes place on Saturday in the afternoon at Easter. … MORE

Paderborner Easter Running Festival is one of the oldest street races in Germany. It was the 72nd edition and it always takes place on Saturday in the afternoon at Easter. Runners have the choice between 5, 10 and 21.1 km.
The half marathon is a 2 laps course in the city of Paderborn, but unfortunately it does not hit downtown, why the course is not very attractive. It´s flat except of a bridge that has to be crossed 4 times. The spectators are the best of the race. They really know how to encourage the runners and there is a lot of music along the course. All finishers get a medal which is a easter bunny – not my style to be honest… I did the race as an easy training for Paris Marathon – therefore it was absolutely ok!

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IAAF World Half Marathon Championships

Best race ever!

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | Mar 25, 2018

Overall Rating:

IAAF World Half Marathon Championships

Valencia is a city for runners. The marathon (November) and also the half marathon (October) war very famous because of its flat and fast courses. This year the world half … MORE

Valencia is a city for runners. The marathon (November) and also the half marathon (October) war very famous because of its flat and fast courses. This year the world half marathon championships took place in Valencia and therefore a new course was created, even flatter than the ordinary half marathon course and with the finish at the city of arts and science (spectacular architecture by the famous architect Santiago Calatrava). The expo took place in the museum of science and the atmosphere was fantastic. There were many possibilities to take pictures and everything was easy going – no long waiting at all. Every runner got a T-Shirt (unfortunately orange again) and a bag with beer, nuts, etc.
Raceday was Saturday and the start for the elite women took place at 5.05pm, for the elite men at 5.30pm followed by the mass start. The course was REALLY FLAT – I loved it. It took us from the city of arts and science to all places in the city and as it was like an eight it was very easy for friends to cheer at the start, at km 8,5 and at the finish. The atmosphere all along the course was amazing. Many people were cheering at the course, especially from km 16 up to the finish when the course hit downtown and went back to the city of arts and science thousands of spectators were cheering the runners. The finish was spectacular! One of the best I have ever experienced. I do hope that the ordinary annually half marathon will change its course to that one. It was fast and spectacular! I love Valencia – ciudad of running! Of course every runner got a beautiful medal and we even got a whole net full of oranges at the finish!

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NYC Half 🏆

New Course is a bit disappointing!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '18 | Mar 20, 2018

Overall Rating:

NYC Half 🏆

It was my 5th NYC Manhattan Half. I loved the old course which was good for personal bests. This year they have changed the course and there were a few … MORE

It was my 5th NYC Manhattan Half. I loved the old course which was good for personal bests. This year they have changed the course and there were a few disadvantages: first of all the start at Prospect Park was not as beautiful as it was in Central Park. There was not the same magic atmosphere. The trucks for bag check were parked the wrong way so that runners had to go behind the trucks. As it was still dark at 6 a clock I fell down as I could not see the uneven ground. Fortunately I did not hurt anything. The restrooms were IN the start corrals which was good on the one hand but lead to a chaos on the other hand. Another disadvantage is the fact that the course is much tougher than the older was. Running across Manhattan Bridge is nice, but quite hard and running Central Park at the end of the race is also quite exhausting.
Wind in New York seems to always blow from the northwest which means that now runners have to run against almost all the time while they could run with the wind on the old course.
The finish in Central Park is ok, but unfortunately friends are not able to come to the finish line as ways are blocked. Runners have to walk out of Central Park from 72nd street (finish) all the way down to the south exit at Columbus Circle where they can meet their friends. I do hope that they will change to the old course again or at least improve this course!

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Brooklyn Spring Half Marathon, 10K & 5K

Nice small race in Prospect Park

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | Mar 20, 2018

Overall Rating:

Brooklyn Spring Half Marathon, 10K & 5K

Brooklyn Spring Half is a very easy going and nice race and it seems to take place every year exactly one day before the famous New York Manhattan Half takes … MORE

Brooklyn Spring Half is a very easy going and nice race and it seems to take place every year exactly one day before the famous New York Manhattan Half takes place. This year I decided to run both races. The Brooklyn Spring as a warm up for the Manhattan Half on Sunday. As there is no race package pick up the day before all runners have to pick up the race numbers in the morning of the race which started at 9.30 am. I picked my number at 8.30 am and also got a beautiful blue long sleeve T-Shirt. As it was VERY cold I was more than happy that there was a MCD close to the start so that I could have a coffee and warm up a little bit. I returned to the park 15 minutes before race start to check my bag and go to the start line. The course consists of 4 laps so that runners know every tree of Prospect Park afterwards. I liked the lap as it was a long uphill part at the beginning followed by an even longer downhill part! Running this lap 4 times did not get boring, which surprised me. Photographers catch the runners 4 times and photos as well as videos are sent to the runners afterwards by mail. In the finish all runners got a full colored medal. The race was much better than expected.

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Frankfurt Half Marathon

Popular race but no medal!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '18 | Mar 20, 2018

Overall Rating:

Frankfurt Half Marathon

Frankfurt Half Marathon has become quite popular. It´s the half marathon with the highest number of fast runners in Germany and more than 6000 participants take part in the race. … MORE

Frankfurt Half Marathon has become quite popular. It´s the half marathon with the highest number of fast runners in Germany and more than 6000 participants take part in the race. The start is at the football stadium which is offers fantastic facilities for such an event. A huge buffet of cakes and sandwiches is offered to all runners (not for free). The course takes runners from the stadium to the river Main which is more or less in downtown and then back to the stadium. There is not a lot to see and the atmosphere is quite boring as only few people are cheering. At the beginning the course is very flat, but at the end it becomes a bit hilly which makes the second half of the race a bit harder. Unfortunately runners do not get a medal in the finish, but all runners get a certificate to download.

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Baikal Ice Marathon

Once in a lifetime!

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | Mar 20, 2018

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Baikal Ice Marathon

Baikal Ice Marathon is a very special race. It takes place at Lake Baikal in Siberia. Runners have the choice to run either 42k (from one shore of the lake … MORE

Baikal Ice Marathon is a very special race. It takes place at Lake Baikal in Siberia. Runners have the choice to run either 42k (from one shore of the lake to the other) or 21k (finish is in the middle of the lake). Around 150 runners from all over the world take part in that race and the atmosphere is unique. Temperatures of minus 20-30 degrees Celsius make the race a very tough one and it´s very important to dress accordingly. This year there was more snow than usually which made it even harder as we had to run through snow almost all the race. The night before the race we all stayed at Baikalsk from where we were brought to the start of the race by bus (45 minutes drive). A very good breakfast was provided in the hotel. At the start we had the chance to use restrooms, to get dressed and to have a warm tea. The start was at 10.30 in the morning. Runners who want to run this race must prove that they are able to run a marathon in less than 4 hours or a half marathon in less than 2 hours. Along the course there were refreshment stations at km 7, 15 and 21, where fruits, chocolate, water and tea were offered. Due to a Siberian hurricane that came up during the race the race had to be stopped and the lake had to be evacuated. Fortunately this happened shortly after we had finished our half marathon. It was the first time that this happened and it was the 14th edition. All runners got a medal, a T-Shirt, beanie and a certificate at the Gala-Dinner in the evening. All in all a super great experience!!!

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The Big Half London

Stressful start at tower bridge!

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | Mar 20, 2018

Overall Rating:

The Big Half London

It was the first edition of London Big Half Marathon. Start took place at famous Tower Bridge and the finish was at Greenwich University. The course is mostly flat, but … MORE

It was the first edition of London Big Half Marathon. Start took place at famous Tower Bridge and the finish was at Greenwich University. The course is mostly flat, but due to several parts of cobblestones it´s not as easy as I thought it would be. The atmosphere along the course is ok, but not very cheering as there are not many people in the streets of London´s east part. The best part of the course is at mile 7 when runners have to cross Tower Bridge in order to get to Greenwich. Every runner gets a T-Shirt and a medal, which are ok, but not really beautiful. All in all the race was ok, but there was one thing that really has to be improved: foreign runners did not have the chance to pick up race packages the day before the race. They had to pick up in the morning before the start. As there were only 2-3 people for the distribution of the race packages we had to stand in line for about 1 hour!!! Even though I arrived super early in the morning I had so much stress and no time to check my bag or to use the restroom. Very poor organization. 🙁

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Malta Marathon

Nice race with some inadequacies

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | Feb 26, 2018

Overall Rating:

Malta Marathon

Malta Marathon is a pretty international event. Runners from many different countries run either the full or the half marathon. The organization is not the best one: there is no … MORE

Malta Marathon is a pretty international event. Runners from many different countries run either the full or the half marathon. The organization is not the best one: there is no expo, runners have to pick up the race package at the Le Meridien Hotel and when I showed up there was a long queue. The pick up was definitively not suitable for a race with almost 5000 participants (4000 half and almost 1000 full). At the race day runners were taken to the start by busses .The start is in Mdina, which is the old capital of Malta. Unfortunately there are not enough toilets at the start which means standing in the queue again for a long time. The start of the half marathon was a bit crowded but after 500 m it was ok and once I was on my way I really appreciated the race. The first 10k are downhill. In the second half of the race there are some pretty bad uphill parts but all in all it´s a course to run good times. The last part of the race is very scenic as runners run along the seaside. The finish is gorgeous and the medal is huge! All runners also get a T-Shirt (not really a nice one) and they get all photos taken along the course for free! Water and energy drinks are provided every 5k – once along the course oranges were given to the runners!

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eDreams Barcelona Half Marathon

One of the best ones!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '18 | Feb 26, 2018

Overall Rating:

eDreams Barcelona Half Marathon

Barcelona Half Marathon is one of the best ones, especially if you want to run a personal best. The course is super flat and weather conditions are most of the … MORE

Barcelona Half Marathon is one of the best ones, especially if you want to run a personal best. The course is super flat and weather conditions are most of the times fine. So they were this year. Blue skies and temperatures of around 10 degrees. This time I did not go to the expo as a friend picked up my race package so I cannot say anything about the expo, but I remember that it was a big one 2 years ago. Start of the race is at 8:30 am. As a new and very good Motel One hotel just opened 1st of February things got so much easier. The hotel is located directly at the start so that I just walked out of my room 15 minutes before the start. I can really recommend to stay in that hotel. The course is a nice downtown course which gives a good impression of the city. It´s flat and fast and the atmosphere is fantastic. Every runner gets a nice medal and also a nice T-Shirt.

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Napoli City Half Marathon

Wonderful Race in Bella Napoli

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '18 | Feb 4, 2018

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Napoli City Half Marathon

I ran Napoli Half for the 2nd time as I loved it so much last year. This year it was again a fantastic race - mostly flat and as weather … MORE

I ran Napoli Half for the 2nd time as I loved it so much last year. This year it was again a fantastic race – mostly flat and as weather conditions were perfect it was a good race to start with a good time into the season. As last year runners got a nice T-Shirt (without any advertisement on it) only saying Napoli Running on the shirt. The medal was very nice and as Napoli Running has a cooperation with Czech Running they are also using the slogan “All Runners Are Beautiful” which runners who ran in Prague might already know.
The course has changed a bit as due to road construction it´s not possible to run through the city centre anymore. I do hope this will change again for future races as course scenery was better with the old course.

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Miami Marathon & Half Marathon

Almost perfect race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | Feb 5, 2018

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Miami Marathon & Half Marathon

Miami Marathon was a perfect race in almost every aspect. Runners have the choice to run full or half marathon. The expo is one of the best I have ever … MORE

Miami Marathon was a perfect race in almost every aspect. Runners have the choice to run full or half marathon. The expo is one of the best I have ever visited and offers extremely good deals.
The races both start early in the morning in the dark at 6 am which means that you run about 45 minutes in the dark. The course takes you from downtown Miami across the long bridge to South Beach and the smaller bridges back to the city. It´s flat except of the bridges. Water and Iso is provided very frequently. All runners get a T-Shirt and a HUGE medal! In the finish area runners get a lot of food and drinks – it´s amazing! And even the photos that were taken along the course and in the finish are given to the runners for free! The only thing that I did not like was the fact that the last mile was (or km) was definitively not measured correctly – it was way to long. The course of the half marathon was a bit (like 200 m) longer than it should have been which was a bit frustrating in terms of the finish time.

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Gran Canaria Marathon

Fantastic Race on the Canary Islands

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | Jan 22, 2018

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Gran Canaria Marathon

I ran the Gran Canaria Half Marathon which is part of a marathon event for the first time. The race is perfectly organized and the course is flat and beautiful. … MORE

I ran the Gran Canaria Half Marathon which is part of a marathon event for the first time. The race is perfectly organized and the course is flat and beautiful. If the wind is not too strong it´s a course to run pb. I was lucky as the weather could not have been more beautiful. Sunny skies, no wind and temperatures around 15-20 degrees. Very good control at the entrance of the corrals so that only runners of my pace were in my corral. The course is beautiful and takes runners through downtown and then to the seaside and back. It´s not boring at all and the finish along the beach is really beautiful. Water, energy drinks and bananas as well as nuts are provided along the course. Every km is clearly marked (you can´t miss the huge signs!). All in all a fantastic race which can be combined with beautiful days on the canary islands!

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New Year’s Marathon Zurich (Neujahrsmarathon Zurich)

Very Special Race

Half Marathon | First-timer '18 | Jan 22, 2018

Overall Rating:

New Year’s Marathon Zurich (Neujahrsmarathon Zurich)

New Year´s Marathon in Zurich is a very well known marathon event that takes place new years day at midnight which means that the starts while the sky over Zurich … MORE

New Year´s Marathon in Zurich is a very well known marathon event that takes place new years day at midnight which means that the starts while the sky over Zurich is lightened by fireworks. The event is very well organized (of course – we are in Switzerland…) and as the start and finish is in a gymnasium runners can keep warm while waiting for the start. Runners have the choice between a full marathon (4 laps), half marathon (2 laps) or a 10,5km (1 lap). The course is flat and very well prepared. All stones are marked with neon colors so that runners do not fall while running. With the registration you can order a medal – it´s not for free, but at least you have the option to get one!

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End of the World Marathon

A very special race and unique race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | Dec 15, 2017

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End of the World Marathon

End of World Marathon is a race in Placencia / Belize. Placencia is a small village at the beach 30 min flight from Belize City (very small aircraft). Runners have … MORE

End of World Marathon is a race in Placencia / Belize. Placencia is a small village at the beach 30 min flight from Belize City (very small aircraft). Runners have the choice between 42k or 21k. It´s a very small race and it´s organized by Americans with so much love. Race Package pick up takes place on Saturday in the afternoon in a beach hotel followed by a pasta party. The package include the bib and a cotton T-Shirt. Race start is the next morning at 5.30 am for both distances. Half marathon runners are taken to the start 21km north of Placencia by busses at 4 am. Marathon runners start in Placencia and run 21 km to the north to the point where half marathon runners start and then all the way back. Water is provided VERY frequently and the volunteers are really great, some of them were wearing costumes. At some aid stations also coconut juice and bananas/oranges are provided. Start and finish lines are just painted on the street and time measurement is done manually. Atmosphere at the finsih is great as all the organizers are waiting and cheering for the runners. All runners get a beautiful medal and a fresh cold coconut at the finish and the first three of all age groups get a trophy. I was very surprised to become 2nd in my age group – my first ever trophy!!! The only thing that was disgusting were all the flies at the beginning of the race that flew into my mouth. As soon as it was light enough the flies disappeared. I can really recommend that race even though I did not like the beach of Placencia too much.

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San Jose Costa Rica Marathon

Not the easiest one!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '17 | Dec 8, 2017

Overall Rating:

San Jose Costa Rica Marathon

This time has been my 2nd participation after 2015. I like San Jose Marathon, but it is a quite tough course with long uphill parts. The distribution of the bib … MORE

This time has been my 2nd participation after 2015. I like San Jose Marathon, but it is a quite tough course with long uphill parts. The distribution of the bib numbers incl. a T-Shirt has been improved and I really got my number without any waiting time at the stadium. There was even a small expo with Shirts and other stuff to buy. The race started at 6 am the next day. Start is in front of the stadium and runners can choose to run 42/21/10 km. They all start at the same time. The course takes you first into downtown which is quite nice even though San Jose is not a beautiful city at all. Half marathoners have to turn back right after they have passed the National theatre and this time the point to turn was clearly marked (last time there were no signs and I did not know where to turn). Water was available along the course VERY frequently. The second part of the course is tougher than the first part and it´s definitively no personal best course. There were 2 points where they should have put signs for the runners to know which direction. Finish is in the stadium which is wonderful as the stadium is a brand new modern one – I was told that it was a “gift” of China. After the race there was the possibility of taking pictures in front of a poster. Runners got fruits and drinks and of course a medal! All in all a nice race!

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Panama International Marathon

Hot - hotter - Panama City!

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | Nov 29, 2017

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Panama International Marathon

Maraton Internacional de Panama is a very well organized marathon race. Runners have the choice between the full and the half marathon. The expo takes place in a hotel in … MORE

Maraton Internacional de Panama is a very well organized marathon race. Runners have the choice between the full and the half marathon. The expo takes place in a hotel in downtown which is easily to find. Very unspectacular in a small room you get your bib and a quite nice T-shirt. The full marathon starts at 4.30 am which makes sense as Panama City is hot and humid like hell. The half marathon starts at 6 am although the internet page said 6.40 am. Fortunately the lady at the expo told me to be on time as the race would start at 6 am. Start and finish takes place on a parking space in front of Intercontinental and Le Meridien Hotel on famous Balboa Avenue which makes it VERY easy if you´re staying in one of these hotels. The course is quite nice with several uphill parts and give runners a good impression of the city of Panama. Very nice medal at the finish and good atmosphere. Cold water is provided very frequently and believe me: you need it – not only to drink it but also to pour it over you and cool you down. I can highly recommend this race if you´re fine with hot and humid conditions (talking about 30-35 degrees celsius and 90-100% humidity).

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Marabana Cuba (Havana Marathon)

This is Cuba!!!

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | Nov 22, 2017

Overall Rating:

Marabana Cuba (Havana Marathon)

Anyone who has already been to Cuba might know that Cuba is very special and so is the Marathon. The expo took place in a first class hotel at the … MORE

Anyone who has already been to Cuba might know that Cuba is very special and so is the Marathon.

The expo took place in a first class hotel at the Malecon around 5-6 km out of the city. Every runner got a T-Shirt and a base cap together with the bib. Some cubans tried to sell other T-Shirts or Singlets illegally and I was very happy to get a very special Cuban Singlet in a dark corner of the hotel.
Start of the race was at 7 am the next morning. All races (5/10/21/42) started at the same time which means that it was a huge crowd which was not organized in corrals. Even people who not even wanted to run stepped into the starting area to be with their beloved ones till the race began. The first km was quite hard running zick zack all the time, but then it got better. The best part of the race was km 2-6 when we ran along the Malecon. The light was awesome and fishermen stood along the way doing their job early in the morning. The rest of the race was quite boring with a few uphill parts. It got more interesting again at the end when we passed by Revolution Square, ran through an amazing beautifl street of downtown before finishing at the famous Capitol. Water was provided very frequently but unfortunately the bottles where very hard to open. There was almost no crowd at the course. The worst part of the race was the finish: the finisher of the half marathon and runners of the full marathon were not divided into 2 lanes – I just thought “poor 42k runners” who had to find their way through the crowd. I could not find any drinks in the finish and as they ran out of medals I did not get a medal – I finished among the first 30 % of all half marathon runners…. It was very frustrating and as I was thirsty I was happy to leave the finish area immediately.

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Amsterdam Marathon

Totally disappointing!

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | Oct 16, 2017

Overall Rating:

Amsterdam Marathon

Ok, where should I start? Let´s begin with the expo. We arrived at the expo on Saturday in the morning at about 11 o clock. There was a huge line … MORE

Ok, where should I start? Let´s begin with the expo. We arrived at the expo on Saturday in the morning at about 11 o clock. There was a huge line in front of the entrance and we had to wait quite a while before we got in. Once we got in I liked the expo even though it was very narrow and crowded. They have good merchandise stuff and I even bought a super nice T-Shirt as a souvenir. The race took place on Sunday and the half marathon starts at 1.30pm (marathon starts at 9.30 am). The start is close to the expo but far away from downtown. It takes you about 30 minutes by metro to get there. It was very crowded and unfortunately there were too little toilets for too many runners which really stressed me. I could manage to jump out of the toilet and immediately start my race on time. As there were so many runners I had to run “zick zack” all the time. The streets were too narrow and this fact caused me trouble during the whole race! In my opinion there were also too little water stations. It was a sunny and quite warm day (around 20-25 degrees Celsius) and at the beginning there were water stations every 5km only. It got better in the second half of the race and also gel was provided. Unfortunately the stations were only on one side of the street and were so crowded that I could not always manage to grab a cup of water. The scenery was VERY poor. Amsterdam is such a beautiful city – one of my favorite cities in the world – but the race has absolutely nothing to do with Amsterdam as it takes place outside of downtown. I only liked the last part of the race and of course finishing in the Olympic Stadium was nice. The course is flat with only few smaller climbs. Unfortunately only few spectators along the course – not comparable with Eindhoven or Venlo – races that are so much better than Amsterdam in terms of the atmosphere. After finishing in the stadium the biggest disappointment was still waiting for me: there were absolutely NO drinks offered at the finish. Runners had to exit the stadium as drinks were only offered outside the stadium. Because of this you could not enjoy the atmosphere in the stadium for at least a few minutes. As the exit was just a little narrow door and thousands of runners wanted to get out to finally get some water it took us a long time. We had to wait such a long time before we got out of the stadium and once we got out we had to wait another time, stand in line for several minutes before we finally got our water – I have never experienced such a bad organization at the finish. Will definitively not run this race again! But I will definitively come back to lovely Amsterdam!!!

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Bank of America Chicago Marathon 🏆

Wow - what a race!!!

Marathon | First-timer '17 | Oct 9, 2017

Overall Rating:

Bank of America Chicago Marathon 🏆

Chicago Marathon is really TOP of the TOPS! After having run Berlin Marathon 2 weeks ago which was also awesome I have to admit that Chicago beats Berlin by a … MORE

Chicago Marathon is really TOP of the TOPS! After having run Berlin Marathon 2 weeks ago which was also awesome I have to admit that Chicago beats Berlin by a little. First of all I fell in love with the expo which is huge and perfectly organized. No waiting at all and many possibilities to take pictures in front of huge photo-walls. The race was also perfectly organized. Water and energy drinks every 2 or 3 km and gels along the route. All volunteers were so friendly and cheering like hell! The atmosphere was the best I´ve ever experienced, spectators all along the 42,2km – Berlin is good, but Chicago is better! The only things which I have to criticize is the number of toilets before the start and that the finish is not that emotional, but ok – finishing in Berlin running through Brandenburg Gate is unbeatable.

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Abbott Chicago 5K

Nice warm up for Chicago Marathon

5K | First-timer '17 | Oct 9, 2017

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Abbott Chicago 5K

Chicago 5k is a perfect warm up for the Chicago Marathon the next day. Half the course takes runners through downtown passing by some interesting sights and the second half … MORE

Chicago 5k is a perfect warm up for the Chicago Marathon the next day. Half the course takes runners through downtown passing by some interesting sights and the second half goes along the shore. Race swag is amazing. Every runner gets a huge medal and a scarf.

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Aschaffenburger Sparkassen Half Marathon

Who wants to run 6 laps?

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | Oct 1, 2017

Overall Rating:

Aschaffenburger Sparkassen Half Marathon

Ok, Aschaffenburg half marathon is a quite small event. Round about 500 runners took part. First of all: there is no start line measuring the time which means that there … MORE

Ok, Aschaffenburg half marathon is a quite small event. Round about 500 runners took part. First of all: there is no start line measuring the time which means that there is no net-time. I was lucky that I started from the top. The course takes you from the sport arena which is located 2-3 km outside the city to downtown where you have to run 6 laps of about 3,1km which is quite boring. The finish is at the beautiful castle of Aschaffenburg which is by the way a small city in the northern part of Bavaria about 50 km east of Frankfurt. Unfortunately runners do not get a medal. Along the course there is one water station which also offers Cola. As it´s a 6 lap course you pass by the station 6 times and the volunteers know what you want after you have passed for the 3rd time! All runners do get a T-Shirt which I will definitively never wear as it´s really ugly. The best was the buffet of cakes in the arena 😀

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Berlin Marathon

Awesome Marathon

Marathon | First-timer '17 | Sep 27, 2017

Overall Rating:

Berlin Marathon

Berlin Marathon is just awesome. Fantastic course through downtown Berlin passing by most of the touristic highlights. Runners also get a good impression of the variety of the city as … MORE

Berlin Marathon is just awesome. Fantastic course through downtown Berlin passing by most of the touristic highlights. Runners also get a good impression of the variety of the city as the course takes them through different districts like Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain and Charlottenburg. The expo is huge and offers a lot. Race packet was very easy and efficient. Start is close to Brandenburg Gate and even though there are around 40.000 runners I had the feeling that everything was quite relaxed as it was very well organized. The atmosphere was fantastic and even though weather was quite bad (light drizzle) there were so many spectators cheering for the runners all along the course. The best moment was when runners turn to the left at km 41,5 and see the Brandenburg Gate again. Everyone was crying and got so emotional while running the last some hundred meters, through the Brandenburg Gate to the finish! Unforgettable!!! Super nice finish area in front of the Reichstag building. I can really really recommend Berlin Marathon for all marathon runners!

P.S.: no finisher shirts for free, but entry fees are extremely cheap compared to all other major marathons that you can buy 2 or 3 finisher shirts on the expo and still don´t spend more money as for example for Chicago or New York.

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Copenhagen Half Marathon

Fast, flat and flooding!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '17 | Sep 27, 2017

Overall Rating:

Copenhagen Half Marathon

Copenhagen Half Marathon 2017 was different. We started with bright sunshine and perfect weather conditions, but weather changed while running through the streets of beautiful Copenhagen. A huge thunderstorm came up and flooded the streets with hail. The race had to be discontinued after 2 hours and a bit. Lucky who was fast enough to finish in time! I ran the race before and it´s really a nice race, especially the finish area which is a huge park is very nice to relax after the race. This time the park was flooded too, so no relaxing after the race…

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Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon

Sympathic downhill race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | Sep 13, 2017

Overall Rating:

Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon

Kelowna Wine Country Half is a sympathic half marathon in the wine region in British Colombia. Early in the morning buses take the runners from downtown Kelowna to the wineyards … MORE

Kelowna Wine Country Half is a sympathic half marathon in the wine region in British Colombia. Early in the morning buses take the runners from downtown Kelowna to the wineyards outside of the city. The race starts at 7 am at a winery and the course takes the runners first up and down through the beautiful area. From km 9 to 13 runners have to run heavily downhill until they reach Kelowna again. The race ends at the waterpark. All in all a lovely race. The expo at the Delta Grand Hotel is small but nice. Everything is easy going. Runners get a cotton T-Shirt as well as a huge medal and a wine glass. Many barrs provided at the finish! Weather conditions were perfect. Sunny warm day, but not too warm as start is early in the morning.

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Hunsrück Marathon

Good Summer Race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | Sep 15, 2017

Overall Rating:

Hunsrück Marathon

Hunrück Marathon is a well organized race about 100 km west of Frankfurt in the Hunsrück area. It´s a point to point race. Runners are taken to the starting point … MORE

Hunrück Marathon is a well organized race about 100 km west of Frankfurt in the Hunsrück area. It´s a point to point race. Runners are taken to the starting point by busses. You can choose between the full and the half marathon distance. The first 8 km take you through typical German villages – nothing spectacular, some industrial areas. Then the beautiful and from km 9 on the downhill part begins. Absolutely lovely! The finish in the city of Simmern is awesome! Very well organized! Finishers get a medal!

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Jonkoping Marathon

Nice medal and best finisher shirt!

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | Aug 20, 2017

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Jonkoping Marathon

It was the first edition of Jönköping Marathon/Half Marathon. Jönköping is a Swedish city 1,5 hrs east of Gothenburg and as all the races in Sweden the race in Jönköping … MORE

It was the first edition of Jönköping Marathon/Half Marathon. Jönköping is a Swedish city 1,5 hrs east of Gothenburg and as all the races in Sweden the race in Jönköping was perfectly organized. The course is flat with a few hilly passages. It´s not very scenic, but from time to time the atmosphere is quite good. The finish on the bridge is awesome and the swag you get is amazing. Every runner gets a very nice medal, many drinks such as iso or alcohol free Carlsberg beer, a huge bag full of yogurt, a plastic drinking bottle etc. The best is that every runner has got the choice between a white or a black finisher shirt – and it´s a really nice one without any sponsors on it!

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Ermstal-Marathon

Shopping and Running!

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | Jul 9, 2017

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Ermstal-Marathon

Ermstal Marathon is a perfect event to combine with a shopping weekend in Metzingen Outlet-City! Shopping on Saturday and running on Sunday. The race is well organized and everything is … MORE

Ermstal Marathon is a perfect event to combine with a shopping weekend in Metzingen Outlet-City! Shopping on Saturday and running on Sunday. The race is well organized and everything is easy going! Start is at Metzingen Kelterplatz which is in downtown. There are some guest houses very close to the start. The course takes you through the fields of the hilly and beautiful area in the south west of Germany. Unfortunately you run 10,5 km into one direction and then all the way back. Drinks (water and iso) as well as sponges are offered almost all the time! Big but not beautiful medal for all finishers as well as a T-Shirt.

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Wiesbaden Marathon

Heavy Trail!!!

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | Jul 2, 2017

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Wiesbaden Marathon

Wiesbaden marathon is a very heavy trail with around 700 meters of elevation. The course starts at about 500 meters above sea level and first takes the runners downhill to … MORE

Wiesbaden marathon is a very heavy trail with around 700 meters of elevation. The course starts at about 500 meters above sea level and first takes the runners downhill to run it all up in the 2nd part of the race. In terms of drinks, gels and food the best supply I have ever experienced! Apples, oranges, bananas, energy bars, gels and water or iso-drinks are provides every 2,5km. You even get cakes and of course beer at the finish. Unfortunately runners do not get a finisher medal.

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Eschathlon

Easy going race close to Frankfurt!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '17 | Jun 18, 2017

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Eschathlon

Everything is easy going at the Eschathlon in Eschborn which is a small city very close to Frankfurt. You can easily get your race package in the morning before the … MORE

Everything is easy going at the Eschathlon in Eschborn which is a small city very close to Frankfurt. You can easily get your race package in the morning before the race starts. In the bag you will find a T-Shirt and some other stuff like a water bottle etc. The course consists of 2 laps which are a mixture of running through the green fields and running through the neighborhood of Eschborn. All in all a nice race.

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ProPotsdam Schlosserlauf (ProPotsdam Castles Run)

Oh, what a beautiful race!!!

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | Jun 12, 2017

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ProPotsdam Schlosserlauf (ProPotsdam Castles Run)

Oh, what a surprise! Potsdam Half Marathon is such a beautiful race. Shuttle busses take runners from Hauptbahnhof to the start. It´s perfectly organized. You can get your race package … MORE

Oh, what a surprise! Potsdam Half Marathon is such a beautiful race. Shuttle busses take runners from Hauptbahnhof to the start. It´s perfectly organized. You can get your race package in the morning before the start so that you can easily go to Potsdam from Berlin in the morning. There is a nice expo with good offers and everything is easy going. The course is breathtaking beautiful with the highlight of running through the park of Sanssouci passing by the new palais. The finish is in the stadium and there is a nice barbacue going on after the race. I can highly recommend that beautiful half marathon! One advise: fast runners should really start in the front as it gets narrow at the beginning!

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Helsinki Half Marathon

Sunny Helsinki

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '17 | Jun 12, 2017

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Helsinki Half Marathon

It was sunny again and it´s always fun to run in Helsinki if the sun is shining. You get your bib number at the shopping mall Forum which is very … MORE

It was sunny again and it´s always fun to run in Helsinki if the sun is shining. You get your bib number at the shopping mall Forum which is very easy. Every runner gets a T-Shirt with no sponsors on – I love it! The course is beautiful with some uphill parts. In the finish area runners get many different things for free: water, iso-drinks, gels etc. I even got a nice hat!

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Torshavn Marathon

Such a beautiful course!

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | Jun 8, 2017

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Torshavn Marathon

Torshavn Marathon is such a wonderful race. The course is awesome and the whole atmosphere is just fantastic. Runners either run a full or a half marathon. Start and finish … MORE

Torshavn Marathon is such a wonderful race. The course is awesome and the whole atmosphere is just fantastic. Runners either run a full or a half marathon. Start and finish is at downtown Torshavn which is the capital city of Faroe Islands. It´s very small and cosy. I really loved the race even though the course is very tough with many uphill parts.

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Winterthur Marathon

Very sympathetic race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | May 28, 2017

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Winterthur Marathon

Winterthur Marathon was a very well organized and sympathetic race. You could choose between 10k, half, or full marathon. Full marathon start was at 9.00, relay at 9.15 and half … MORE

Winterthur Marathon was a very well organized and sympathetic race. You could choose between 10k, half, or full marathon. Full marathon start was at 9.00, relay at 9.15 and half at 9.30 am. The 10 k started later around 12.30. Winterthur is a small city in Switzerland very close to Zurich and even closer to Zurich airport which made it possible that I could take the early flight from Frankfurt to Zurich in the morning and then take the train to Winterthur which only takes 15 minutes. Another 15 minutes walk from the train station to the start which is at an old riding hall. Everything is extremely easy and comfortable. I got my start number within a minute, could leave my bag in the riding hall, special care for valuables, I even got my medal before I ran the race – that´s because runners could decide wether they wanna have a medal or not and they had to pay extra for the medal. Start was on time and weather was beautiful, but too warm. The course is nothing special to talk about. It´s mostly out of the city in the forests – quite beautiful. The first 15k are almost flat, but after 15k it goes uphill before it goes downhill towards the finish! All in all it´s a nice race and perfect for a “quickie”.

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Goteborgsvarvet Half Marathon

Beautiful well organized race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | May 21, 2017

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Goteborgsvarvet Half Marathon

Beautiful scenic course through the city of Gothenburg with a few uphill parts. Very good atmosphere as many people were cheering at the course. With more than 60.000 runners it´s … MORE

Beautiful scenic course through the city of Gothenburg with a few uphill parts. Very good atmosphere as many people were cheering at the course. With more than 60.000 runners it´s a little bit crowded and depending on your start corral it can be annoying. All in all a very nice half marathon!

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SAS Heidelberg Half Marathon

Beautiful but extremely tough!

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | May 25, 2017

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SAS Heidelberg Half Marathon

Heidelberg Half Marathon is extremely beautiful but also extremely tough as runners have to run uphill twice and uphill in this race means heavily uphill for about 5 and 3 … MORE

Heidelberg Half Marathon is extremely beautiful but also extremely tough as runners have to run uphill twice and uphill in this race means heavily uphill for about 5 and 3 k. The views are amazing and start and finish in the historic centre of beautiful Heidelberg is also wonderful. Many spectators along the course! Unfortunately no medal!

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Marathon de Dakar

Best African Race!

Overall Rating:

Marathon de Dakar

Dakar Marathon has been my favorite African marathon so far. Perfectly organized. Super atmosphere with thousands of runners! The race starts in downtown taking you to the waterfront and then up to the huge Monument de la Renaissance, then back to downtown. Drinks, oranges, dry fruits etc provided along the course. Super beautiful race T-Shirt, nice medal! Perfectly organized – chapeau!

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Brufut Run (Race against Hunger)

A very unique experience!

Overall Rating:

Brufut Run (Race against Hunger)

The race takes place in Brufut which is close to Banjul, the capital of The Gambia. It was extremely hot with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius. Organization was very poor … MORE

The race takes place in Brufut which is close to Banjul, the capital of The Gambia. It was extremely hot with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius. Organization was very poor and just 21 runners took part in the race of which 19 were Gambian top runners. No electronic time measuring. The course should have been 21.1km but it was something around 19.5km. Streets were not closed for traffic. No water or anything else till km 12!!! I was dying due to the heat and of course I was running on my own as the top runners were all gone after 100 meters. While running you get an impression of the Gambian way of life seeing cows passing the way, busy markets etc.

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Half Marathon Firenze (Florence)

Beautiful course through Florence!

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Half Marathon Firenze (Florence)

Awesome course which consists of 2 laps through the beautiful city of Florence. Runners pass by the Dome twice and also cross Ponte Vecchio. Good atmosphere along the course. All … MORE

Awesome course which consists of 2 laps through the beautiful city of Florence. Runners pass by the Dome twice and also cross Ponte Vecchio. Good atmosphere along the course. All in all a very nice race!

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Prague Half Marathon

Running at the river Moldau!

Overall Rating:

Prague Half Marathon

Good expo! Good atmosphere at the start with classical music! Nice course along the river Moldau. Could definitively offer more drinks as it was very hot and sunny weather - … MORE

Good expo! Good atmosphere at the start with classical music! Nice course along the river Moldau. Could definitively offer more drinks as it was very hot and sunny weather – first drinks at km 6. All in all a nice, but not overwhelming race.

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Venloop

Wonderful Race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '17 | May 25, 2017

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Venloop

Venloop was my 2nd race in the Netherlands and I really can recommend running a Dutch race. It´s always like a huge party. The starts in the afternoon and the … MORE

Venloop was my 2nd race in the Netherlands and I really can recommend running a Dutch race. It´s always like a huge party. The starts in the afternoon and the whole city seems to be captured by the race. Start and finish is in the centre of historic Venlo which is really small, but beautiful. The atmosphere is fantastic, but even in the neighborhoods it is great as really everybody seems to be cheering for the runners.

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Sao Paulo International Half Marathon – Winter

Hot and Hilly

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Sao Paulo International Half Marathon – Winter

Sao Paulo Half Marathon is very well organized and takes you through some interesting parts of the mega-city. The course is quite hilly and due to temperatures around 30 degrees … MORE

Sao Paulo Half Marathon is very well organized and takes you through some interesting parts of the mega-city. The course is quite hilly and due to temperatures around 30 degrees it was a very hard race. All runners got a free T-Shirt and a nice medal.

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Napoli City Half Marathon

Napoli Amore

Overall Rating:

Napoli City Half Marathon

I loved Napoli City Half Marathon .The flat course is very scenic along the coast taking you to the historic center of Naples. Shortly before finishing all runners pass by … MORE

I loved Napoli City Half Marathon .The flat course is very scenic along the coast taking you to the historic center of Naples. Shortly before finishing all runners pass by huge water fountains and Italian classical music makes this moment a very special one. All in all a fantastic race.

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Angkor Wat International Half Marathon

Awesome Course!

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Angkor Wat International Half Marathon

It´s a very scenic race and runners pass by the ruins of Angkor Wat. Of course it gets very hot and humid but this is a race where no one … MORE

It´s a very scenic race and runners pass by the ruins of Angkor Wat. Of course it gets very hot and humid but this is a race where no one goes for his personal best. The atmosphere is just magic and it´s absolutely worth to run this race at least once in your lifetime!

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Gulf Bank 642 Marathon & Half Marathon

What a surprise!

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Gulf Bank 642 Marathon & Half Marathon

Kuwait Marathon was a real surprise. A very beautiful and interesting course and absolutely well organized! Running through a Soukh was a very special experience. The atmosphere in the finishing … MORE

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Abu Dhabi Striders Half Marathon & 10K

Well organized, but boring race

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Abu Dhabi Striders Half Marathon & 10K

The Abu Dhabi Half Marathon is very well organized but as it takes place on Yas Island the course is absolutely boring and not scenic at all. The best was … MORE

The Abu Dhabi Half Marathon is very well organized but as it takes place on Yas Island the course is absolutely boring and not scenic at all. The best was the free entrance ticket to Water World, but unfortunately we didn´t have the time to use it.

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Shanghai International Marathon

Fantastic Race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '16 | May 24, 2017

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Shanghai International Marathon

Shanghai Marathon was one of the best ones! Huge and well organized expo! Nike T-Shirt for all runners. Start is early in the morning at the Bund - super atmosphere! … MORE

Shanghai Marathon was one of the best ones! Huge and well organized expo! Nike T-Shirt for all runners. Start is early in the morning at the Bund – super atmosphere! The course is an all downtown course and many spectators are cheering the runners. Military bands and orchestras are playing music! Finish in a stadium. Super nice medal! Perfect race! I loved it!

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Chiba Aqualine Marathon

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE!

Half Marathon | First-timer '16 | May 25, 2017

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Chiba Aqualine Marathon

Aqualine Half Marathon in Chiba has been my all time favorite race so far! The atmosphere is just incredible! It takes place in the small city of Kisarazu which belongs … MORE

Aqualine Half Marathon in Chiba has been my all time favorite race so far! The atmosphere is just incredible! It takes place in the small city of Kisarazu which belongs to the Chiba area which is just next to Tokyo. You can easily go by metro to the start. Very interesting expo – it´s like a food festival and you could have a hot soup with interesting add ons just before running if you like! The course is quite flat except of the huge Aqualine Bridge from which you have an amazing view to Tokyo and Haneda Airport. The atmosphere along the course is incredible. It seems like everyone comes to cheer the runners – school classes, old people – just anyone! It was so much fun running Chiba Aqualine Marathon! The wooden medal is awesome and the festival in the finish area as well! If you ever have the chance to run that race, do it!

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Offenbacher Mainuferlauf

Relaxed race at the river!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '16 | May 30, 2017

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Offenbacher Mainuferlauf

Offenbach Mainuferlauf is a nice half marathon in the city of Offenbach which is just next to Frankfurt. The course is all along the river Main which is quite beautiful … MORE

Offenbach Mainuferlauf is a nice half marathon in the city of Offenbach which is just next to Frankfurt. The course is all along the river Main which is quite beautiful especially if the sun is shining in October. It´s flat and easy. It´s a perfect race in preparation for Frankfurt Marathon which is just 2 weeks later.

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Stockholm Half Marathon

Super half marathon!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '16 | May 21, 2017

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Stockholm Half Marathon

Stockholm Half Marathon is an afternoon race which starts at the royal palace. Beautiful course with a few uphill parts. Super atmosphere. Super organization and the coffee in the finish … MORE

Stockholm Half Marathon is an afternoon race which starts at the royal palace. Beautiful course with a few uphill parts. Super atmosphere. Super organization and the coffee in the finish area is the best! I love Stockholm Half Marathon!!!

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Reykjavik Marathon

I love Reykjavik!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '16 | May 23, 2017

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Reykjavik Marathon

The Reykjavik Half Marathon is a very nice race with a super atmosphere. The marathon takes place on the same day as the biggest cultural festival Menninganott and the vibes … MORE

The Reykjavik Half Marathon is a very nice race with a super atmosphere. The marathon takes place on the same day as the biggest cultural festival Menninganott and the vibes in the city are gorgeous! Live music everywhere. The course is flat and beautiful. This time the weather could not have been better. The medal could be nicer…

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Nuuk Marathon

Beautiful Greenland

Half Marathon | First-timer '16 | May 26, 2017

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Nuuk Marathon

Well, running in Greenland is fantastic - no matter what race! The scenery is awesome and during summer the weather conditions are perfect almost every day. Nuuk Marathon is a … MORE

Well, running in Greenland is fantastic – no matter what race! The scenery is awesome and during summer the weather conditions are perfect almost every day. Nuuk Marathon is a race in the capital of Greenland starting in downtown. The city of course is not very big so everything is easy going. There is no expo. Runners get the bib numbers in a supermarket just next to the start. The atmosphere is great with live music. Of course the race is a happening in the small town of Nuuk where not much is happening. The course is very scenic as it goes up and down all the way to the airport. At the end it takes runners through the old part of Nuuk with all the colorful houses – awesome!

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Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon

Good race!

Half Marathon | First-timer '16 | May 24, 2017

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Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon

I liked Dublin Rock´n Roll Half Marathon. The course takes you from the docklands in the east to the huge park in the west of the city and the atmosphere … MORE

I liked Dublin Rock´n Roll Half Marathon. The course takes you from the docklands in the east to the huge park in the west of the city and the atmosphere is quite good. Right after finishing the half marathon runners have the possibility to run a fun race of about 2,5 k.

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Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon

Good start for a nice weekend!

5K | First-timer '16 | Jul 2, 2017

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Rock ‘n’ Roll Dublin Half Marathon

Perfect start for a nice running weekend. The 5 k which take place in the biggest park of Dublin were fun to run. Nice course, nice people and a super MORE

Perfect start for a nice running weekend. The 5 k which take place in the biggest park of Dublin were fun to run. Nice course, nice people and a super medal!

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Eschathlon

Easy going!

Half Marathon | First-timer '16 | May 31, 2017

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Eschathlon

Eschathlon is a nice half marathon event in Eschborn which is a small city just 10 minutes north-west of Frankfurt. The race starts in the centre of Eschborn and is … MORE

Eschathlon is a nice half marathon event in Eschborn which is a small city just 10 minutes north-west of Frankfurt. The race starts in the centre of Eschborn and is a 2 laps course which was nicer than expected. All in all a very easy going race.

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Marburg Nachtmarathon (Night Marathon)

Beautiful Half Marathon

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '16 | May 23, 2017

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Marburg Nachtmarathon (Night Marathon)

Marburg is a small and beautiful city not too far away north of Frankfurt. As it has a big university it´s packed with students who either take part in the … MORE

Marburg is a small and beautiful city not too far away north of Frankfurt. As it has a big university it´s packed with students who either take part in the race or have a barbecue at the river Lahn and watch the runners. That´s why the atmosphere of the race is very unique. The race starts at 7pm in the historic center of the city and the course is very scenic and beautiful. The finish is at the stadium. Really beautiful race!

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Hella Hamburg Half Marathon

Most Beautiful

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '16 | May 30, 2017

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Hella Hamburg Half Marathon

Hamburg is definitively one of the most beautiful cities! Running Hamburg Half Marathon is awesome! Good atmosphere and wonderful course. Start at famous Reeperbahn runners pass by Landungsbrücken at the … MORE

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Ahrathon

Fantastic and scenic race!

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Ahrathon

Ahrathlon in Bad Neuenahr is a fantastic running-event. You have the choice to run marathon, half marathon, costume-half marathon or shorter races. I took part in the costume half marathon … MORE

Ahrathlon in Bad Neuenahr is a fantastic running-event. You have the choice to run marathon, half marathon, costume-half marathon or shorter races. I took part in the costume half marathon and it was so much fun. The course is amazing as it goes through the vineyards and provides spectacular views. Vine tasting along the route is possible and most of the runners do drink a lot!

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JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge – Frankfurt

70.000 runners in downtown Frankfurt

5.6K | Repeat Runner '16 | May 15, 2018

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JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge – Frankfurt

The biggest running event in Europe with round about 70.000 runners. Lucky who is fast enough to start in the elite-block. The race is a 5,6km downtown course with start … MORE

The biggest running event in Europe with round about 70.000 runners. Lucky who is fast enough to start in the elite-block. The race is a 5,6km downtown course with start and finish at the Alte Oper. Running teams of all companies meet and have fun before and after the race and of course every runner is proud to wear the running shirt of his/her company.

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Helsinki Half Marathon

Wonderful!!!

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Helsinki Half Marathon

Finally Helsinki has its half marathon in downtown. Start is at Finlandia Hall and the course takes the runners all around the city. Most of the course goes along the … MORE

Finally Helsinki has its half marathon in downtown. Start is at Finlandia Hall and the course takes the runners all around the city. Most of the course goes along the seaside which makes the course just marvelous. It´s flat except of one short uphill part at km 17 or so.

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Uganda Marathon

Incredible Week in Uganda!

Marathon | First-timer '16 | May 30, 2017

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Uganda Marathon

I have almost no words for what I experienced spending one week in Uganda running the Uganda Marathon! The race is organized by a British organization in order to help … MORE

I have almost no words for what I experienced spending one week in Uganda running the Uganda Marathon! The race is organized by a British organization in order to help people in Uganda. Runners from all over the world but mostly from the UK meet in Uganda to help by fundraising money for different projects. All the runners stay at a camp close to the city of Masaka. The scenery is just wonderful and the spirit in the camp is gorgeous. The Marathon is a course of 2 laps and it´s absolutely amazing and VERY tough. The support of the locals is incredible. Many of them run the 10k, some of them run the half or even the full. Most of the international runners run the full marathon and everyone supports everyone. We all waited in the finish even for the slowest one. The Uganda Marathon is a very special race and I can highly recommend it. The reward is a handmade wooden medal and the love of all the people from Uganda. Runners could add a pre-race or post-race tour to see more of the country. I did a pre-race tour to see Queen Elizabeth National park (lots of elephants) and of course the Volcano National Park to see the Gorillas! A M A Z I N G!!!!

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Hall-Wattens Half Marathon

Beautiful and scenic course!

Half Marathon | First-timer '16 | May 16, 2018

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Hall-Wattens Half Marathon

Hall and Wattens are small cities in Tirol / Austria, around 20km from Innsbruck. It´s a very beautiful area and the course of course is the same. Start and finish … MORE

Hall and Wattens are small cities in Tirol / Austria, around 20km from Innsbruck. It´s a very beautiful area and the course of course is the same. Start and finish is in the historic city of Hall and the atmosphere is nice. It´s an event for the whole family. The course takes runners from Hall to Wattens and then uphill back to Hall. Wattens is the home of the very popular brand Swarovski. As we are in the Alps the course is of course very tough!

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S 25 Berlin

Fantastic Race!

25K | First-timer '16 | May 24, 2017

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S 25 Berlin

I really enjoyed the BIG25 Race. Starting at Olympic Stadium and running all the way to Berlin Mitte through Brandenburger Tor and then back was really nice. The moment when … MORE

I really enjoyed the BIG25 Race. Starting at Olympic Stadium and running all the way to Berlin Mitte through Brandenburger Tor and then back was really nice. The moment when runners came back into the stadium was magic. Entering one of the biggest stadiums, Tina Turner is singing simply the best through the loudspeakers of the stadium and you are finishing with a personal best – could it be better?

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Zurich Marathon

Flat course all along the lake Zurich!

Marathon | First-timer '16 | May 22, 2017

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Zurich Marathon

Zurich marathon is absolutely flat which means good for PB! It starts at the lake and takes the runners to downtown first. Then you have to run all along the … MORE

Zurich marathon is absolutely flat which means good for PB! It starts at the lake and takes the runners to downtown first. Then you have to run all along the lake Zurich which is a little bit boring. At km 25 you turn back all the way to downtown again. Weather was horrible with rain, hail and snow, but that should not be normal in April.

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Chisinau Marathon

Well done Moldova!

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Chisinau Marathon

First time ever that I visited the country of Moldova. I really enjoyed running in Chisinau which is the capital of Moldova. The organization of the race was very good. … MORE

First time ever that I visited the country of Moldova. I really enjoyed running in Chisinau which is the capital of Moldova. The organization of the race was very good. Start and finish is in downtown and everything was very easy. As I arrived very late in the evening before the race I got my race package in the morning of the race. The start of the race was delayed by 15 minutes for any reason. They had already counted from 10 to 4, but then had to stop the countdown and wait another 15 minutes before we could start – that was a little irritating. Once we were on route I really enjoyed the race which is a 2 lap course through downtown of Chisinau. As runners have to pass by the start/finish area twice I could enjoy the super spirit of the race several times. The weather was perfect – clear blue skies and temperatures around 20 degrees. Quite big medal and a nice T-Shirt for every runner.

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Cairo Half Marathon

Nice, but could be improved!

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Cairo Half Marathon

Cairo Half Marathon is a race that is organized by the team of Cairo Runners and the really do it with passion. The race takes place in Maadi which is … MORE

Cairo Half Marathon is a race that is organized by the team of Cairo Runners and the really do it with passion. The race takes place in Maadi which is a nice area south of downtown. The atmosphere at the start is really nice as the race seems to mean a lot to the people. The start was a little bit delayed. The course was absolutely flat and while running we could get a good impression of the neighborhoods of Maadi. Unfortunately the streets were not closed for traffic which was a little bit dangerous in some situations. The other minus was that the course had obviously not been measured correctly. I had the impressions that it was round about 500 m to short.

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Vienna City Marathon

Huge City Marathon

Half Marathon | First-timer '16 | May 24, 2017

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Vienna City Marathon

Vienna is an awesome city and the Vienna City Marathon is a nice event. Due to the huge number of runners they should definitively check who is starting out of … MORE

Vienna is an awesome city and the Vienna City Marathon is a nice event. Due to the huge number of runners they should definitively check who is starting out of which coral. Even though we started from coral 2 we had so many slow runners in front of us as there was no one controlling who was entering which coral. Apart from that the race was nice passing by some sights of the city.

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Berlin Half Marathon 🏆

A must run race!!!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '16 | Jun 23, 2017

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Berlin Half Marathon 🏆

For all foreign runners: this race is an absolutely must! The very flat and fast course is the best sightseeing course I´ve ever run as you pass by many attractions. … MORE

For all foreign runners: this race is an absolutely must! The very flat and fast course is the best sightseeing course I´ve ever run as you pass by many attractions. The atmosphere is fantastic as most of the course many spectators cheer for the runners. One advise: be at the start at time as due to the 30.000 runners it comes to some lines from time to time. And if you have the chance to get your race package on friday or on saturday late afternoon or evening you won´t have lines there. But if you get your stuff saturday between 12 and 4 pm it can be very crowded at the expo.

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NYC Half 🏆

Run the BIG APPLE!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '16 | May 22, 2017

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NYC Half 🏆

I love everything of this race. Taking the metro to Central Park early in the morning. Sunrise in Central Park before the start. First 10 km through Central Park, then … MORE

I love everything of this race. Taking the metro to Central Park early in the morning. Sunrise in Central Park before the start. First 10 km through Central Park, then running 7th Avenue and crossing Times Square – fantastic atmosphere. Last part of the race all the way down to Financial District! Fabulous Race!!!

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Frankfurt Half Marathon

Hmmm - there are better races!

Half Marathon | Repeat Runner '16 | Jul 2, 2017

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Frankfurt Half Marathon

The Frankfurt Half Marathon is well organized by the local runners club Spiridon. Start is at the huge stadium called Commerzbank Arena. The atmosphere at the start is good. Unfortunately … MORE

The Frankfurt Half Marathon is well organized by the local runners club Spiridon. Start is at the huge stadium called Commerzbank Arena. The atmosphere at the start is good. Unfortunately the course is not that beautiful except of the part at the river Main. The finish is in the stadium but it was sad that all runners had to leave the stadium immediately after crossing the finish line. All runners get a certificate, but no medal.

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Semi de Paris (Paris Half Marathon)

Flat and Fast!

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Semi de Paris (Paris Half Marathon)

Paris Semi-Marathon is a fast and flat race through the eastern part of the city. The course is quite nice and the race is very well organized. If you haven´t … MORE

Paris Semi-Marathon is a fast and flat race through the eastern part of the city. The course is quite nice and the race is very well organized. If you haven´t started the spring season in February this early March race is a good race to kick off!

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Tel Aviv Samsung Marathon

Nice race through downtown Tel Aviv

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Tel Aviv Samsung Marathon

Nice and well organized half marathon through downtown of Tel Aviv. Start and finish is outside of the city and it´s hard to get there as many streets are closed … MORE

Nice and well organized half marathon through downtown of Tel Aviv. Start and finish is outside of the city and it´s hard to get there as many streets are closed and no taxi can bring you there. Take a bike! Very nice T-Shirts!

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Morfelden Half Marathon

Winter race through the forest!

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Morfelden Half Marathon

Mörfelden Half Marathon is a small event with some 300 runners. It´s perfect if you are looking for a winter race in the Frankfurt area. The course is a 2 … MORE

Mörfelden Half Marathon is a small event with some 300 runners. It´s perfect if you are looking for a winter race in the Frankfurt area. The course is a 2 lap course through the forest – very beautiful. The organization is very professional, but unfortunately no medal!

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eDreams Barcelona Half Marathon

Fast City Half Marathon

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eDreams Barcelona Half Marathon

Barcelona Half Marathon is flat and fast. Beautiful course through the city and good atmosphere. Well organized! Everything fine! Free T-Shirt and a nice medal. Perfect race to start the … MORE

Barcelona Half Marathon is flat and fast. Beautiful course through the city and good atmosphere. Well organized! Everything fine! Free T-Shirt and a nice medal. Perfect race to start the season with.

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Muscat Marathon

Nice race in a wonderful country!

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Muscat Marathon

Muscat Marathon is a nice race with a few hundreds runners from all over the world. The distribution of the race packages as well as start/finish take place at Intercontinental … MORE

Muscat Marathon is a nice race with a few hundreds runners from all over the world. The distribution of the race packages as well as start/finish take place at Intercontinental Hotel which makes it all easy. I really recommend to choose that hotel for the stay if you wanna run the marathon. The course is flat and runners pass by the Muscat Opera House and some beaches. After the finish there is a breakfast party at the pool of the Interconti Hotel.

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Star Wars Half Marathon – The Light Side

Fun, Fun, Fun!!!

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Star Wars Half Marathon – The Light Side

Star Wars Half Marathon was just fun. During the first part of the race we took pictures at every photo-stop. Many runners ran the race in costumes, so did we. … MORE

Star Wars Half Marathon was just fun. During the first part of the race we took pictures at every photo-stop. Many runners ran the race in costumes, so did we. Running as princess Leia was so much fun!

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BMW Dallas Marathon Festival

I loved it!

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BMW Dallas Marathon Festival

The city of Dallas is quite boring, but Dallas Marathon was really nice! I liked it very much even though it was raining. The course is flat, the atmosphere is … MORE

The city of Dallas is quite boring, but Dallas Marathon was really nice! I liked it very much even though it was raining. The course is flat, the atmosphere is fantastic and while running the half marathon I got a very good impression of the different parts of the city. I also liked the expo very much. Nice T-Shirt and Medal!

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San Jose Costa Rica Marathon

Nice Race!

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San Jose Costa Rica Marathon

San Jose Half Marathon is a nice race. The organization is quite good, but not perfect. The half marathon runners had to turn at a certain point, but it was … MORE

San Jose Half Marathon is a nice race. The organization is quite good, but not perfect. The half marathon runners had to turn at a certain point, but it was not clearly marked so we did not where to turn. The course is ok with a few uphill parts. Finish is in the modern stadium of San Jose!

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Curacao Marathon

Jump into the Caribbean!

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Curacao Marathon

Curacao Marathon is a very special race. It was hot and humid. Start is early in the morning in Willemstaad. Beautiful sunrise while running. The race gets very hard at … MORE

Curacao Marathon is a very special race. It was hot and humid. Start is early in the morning in Willemstaad. Beautiful sunrise while running. The race gets very hard at the end as runners have to cross the huge bridge which really kills you! The reward for that is the finish at the beach. Runners can just jump into the Caribbean after having gotten their medals! Nice experience!

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Guayaquil Marathon

Lovely race in Ecuador!

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Guayaquil Marathon

A taxi took me from my hotel at the Malecon to the start in downtown Guayaquil early in the morning. The atmosphere at the start was super with music and … MORE

A taxi took me from my hotel at the Malecon to the start in downtown Guayaquil early in the morning. The atmosphere at the start was super with music and aerobic. The start was delayed by about 15 minutes, but ok – we´re in Ecuador and not in Germany. The course is flat and takes the runners to different parts of the city. Unfortunately the streets are not all closed for the traffic which was a little bit dangerous from time to time! Good atmosphere at the finish! Nice medal and nice T-Shirt! I would do it again!

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Tallinn Marathon

Running at the Baltic Sea!

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Tallinn Marathon

The course takes the runners from the historic center of Tallinn to the shores of the Baltic Sea and back. A little bit boring, but nice. Absolutely flat, beautiful weather … MORE

The course takes the runners from the historic center of Tallinn to the shores of the Baltic Sea and back. A little bit boring, but nice. Absolutely flat, beautiful weather conditions. I liked it.

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Marburg Nachtmarathon (Night Marathon)

Easy and beautiful!

Half Marathon | First-timer '15 | Jul 2, 2017

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Marburg Nachtmarathon (Night Marathon)

Marburg Night Marathon is a wonderful race that takes place on a friday evening. Start is at 7pm which mean that it´s a perfect way to start the weekend. Runners … MORE

Marburg Night Marathon is a wonderful race that takes place on a friday evening. Start is at 7pm which mean that it´s a perfect way to start the weekend. Runners can easily pick up the bib numbers up to 30 minutes before the start at the stadium where the race finish. From there runners have to walk about 15 minutes up to the market square of the old town where the start takes place. The market square provides a start of the race in a fantastic atmosphere as it is surrounded by historic buildings. The course takes runners first down the hill for about 1 km, then through downtown before runners start to run at the river Lahn. The atmosphere on a beautiful summer evening is fantastic as many people (most of them students) are enjoying the weather at the river. Finish is at the stadium where you can relax and enjoy drinks and cookies after the race.

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JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge – Frankfurt

Chase

5.6K | Repeat Runner '15 | May 16, 2018

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JP Morgan Chase Corporate Challenge – Frankfurt

70.000 runners - amazing atmosphere - party all around - nice downtown course of 5.6 km - good cheering - it´s a nice race that you should definitely run together … MORE

70.000 runners – amazing atmosphere – party all around – nice downtown course of 5.6 km – good cheering – it´s a nice race that you should definitely run together with your colleagues

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Spitsbergen Marathon

Running with the Polar Bears!

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Spitsbergen Marathon

Spitsbergen Marathon was one of the best experiences! Almost perfect running conditions with cloudy to sunny skies and temperatures of about 2 degrees. The course has some tough uphill parts, but also smooth flat parts. Polar Bear guards take care of the runners. Very cool crowd and a super after marathon party with prizes for the best runners in all age groups! I loved it!

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Kigali International Peace Marathon

Very tough!!!

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Kigali International Peace Marathon

Kigali Peace Marathon is a very nice event. Considering that you´re in Rwanda it was all very well organized! Unfortunately it was quite a challenge to get to the stadium … MORE

Kigali Peace Marathon is a very nice event. Considering that you´re in Rwanda it was all very well organized! Unfortunately it was quite a challenge to get to the stadium where the marathon started as most of the streets were closed. As I was running out of time I decided to get out of the car and run to the start which meant that I had a 3-4 k run before I started the half marathon. The race started almost on time and a few hundreds runners began to run the streets of Kigali which are VERY hilly. Due to the fact that Kigali is on ca. 1700 meters altitude it even gets harder. The finish is in the stadium again. Unfortunately no medal, but a certificate and a nice T-Shirt.

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Istanbul Half Marathon

A bit boring

Half Marathon | First-timer '15 | May 31, 2017

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Istanbul Half Marathon

Istanbul is a vibrant city, but the half marathon is a bit boring. The course is flat and fast. Absolutely no spectators along the route which goes all the way … MORE

Istanbul is a vibrant city, but the half marathon is a bit boring. The course is flat and fast. Absolutely no spectators along the route which goes all the way from Yenikapi to Eyüp and back.

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Leipzig Marathon

Nice and flat race

Half Marathon | First-timer '15 | May 17, 2018

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Leipzig Marathon

Leipzig Marathon is a city marathon that always takes place in April and runners can choose between the full and the half distance. Weather was very beautiful and conditions were … MORE

Leipzig Marathon is a city marathon that always takes place in April and runners can choose between the full and the half distance. Weather was very beautiful and conditions were almost perfect. It might get a little bit too warm as start of the half marathon is at 12.30pm, but it´s perfect for all runners like me who do not like to get up early. Leipzig by the way is a very beautiful city!

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Dead Sea Ultra Marathon

Downhill Course!