🇳🇱Amsterdam, Netherlands
TCS Amsterdam Marathon
Oct 18, 2026
Distance
42.2 km
Elevation gain
45 m
Terrain
Road
Entry type
Open entry
PB potential
World-record territory — one of the fastest courses on the planet
Beginner friendly
Great for newcomers — manageable course, strong support
About this race
Amsterdam is Europe's open secret for PB hunters. The course starts and finishes in the Olympic Stadium (1928 Games venue), looping through the canals of Amsterdam's historic centre and the tree-lined paths of Vondelpark. With barely 45m of elevation gain across the entire course, no significant hills to manage, and typically ideal October temperatures (8–13°C), Amsterdam consistently produces exceptional finish times. The city's well-organised aid stations, generous spectator support throughout Vondelpark, and smooth road surface make it highly beginner-friendly despite its PB-course status. Entry is straightforward open registration, and international runners are well catered for with pre-race expos at the stadium.
Typical race-day weather
Temperature
8–14°C
Humidity
70–80%
Conditions
Cool and overcast — ideal marathon weather
Wind
10–20 km/h, variable
Who this race suits
PB-hunters and first-timers wanting a flat, fast autumn marathon with an Olympic Stadium finish and easy open entry.
Excellent PB course: flat, cool October conditions, and a stadium finish. Beginner-friendly on profile.
Overview
- Field size
- ~16,000 marathon finishers
- Course type
- Loop starting and finishing in the Olympic Stadium, flat
- Entry
- Open paid entry
Course intelligence
- Profile
- Flat, with a scenic stretch along the Amstel river and some exposed, windy sections
- Highlights
- Olympic Stadium start and finish, Vondelpark, and the Amstel river
Registration
- How to enter
- Direct paid registration
- Registration opens
- Opens well ahead; popular but attainable
Race weekend
- Expo
- Marathon expo with in-person bib pickup
Travel & logistics
- Best airport
- Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)
- Getting around
- Trains, trams and metro; the city is very bike-friendly
- Where to stay
- Central Amsterdam, or near the Olympic Stadium in the south
Runner tips
- The open Amstel river section can be windy — tuck into a group to share the work.
- Enjoy the Olympic Stadium finish — it's a lap of the historic track.
Pace Band
Generate a free elevation-adjusted pace band for TCS Amsterdam Marathon. Print it, wear it, hit your splits.
Build my pace band →Find your next race
Races runners like you consider
Similar to TCS Amsterdam Marathon
World MajorBerlin, Germany
BMW Berlin Marathon
Sep 27, 2026 · Road · ↑ 61 m
Sold outThe world's fastest marathon course — dead flat, perfectly organised, and the site of more world records than any other race.
Rotterdam, Netherlands
NN Rotterdam Marathon
Apr 5, 2027 · Road · ↑ 15 m
Registered openStatistically the world's fastest marathon course — virtually no elevation, sea-level altitude, perfect spring climate. Come to Rotterdam to run your best.
Frankfurt, Germany
BMW Frankfurt Marathon
Oct 25, 2026 · Road · ↑ 65 m
OpenGermany's second-fastest marathon course — near-flat with ideal October conditions, consistently producing top-10 world-rankings finish times.
More fast, PB-friendly courses
See all →Eindhoven, Netherlands
Eindhoven Marathon
Oct 11, 2026 · Road · ↑ 12 m
OpenOne of Europe's fastest marathon courses — a dead-flat loop through Philips' hometown with aggressive pacers, elite competition, and near-zero elevation gain.
Riga, Latvia
Rimi Riga Marathon
May 17, 2027 · Road · ↑ 35 m
OpenThe Baltic's fastest and largest marathon — essentially flat along Riga's Art Nouveau boulevards, through Jūrmala's beach resort, and across the Daugava River bridges.
Valencia, Spain
Valencia Trinidad Alfonso Marathon
Dec 6, 2026 · Road · ↑ 36 m
Registration openDecember's perfect PB race — flat, fast, and held in ideal cool Mediterranean conditions that produce faster times than almost any course on earth.
Great for a first marathon
See all →Munich, Germany
BMW IRONMAN Munich Marathon
Oct 11, 2026 · Road · ↑ 100 m
OpenBavaria's premier marathon — through Munich's English Garden, around the Olympic Stadium, past the Nymphenburg Palace canal, and along the Isar river, finishing in the heart of the city.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen Marathon
May 17, 2027 · Road · ↑ 10 m
Sold outOne of the flattest marathons in the world — a welcoming, beautifully organised race through the Danish capital's canals, parks, and harbour in ideal May conditions.
Kraków, Poland
Cracovia Marathon
Apr 19, 2027 · Road · ↑ 60 m
OpenPoland's most historic city hosts a flat spring marathon past Wawel Castle, the medieval Cloth Hall, the Kazimierz Jewish Quarter, and along the Vistula River.
Explore the region
More Europe marathons
Valencia, Spain
Valencia Trinidad Alfonso Marathon
Dec 6, 2026 · Road · ↑ 36 m
Registration openDecember's perfect PB race — flat, fast, and held in ideal cool Mediterranean conditions that produce faster times than almost any course on earth.
Seville, Spain
Zurich Maratón de Sevilla
Feb 15, 2027 · Road · ↑ 58 m
Registration openFebruary's fastest marathon — a flat loop through Seville's old town and riverside promenades in crisp Andalusian winter conditions.
Riga, Latvia
Rimi Riga Marathon
May 17, 2027 · Road · ↑ 35 m
OpenThe Baltic's fastest and largest marathon — essentially flat along Riga's Art Nouveau boulevards, through Jūrmala's beach resort, and across the Daugava River bridges.