🇭🇺Budapest, Hungary
Spar Budapest Marathon
Expected October 2027
Race facts
Next edition · 2027
Expected October 2027
Date not yet confirmedEstimated from the usual calendar slot. Last edition: Oct 11, 2026.
Start
Pázmány Péter sétány, by the ELTE Lágymányos campus on the Pest bank — 9:00am
Course
175 melevation gain
- Distance · surface
- 42.2 km · Road
- Layout
- City loop from Pázmány Péter sétány, flat with bridge crossings
- Profile
- Flat along both Danube embankments with short climbs onto the Chain, Árpád and Lágymányosi bridges; turnarounds at Hajós utca, Oktogon and before Lágymányosi Bridge
Entry
Direct paid registration on the BSI platform — no ballot or qualifying time
- 2027 entry
- Not yet recorded. Check the official site for dates and status.
- Registration
- Opens about a year ahead with eight price steps; online entry closes around ten days before the race, then on-site only
Dates and entry details change. Confirm with the organiser before you book.
PB potential
Good conditions for a solid performance
Beginner friendly
Suitable for beginners with solid training
About this race
Budapest is arguably Europe's most dramatically beautiful city for a marathon. The course crosses the iconic Chain Bridge with the Buda Castle hill reflected in the Danube, runs along the Parliament building's grand Danube embankment, climbs through the Castle District, descends to the Nagykörút ring boulevard, and passes through the ruin pub district of the Jewish Quarter. The 175m of elevation comes from the Buda hill sections — significant but manageable. October conditions are reliably good — 12–18°C — and Budapest's Central European autumn light makes every kilometre visually extraordinary. Hungary's thermal bath culture means the post-race recovery options (Széchenyi or Gellért baths) are world-class.
Typical race-day weather
Temperature
11–18°C
Humidity
60–70%
Conditions
Central European autumn — pleasant and often sunny
Wind
10–15 km/h
Who this race suits
Runners who want a scenic, affordable autumn marathon with a serious city backdrop and a fair course — a real race rather than a tourist jog, with a 5h30 cut-off.
Reasonable PB chance: mostly flat along the Danube embankments with a handful of bridge climbs, in cool mid-October air. The 5h30 net time limit makes it a poor fit for walkers.
Overview
- Field size
- More than 10,000 runners across the weekend's events
- Cut-off time
- 5 hours 30 minutes net time; a sweep bus follows at that pace
- When
- Second Sunday of October
- Organiser
- BSI – Budapest Sportiroda
Course intelligence
- Highlights
- Chain Bridge with Buda Castle above, Parliament from the embankment, Andrássy Avenue, Margaret Island
- Surface
- Asphalt roads, embankments and bridges
Registration
- Entry cost
- €85 at the earliest step, rising to €130 in the final online period; discounts for returning runners and students
- Note
- Minimum age 18 on race day
Race weekend
- Finish
- Back at Pázmány Péter sétány
- Expo
- Race centre at the ELTE Lágymányos campus, open from the Friday to race morning; bibs are collected in person
Travel & logistics
- Best airport
- Budapest Ferenc Liszt (BUD) — the 100E airport bus reaches the centre in ~40 minutes
- Getting around
- Trams and metro reach the start area in minutes; a 24-hour travelcard covers everything
- Where to stay
- District V (Belváros) or around Kálvin tér — central and a short tram ride from the start
Runner tips
- Online entry closes at the start of October; after that it is on-site registration only.
- The embankments are exposed — mid-October mornings can be 8–10°C with a river breeze, so bring a layer for the start.
- Respect the 5h30 limit: the sweep bus collects anyone behind it.
Entry information
Next edition date estimated — confirm exact date with the official site.
Pace Band
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