Fifteen Largest International Marathons – Race Profiles

Event	Next Race	Last Race: # of Finishers
1) real,-Berlin Marathon	Sunday, September 20, 2009	48,714
2) Virgin London Marathon	Sunday, April 25, 2010	35,266
3) Paris International Marathon	Sunday, April 11, 2010	30,344
4) Tokyo International Marathon	Sunday, February 28, 2010	28,657
5) Möbel Kraft Hamburg Marathon	Sunday, April 25, 2010	20,185
6) Stockholm Marathon	Saturday, June 5, 2010	18,736
7) City of Rome Marathon	Sunday, March 21, 2010	11,007
8) Adidas Dublin Marathon	Monday, October 26, 2009	9,316
9) Amsterdam Marathon	Sunday, October 18, 2009	6,530
10) Fortis Marathon Rotterdam	Sunday, April 11, 2010	6,417
11) Beijing International Marathon	Sunday, October 18, 2009	4,324
12) Athens Classic Marathon	Sunday, November 8, 2009	3,843
13) Gold Coast Airport Marathon (Australia)	Sunday, July 4, 2010	3,708
14) Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon	Sunday, December 7, 2009	3,585
15) Ottawa Marathon	Sunday, May 30, 2010	3,449

 

1) real,-Berlin Marathon  – Sunday, September 20, 2009.   Finishers, 2008:  48,714
Marathon Pal says:   Berlin has established its world-class marathon credentials with a record-breaking course and a slick and efficient race organisation.  But it does offer far more.  The crowds are large, loud and enthusiastic (if sporadic), and running here is like running through a modern history class.  The course takes you past grand historical architecture, the drab and austere buildings of the East and the modern, hi-tech shops and commercial property of the West.  Although its recent world records have captured headlines, Berlin is proud of its reputation as a genuine runner’s race.
The Course:  Apart from two gentle inclines near 17 and 21 miles, the course is almost perfectly flat.  It’s also extremely wide and straight, especially in the first two miles along Charlottenburger Tor and the final stretch on Kurfurstendamm.  There’s plenty to catch your eye on the way, but not if you’re running quickly – which is the main attraction of the course.
Highs:  Passage through the Brandenburg Gate, marking the entry into formerly Socialist East Berlin.
Lows:  Sparse crowds in the eastern section of the city.
Watch out for:  The in-line skaters who share the marathon with runners.
Runner comments from Marathon Guide

 

2) Virgin London Marathon  – Sunday, April 25, 2010.   Finishers, 2009:  35,266
Marathon Pal says:   The Flora London Marathon is genuinely a marathon for every runner.  The huge field, large, enthusiastic crowds and party atmosphere appeal to first-timers, while the speed of the course and faultless organisation continue to draw seasoned marathon veterans.  Even armchair fans are catered to with an elite field comparable to the Olympics or World Championships. The inaugural event in 1981 was inspired by the New York City Marathon, but its ongoing success has made it the benchmark against which all others are judged.
The Course:  The point-to-point route starts in Blackheath and Greenwich Park in South-East London and finishes beside St James’s Park on the Mall.  Along the way it takes in many of the city’s famous historic sights, and although the route twists, turns and narrows in places, there are no notable hills.
Highs:  The last three miles along the Embankment, passing the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace on the way to the finish.
Lows:  Narrow streets around the Isle of Dogs and the dour loop of Docklands.
Watch out for:  The cobblestone footpath beside the Tower of London.
Runner comments from Marathon Guide

 

3) Paris International Marathon  – Sunday, April 11, 2010.   Finishers, 2009:  30,344
Marathon Pal says:   Paris has never struggled to attract visitors in the springtime.  It’s just that in the past, not many of them came to run the city’s marathon.  With a reputation for organisational incompetence and indifferent support, the Paris Marathon has traditionally failed to catch the imagination of the running public.  Things have definitely changed.  The organisation has improved noticeably and it has the budget to draw a decent elite field – runners now flock to the race in their thousands.  Support is still limited, but Paris now has a race worthy of its standing as one of the world’s great cities.
The Course:  Most European marathons promise a sightseeing tour on foot and then route you through large stretches of industrial wasteland.  Paris delivers, squeezing just about everything the city has to offer into this 42km loop of the city.  It’s not a fast course but there’s plenty to see.
Highs:  Paris in the spring.
Lows:  The apathy of Parisians towards their marathon.  (And the fact that you require a doctor’s certificate saying that you are fit to run.)
Watch out for:  Downhill start over worn cobblestones.
Runner comments from Marathon Guide

 

4) Tokyo International Marathon  – Sunday, February 28, 2010.   Finishers, 2009:  28,657
No Marathon Pal entry.
Runner comments from Marathon Guide

 

5) Möbel Kraft Hamburg Marathon  – Sunday, April 25, 2010.   Finishers, 2009:  20,185
No Marathon Pal entry.
Runner comments from Marathon Guide

 

6) Stockholm Marathon  – Saturday, June 5, 2010.   Finishers, 2009:  18,736
Marathon Pal says:   Stockholm is an unusual marathon. It challenges your preconceptions both of Scandinavia and of marathon running.  It starts at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon in early June, when the weather is warm and balmy and the city is full of loud, boisterous crowds.  By the standards of London or New York, it’s a small race, but it doesn’t lack atmosphere – with healthy crowds throughout much of the two-lap, city-centre course.  The race is designed to highlight the city’s wonderful location on the shores of the Baltic, and to demonstrate the friendliness and efficiency of the Swedes.  It’s not a particularly fast race, but Stockholm in June is a big consolation.
The Course:  Two almost-identical loops, starting outside the 1912 Olympic Stadium and finishing on the track inside.  There are large, flat sections of the course but enough undulations, particularly on the loop around Djurgarden and the various bridges, to break your rhythm.
Highs:  Finishing on the track inside the 1912 Olympic Stadium.
Lows:  Passing the kilometre markers on the first lap, knowing you have to run 21km before you see them again.
Watch out for:  The crossing of the Vesterbron at 35km.  The bridge is only a 90ft climb, but it feels worse the second time around.
Runner comments from Marathon Guide

 

7) City of Rome Marathon  – Sunday, March 21, 2010.   Finishers, 2009:  11,007
No Marathon Pal entry.
Runner comments from Marathon Guide

 

8) Adidas Dublin Marathon  – Monday, October 26, 2009.   Finishers, 2008:  9,316
No Marathon Pal entry.
Runner comments from Marathon Guide

 

9) Amsterdam Marathon  – Sunday, October 18, 2009.   Finishers, 2008:  6,530
Marathon Pal says:   The Amsterdam Marathon has been run continuously since the late 1970s, but it is only in the last few years that it has earned a reputation to match that of the city.  By the standards of the other events in this listing, it is still a small, intimate affair.  The vast majority are foreign runners, attracted by the undeniable charms of the city and an increasingly swift course.  Although the city is strongly behind the race and everything runs smoothly, the Amsterdam public have yet to take it to heart, either as runners or spectators.
The Course:  This is the Netherlands, so it’s flat and therefore fast.  The only bump you’ll see is when the course crosses one of the many canals.  It’s a two-loop course, starting and finishing in the 1928 Olympic Stadium.  The first loop is 7km and the second is 35km and follows part of the 1928 Olympic course.  The route takes you through the old city-centre and the famous Vondelpark, but large sections are run in the residential suburbs.
Highs: Starting and finishing inside the 1928 Olympic Stadium.
Lows: Scarcity of support on much of the course.
Watch out for: The cyclists, who are as much a part of the city as the canals.
Runner comments from Marathon Guide

 

10) Fortis Marathon Rotterdam  – Sunday, April 11, 2010.   Finishers, 2009:  6,417
Marathon Pal says:   Rotterdam is not high on anyone’s list of must-visit European cities.  But every spring, thousands of runners flock to this modern, industrial port and city to take part in its marathon.  They are drawn by a pancake-flat course and the knowledge that the organisers, despite a limited budget, put on a fine race.  Crowd support doesn’t compare to New York or Boston, but the city does get behind the race and practically closes down on race day.  Rotterdam was one of the first marathons to adopt chip timing, and the event is constantly trying to innovate and challenge the idea that only major cities can have great marathons.
The Course:  The Netherlands is a country devoid of hills, so it’s no surprise that Rotterdam offers one of the most consistently flat courses around.  Other than the Erasmus Bridge at 2km and two wooden sections after 5km and 30km, the loop course is largely unremarkable and unmemorable.  But then, you don’t go to Rotterdam for the scenery.
Highs:  Fantastic crowd support along the waterfront.
Lows:  An out-and-back section of the course at 29km, where you pass runners going in the opposite direction to the finish.
Watch out for:  The well-stocked feed stations with cake and hot drinks.
Runner comments from Marathon Guide

 

11) Beijing International Marathon  – Sunday, October 18, 2009.   Finishers, 2008:  4,324
No Marathon Pal entry.
Runner comments from Marathon Guide

 

12) Athens Classic Marathon  – Sunday, November 8, 2009.   Finishers, 2008:  3,843
No Marathon Pal entry.
Runner comments from Marathon Guide

 

13) Gold Coast Airport Marathon (Australia)  – Sunday, July 4, 2010.   Finishers, 2009:  3,708
No Marathon Pal entry.
Runner comments from Marathon Guide

 

14) Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon  – Sunday, December 7, 2009.   Finishers, 2008:  3,585
No Marathon Pal entry.
Runner comments from Marathon Guide

 

15) Ottawa Marathon  – Sunday, May 30, 2010.   Finishers, 2009:  3,449
No Marathon Pal entry.
Runner comments from Marathon Guide