Best European Marathon

Catalpa32

Hi All,

Thinking of spreading the wings and stretching the legs in europe for a marathon next year.

Any recommedations?

Cheers

ecoli

Catalpa32 wrote: »

Hi All,

Thinking of spreading the wings and stretching the legs in europe for a marathon next year.

Any recommedations?

Cheers

Define best?

Depending on the time of year you really are spoiled for choice in terms of fast, well valued races.

Catalpa32

Hi ecoli,

Best in terms of scenery, atmosphere and a nice flat course is always a plus!

A marathon outside the summer months say spring and autumn would be good.

Hope that narrows things a bit!

Thanks

ecoli

Among some of the ones which come highly recommended by people who have done them

Spring
Paris
Barcelona
Rotterdam
Boston (Entry requirements needed) WMM*/ not the fastest
London (Entry requirements needed) WMM*
Tokyo WMM*

Autumn
Berlin (Lotto Entry) WMM*
Chicago WMM*
New York WMM (Lotto Entry) / not the fastest
Amsterdam
Frankfurt
Fukuoka (Entry Requirements)

WMM* - World Marathon Majors

plumber77

Having done barca and Rotterdam in spring I would go for the barca package overall, combination of great city, good crowds and decent route. Just back from Frankfurt marathon last weekend, it'd be a very good autumn choice. Very flat course and well supported.

ASIMON0V

Florence is good for a late year one, its on the last weekend of november - its pretty much a perfect combination of amazing location with a fast pancake flat marathon. Seems to be getting a little difficult to get to as flights to bologna / piza seems to be curtailed this year.

Also, Cologne in early september is a good option, smallish <10K runners - super flat course and easy to get to. Not too much going on in Cologne though once you have done the Cathedral. You can enter Cologne marathon on the day as well. Not a bucket list marathon though.

dave04

• Hi , I ran the Snowdon marathon sat 26th Oct. Fantastic race , well organised. i'm usualy a 3.40 min in dcm but finished in 4.01 here.
• you'd need take the car 350euro
• find somewhere to stay ,though plenty of options , travel lodges , bb etc.
• it's very close really.
• it's under the radar , and carries the toughest mara in Europe tag, which I could vouch for. 2200 entries
• surprised very few Irish people do this one. I only saw 2 other people on the ferry next day.
• 3 big climbs one at star , one in the middle and an absolute beast at the end
• course is so scenic and mostly on road , No boring mind wandering bits, you will be focussed all the way round!
• you will have to train on hills ,and if you want a " good time" Istrongly recommend finding a mountain to train on for that last 6 miles , one that is quite steep!!
• you will need to work on quad and hamstring strength.
• you will love it , it's a very friendly well run race
• you will want to go back.
• you wont get a marathon pb there
• it's usually on the same weekend as DCM.
• SOME PRO'S AND CONS FOR YOU TO WORK OUT WHICH IS WHICH , I WOULD LOVE TO GO BACK NEXT YEAR.

robinph

dave04 wrote: »

• it's under the radar , and carries the toughest mara in Europe tag, which I could vouch for. 2200 entries

Toughest, not a chance. That is a virtually flat course with climbs of a mere 200m vertical.
http://www.snowdoniamarathon.co.uk/courseprofile.pdf

Try this one out for size with 2000m + of climbing just in the second half, and if you can complete the last 2.5km in anything close to 30 minutes then you are doing very well indeed.
http://www.tourdetirol.at/61.html
The last mile took me 28minutes:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/387590404

Had a couple of friends who did the Snowdon Marathon last week though and they do speak highly of it, definitely recommended.

tHE vAGGABOND

Loved doing Paris, like a tourist trip around the city...

Thought the Berlin course was....boring...but its deffo flat and a super fast course if your all about time and nothing else. [That said the beer at the end was a great highlight ]

IMHO : You cant beat the marathon in your home city, where ever that may be

PDCAT

Florence Marathon - Very good marathon, well organised, flat (apart from cobbles around city in the last few miles). Beautiful City, last few miles running through some of the centre is great. Give yourself a few days after to see the city.

Amsterdam Marathon - Again, well organised, flat marathon. Start/Finish in the Olympic Stadium. Doesn't go near the centre of the city and long stretches of it have little atmosphere. But again Amsterdam, good city to see.

ThePiedPiper

London the pick of them in my opinion. Amsterdam and Berlin are fast, but a bit boring. Paris is fantastic, fast and an amazing course. Seville and Budapest both very fast courses in beautiful cities.

sideswipe

Trying to decide between Paris and Barcelona for a PB attempt myself.

Did Barca last year and loved it. It works out well next year being on the 16th of March so the following day is Paddy's day- no need to take a day off and double reasons for post race pints!

Paris seems to get good reviews round here too though. Plus it gives more time to prepare.......Decisions, decisions.

Krusty_Clown

Barcelona is awesome. Slight incline over the last two miles, but a super race, for runners.

eliwallach

Catalpa32 wrote: »

Hi ecoli,

Best in terms of scenery

Thanks

I sometimes smile when I see this as listed as criteria for marathon selection and recall a now infamous line from someone here who had just completed the Paris marathon who irrevently said that the Eifel Tower could go and fvck itself, when things got tough at mile 21.
That said, my limited experience would recommend London Marathon, although gaining entry can be, ahem, tricky if you ain't got the minerals.

Duanington

DUBLIN by a mile !

( note, I have only ever ran DCM )

robinph

eliwallach wrote: »

I sometimes smile when I see this as listed as criteria for marathon selection and recall a now infamous line from someone here who had just completed the Paris marathon who irrevently said that the Eifel Tower could go and fvck itself, when things got tough at mile 21.
That said, my limited experience would recommend London Marathon, although gaining entry can be, ahem, tricky if you ain't got the minerals.

You do have "scenery" interspersed along the London route pretty well. Although it may be possible to miss the big house at mile 26 as you are head down and struggling for the line, you can't fail to notice the Cutty Sark at 6 miles or Tower Bridge at 12, you even get another chance to see Tower Bridge at 20'ish if you mind is wandering and you look left. You then have a couple of miles along the river to notice the big ferris wheel and clock tower thing and before that going through the wall of noise amongst the tall buildings in the docklands will certainly wake you up even if the head office buildings for international banks are not your thing.

However if your definition of scenery is rolling hills and pretty landscapes then you are in the wrong place.

TFBubendorfer

robinph wrote: »

However if your definition of scenery is rolling hills and pretty landscapes then you are in the wrong place.

And if it is then "scenery" and "nice flat course" are completely opposed and conflicting criteria.

NameThatTune

Hi there, has anyone run in the Vienna marathon? How was it?

TFBubendorfer

NameThatTune wrote: »

Hi there, has anyone run in the Vienna marathon? How was it?

I have, in 2011. Very well organised, very flat course, beautiful city but not an awful lot of spectators for much of the course.

I'd definitely recommend it.

happygoose

Bit of a sidetrack - having missed the Berlin boat but set on doing one around that time, has anyone done the RnR in Lisbon?

sixpack's little hat

NameThatTune wrote: »

Hi there, has anyone run in the Vienna marathon? How was it?

I ran it this year and the only negative thing I could say about it would be the weather. It was over 20 degrees so the heat was very tough coming off the back of training in the cold weather over the winter and early spring.

Ask away if you have any specific questions about it.

eliwallach

happygoose wrote: »

Bit of a sidetrack - having missed the Berlin boat but set on doing one around that time, has anyone done the RnR in Lisbon?

I ran the RnR half M in Lisbon last month.
It was a different course from the full M except for the last 4 miles, so I only have limited info.
Weather was quite hot (24 C) but equally it could be heavy rain at that time of year. The full M started in the town of Cascias on the western side of the city and runs a 26 mile point to point course ( so your world record bid will have to wait for another marathon). Finishes in a developed area of the docks (convention centre, shopping centre etc) along with the Half M and a 5k fun run. The elite field was quite impressive for the full, and I think Sergi Lebdid ( of cross country fame) finished in 2nd place in a time of 2:10ish. Then there's the usual music at every mile which I could do without and the finish line concert which I could definitely do without ( then the marathon title wouldn't make sense I suppose). There's free travel for number wearers on the day of the event. Overall very well run event and I would recommend, even if it organised by that RnR crowd.

PS - Lisbon is also a fine city to spend a weekend in