The Copenhagen Marathon starts and finishes by the Islands Brygge harbor with its urban swimming baths, and in between: waterside promenades, Christiansborg Palace, and Fælledparken, where the celebration keeps going long after the finish. The course is officially rated fast, but what really makes it fast isn't just the flat asphalt — it's also the wind off the water, almost always noticeable on the exposed stretches. Organizers take sustainability seriously: fabric bags instead of plastic, bibs printed on-site, and paper cups the only kind on course.
Course records
Men
2:08:23
2022 · Berhane Tsegay
Women
2:22:08
2026 · Mercy Chebwogen
Weather in May
7–16°C
mixed conditions
Early May usually brings 7–16°C, humidity is at its seasonal low, but wind off the water is almost always noticeable.
Starter pack 2024
Cloth kit bag
Nike technical bib (opt-out at registration)
Finisher medal
Organizers emphasize sustainability: paper cups on course, bibs printed on-site to cut waste.
Pacers & bib pickup
3:003:103:203:303:403:504:004:204:405:00
Bib pickup
Forum Copenhagen
day before the race only
The expo runs Wednesday through Saturday before the Sunday race — the start card is emailed a week ahead.
Registration opens
—
Registration closes
—
Current price
TBC
Status checked
—
Run with locals
An easy run with a local club the day before the race — the best way to shake out the legs and meet the city.
Islands Brygge (harbour baths) — Right by the start.
Nyhavn — The colorful waterfront, part of the route.
30 minutes
Tivoli Gardens — The 1843 amusement park in the city center.
Rosenborg Castle — The summer palace with the Danish crown jewels.
2 hours
Kronborg Castle in Helsingør — The real Elsinore from Hamlet, an hour by train.
Malmö and Lund (Sweden) — Across the Øresund bridge, about half an hour by train.
Dinner before the race
Scarpetta Islands Brygge
An Italian restaurant right in the start/finish neighborhood — no established runner tradition here, but it's a logical pick by location; booking ahead wouldn't hurt.
After the finish
Non-alcoholic beer, bananas, and Red Bull at the Fælledparken finish, plus a recovery bar with salty snacks.
Organization and efficiency, no frills, typical of the Danish capital — but with a genuinely festive atmosphere. The Danes set aside their usual reserve for warm crowd support on the course.
42.195