Spring marathons in Europe: dates, weather and courses
Updated
Spring is Europe’s main marathon season. Mornings are usually cool, the big city races fill the calendar from March to May, and a winter of training lines up neatly with race day. Below are the European marathons in that window with at least 1,000 finishers, with the figures that matter most when choosing one.
| Race | Next edition | Climb | Usual start temp. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rome MarathonRome, Italy | 14 Mar 2027 | 130 m | 7°C |
| Paris MarathonParis, France | 4 Apr 2027 | 150 m | 6°C |
| Freiburg MarathonFreiburg im Breisgau, Germany | 4 Apr 2027 (est.) | 200 m | 8°C |
| Hannover MarathonHannover, Germany | 11 Apr 2027 | 19 m | 10°C |
| Rotterdam MarathonRotterdam, Netherlands | 11 Apr 2027 | 30 m | 10°C |
| Enschede MarathonEnschede, Netherlands | 11 Apr 2027 | 20 m | 9°C |
| Zurich MarathonZurich, Switzerland | 11 Apr 2027 | 147 m | 6°C |
| Bratislava MarathonBratislava, Slovakia | 11 Apr 2027 (est.) | 40 m | 9°C |
| Manchester MarathonManchester, United Kingdom | 18 Apr 2027 | 55 m | 9°C |
| Kraków MarathonKraków, Poland | 18 Apr 2027 (est.) | 40 m | 9°C |
| London MarathonLondon, United Kingdom | 25 Apr 2027 | 90 m | 11°C |
| Nantes MarathonNantes, France | 25 Apr 2027 (est.) | 60 m | 10°C |
| Hamburg MarathonHamburg, Germany | 25 Apr 2027 | 50 m | 7°C |
| ConnemarathonLough Inagh, Ireland | 25 Apr 2027 | 400 m | 11°C |
| Gdańsk MarathonGdańsk, Poland | 25 Apr 2027 | 111 m | 9°C |
| Luxembourg Night MarathonLuxembourg, Luxembourg | 8 May 2027 | 250 m | 16°C |
| Geneva MarathonGeneva, Switzerland | 9 May 2027 (est.) | 160 m | 11°C |
| Copenhagen MarathonCopenhagen, Denmark | 9 May 2027 | 50 m | 11°C |
| Leiden MarathonLeiden, Netherlands | 9 May 2027 | 20 m | 11°C |
| La Route du Louvre MarathonLille, France | 9 May 2027 (est.) | 150 m | 12°C |
| Beer Lovers' MarathonLiege, Belgium | 16 May 2027 | 300 m | 12°C |
| Salzburg MarathonSalzburg, Austria | 23 May 2027 | 60 m | 15°C |
| Utrecht MarathonUtrecht, Netherlands | 30 May 2027 (est.) | 20 m | 15°C |
“Climb” is the total elevation gain of the course. “Usual start temp.” is the average temperature at the start time over the last 10 years on race day. Dates marked “est.” follow the race’s usual slot and are not yet confirmed.
How to choose between them
March: cool, sometimes cold
Early-season races often start in single digits. That is close to ideal for running fast, but plan for a cold wait at the start and the chance of wind or rain. Your long runs will fall in the depths of winter.
April: the sweet spot
April is the busiest month, with several of the continent’s largest races. Conditions are usually good, but a warm spell can push the temperature up quickly, so check the forecast in race week.
May: warmer, and further south it is warm
By May, races in southern Europe can start warm and get hotter. Northern and higher-altitude races stay pleasant longer. If May suits your calendar, favour early starts and northern cities.
Book early
Spring race weekends are popular and so is the city around them. Enter as soon as registration opens, book accommodation with free cancellation, and check whether the race needs a medical certificate from foreign runners.
Compare any of these side by side, or filter by month, climb and temperature in the race finder. For autumn options, see the race calendar.