Rotterdam Marathon 2027: dates, registration and records

HAPPENING 10–11 APRIL 2027 | The 46th NN Marathon Rotterdam takes place on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 April 2027. The full marathon returns on Sunday, with free pre-registration opening on 20 October 2026 and places allocated on a first come, first served basis once registration begins.

Rotterdam Marathon 2027 dates

The 46th NN Marathon Rotterdam takes place over the weekend of 10 and 11 April 2027. Saturday is devoted to shorter distances, walking, children's events and Your Marathon Challenge, while the full 42.195 km marathon and Dutch Marathon Championships take place on Sunday 11 April.

The marathon remains one of Rotterdam's biggest annual sporting events, combining international elite racing with tens of thousands of recreational participants and large crowds along the route.

How to register for the 2027 Rotterdam Marathon

Demand for the full marathon is high, so registration for 2027 begins with a free pre-registration.

• 20 October 2026: pre-registration opens
• 3 November 2026 at 10:00: pre-registration closes
• 3 November: personal registration links are sent after pre-registration closes
• 4 November 2026: marathon registration opens

Pre-registering does not guarantee a start number. Once registration opens, available places are allocated on a first come, first served basis through each runner's personal registration link.

The standard marathon entry fee for 2027 is €155. Rotterdam residents younger than 24 receive a 25 per cent discount and pay €116.

Runners who pre-registered for 2026 but did not manage to secure a place receive one-off earlier access to the 2027 registration process. Half of the available marathon entries have been reserved for this group.

Full registration details are available on the official NN Marathon Rotterdam website.

More Rotterdam runners in 2027

The organiser and Municipality of Rotterdam want the event to become more accessible to people living in the city. Their target is for at least 20 per cent of marathon participants to be Rotterdam residents.

Alongside the discounted marathon fee for younger Rotterdam runners, local athletics clubs will be able to secure guaranteed entries for members.

The NN Kids Runs remain €4, while 1,100 free places are being made available to pupils at Rotterdam primary schools. Another 200 free places in The Marathon Rotterdam Walk will be distributed to Rotterdam residents through the GGD.

Rotterdam Marathon 2027 programme

Saturday 10 April 2027

• The Marathon Rotterdam Walk: 5, 10 and 15 km
• Your Marathon Challenge: final 1.195 km
• NN Kids Runs: 1 km and 2.5 km
• City Run Rotterdam: 4.2 km
• School and athletics-club events

Sunday 11 April 2027

• NN Marathon Rotterdam: 42.195 km
• Dutch Marathon Championships: 42.195 km
• Quarter Marathon Rotterdam: 10.55 km
• Business Duo Marathon
• Business Relay Marathon

Registration for the other marathon-weekend events also opens on 4 November 2026.

What is the 2027 marathon route?

The detailed 2027 course map has not yet been published.

The organiser currently describes the marathon as starting at the foot of the Erasmus Bridge before heading into Rotterdam-Zuid. The route passes landmarks including Stadion Feijenoord and Ahoy, crosses the Erasmus Bridge again and later loops around the Kralingse Plas before returning past landmarks including the Cube Houses and Markthal.

The finish remains on the Coolsingel.

Because Rotterdam's marathon route can change when construction or traffic conditions require it, wait for the official 2027 course map before planning an exact spectator location.

Current Rotterdam Marathon course records

Rotterdam's flat course has produced some of the fastest marathon performances ever recorded in the city.

The current men's course record is:

Bashir Abdi – 2:03:36, set in 2021.

The current women's course record is:

Mekides Shimeles – 2:18:56, set in 2026.

Shimeles broke Tiki Gelana's previous record of 2:18:58, which had stood since 2012.

The 2026 men's race was won by Guye Adola in 2:03:54, just 18 seconds outside Abdi's record.

From 200 runners to an international marathon

The first Rotterdam Marathon was held in 1981 with around 200 runners. What began as a relatively small race developed into one of Europe's best-known city marathons, with elite runners and mass-participation events now sharing the same weekend.

Rotterdam has also played an important role in marathon history. Three world-best performances have been set at the event, including Carlos Lopes's 2:07:12 in 1985 and Tegla Loroupe's 2:20:47 in 1998.

In April 2026, World Athletics recognised that history by awarding NN Marathon Rotterdam a World Athletics Heritage Plaque.

Getting to the Rotterdam Marathon

The marathon takes over a large part of Rotterdam, so travelling by public transport is usually easier than driving on race weekend.

The finish is on Coolsingel in the city centre. Rotterdam Centraal, Beurs and Blaak are useful transport hubs, but temporary metro, tram, bus and road changes are normally introduced during marathon weekend.

The detailed 2027 transport arrangements have not yet been published. Check the official marathon website and RET shortly before travelling rather than relying on restrictions from previous editions.

Planning for the 2027 marathon

If you want to run the full marathon, the most important date right now is 20 October 2026, when free pre-registration begins.

If you are visiting as a spectator, there is less urgency. The exact course map, road closures, public transport measures, elite field and broadcast information will be announced closer to April.

Check the official NN Marathon Rotterdam website for the latest information.

Rotterdam Marathon recap movie

Rotterdam Marathon Route

The Rotterdam Marathon typically starts at the Erasmus bridge and ends on the Coolsingel. The route below is just an indication.

Rotterdam Marathon route for 2022

Watch the Rotterdam Marathon on television