The 10 Best Marathons in Europe for Runners in 2027
By Kory White · Updated Oct 2026 · 4 min read
Direct answer
The Berlin Marathon is the best marathon in Europe for runners, on 26 September 2027 with a lottery entry and a €215 fee. Amsterdam (30 and 31 October 2027) is #2 and Rotterdam (11 April 2027) is #3. Dates come from each organizer; Valencia and Athens have not published 2027 yet.
An early-summer city race with an Olympic-stadium finish
Pick by what you want
Best overall
Berlin Marathon
Best flat and fast course
Amsterdam Marathon
Best for landmarks
London Marathon
Best open entry
Barcelona Marathon
Best historic route
Athens Authentic Marathon
The ranking
1
Berlin Marathon
Photo: Lear 21 / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe record-book marathon, entered by lottery.
2027 date: Sunday 26 September 2027 (the GENERALI BERLIN-MARATHON)Entry: Lottery: registration ran 1 October to 12 November 2026, with results announced on 3 December 2026Entry fee: €215Course record: Tigst Assefa won in 2:11:04 in 2026, improving her own course recordField size: Over 50,000 finishers in 2026
The Berlin Marathon becomes the GENERALI BERLIN-MARATHON on 26 September 2027. Entry is by lottery (€215), and Tigst Assefa set the current course record of 2:11:04 in 2026 in front of over 50,000 finishers.
Go ifRunners who want the marathon with the record-setting reputation
Skip ifYou need a guaranteed place
Why #1 over #2: Its 2:11:04 course record and lottery entry come ahead of Amsterdam, where registration starts December 19.
2
Amsterdam Marathon
Photo: Franklin Heijnen / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictA World Athletics Platinum Label race that finishes in the Olympic Stadium.
2027 date: Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 October 2027Entry: Registration starts December 19Course: Flat, fast and historic; start and finish in the Olympic Stadium, passing under the Rijksmuseum, along the Amstel and through VondelparkLatest results: Buze Diriba broke the course record in 2:16:12; Lemi Berhanu won the men’s race in 2:03:33Field size: 60,000 runners from 140 countries across all distances in 2025
The Amsterdam Marathon runs on 30 and 31 October 2027 with registration starting December 19. The course is flat, fast and historic, starting and finishing in the Olympic Stadium and passing under the Rijksmuseum.
Go ifA flat, fast course with a stadium finish
Skip ifYou want a spring race
Why #2 over #3: It is a flat, fast course with a stadium finish, where Rotterdam finishes on the Coolsingel.
3
Rotterdam Marathon
Photo: Wouter Engler / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe flat, fast Dutch championship marathon.
2027 date: Sunday 11 April 2027 (the 46th edition)Entry: Pre-registration system for the marathon distance, giving everyone an equal chance; pre-registration opens soonCourse: Flat course described as one of the fastest marathons in the world; finish on the CoolsingelAtmosphere: Hundreds of thousands of spectators along the course
The Rotterdam Marathon is on 11 April 2027 and uses a pre-registration system that gives everyone an equal chance. The flat course finishes on the Coolsingel.
Go ifA flat spring race with big crowds
Skip ifYou want to enter first-come, first-served
Why #3 over #4: Its flat course comes with a pre-registration draw, where Barcelona has open registration.
4
Barcelona Marathon
Photo: Jorge Jaramillo / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe open-entry marathon through Barcelona.
2027 date: Sunday 14 March 2027Entry: Registration is open (it opened on 30 April 2026) through the official Register now pageCourse: An urban circuit, flat and fast; the start is on Paseo de GraciaLatest results: Fotyen Tesfay won in the second-fastest marathon time ever in her debutField size: A record turnout of 32,000 runners in 2026
The Barcelona Marathon is on 14 March 2027 and its registration is open. The organizer calls the circuit urban, flat and fast, with a start on Paseo de Gracia.
Go ifAn early-season flat and fast race you can still enter
Skip ifYou want a late-autumn date
Why #4 over #5: Its registration is open, where London’s ballot has already been drawn.
5
London Marathon
Photo: DanHuddleston / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe sightseeing marathon from Greenwich to The Mall.
2027 date: Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April 2027, run over two days for the first time (The Double)Entry: Ballot for 2027 already drawn (results sent on 9 July); charity places are still availableEntry fee: £79.99, or £49.99 for ballot winners who doubled their chances; £275 international entry feeCourse: 26.2 miles from Greenwich to The Mall, past Cutty Sark and Tower Bridge, finishing in front of Buckingham Palace
The London Marathon is on 24 and 25 April 2027, over two days for the first time. The route runs 26.2 miles from Greenwich to The Mall past Cutty Sark and Tower Bridge, and the ballot has been drawn with charity places still available.
Go ifLandmarks and the biggest crowds
Skip ifYou missed the 2027 ballot and cannot raise money for charity
Why #5 over #6: Its Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace route beats the ballot-only entry at Valencia.
6
Valencia Marathon
Answrs VerdictAn early-December ballot race for 36,000 runners.
2027 date: Not published yet (the 2026 race is on 6 December 2026)Entry: Ballot (draw) for the 2026 edition, with a 4-day loyalty period first; the 2026 race is sold outRace bibs: 36,000 race bibs for the 2026 editionBallot dates: Registration 16 to 26 December, draw on 12 January, results to runners on 13 January (2026 edition)
The Valencia Marathon has not published its 2027 date; the 2026 race is on 6 December 2026. The 2026 edition used a ballot for 36,000 race bibs and is sold out.
Go ifRunners who plan ahead for an early-December race
Skip ifYou need the 2027 date today
Why #6 over #7: Its 36,000 bibs for 2026 are more than the 35,000 places at Copenhagen.
7
Copenhagen Marathon
Photo: Leif Jørgensen / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictA flat city route that sold out in under 24 hours before it went to a lottery.
2027 date: Sunday 9 May 2027, 9:30 AM CETEntry: Lottery for the first time: 80,937 runners entered for 35,000 placesCourse: Flat, through the inner city, Østerbro, Christianshavn, Vesterbro, Nørrebro and Frederiksberg (2026 course page)Field size: 35,000 places for 2027
The Copenhagen Marathon is on 9 May 2027 at 9:30 AM CET. A first-ever lottery drew 80,937 entries for 35,000 places, on a flat course through Østerbro, Christianshavn and Nørrebro.
Go ifA flat spring marathon through central Copenhagen
Skip ifYou did not win a lottery place
Why #7 over #8: Its flat city route comes with a published lottery, where Paris is closed to lottery entries.
8
Paris Marathon
Photo: Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe April marathon through Paris, now open only through side doors.
2027 date: Sunday 4 April 2027Entry: Lottery entries are closed; charity, corporate, tour operator and resale entries remainCharity entry: Raise at least €420 to secure a placeResale: The official resale platform opens on December 1Course: Revealed only a few weeks before race day
The Paris Marathon is on 4 April 2027, and the lottery is closed. Charity entries need at least €420 raised, and the official resale platform opens on December 1.
Go ifRunners who will fundraise or buy a resale place
Skip ifYou want to see the route first
Why #8 over #9: It still has charity, corporate and resale entries, where Athens registrations are closed.
9
Athens Authentic Marathon
Photo: Thodoris Karakozidis / CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe historic route that ends in the Panathenaic Stadium.
2027 date: Not published yet (the 2026 race is on Sunday 8 November 2026)Course: From the town of Marathon to the Panathenaic Stadium finish lineEntry: Open registration in tiers; the 2026 marathon sold out at both levels and registrations are closedEntry fee: €75 at the advanced level and €165 at the full level (2026 edition)
The Athens Authentic Marathon has not published its 2027 date; the 2026 race is on 8 November 2026. It runs from the town of Marathon to the Panathenaic Stadium, with 2026 fees of €75 and €165 and both levels sold out.
Go ifThe original Marathon-to-Athens route with a stadium finish
Skip ifYou need to know the 2027 date now
Why #9 over #10: Its route ends in the Panathenaic Stadium, where Stockholm’s ends in the Stadion with climbs earlier in the race.
10
Stockholm Marathon
Photo: Patrik Nylin / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictA Swedish capital route.
2027 date: Saturday 29 May 2027 (adidas Stockholm Marathon)Entry: Registration for 2027 opened on 24 August 2026 at 09:00Course: 42,195 meters, measured to Swedish and international athletics federation rules, passing Gamla Stan and finishing inside the StadionClimbs: Katarinavägen, Hornsgatan/Lundagatan and Västerbron come earlier in the race on the 2026 course
The Stockholm Marathon is on 29 May 2027 and registration opened on 24 August 2026. The 42,195-meter course circles Gamla Stan and finishes inside the Stadion.
Go ifAn early-summer city race with an Olympic-stadium finish
Skip ifYou want a flat course profile
How we ranked these
We ranked the ten on the course facts and race-day results each organizer publishes, then on how open entry is for 2027. Dates are given only where the organizer has published 2027; otherwise the page says the 2027 date is not out yet and shows the latest edition. Entry rules and fees are the organizers’ own and can change. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.
Questions people ask
How do I get into the Berlin Marathon?
By lottery. Registration for the 26 September 2027 race ran 1 October to 12 November 2026, with results on 3 December 2026; the fee is €215.
Which European marathon is on the earliest date in 2027?
Barcelona, on 14 March 2027; its registration is open. Paris follows on 4 April 2027 and Rotterdam on 11 April 2027.
Can I still get a London Marathon place for 2027?
The 2027 ballot has been drawn, but a limited number of charity places are still available for the 24 and 25 April 2027 race.
Can I still enter the Paris Marathon in 2027?
The lottery is closed. You can take a charity entry (raise at least €420), a corporate entry, a tour operator package or an entry on the official resale platform opening on December 1.
Field size each organizer publishes (runners) at a glance
Barcelona Marathon32,000 runners
Copenhagen Marathon35,000 runners
Valencia Marathon36,000 runners
Berlin Marathon50,000 runners
Amsterdam Marathon60,000 runners
Field size each organizer publishes (runners), as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.
