Groningen Marathon

The Race

History

The current Groningen Marathon is a recent road race and not a continuation of the two earlier Groningen marathons of 2006 and 2007, which were separate events. The 2026 edition was held on 31 May and run in heat. The organiser has moved the date of the next edition earlier in the year to reduce that risk, and one Dutch news report recorded seven half-marathon runners unwell during that weekend.

Wouter Ploeger won the 2026 marathon in 2:42:02 and Silke van der Meijden won the women’s race in 2:55:34. Both times come from a hot day, so they say little about the course.

The course

The race starts in Zernikepark and finishes on Zernikelaan, both on the Zernike Campus on the west side of the city, about 450 m apart on the 2026 line. That line loops west through the polders by Aduard at km 5 to 10, runs back through the west and into the old centre at km 15 to 19, and passes the station area on Stationsstraat at km 19.

It then runs south through Zuid on Leonard Springerlaan, the former trotting track and Ter Borchlaan at km 21 to 25, to Haren and Eelderwolde, the furthest point, 7.9 km from the start, at km 29.5. It returns north through Hoogkerk at km 33 and Zuid at km 35 to 37, passes the Stadspark athletics track at km 22.6 and again at km 35.4, and finishes through the centre, the old districts and the west of the city on Noorderhaven, Nassaulaan and Zernikelaan.

The ground is flat. The profile spans 14 m, from -3 m in the polders to 10 m in the old centre at km 18, and no kilometre changes by more than 5 m. No official ascent or surface mix is published, and the 2027 route may differ.

A published diversion applies late in the race. Marathon runners reaching the Stadspark athletics track after 14:10 are directed onto the half-marathon course.

Kilometre by kilometre

Start. The start is in Zernikepark. Pens open from 10:00. Groups AA, A and 1 start at 10:30 and group 2 at 10:40. Find your pen from the colour or letter on your bib, and be inside it before the first group leaves.

Km 0 to 15: the west. The line leaves the campus by De Bunders at km 1 and loops through Professor Uilkensweg, Hoogeweg and Zijlvesterweg at km 2 to 6 before the polder dyke at Gaaikemadijk near Aduard at km 7 to 9, the western end. It comes back by Sprikkenburg at km 10 to 11, Paddepoelsterweg at km 12 to 13 and Zonnelaan at km 14, all at about sea level and open to the wind.

Km 15 to 29: the centre and the south. Prinsesseweg, Grachtstraat and Kruissingel at km 15 to 17 lead into the old centre on Muurstraat at km 18, the high point of the course at 10 m, and Stationsstraat at km 19, where crowds are thickest. The line then runs south along Paterswoldseweg and Leonard Springerlaan at km 20 to 21 and passes Stadspark at km 22.6, with the former trotting track at km 22. Ter Borchlaan, Lepelaar and Winterpad lead on to Haren at km 28 and Eelderwolde at km 29 to 32.

Km 29 to 42.195: back to the campus. The Madijk at km 30 to 32 and Peizerweg in Hoogkerk at km 33 lead back to Zuid on Eemsgolaan and Paviljoenlaan at km 34 to 35, passing Stadspark again at km 35.4. Concourslaan and Paterswoldseweg lead to Praediniussingel at km 38, Noorderhaven at km 39 and Nassaulaan at km 40, and the line returns to Zonnelaan at km 41 and finishes on Zernikelaan. Bag storage at the Willem-Alexander Sportcentrum is close, so the walk after finishing is short.

The Stadspark cut. The organiser’s rule is that marathon runners reaching the athletics track after 14:10 are sent onto the half-marathon route. This is a timing gate and not a recommendation. A 5:30 finisher who starts in group 2 should check their own pace against it.

Pacing. Pacers are listed in two pens only: 3:00 to 3:45 in pen 1 and 4:00 to 5:00 in pen 2.

Course Map

The 2026 line: west through the polders at Aduard, through the old centre, south past Stadspark to Eelderwolde, and back through Zuid and the centre to the campus. The 2027 route is not published. Tap a marker for the start, the finish, number collection, bag storage and the station, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the line with the elevation profile beneath it.

Pacers

Pacers are listed by pen. Targets of 3:00, 3:15, 3:30 and 3:45 are in pen 1, and 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, 4:45 and 5:00 are in pen 2. Confirm the pen allocation in the programme.

Entry

Entry is open online. Registration opened on 17 September 2026. The marathon fee is €83 for the first 500 entries and €88 after that, and the organiser’s page showed mixed sold-out and open banners, so check the live status before relying on a price. A shirt costs €27.50 and must be requested by 13 March. Moving to another distance costs €5 and is possible until 11 April.

Time-based starting groups use the finish time you declare. The cut-off is 5 hours 30 minutes. Refund and deferral terms are not published.

Fast runner standards

Pen AA is for men under 2:30 and women under 2:45, and pen A for men under 2:45 and women under 3:00. These are start-pen standards that use the finish time you declare.

Race Weekend

Number collection

Numbers are collected at P4 on the Zernike Campus. On Saturday the collection point is open from 06:00 to 16:00. On Sunday it opens from 07:00, and the office stays open to 11:30. Bag storage is at the Willem-Alexander Sportcentrum, labelled A to J, and is free. There is no changing facility on site.

Collect on Saturday to avoid pressure on race morning.

Getting to the start

Pens open at 10:00 and the fast groups start at 10:30, so there is no need for a dawn start. Collect your number on Saturday if possible and bring your bib. Bag storage is at the Willem-Alexander Sportcentrum and is free, but there is no changing room, so arrive in your running kit.

The organiser’s transport page still describes the 2026 May shuttle (811), so check the current plan before relying on it. The Zernike Campus is on the west side of the city, about 4 km from the station, so a central hotel needs a bus, a bike or a longer walk.

Nutrition on course

No aid-station list, drink brand, gel provision or distance spacing is published for 2027, and the course map is unpublished, so station positions cannot be given. Bring your own gels and plan to carry fuel until the aid detail appears.

Spectating

Start and finish are on the Zernike Campus, which keeps a supporter’s plan simple: stay in the same area. No spectator map or viewing points are published, and the late-race gate at Stadspark may offer a second place to see runners. The plans below are proposals only.

Post-race food

Café Willem Albert, Brasserie Prinsenhof and Restaurant Nassau are the places to try near the centre. Sunday opening hours and menus are not confirmed, so reserve in advance and order something simple.

Where to Stay

The start and finish are on the Zernike Campus on the west side, away from the old centre. A hotel in the centre gives the best evening, and a hotel near the campus gives the shortest morning. No race hotel partner is published.

Check cancellation terms, breakfast times and Sunday luggage storage.

Recommended hotels

Booking timeline

Secure your entry first, because price tiers and limited places apply, then book a cancellable room. No hotel sell-out window or marathon premium is published. The shirt must be requested by 13 March, and a transfer costs €5 until 11 April.

See & Do

The centre is about 2.8 km from the campus, and the three places below are all within 0.7 km of the Grote Markt.

After the Race

April is changeable in the north, and the rail network makes short trips easy. Leeuwarden and Assen are under an hour away, Schiermonnikoog is a day by bus and ferry, and Amsterdam is about two hours.