The Race
| Next Race Date | Saturday 4 September 2027 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Loop: start at Sundstorget, finish at Gröningen, about 0.8 km apart |
| Registration | Open online entry, SEK 1,100, no ballot |
| Ballot opens | Not applicable |
| Start | Sundstorget, in front of the Dunkers Culture House, 10:00 |
| Finish | Gröningen, on the seafront |
| Total finishers | Not published |
| Cutoff time | 6 hours, with 3 h 30 min at 21.1 km and 4 h 15 min at 30 km |
| Free race-day transport | Not published |
| Course certification | Listed by the organiser as a World Athletics Road Race; measurement certificate not published |
History
The Helsingborg Marathon began in 2014. The organiser's own history names Andreas Moresco as founder, and the event is run by Runners Society Helsingborg with a team of race directors and more than 900 volunteer marshals. Wikipedia credits two promoters, Andreas Gartmyr and Simon Wikstrand, with planning from 2012; the two accounts differ, and the organiser's is used here. The first winners were Henrik Orre in 2:33:48 and Karin Axelsson in 3:04:23. Orre won again in 2015 and 2019, and no race was held in 2020.
The organiser's statistics page gives the men's course record as 2:23:34, set by Jesper Lundberg in 2023, and the women's as 2:49:09, set by Linda Gistedt in 2026. Gistedt has won the women's race in 2024, 2025 and 2026. The latest men's winners were Rob Corney in 2:26:33 in 2025 and James Payne in 2:34:23 in 2026. The event has grown from a single marathon into a programme with a half marathon, relays and a children's run, and the half marathon hosted the Swedish championships in 2026.
The course has been adjusted over the years: the organiser's traffic notice says sections around Mariastaden and Laröd were changed and widened for accessibility, though the year was not stated. Original field size, the full route history and finisher counts by edition have not been published.
The course
The marathon starts at Sundstorget in front of the Dunkers Culture House and finishes about 0.8 km north at Gröningen on the seafront. It is one extended circuit of the city and not a half marathon run twice.
The route runs south past the railway station at km 0.5 and along Terminalgatan, Bredgatan and Industrigatan at km 1 to 5, reaches Råå at km 6 to 7 and turns at the marina near km 7.6, 7.1 km from the start. It climbs inland through Rausvägen and Ättekulla at km 9 to 12, passes Ramlösa at km 13 and 14 and Elineberg at km 15 and 16, and reaches the plateau of Olympia and Fredriksdal at km 19 to 21. It then passes the old town below Kärnan at about km 23, runs north through Tågaborg at km 25 and 26 and Mariastaden at km 28 and 29, and returns by Dag Hammarskjölds väg at km 32 and 33 to the north end at Laröd at km 34 to 38. The final descent follows Sofierovägen and Drottninggatan at km 39 to 41.
The first 8 km are flat at 3 to 9 m. The course climbs 39 m over 3.8 km, 1.0% on average, from km 8.1 to 43 m near Ättekulla at km 12, drops 19 m, then climbs 22 m over 6.2 km to the plateau, 45 m at km 19. From there to km 38 it stays between 35 and 45 m, with the high point of 49 m at km 31.5, and then drops 29 m in a single kilometre at km 39 to 7 m, finishing at 4 m. The organiser gives 135 m of total ascent and 270 m of combined climbing and descent. The surface is about 89% asphalt, 10% compacted gravel and 1% other.
The course is closed to traffic from 05:00 to 16:00 across central Helsingborg, Råå and Laröd. Twelve aid stations are listed. Cut-offs are 3 hours 30 minutes at 21.1 km, 4 hours 15 minutes at 30 km and 6 hours at the finish.
Kilometre by kilometre
Km 0 to 9: the sea road. The marathon starts at Sundstorget with the Dunkers Culture House behind the pens and heads south past the station and along the water to Råå Marina, where the first station with fruit stands at 6.7 km. This is the flattest ground on the course, at 3 to 9 m, so everyone feels good and the reason to hold back is the hill that follows. Wind off the sound is the variable, and it can turn this stretch into a headwind on the way down and a tailwind on the way back, or the reverse.
Km 9 to 20: the climb inland. After Råå the course turns inland and rises 39 m over 3.8 km to Ättekulla at km 12, with 13 m in each of kilometres 9 and 10. It falls 19 m, passes Ramlösa Brunnspark at 13.1 km, then climbs again: 13 m in kilometre 16, which has fruit at Jordbodalen at 16.6 km, and 22 m over 6.2 km to the plateau at Fredriksdal at 20.1 km. Run these kilometres by effort, because a pace that feels easy on the coast will cost you here.
Km 20 to 30: the old town and the north. The plateau holds 36 to 45 m through the old town, where the course passes below Kärnan at 23.4 km, and north through Tågaborg to Mariastaden. At 25.7 km the station at Johan Banér offers a battery, the organiser's word for an energy snack, and Mariastaden at 29.9 km has pickles or crisps. The halfway cut-off is 3:30 at 21.1 km and the next is 4:15 at 30 km, so plan the first half with that in mind if you aim for a finish near the limit.
Km 30 to 40: the north loop. The course returns along Dag Hammarskjölds väg, where Pepsi is at 32.3 km, and loops through Laröd, where the station at 36.8 km has fruit and the high point of 49 m comes at km 31.5. This is where the gravel appears and where most runners are working hardest. Keep the 4:15 cut-off at 30 km in your head if the day is slow.
Km 40 to 42.2: the drop to the sea. After the Strandpromenaden station at 39.9 km the course has already fallen: it loses 29 m in the kilometre from km 39, from 36 m to 7 m, on Sofierovägen, and is at sea level along Drottninggatan to Gröningen. Save a little for the quads, since a steep downhill this late hurts. The finish is a separate point 0.8 km from the start, so the bag drop is by the finish and not by the start pen, and chip timing is by net time from the mat under the start gantry.
A flat opening at 3 to 9 m along the sound to Råå. Hold back and expect wind.
Ättekulla, Ramlösa and Elineberg lift the course 39 m, then 22 m more to the plateau near Fredriksdal. Run by effort.
A plateau at 35 to 45 m through the old town and the north loop, with the gravel and the hard work.
A 29 m fall in one kilometre at km 39, then flat to the finish at Gröningen. Save your quads.
Course Map
One circuit from Sundstorget: south along the sound to Råå, inland over the Ramlösa climb, through the old town and north to Laröd, then down to the sea at Gröningen. Tap a marker for details, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.
Pacers
Löplabbet Helsingborg runs turquoise pacers with balloons showing target times from 3:15 to 5:30. Individual targets for the next edition are not announced, so do not assume a pacer at every 15-minute mark.
| Start | Pacing range | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00, single start | 3:15 to 5:30 (turquoise balloons) | By expected finish time or pacer group |
Helsingør is 20 minutes across the water by ferry, and the ferry runs from 00:10 to 23:40, so it works as a day trip, a cross-border hotel option or the first leg of a trip to Copenhagen. Kronborg Castle, the model for Shakespeare's Elsinore, stands beside the terminal in Helsingør.
The marathon starts at 10:00 on the first Saturday of September. No verified average temperature for that hour exists, so plan from the forecast in race week. The sea air can be cool in the first kilometres and the sun on the inland sections can be warm. Wind is the larger variable, so a light layer or arm sleeves that you can strip off are more useful than a jacket.
The surface is mostly asphalt with about 10% compacted gravel. Road shoes cope with it, but gravel corners can feel loose in the wet, so a shoe with a decent outsole is sensible if rain is forecast. Pack a dry change of clothes for the finish: the bag drop is in the finish area at Gröningen and the waterfront can feel cold once you stop. The finish area has a wooden deck with sun loungers by the sound, and a cold bath and sauna a few hundred metres away.
Entry
Entry is open, online and first come, first served, with 3,000 places for the marathon. There is no ballot and no qualifying time. The registration link is on the organiser's marathon page, and the regular deadline is 22 August, subject to the race selling out first. The marathon fee is SEK 1,100. A late fee of SEK 200 is mentioned in the FAQ, though the wording is unclear about when it applies. A sterling conversion was not retrieved.
The minimum age is 17 on the organiser's FAQ, and a second source says 18, so confirm before entering a young runner. Cancellation is limited: the FAQ says registration cannot be cancelled after payment and also describes a refund against a medical certificate submitted at least two months before the race, so ask the organiser which applies before relying on a refund. A bib can be transferred to another person for SEK 250 until the entry deadline. Wellness benefit payments through Epassi, Benifex and similar platforms are accepted.
Charity places exist as a link on the organiser's site, but the page returned a security challenge when checked, so a guaranteed charity route is not confirmed. No elite standard, good-for-age route or official travel operator was found. The fee covers timing with a chip, the aid stations, a medal and the finish area; whether it includes a shirt or other items has not been published. Headphones are banned for championship competitors but allowed for recreational runners.
Fast runner standards
There are no Good For Age or fast-runner standards for this race.
Register on the organiser's site →Race Weekend
Number collection
Number collection is at Dunkers Kulturhus, Kungsgatan 11, 252 21 Helsingborg, which sits on Sundstorget beside the start line. The latest published hours were Thursday 11:30 to 19:00, Friday 11:30 to 20:00 and Saturday 07:30 to 10:30. The Saturday window runs past the 10:00 marathon start because it also serves later events, so collect on Thursday or Friday and do not leave it to race morning.
Bring your registration confirmation. Whether someone else can collect your number for you is not stated, so assume you must attend, and the procedure for a missed collection has not been published. The collection point is a cultural centre and not a convention-hall expo, and a separate exhibition of running stalls is not documented, so plan the visit as a short errand and use the building's café and the harbour front for the rest of the hour.
Getting to the start
The marathon starts at 10:00 from Sundstorget in a single group, lined up by expected finish time or pacer group, and the finish is at Gröningen about 0.8 km to the north. The bag drop is in the finish area and not at the start, opens at 07:30 and needs the race number sticker on the bag, so allow time to walk with your bag. Toilets are at the start area, the finish area, the aid stations and along the route towards the start. Road closures run from 05:00 to 16:00 across central Helsingborg, Råå and Laröd.
A hotel near Sundstorget makes the morning simple, and staying near the finish at Gröningen has the advantage of a short walk back with the bag drop beside it. The organiser recommends Radisson Blu Metropol, Elite Hotel Mollberg and Elite Hotel Marina Plaza. Parking is limited: the FAQ names Fria Bad, about 600 m north, and the Nicolai School, a ten-minute walk away. Public buses run on race day but are delayed, and routes 8 and 9 change path during the event. No free race-day transport is documented. Arrive in the start area at least 40 minutes before the gun.
At the finish you receive a medal and can visit the treat table, which offers sports drinks (Umara and Ramlösa), non-alcoholic beer (Erdinger), snacks, fruit and more. A massage station operates at the finish, and the area has a wooden deck with sun loungers overlooking the sound. Cold baths and saunas are at Kallis Kallbadhus, 300 m from the finish and included for runners, and at Pålsjöbaden, and you can swim directly in the sound, so bring dry clothes and a towel. The FAQ allows running buggies and prohibits dogs, and the bib must be visible on the front and unfolded. No clothing donation scheme was found, so leave unwanted layers in your bag at the drop.
Nutrition on course
The organiser lists twelve aid stations on the marathon page, although the same page advertises fourteen. Every station has water and Umara U Sport drink. The gaps run from 2.3 to 4.5 km, and the longest dry stretch is the 4.5 km from Dag Hammarskjölds väg at 32.3 km to Laröd at 36.8 km. Gels, bottle service, cup type and any personal nutrition table have not been published, so carry your own gels.
The mix is unusual. Pepsi at 32.3 km is a deliberate late sugar hit, and pickles or crisps at Mariastaden at 29.9 km give salt where many runners cramp. If your stomach does not tolerate fizzy drinks, plan an alternative and take your own. Because 10% of the course is compacted gravel and stations sit at corners, expect cups on the ground and slow down at the tables.
| km | Location | Extra item |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Industrigatan | None |
| 6.7 | Råå | Fruit |
| 10.1 | Raus | None |
| 13.1 | Ramlösa | None |
| 16.6 | Jordbodalen | Fruit |
| 20.1 | Fredriksdal | None |
| 23.4 | Kärnan | Fruit |
| 25.7 | Johan Banér | Battery (energy snack) |
| 29.9 | Mariastaden | Pickles or crisps |
| 32.3 | Dag Hammarskjölds väg | Pepsi |
| 36.8 | Laröd | Fruit |
| 39.9 | Strandpromenaden | Fruit |
Spectating
Helsingborg is compact, and the course passes near the centre twice. A spectator can see the start at Sundstorget, a runner at the old town below Kärnan around the halfway mark and the finish at Gröningen, all within walking distance. The best single spot is the Kärnan area at 23.4 km, which a runner on 4:00 pace passes about 2 hours 13 minutes after the gun. The finish at Gröningen has a wooden deck with sun loungers by the sound, which is the place to wait.
The organiser describes online tracking, but the app and the update rate have not been published. Line numbers, stops, walking times and safe crossing points have not been published either, and routes 8 and 9 change path on race day, so an old bus guide may mislead.
- Start at Sundstorget for the 10:00 start.
- Walk up to the Kärnan area for 23.4 km.
- Walk to Gröningen for the finish.
- Start at Sundstorget for the gun.
- Take a bus to Ramlösa for 13.1 km; check lines and stops with the local transport operator.
- Return to the waterfront for the finish.
- Stay on the waterfront near the start for the gun.
- Go to Pålsjö or Maria Park for the northern section, around km 33 to 37, by checking the course map and local buses.
- Walk to Gröningen for the finish.
Post-race food
The first food is at the finish, where the treat table at Gröningen offers sports drinks, non-alcoholic beer, fruit and snacks. A seated meal needs a booking. The tourism board lists Bishops Arms at Marina Plaza and Bishops Arms at Mollberg as pub restaurants inside two of the recommended hotels, both close to the waterfront. AMA, the restaurant at the Clarion Hotel Sea U, is described as mixing local ingredients with international flavours, with a Nikkei menu. Hours, menus and race-day availability have not been published, so book a table and tell the staff your likely arrival time.
Kallis Kallbadhus, 0.2 km from the finish, is the other recovery stop, with a cold bath and a sauna included with the entry fee on the sea. Do not plan a long walk for the meal: the finish is at Gröningen on the waterfront, so a restaurant at the harbour is the practical choice.
Where to Stay
The finish at Gröningen is about 0.8 km from the start at Sundstorget, so a hotel in the waterfront centre is close to both. The question is which side of the harbour to choose.
Sundstorget and the waterfront
This is the start and the strongest fit for collection, since Dunkers Kulturhus is on the square. The area has cafés, bars and the ferry harbour, so expect Friday and Saturday night noise. It suits a runner who wants no transport at all.
The central historic streets
The streets between the square and Kärnan hold hotels and restaurants, and Kungsgatan, where the bib collection is, runs through here. A room on a pedestrian street is quieter than one over a bar, so check the street before booking.
Helsingborg C and Marina Plaza
Elite Hotel Marina Plaza and Clarion Hotel Sea U are by the station and the quay, about 0.2 to 0.4 km from the start in a straight line. This is the easiest area for runners arriving by train and for those catching the ferry or a train home the next day.
Gröningen and the north waterfront
The finish is here. A hotel at the finish saves the walk back and sits near the bag drop, and the area is quieter at night. Check the actual property address, since the waterfront stretches for some distance and a northern hotel may be far from Sundstorget.
Helsingør, Denmark
A cross-border stay is possible. The ferry takes about 20 minutes and runs from 00:10 to 23:40, but a race-morning crossing adds a boarding margin and a walk to the start. It suits runners who find Danish hotels cheaper and are happy to build in the buffer.
The organiser's FAQ recommends its partner hotels first: Radisson Blu Metropol, Elite Hotel Mollberg and Elite Hotel Marina Plaza. Check the accommodation page for the current offer.
Recommended hotels
Recommended first on the organiser's FAQ. Confirm the actual walk to the start and the finish before you book, and check the offer on the organiser's accommodation page.
A central organiser-recommended hotel with a Bishops Arms pub restaurant. Ask for a room facing away from the street if you want a quieter night before the start.
Organiser-recommended and close to the station and the ferry. Convenient for luggage, trains and a Bishops Arms restaurant. Confirm the offer terms.
A waterfront hotel with 250 rooms, views to Denmark, a rooftop bar and pool and the AMA restaurant. Not listed as a race partner, so check rates directly.
Booking timeline
There is no ballot. Entry stays open until the regular deadline of 22 August or until the 3,000 places sell out, so enter once the date and the cut-offs suit you. Reserve a cancellable room after entering. The marathon is the first Saturday of September, the end of the Swedish summer holiday period, so central hotels fill steadily, though a documented sell-out point and a numerical room premium were not found.
Copenhagen Airport is the practical gateway. The Öresundståg regional train connects Copenhagen, Malmö and Helsingborg, and the organiser offers no race-day shuttle, so check the journey time on the train booking site for your date. If you plan an excursion to Denmark, the ferry runs near-constantly and Kronborg Castle in Helsingør is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 on the latest listing. Book hotel and train tickets first, since flexible fares matter more than early ones on a September weekend, and ask hotels about breakfast times and late checkout.
See & Do
The sights cluster around the harbour and the old town, a short walk from the start. Distances are straight-line from the finish at Gröningen unless stated.
Dunkers Kulturhus
The culture house on the start square holds exhibitions and also houses bib collection. Plan the cultural visit separately from collection, because the entry fee is not part of the race. Check exhibitions and opening hours for September.
Kärnan
The medieval tower sits above the old town and the course passes below it at 23.4 km. It has four floors and a roof terrace, and the listing gives opening hours of Monday to Friday 09:00 to 16:00. It is a climb of stairs, so a runner with sore quads may prefer to look from outside and go the day after. Check the current season before going.
Fredriksdal Museums and Gardens
The open-air museum and garden at the course's plateau, at about km 20. It involves extensive walking, so choose a short visit.
Kallis Kallbadhus
A cold bath and sauna on the sea, included for runners after the race. A swim directly in the sound is also possible at Pålsjöbaden. Bring a towel.
After the Race
Early September on the Öresund is mild and changeable. The four itineraries run from a day in Helsingør to three nights in Malmö, all by ferry or the Öresundståg regional train. Journey times are left to check against the operators.
Kronborg Castle, the setting of Hamlet, sits beside the ferry terminal. It is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 on the latest listing.
Stay on the Danish side for an unhurried second day. The ferry runs almost round the clock.
The Danish capital, reached directly on the regional train. Keep the first day seated and short.
One base in Malmö, with Lund as an easy outing, in place of changing hotels daily.