Amsterdam Marathon 2026: A Guide for UK Runners

Amsterdam is one of the easiest big-city marathons to reach from the UK, and its course has a reputation for being flat and fast. With race day two weeks away, this guide pulls together the confirmed 2026 details from the organisers, how to get there, and how to pace, fuel and dress for a flat October marathon. Everything here was checked against the official race information at the time of writing, but details can change, so always read your final participant email and the official TCS Amsterdam Marathon website before you travel.

When is the Amsterdam Marathon 2026, and what are the key details?

The 2026 race weekend runs from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 October, with the full marathon on the Sunday morning. The race holds a World Athletics Platinum Label, the top tier of road race labels, and the weekend also includes a half marathon, a 7.5K and children's races.

What is the Amsterdam Marathon course like?

The organisers describe the route as flat, fast and historic. You start and finish in the Olympic Stadium built for the 1928 Games, and a large part of the course follows a section of the 1928 Olympic route alongside the Amstel River, past grand riverside houses and windmills.

• The Rijksmuseum passage. The route runs through the famous passage under the Rijksmuseum, which links the city centre with the south of Amsterdam.
• Vondelpark. You cross Amsterdam's best-known city park twice.
• The Amstel River. A long, quiet riverside stretch where you can see runners on the opposite bank.
• Zuidas. A small loop through the high-rise business district, a good spot for supporters because runners pass by more than once.

Published course data puts the highest point at only around 10 metres above sea level, so there are no real hills to plan around. The riverside sections are open, though, so if it is windy on the day, tucking in with a group can save energy. Supporters can watch the start and finish from the stadium's grandstand and stands for free, which makes it a good race to bring friends and family to.

Can you still get a place for 2026?

Probably not through normal entry. The organisers said 2026 registration would close on 5 October 2026, or sooner if it sold out, and there is no waiting list or late registration. The official route for a late place is the race's own bib resale system, which you can find through the official website. If you take over a bib this late, you also take over that runner's start wave (you can start in a later wave, but not an earlier one), and name changes on bibs were only possible until 7 September 2026, although your own name will appear in the results.

If 2026 is too soon, the organisers have announced that the 2027 edition takes place on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 October 2027. Entries for 2026 opened in December 2025, so keep an eye on the official website towards the end of this year.

How do you get to Amsterdam from the UK?

• By train. Direct high-speed trains run from London St Pancras to Amsterdam Centraal in around four hours. Weekend timetables can change for engineering works, so check times before you book.
• By air. Flights to Amsterdam Schiphol leave from many UK airports. From Schiphol, direct trains reach Amsterdam Zuid in around six minutes, and Zuid is the station the organisers point runners to for both the start and the expo.
• By ferry. Three direct routes link the UK and the Netherlands: Harwich to Hook of Holland, Hull to Rotterdam, and Newcastle to IJmuiden, near Amsterdam. Worth a look if you live near one of those ports or want to bring a car.

For British passport holders, UK government travel advice says your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive and be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area. The EU's Entry/Exit System is now running, so you may have your fingerprints and photo taken at the border, which can add time to your arrival. Rules change, so check the latest UK government travel advice for the Netherlands before you go.

Aim to arrive by Friday or early Saturday so the expo is not a rush. A hotel in the south of the city, or anywhere with an easy metro ride to Station Zuid, makes race morning much simpler.

Where do you collect your race number?

Every runner, including those who live abroad, collects their bib at the International Marathon Expo, which has moved to RAI Amsterdam. It is open on Thursday 15 October from 13.00 to 20.00, Friday 16 October from 10.00 to 20.00 and Saturday 17 October from 09.00 to 19.00. It is closed on Sunday, and you cannot pick up your bib on race day, so plan your travel around those hours.

You collect your bib with a personal QR code, which the organisers send by email in early October and which also appears in the official race app. If you cannot get there yourself, someone else can collect it for you with a copy of your race bib email. There is no cash machine at the expo, but most stands take cards.

How do you get to the start on race morning?

Large parts of the city close to traffic on marathon Sunday and trams and buses run a limited service, so the organisers advise taking the metro to Station Zuid. From there, the walk to the Olympic Stadium is signposted. Amstelveenseweg metro station is due to close completely from 13.00 to 18.00 on race day, so plan your journey back via Station Zuid too.

Your start wave depends on your predicted finish time and is shown by the colour on your bib. You will get your start area and start time by email in race week. Clothing drop-off is free, in tents around the Olympic Stadium for Area A and at Stadionplein for Area B, but there are no lockers and the organisers are not responsible for lost items, so leave valuables at your hotel. Limited changing rooms and showers are available at Sporthallen Zuid, near the stadium.

How should you pace a flat course like Amsterdam?

Flat courses reward even pacing. With no hills to slow you down, the biggest risk is going off too fast on the adrenaline of a stadium start and paying for it in the last 10 km. A sensible plan for most runners is to run the first 5 km a little slower than goal pace, settle into goal pace through halfway, and only push on from around 30 km if you still feel strong.

There are boards at every kilometre and your time is recorded every 5 km, and official pacers run at a range of target times, which is an easy way to stop yourself drifting too quick. Your watch will often read a little long by the finish, because nobody runs the exact measured line, so use the kilometre boards as a cross-check.

If you are aiming close to the 6-hour limit, note that the organisers also publish clock-time checkpoints along the course, and runners who fall behind the sweeper vehicle can be asked to leave the race. Those checkpoints are set by the clock, not by your own start time, so if you are in a late wave, check them in your participant information and give yourself a small buffer early on.

What should you eat before and during the race?

The two days before. Sports nutrition guidelines commonly suggest around 10 to 12 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight per day for the 36 to 48 hours before a marathon. In practice, that means making rice, pasta, potatoes, bread and other starchy foods the main part of each meal, and easing off very high-fibre and fatty foods so you feel light on the start line. Our marathon carb-loading guide goes into more detail.

Saturday night. Keep dinner simple, starchy and familiar, and eat early enough to sleep well. The organisers host a pasta party on the Saturday evening, or book a table somewhere you trust, as restaurants can get busy on race weekend. Save the bitterballen and stroopwafels for Sunday night.

Race morning. With a 09.00 start and a trip across the city, most runners eat around three hours before their wave. Hotel breakfasts may not open early enough, so pack the breakfast you have practised with in training, such as bagels, a porridge pot or bananas.

During the race. The official course information lists water and sponge stations at regular points, with sports drink, bananas and gels at some of them, and toilets and first aid at the refreshment stations. You cannot have your own bottles placed at the stations, but hydration vests are allowed. The safest plan is to carry gels you have already trained with, and check which drink and gel the race hands out so you know whether your stomach is happy with them. A common starting point is 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate per hour, so check the label on your gels and plan how many you need.

What kit should you pack for Amsterdam in October?

October in Amsterdam is typically cool and damp, with average temperatures of roughly 9°C to 15°C and rain on many days, so plan for a chilly wait in the start area and check the forecast in race week.

• Race shoes, socks and kit you have already done long runs in. Nothing new on race day.
• An old top or a bin bag to keep warm in your start wave.
• Light gloves and a cap if it looks wet.
• Your own gels, anti-chafe balm and plasters.
• A warm, dry change of clothes in your drop bag for afterwards.
• Passport, phone with the race app and your bib collection QR code.
• Headphones if you like them. The organisers allow them.

What should your last two weeks look like?

With two weeks to go, the hard work is done. Nothing you do now will make you much fitter, but doing too much can leave you flat on the day. Here is a common taper approach for runners who also lift or do HIIT.

If you train across running and the gym, the taper has to cover both. Heavy squats or a hard HIIT class a few days out can leave your legs heavier than any run would. An Edge plan treats running, strength, HIIT and mobility as one programme, so your gym work is planned around your race rather than competing with it, and you can message a real coach anytime if you are unsure what to cut.

Then enjoy it. Running back into a 1928 Olympic Stadium with the grandstand cheering is one of the best finishes in European marathon running, and it is only a short trip from home.

Race details were checked against official race information at the time of writing and can change. Always follow your final participant information and the official TCS Amsterdam Marathon website.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, pregnant, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.