Rotterdam Marathon - Race Reviews

This was by far one of the best and most organized marathons I have ever run and I've done 74 of them. The course is flat like pancake and the energy from the spectators is unbelievable. Plenty of water and energy drinks on the course but no sign of Gue or Gel. I highly recommend this race, especially if you wish to do an international marathon

I have to say I have high expectation to this marathon, yet higher expectation means higher disappointment. There are a few things that non-local runners should be aware of: 1) Bag drop service is NOT free and has to pre-register. Maybe it's only me who got it wrong. I have never been to any sizeable marathon that runners have to pay for bag drop. They did have that extra option comes with changing facility when registered, but I got a wrong impression that it is only applicable if you use the changing facility. When I realised, it is already too late to add the option. Anyway it is very inconvenient for me as a non-local. I had to walk for a while (without sunlight) to take tram back to hotel with only my short sleeves shirt. And because of that I caught a cold and still not recovered when I am typing this piece of comment. 2) Drinking stations obviously not enough. They have one station for every 5km, which I think is insufficient, especially under a temp. of 20c in the mid day. 3) No food provided. I just wonder how come the organiser not even provide bananas or chocolates in the station. Obviously this is just an easy thing to do. As a result of 2) and 3), if you do not have local supporters to supply you with extra water and food, it's gonna be a tough race. I believe nearly all good comments are contributed from the cheering crowds but I would say the organization has to definitely improve otherwise it will not attract international runners. Anyway this race does not make me want to it again.

Ran Rotterdam marathon in 2017. Approx. 15 thousand participants in the marathon and many of them are quite fast, so either you are shooting for sub 2:30 or for over 5h marathon, you will have lots of company. The course is in the shape of number 8 with a couple of sections repeating. It is almost completely flat, except when crossing the bridge at km 1 and then back again at km 27. But the climb is almost not worth of mentioning. Very fast and also crowded with spectators, who are quite loud and awesome. Weather in 2017 was quite hot (23C) and very sunny, which bothered me a bit, but it influenced very little on my finishing time. In the days before and after the marathon, weather was much more favorable (approx. 13C), which is also the average temperature in Rotterdam at the beginning of April. Organization was excellent, expo quite big, which made the whole experience even better. I absolutely recommend running the Rotterdam marathon, it is not considered a major marathon, but still has everythig on the same level or even better as the major European marathons do.

I did the 2016 marathon for the first time and as others have noted here, its a phenomenal experience. My third best time-but my favorite race. The crowd support throughout the entire race is the best I've ever seen, and I dont know how it could get better. A lot of this is owed to the fact that the marathon organizers put out a handy guide for spectators showing which public transport stops matched to areas of the course. The result was that youd run past the same people over and over again as you ran. Id hit sections of the race and there would suddenly be a throng of cheering screaming people four rows deep and a quarter mile long. Even where the spectators thinned out the support was great. Water stops were insanely long, which prevented everyone bunching up to get a drink. There were countless volunteers making sure that everyone got what they needed in stride. Finally, the app that the marathon organizers used really kept my family informed of where I was on the course and how I was doing. Much (much!) better than any I've seen before. The ONLY negative experience for me was my own fault. When you sign up for this race and they ask if you are going to use their changing rooms; they are not referring to a warm shower and some privacy. This is where the bag drop is. I thought I could do without a place to change after the race so passed on this option. I was a little alarmed that I therefore had no place to store my bag while I ran (my family showed up later). It seems a little cheap to charge for what is essentially a minimally manned big-top tent-but this was literally the only thing Id do different if I ran the race again. Great course, great fans, great time!

This is my first marathon ever. I chose this one as my first because I only need to walk 10 minutes from my house to the start line. Super handy. I didn't expect much from the course, the organization, and the spectators. I just wanna cross the finish line and boy I didn't realize that it was gonna be that hard. If it were not because of the spectators that were tirelessly chanting and calling your name, gave you their own drinks when you need it and when there were no drink stations in sight, helped you when you barely can run, probably I would not have finished the race.

This race has some nice highlights, running over the Erasmusbridge and under the cubehouse is great fun. This is known as a fast race but due to an injury I ran my slowest race ever. I was not planning to run the race entirely but the crowd gave me the energy and focus to finish. Water, energy drinks and sponges were plenty, only downside was that there were no bananas/oranges or other edibles. The crowd in Rotterdam is amazing (close to 1 million) great experience.

I signed up for Rotterdam hoping to break a PB and to take advantage of a flat course close to my new home. Pre-race organization was ok, race expo was decent, no lines or waiting for anything with easy access from Metro. I signed up for the bag drop but its location wasn't shown online ahead of time and it was hidden down a side street so it was a little scramble on race day. Subways were full and slightly delayed on race morning - so give yourself some extra time (add 10 minutes to expected transit time) Race corrals were well organized and policed. Even though the first few km were crowded, everyone was at roughly the same pace so the usual scramble to get settled in and get past the slow starters did not materialize. Course was good but some sections were tight for the crowd of people, particularly around km 8-12 which was on a wide bike path. I often had to take to the grass to get by people. Time clocks were available every 10 km and crowds were great all the way around - even in more remote sections. There were around 15-20 DJs, bands or drummers on course. I asked organizers ahead of time if gels would be provided on course and the answer was no. But then during the race they had AA gels at around km 37 and 40. Otherwise aid stations were well set up, and I had no issues getting water or AA drink - even at the first stations. Finish line was great - wide open and uncrowded. But all they gave was water, a small AA bottle to drink and a banana. That's all which was pretty disappointing. There are no change facilities after the finish but some dudes still stripped in public to change. Thankfully, there were tons of restaurants and fast food places nearby.

The city is a relaxing type of city and is beautiful. People are very nice and the city is very clean (until after the marathon) Race would have been among the best except for the narrow course. There marketing pitch is 'You never run alone' and that is literally true. If you want to go a little faster than the crowd around you, you will be zigzagging a lot, which is counter productive and wasteful. I bumped into about 5 or 6 runners and saw one runner fall to the ground and almost fell over him. They need to have wider roads for the course or maybe add two more waves. Crowds all over and were amazing, truly a marathon city at heart. Organization was great but I took one star away because my wave had no room left in it and I had to wait for them to move (turned out not to be a big deal) and also I am blaming the organization for having such narrow course. I trust that the key problem will be resolved in future years, so I would recommend this marathon to others (but don't run if the course is the same or the waves are not increased from 3 to 5 for 12,000 runners, that is in addition to the A,B,C categories for the super fast runners.

Was very well organised. The crowed was great. There were plenty of supporters cheering on us slow pokes. You could hear the roar of the crowd approaching the finish line, even 3 hours after the winner was done. (I took 5 hours, 15 mins).

After running Paris the week before, I was truly blown away by the support of the crowds. The only time I have seen better support is at the Comrades marathon. I managed to achieve my first sub 4, as the crowds pushed me along. What an awesome race.

My slowest marathon in seven years (and second-slowest ever) shouldn't be this much fun. It was my first marathon outside of the U.S., and I couldn't have chosen better. Warm temps, some jet lag, some 'it-just-wasn't-my-day' contributed to a time that was nearly 40 minutes slower than my previous marathon in November, but don't hold that against this race. It's a relatively flat course, showing off beautiful Rotterdam with enthusiastic spectators who I probably would have given a '5' rating had I understood what they were cheering (I don't speak Dutch). I know London and Berlin are must-do European marathons, but I'd put Rotterdam right up there.

Course was fast, although you climb the big bridge going and coming, and there are a couple of underpasses with uphill bits. Organization generally excellent, although transport to and from city center and race wasn't great - trams were diverted and subway was not user friendly (had to use ticket machines which were broken/only took coins, long lines when you just want to get to hotel and shower). They also could have done a better job informing runners re transportation options and where to go to for storage. Rotterdam is sort of a sprawling city and would stay closer to city center next time. Crowds were great and present almost the entire way. Getting to the pens tough - very crowded and bottlenecks formed. Storage was also dodgy. You just dropped your bag off in an unguarded/unlocked tent and hoped no one was interested in your stuff. Water and sports drinks in little paper cups, no bottles until the finish. Don't remember seeing any solid nutrients or gels either - some sliced fruit.

Rotterdam was my 9th marathon. The temperature of 9°C was excellent for me, but the forecast of strong winds made it difficult to set a specific goal at the start. During my race the wind was not a major issue and the fast course made me improve my record time with 14 minutes to 3h14. The only downside of the race was the start. I was assigned to corral D (the corral for times between 3h & 3h30), which started after a special corral for runners running a business or relay marathon and in which several runners ran quite slow. As a result, the runners of corral D were slowed down in the first kilometre. The spectators & music were nice, only on the first part it was not really crowded along the track. As your name is printed on your bib, spectators often called personal cheering which is nice. I didn't use the changing rooms or baggage drop (my hotel was only 5 minutes from the start/finish) so I can't comment on that. Overall organization was OK, although more signs in the start/finish area would be useful. The expo was ok for getting your bib, but the stands with the exhibitors were quite chaotically organized. I will definitely go back if I want to run close to home. (Rotterdam is 1h45 drive for me)

The city gives itself to the marathon for the day - taking over all the major streets, but more importantly, being massively supported by locals (facilitated by a late-morning start). It's in true Dutch style too: well organized, with a strong feeling that the marathon is professionally organized and managed. Pretty route - if you're running slowly enough to take it in. 2011 was a little hot for me, so I didn't do a PB (my reason for traveling from Dublin) but I was still well below 3 hours. A fairly flat course, although not quite as good as I'd expected. Better conditions and I feel could have set a new PB. A nice run for someone looking to do a first overseas run or one of the supposed big-10 marathons of the world. No beating my home Dublin Marathon, though. :)

It was my 3rd marathon (after Luxembourg and Amsterdam), and without any doubt, I would say it's my favorite so far. Absolutely enjoyable course - at no moment can you get bored or feel like you've been left alone. You'll find music and cheering all along the course. I see that a lot of people complained about narrow roads. I guess it can be a bit of problem if you are a fast runner. As I am not a fast runner, I had a whole width of the road to myself. :) Still, I was surprised about number of "hills" when going down and up, under the bridges or over them. Compared to Amsterdam, the Rotterdam course is not that flat; but surely it can't be compared to Luxembourg. The only thing that was a bit messy was the availability of information about changing rooms and the possibility of giving bags away (never found the place and there was not a word about it on website either - at least I didn't find it). However, all in all, it was absolutely a great race with a great atmosphere - the first marathon I finished without feeling too tired. I think I ran the whole route with a smile on my face. I hope to be back there next year!

Great atmosphere in a beautiful, sunny Rotterdam. Fantastic organization and a personal congratulatory handshake from Mayor Aboutaleb.

The expo was extremely small for such a large race, and the sponsoring sport drink was missing from the expo (I was shocked that a sponsoring company would not be present at the expo and can't understand why they are allowed to sponsor). Makes it difficult to taste the drink that is not available in your country. The start line organization was confusing - after searching for my starting pen in vain, I tried to go into a nearby pen and was then told I needed to go through a metro station to cross under the street to go into my correct pen. I couldn't find a pacer to suit my time; pacers were only for 15-minute splits, which is pretty broad. Groups were separated on opposite sides of the road to start, which kept crowds down. Course is flat, lined with great crowds and energy. Distance markers were easily found on the side of the road but also very clearly printed on the road for those too tired to look up. Drinks were only every 5K and sometimes they had sport drinks, sometimes not. No gels were offered. Some scarce bananas and oranges near the very end - too far out to help me when I hit the wall at mile 20 and needed them. Finish was well organized and the crowd was kept out of the mix very well to allow runners to grab a drink and snack. Overall, well organized, great crowds, and a flat, fast course.

I remember feeling like a superhero when running across the beautiful Erasmus Bridge - I still get a lump in my throat every time I see this spectacular structure. And finishing on the Koolsingel is wonderful. The whole world is there to cheer you over the line. (I had to put 2001 on the form as it doesn't go further back.)

I received welcome support from the organizers when I ran my first marathon. Enthusiastic crowds, great music, and a flat, flat, flat course. Easy to/from public transportation. They honor the first and the last finishers!

On the plus side this is a good marathon for runners who tend to go off too fast at the start or for runners whose ambition is to run a negative split. The course is far too narrow in the early stages; I finally got up to my own pace by the 10-mile mark. Having said that, I still managed a sub 3:30, the course is flat, and the bands and the crowd are good. Rotterdam itself was most impressive (check out the model railway) and the locals were friendly.

It is a flat course, but the start area is too narrow; it is difficult to get your pace, even more if you want to run fast. The clothing areas are awful, very far from the start corrals. AND DO NOT BELIEVE THE ORGANIZATION WHEN THEY RECOMMEND THE NOVOTEL BRAINPARK AS ONE "WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE FROM START AND FINISH AREA." THAT IS NOT TRUE UNLESS 6 METRO STATIONS COUNT AS WALKING DISTANCE FOR YOU.

A very nice, flat course. It was lined with great crowds throughout. The course crosses the city in a figure-8 type route, so you start, run through, and finish in the city center. Lots of water stations. Free massages and reflexology straight afterward were very much appreciated. I enjoyed the buzz about the city over the weekend also.

I ran this race for the first time this past weekend and thought it was a very well organized event on a nicely laid out, fast and flat course. It's a great city in the Netherlands in which to spend a few days, and the 10K race for other members of my family was equally as enjoyable for them. I would highly recommend this race for the ease of entry, registration and race-day organization. The fantastic spectator and volunteer support only adds to the experience. They need some form of a "post-race" party in the future!

This is an incredibly fast course. Want a PR? Run Rotterdam. Want to qualify for Boston? Run Rotterdam. I could care less that the route itself is dull and uninteresting, simply because I'm too focused on my run. Only negative for me was that there could've been more water stations. Personally at least every 2-3 miles. I got dehydrated rather quickly so water every 5K was not enough. But I still managed to run a 3:27, which was a PR.

If you want to run around a picturesque and interesting city, then this isn't the marathon for you. However, if you want a fast, flat marathon, with few sights to distract you, then this has to be the one for you. The park was probably nice, but I was too tired to notice by then. Not many slow runners (5:15 maximum meant that the average time was under four hours). Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing though! Water and energy drink stops every 5KM. Good number of spectators to cheer you on. Perfect weather.

Far fewer runners that I had expected (about 8,000 in the marathon) but this meant that I was over the start line in under 2 minutes. Unlike (what I read of) the previous year, the weather was perfect. No problems at any of the water stops; in fact, no real problems at all. I finished on 4:25 and came near the back with only 1,000 or so runners behind me, and I had hoped to come in in the middle somewhere! Perhaps because it is flat, it brings out the faster runners looking for a PB?

The big mistake with this race is that the organizers started it at 11 a.m. knowing that it was going to be insanely hot. Everything else was fine, as marathons go. Water stations were OK, although busy. Course was flat and fast. Baggage area and showers were good and secure. The organizers knew they had goofed when they stopped the race, but that was chaotic - although I had gone past that point and only knew about it to the end. For those people moaning: you need to get out more. I will put this one down to experience and will be back for revenge!

Stockholm Marathon - 29 degrees - no cancellation. Rotterdam Marathon - 28 degrees - panic! Get a new race director!

The organization would have rated 5 stars but for the decision to stop the race. By then I was just running a schedule to get home under 4 hours (down from pre-race target of 3:35 to allow for the heat). Despite other comments, I found copious supplies of water and other fluids on the course supplied by both organizers and householders. Marathons are often run in these temperatures - Leiden 2006 for example - without cancellation. And if you want to stop a race, you stop the course clocks to avoid confusion!

Very fast course, excellent atmosphere with plenty of entusiastic crowd at the course. Very nice volunteers. I really enjoyed my stay in Rotterdam and will come back again. The hot weather was very unfortunate but beyond the influence of the organizers. I personally can not confirm any shortage in water, food supply at the course. I believe it was reasonable to stop the race. We have had one dead in the Berlin Half Marathon and two dead in the Ruhr Marathon. Fortunately this did not happen in Rotterdam.

Don't run this race if you care about your time. I was frustated by the narrow course and the constant bottlenecks. It did not thin out either and I was running sideways around people the whole way. At times I ran on grass, traintracks, around spectators and in the bike lane. At one point I even jumped over a hedge to get around people. It was very hard to keep an even pace. Clearly they needed to have a better system for organizing pace groups. Maybe large signs according to predicted time would have helped. Maybe they need to limit the numbers or make a wider course. Aside from this problem, I thought the race was well organized. I didn't have any trouble with the water stations. In terms of the fans, well, people were a bit quiet. It seemed like everybody was just waiting for someone they knew. I can't say I really blame them, but it was a bit of a let down. Maybe everyone was tired in that heat... If you don't care about your time, then run it and enjoy! Rotterdam is not spectacular like Paris or London, but it is a nice city!

I trekked over from Hong Kong for this race in search of a PB that I didn't get, so I'm bound to feel a bit negative about this race. I was lucky in that I was running nearer the front and didn't have any problems getting liquids. The people gave great support. That helped me get around. The 11 a.m. start was idiotic. I suppose it was linked in to TV money. Surely they should have put runners' health first. If the race had been brought forward by three hours, many of the problems experienced could have been avoided.

I thought the expo was very good, and the wicking T-shirt excellent. The pasta party in the Euromast Tower was great; the food was plentiful and good. The race, however... it really was a ridiculously hot day. The start time of 11 a.m. should definitely be made earlier next year. The Paris Marathon was run the same day as Rotterdam and was the same temperature, but started at 8:45 and was not canceled half way through!! Conditions were tough. Saw a thermometer at 32 degrees. I only had trouble getting water at one water station - that involved picking up an empty cup and waiting for a guy with a hose to fill it. And I finished sub-4 so it must have been pretty tough behind me.... I got hosed down every 5K from the halfway point on, which was the only thing that got me 'round! I thought the Dutch crowd was fantastic; people were running hoses from their houses and kids were collecting cups and sponges for people. Canceling the race was crazy though.... I read 26 people were put in the hospital; why couldn't they cope with that? I don't speak Dutch and didn't understand what was going on, so I followed what other runners were doing, which was to carry on. I heard over the loudspeakers at about 37K that the race was canceled, but there was no WAY I was stopping with only 5K to go and sub-4 in my sights. As others have said, the course was narrow and congested, especially in the first 10K, but got better after that. I would run the race again, but NOT at 28 degrees!

This wasy by far the worst race I have ever had the misfortune to run. They knew how hot is was, and were handing out water before the start. After the first water station had run out of water, it was pretty obvious that this would also be the case for all subsequent water stations. I used a discarded cup and filled it with water from a hose. The organizers should immediately resign, as this was a complete act of unprofessionalism shown on a grand scale.

There are many reasons why this race went badly wrong, and two of these flaws could easily have resulted in fatalities. Firstly, temperatures in the region of 27C were predicted for race day, but the organizers decided to keep their 11 a.m. start - this resulted in most of the runners running through the heat of the midday, with no shade available due to the position of the sun. An earlier start, or no start at all, should have been considered. Secondly, the water stations ran out of cups for water, which turned the whole issue of hydration into a serious problem. Funnily enough, the water stations had plenty of cups full of Extran, the energy drink and sponsor of the marathon. Putting the needs of the sponsors before the needs of the runners is insane, and downright dangerous. Claiming that the baggage collection area was "two minutes" from the start of the race was nothing less than a lie, and the lack of fruit during the run, but its abundance at the finish line, strikes me as odd. The organizers were simply not concerned with the needs of the runners, and the comical decision closing of the race after 3.5 hours rounded off this joke of a marathon perfectly.

You knew it was going to be hot yet you failed to prepare for it. The first water station did not appear until 5K, and then it was empty. It was like a battlefield with runners frantically searching for water. Every station had run out of water. Runners dehydrate in the early stages of a race and it is important for them to have water early on. You should have laid on bottles of water so that runners could carry them. Shame on you for neglecting your runners!

It was my second marathon; the course is perfect for a marathon, and the spectators were very helpful, but... organizers should start the marathon at 9 a.m. because of the heat (30C)!!!