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Helsinki City Marathon
The Helsinki City Marathon is a course of 42.2 km with 104.6 m of climbing. Its lowest point is 2 m and its highest 19 m above sea level. Next race: Saturday 8 May 2027, starting at 09:30.
At a glance
- Race day
- The 2027 race
- Start
- 09:309:30 AM
- Waves until 09:409:40 AM
- Distance
- 42.2 km26.2 mi
- Marathon · Half marathon · 10K · 5K · Relay
- Total climb
- 104.6 m343 ft
- Highest point 17 m56 ft above lowest
- Entry fee
- €75
- For the 2027 race
- Time limit
- 6 hours
The course
Pick a place, or drag along the profileThe marathon starts next to the Paavo Nurmi statue on Mäntymäentie, runs along Mannerheimintie for its first kilometres, has a second round, and finishes at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.
StartFinish
© OpenStreetMap contributors
- Photo: Daderot, CC0
- Photo: Archives of the Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle, Public domain
km 1.4mile 0.9
Helsinki Music Centre
The first kilometres run along Mannerheimintie, past the Music Centre.
Photo: Daderot, CC0
km 41.9mile 26
Paavo Nurmi statue
The start area is on Mäntymäentie, next to the statue of Paavo Nurmi.
km 42.1mile 26.1
Helsinki Olympic Stadium
The finish line is at the Olympic Stadium.
Photo: Archives of the Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle, Public domain
Height drawn many times taller than life · GEDTM30
0 10 20 30 40 km
0 10 20 26.2 mi
Dashed: bridge
Your 5 gels, at the orange marksFor a 4:00 finish, one every 40 minutes
- km 7mile 4.4
- km 14.1mile 8.7
- km 21.1mile 13.1
- km 28.1mile 17.5
- km 35.2mile 21.8
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- From Mannerheimintie to the Olympic Stadium, in two roundsStart by the Paavo Nurmi statue, two rounds, finish at the Olympic Stadium.
- A marathon inside 18 metres of heightLow and close to the sea: the highest point is only 17.5 m above the lowest.
- One 17 m rise, met twiceThe biggest rise comes at km 17 to 19, and again at km 38 to 39.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
km 0 to 42.2GeometryFrom Mannerheimintie to the Olympic Stadium, in two roundsStart by the Paavo Nurmi statue, two rounds, finish at the Olympic Stadium.
The organiser says the route “gets off to a great start, with the first kilometers running along the country’s main street, Mannerheimintie” and offers “a mixture of beautiful seaside, park, and downtown landscaping”. The start area is on Mäntymäentie, next to the statue of Paavo Nurmi, and the finish line is at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. The course is AIMS certified.
The marathon page headlines the route as the 2025 route, and the pace groups and refreshment stations are marked as still to be updated for 2027. The race is on 8 May 2027.
Sourced
km 0 to 42.2GradientA marathon inside 18 metres of heightLow and close to the sea: the highest point is only 17.5 m above the lowest.
Measured along the line, the course starts at 6.1 m and finishes at 6.4 m, and about 80% of it lies at or below 10 m. The lowest point is 1.6 m at km 4.2 and the highest 19.2 m at km 19.0, a relief of 17.5 m for the whole race.
The organiser publishes no climbing figure. The 104.6 m here counts only the sustained rises over a 1 km window, so a watch that adds every short rise will read higher. It splits about evenly between the two halves.
Measured
km 17.4 to 39.3GradientOne 17 m rise, met twiceThe biggest rise comes at km 17 to 19, and again at km 38 to 39.
On the first round the ground rises from 2.5 m at km 17.4 to the course’s highest point, 19.2 m at km 19.0. On the second it rises from 2.4 m at km 37.7 to 19.0 m at km 39.3, then falls away over the last 3 km to the finish at the stadium. Elsewhere no rise is as big, and the profile moves by a few metres.
Measured
Race weekend
Saturday 8 May Race day
-
09:309:30 AM
Marathon start, first group Runners with a target time under 4 hours. The start is on Mäntymäentie, next to the statue of Paavo Nurmi. Everyone should be in the southern Olympic Stadium square by 09:20. -
09:409:40 AM
Marathon start, second group Runners with a target time over 4 hours. Results are in net time, from crossing the start line. -
Time not published
Overall time limit Maximum running time is 6 hours. Each runner finishing within 6 hours receives the finisher medal. 6:00 limit: 8:31/km for 42.195 km6:00 limit: 13:43/mi for 26.2 mi
Times as published by the organiser, in Helsinki time, checked . Confirm on their site before you travel.
The forecast for Saturday
Race morning, on the record
Add to calendar .ics file, times in Helsinki time
Entry
Race fuel
Energy gel
5 gels for Helsinki, plus 1 spare
Finish
One every 40 minutes, the orange marks on the profile. Helsinki stays within 17 m56 ft of height, so they go by the clock:
Under about 75 minutes most runners need no gel: water at the aid stations does it.
- km 7mile 4.4
- km 14.1mile 8.7
- km 21.1mile 13.1
- km 28.1mile 17.5
- km 35.2mile 21.8
For your long training runs:
Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side. Enough for race day and two test long runs.
Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.
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In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.
Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.
Anti-chafe
Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml
An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.
Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.
Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.
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Number belt
Compressport Race Belt
Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.
Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.
Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.
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Electrolytes
SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20
One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.
One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.
Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.
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Blister plasters
Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6
One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.
Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.
Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Questions about the Helsinki City Marathon
- Is the Helsinki City Marathon course flat?
- Not entirely. It has 104.6 m of climbing over 42.2 km. The highest point is 17 m above the lowest.
- When is the Helsinki City Marathon 2027?
- Saturday 8 May 2027. The first wave starts at 09:30 and the last at 09:40.
- How do I enter the Helsinki City Marathon?
- Entry is through the organiser. Entry fee: €75 (for the 2027 race). Entry details on the organiser’s site
- What is the time limit at the Helsinki City Marathon?
- Runners have 6 hours to finish.
Keep exploring
More races to look at after the Helsinki City Marathon.
