My marathons

Stadtwerke Lübeck Marathon

Run on 18 October 2026. Next race: date not out yet. Lübeck
Holstentor
Holstentor. Photograph by Glenn Strong [1] [2], CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The course

Marathon runners pass through the Herrentunnel twice, an 800 m tunnel that drops to 31 m below sea level on a 6% slope.

The course in short 3 lines
  • The Herrentunnel, twiceAn 800 m tunnel, 31 m below sea level, run both ways.
  • Old town, Travemünde and backKohlmarkt start, then the lighthouse and Passat at Travemünde.
  • Gates at Travemünde and Kücknitz, finish closes 16:45Cut-offs 13:00 Travemünde, 14:30 Kücknitz, 16:45 finish.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
Whole courseGradientThe Herrentunnel, twiceAn 800 m tunnel, 31 m below sea level, run both ways.

The organiser calls the double crossing of the Herrentunnel a highlight of the half marathon and marathon routes. The tunnel is about 800 m long and falls to 31 m below sea level, with a 6% slope, and has ventilation and lighting for runners. Music and a light show are laid on inside it.

Sourced

Whole courseLandmarkOld town, Travemünde and backKohlmarkt start, then the lighthouse and Passat at Travemünde.

Every race starts at the Kohlmarkt next to the Rathaus and leaves the UNESCO World Heritage old town along the Travemünder Allee. In Travemünde the organiser points to the old lighthouse and the four-masted barque Passat, moored where the Trave meets the sea. The marathon turn is near the west end of the promenade, after a loop round the lighthouse on the mole, and the route then goes back to Lübeck and the finish.

Sourced

Whole courseTacticsGates at Travemünde and Kücknitz, finish closes 16:45Cut-offs 13:00 Travemünde, 14:30 Kücknitz, 16:45 finish.

The Kücknitz gate is the half marathon turn, so the marathon passes it on the way back. The finish cut-off of 16:45 is the same for every distance on the day, and walkers are welcome inside it. The marathon and the Duo Marathon (two runners sharing the distance, with the hand-over at the half) start together at 09:30, and the half marathon follows at 10:30.

Sourced

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

5 gels for Lübeck, plus 1 spare

Finish

One every 40 minutes, by the clock:

  1. km 7mile 4.4
  2. km 14.1mile 8.7
  3. km 21.1mile 13.1
  4. km 28.1mile 17.5
  5. km 35.2mile 21.8

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.

Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.

Get it on Amazon

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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
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

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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We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Number belt
A race number belt
Illustration · drag to turn

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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We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Electrolytes
A tube of electrolyte tablets
Illustration · drag to turn

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.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Blister plasters
Compeed Blister plasters, medium, 6
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

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.
distance
42.2 km26.2 mi

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