Course TCS Amsterdam Marathon

The Amsterdam marathon is known for its fast and beautiful course. The start and finish take place in the 80 year-old Olympic Stadium. And every year this leaves an unforgettable impression, not least because of the presence of the supporters in the tribunes and the marathon grandstand.

The route is packed with things worth seeing in Amsterdam. As such, you pass the world famous Rijks Museum on the Museumplein twice and you also run past the Museum of the Tropics and the Amstel Hotel. And along the way the enthusiastic residents of Amsterdam cheer you on. The Vondel Park is also part of the course. In the full marathon Amsterdam’s largest public park is first approached from the Amstelveenseweg. The second time you come from the opposite direction and enter the park from the Leidseplein side. The 48-hectare park, full of flowers, ponds, footpaths and playgrounds is a favourite among Amsterdammers.

The Marathon course follows a part of the Olympic route along the Amstel River, past stately homes and a few windmills. This route offers beautiful rural scenery (which includes the Arena) and gives an impression of the huge amount of daily business that takes place on the Amstel.

Tourist highlights
The course leads the participants through Amsterdam’s city centre and passes many highlights, which would also be worth a separate sightseeing tour. Some of the most attractive sights are the:

Olympic Stadium
The start and finish of the marathon take place in front of the grandstand in the Olympic Stadium. This splendidly renovated, over 80-year-old stadium will leave a memorable impression at the end of the race. Supporters and other spectators have free access to the grandstand and the bleachers.

Rijksmuseum
The runners in the marathon pass the world-famous Rijksmuseum on Museumplein twice. The runners in the half-marathon pass by once. The Rijksmuseum attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year from around the world, despite the extensive renovation being conducted at the moment.

Vondelpark
The largest public park in Amsterdam has an entrance at the side of the Leidseplein. The 48-hectare park is full of trees, ponds, paths and playing fields and is dearly loved by every resident of the city. On sunny days, thousands of Amsterdam residents enjoy the park. Everyone can be found there, from sport fanatics to the health conscience to music lovers, occupied in their different ways. The variety of activities makes wandering through the Vondelpark especially fascinating in the autumn. During the marathon the runners will cross the Vondelpark twice.

Amstel River
The route of the marathon follows part of the Olympic route along the Amstel River, past stately mansions and several windmills. This rural part of the course has splendid panoramic views and gives an impression of the busy activity dominating the Amstel every day. In the distance the Arena is visible–the home stadium of the local Ajax football team. The meandering route along the Amstel is not only interesting for its range of scenery but also for—more importantly—the sight of other participants running on the other side.

For more tourist information about Amsterdam, go to www.amsterdamtourist.nl.