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May 6, 2024

Stockholm Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Stockholm Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.5

Organization 4.5

Spectators 4.3

Number of comments: 71 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 > ]

T. D. from Belgium (10/4/2011) "Super experience" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Stockholm Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I set my record in this marathon (3h28). The race conditions were ideal (12-13°C at the start) but besides the crossing of the bridge (2x times) the track is also fast. Overal organization of the marathon was super. The safety deposit of valuables is something I only experienced in Stockholm, but it gives an extra safe feeling. The only 'negative' point was the entry to the training ground next to the Olympic Stadium after the finish. Taken the provided stair was very hard with tired legs :)
Ian Rowe from London, UK (6/4/2011) "A great one to mark off!" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Stockholm Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The change from a 14:00 start to a 11:30 was much better. Basically being two loops my wife was able to use the underground and saw me a few times. Running the final 250m in the old olympic stadium was the perfect finish.
B. W. from Atlanta, GA (5/29/2011) "Great memory" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Everything about the Stockholm Marathon 2011 was superb. Weather was perfect; blustery and overcast. My wife was able to find me 4 times. Loved the fan support. Set a personal best of 3:53. Loved the finish in the Olympic Stadium.
Afzal Dhansay from South Africa (10/7/2010) "What a Great Race" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Stockholm Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The Stockholm Marathon in 2009 was my 29th standard marathon overall, but my first international marathon. I have also run 10 Two Oceans Marathons (56K) and 2 Comrades Marathons (90K). This puts me in a good position to comment on any marathon. In Stockholm I wore a running vest depicting the South African flag and the spectators made me feel like a celebrity. The organization was superb from start to finish; I would recommend this race to anyone. When I finished the race in the old Olympic Stadium, I was greeted in true South African style with the sound of the vuvuzela. I will always remember this race.
P. D. from Minneapolis, MN (7/14/2010) "Great race, great city, well organized!" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Stockholm Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Stockholm puts on a great race! It was very well organized and they had ample food and beverages along the course... more than I have seen at other well organized races in the US. It's a beautiful city to run through. The free pasta dinner was a nice perk; however, the expo was average. It was quite small considering the size of the marathon and the merchandise selection was minimal. Despite the small expo, I would definitely recommend this race.
Courtney Marshall from Grantham, New Hampshire (6/19/2010) "Great race in a beautiful city." (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Stockholm Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Well organized. Lots of tourists and fans along the route. Plenty of food and drink on the course. Nice weather this year - 60 degrees.
Mattias Murhagen from New York (12/23/2009) "My first marathon - great experience!" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Stockholm Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Being from Sweden originally, I thought that running the Stockholm Marathon was a good idea. I'd get friends cheering me on and got to seem my family etc.... Oh, and the reason I entered the marathon in the first place was on a dare! Pre-Race (1) Registration, expo and stuff: Registration and information were easy and great. I really don't have anything to add to it. Just great. The expo was ok. Stockholm isn't the biggest city on the planet, and the race isn't the biggest, so the expo won't be either. But what was nice was the pasta party, which was a large outdoor space in great weather. I mean REALLY great weather by the way! Getting around in Stockholm is easy. Good public communications make expensive taxis unnecessary. A bit of a walk to the expo, but not terrible. Pre-Race (2), bag-drop, etc.: The bag drop was well organized. Getting into the corral wasn't a problem either. Start and race: Since this was my first marathon, I didn't really understand whether or not it took a long time to get out. I think it was a bit crowded for my pace, but since it was my first run, I was automatically placed far back in the field and that's probably why I felt that way. I ended up doing a 4:36, so that's pretty far back in my opinion. The course is beautiful. Stockholm really is a stunning city, in my opinion. Green, with lots of water and historic buildings. This makes the run great, I think. BUT, those who are running their first marathon, or those who want to set a personal best: Summer in Sweden can have VERY varying weather. This year, it had the longest and warm and dry period in years. When I got there it had been fantastic weather for a week, and it continued for another two weeks. This means VERY warm temperatures that are really preventing you from getting a good finishing time. The run starts after lunch for some reason, and that certainly doesn't help when it comes to the weather. The other thing to mention is that you go over a bridge twice. The steep entry to the bridge is deceptive. After you get up on the actual bridge it feels like the worst is done, but then you have the long climb and then a shorter, steeper descent afterwards. The second time around it gets a bit tough. However, for runners that like a varying geography, I think this race is probably a good one. And as I hinted at above, it's two laps! This can be okay but it can also be a bit annoying if it's your first run, because when you start your second lap you realize you have another half-marathon to go! Tough if you're tired. For me though it was fantastic since I was SLOW enough: At the end of my first lap the winner passed me!!! Amazing to see! He was running more than twice as fast as I and looked about half as tired! The audience was good. I wish there were more of them, but I think that Stockholm simply isn't big enough to get a much larger audience, even though there were some 18,000 runners. But still, some bands were playing along the course, which helped the experience. Proper amounts of water were given out. There were sponges to dip in troughs with water, and several showers that actually were really efficient in spraying out a nice mist to keep you relatively cool. Finish and post-race: Received the finisher's shirt at the end of the race. It's a nice, black tech-shirt with white print on it. Can't really complain. Good shirt. The medal was also really nice and heavy. Can't really hang it though, strangely... but quite nice. They also offered Swedish-style massage at the finish. Obviously I got one. Very nice. Nothing to complain about post-race. Conclusion: This is a wonderful race in a wonderful city. I would recommend this to runners who want to run in a beautiful city and have a generally nice marathon experience. If you want to set a personal record, there are other courses that are better. But for everyone else: Highly recommended!
James Skinner from Gloucestershire, England (10/6/2009) "The jewel in the Scandinavian Crown" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Stockholm Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Stockholm has a great marathon. It's well-established after 30 years, and with a scenic course that mixes city center sites with stunning parks and the serene harbor area. The marathon really showcases the best that Stockholm has to offer. It's the largest marathon event in Scandinavia, with 18,000 runners; yet it's still small compared to other world marathons. You are soon able to get into your normal running stride after going across the start-line. The 2 p.m. Saturday afternoon start time is too late. This has been mentioned by many before, and this year again the organizers were caught out by an unusually hot, late-May day, with temperatures hitting 27/81 at the start. Whilst the temperature did start to drop off during the race, it meant that the pavement was really hot, having been baked in the sun all day. A morning start (10 a.m.) would be much better. This change should be made. The crowds, organization and marathon souvenirs (medal/merchandise) are all good. The crowds were especially vocal in the final quarter of the race. It was nice at the expo to purchase sweatshirts and t-shirts (etc.) from the marathon, as this is not always an option. Overall, this is a highly recommended European marathon that continues to flourish.
Deborah Early from Parker, Colorado U.S.A. (6/5/2009) "Incredible Race!!" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Stockholm Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I was very impressed with the organization of this race and cheering crowds. The course was beautiful and I loved running over the bridges and along the water. There was plenty of water/sports drinks (about every 2 miles), which was good since the temperature was about 84 degrees at the start. I also liked the stops for bananas. Those helped refuel me. The city of Stockholm is a beautiful place to visit. I hope to return again one day. What a great race! =)
Simon Saxby from Grimsby, England (1/15/2009) "Great Marathon Experience" (about: 2008) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Stockholm Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Brilliant race. My whole experience was fantastic, from the moment I picked my number up on the Thursday night to when I picked my gear up at the end. I would suggest everyone gives this marathon a go.

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