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Apr 29, 2024

Amsterdam Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Amsterdam Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.2

Organization 4.1

Spectators 3.6

Number of comments: 88 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 > ]

B. S. from New Jersey, USA (10/22/2011) "Great to be back in Amsterdam!" (about: 2011) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Amsterdam Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Starting and finishing in the oldest olympic stadium, which is still in its original state, is quite astonishing in its own right! Add to that Amsterdam, flat course, great organization and you are in for a real treat. Weather was phenomenal in 2011 (55c, sunny, no wind) and guaranteed a good time..
M. B. from Genève, Suisse (10/21/2011) "Amsterdam - Ik hou van jou!" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Amsterdam Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 If you're looking for a well organised, flat/fast course with lovely surroundings, you can't go far wrong with this marathon. The start and finish in the Olympisch Stadion is a real buzz! The first 1km is quite tight leaving the stadium and also on the narrow streets at first but it quickly thins out, especially if you're running 3 hours pace. The aid stations are well stocked and come thick and fast. The volunteers do an amazing job and were very supportive, which is much needed in the last 10km of the race. The crowds are plenty in the urban sections of the race but support is a little thin running along the Amstel and then again between 25km and 30km (the only ugly section of the course). This is where runners really need to be mentally strong. It's ugly with little or no crowd support. Hang in there though, post 30km the crowds start to appear again and can help push you through to the finish. Make sure you save something for het Vondelpark, it's got some inclines at 39/40km. Overall the race itself is a real gem. Those of you looking to run a PB or fast time, this marathon is as flat as a pancake. I was a little undertrained and overweight for my normal marathon condition yet still managed to run my second fastest marathon time ever finishing a cruel 6 seconds behind my PB. We were lucky with the weather too, 12c, no wind and dry. I would recommend to anyone doing this next year to arrive at the Olympisch Stadion early as the bag drop can take a while. Also, do not be confused by the letters at the bag drop tents. These are not corresponding to surnames, runners can drop their bag off at any stall. The volunteers will give you sticker to put on your bib. Pick up is simple post race. The only real complaint I have is that the Marathon Expo is not at all well sign-posted from the metro when picking up the bib number. The expo itself is quite poor. There are quite a few stalls but mainly of low quality brands selling cheap and/or surplus stock. Overall though Amsterdam is a fantastic race and lovely city to see post race. Highly recommended. Will definately be going back in the future.
Dominic McCarter from Near Manchester, England (12/24/2010) "Enjoyable, but some faults." (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Amsterdam Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Overall, a very enjoyable race. As you would expect in Holland, a very flat course. The segment out along the Amstel River was not as dull as I'd feared, and the kilometers just fly by, but the course at the start when exiting the stadium and heading through the Vondelpark are very narrow, making running dificult in the opening sector, and the bag deposit for such a large field was so incredibly disorganized that despite joining the queue a half hour before the start I still almost missed the start. But these are minor quibbles over what was a very enjoyable run.
Z. Z. from Dublin, Ireland (10/26/2010) "Overwhelmingly positive experience!" (about: 2010) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Amsterdam Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 In nearly every respect this was an excellent marathon and one that I enjoyed very much. I don't share the two criticisms below. For me, the bag-drop was very easy to find and use, being located in a huge marquee right by the way in. I suspect, though, that it may have been more difficult to locate if one didn't use the suggested route from the metro station via the Sporthallen, and it may not have been signposted from the other direction. And, at the end I was offered banana, orange, water, AA drink, a native Dutch energy bar (can't remember the name)... lots of things. And you could buy sandwiches and other food in the stadium bar. (And HOT CHOCOLATE!!) Personally, I'd have liked a muffin, but never mind! Great course; fast; attractive scenery; excellent crowd. Highlights: the live band on a river boat; the djembe group; the DJ at the stadium. Mostly good running surface (though there were a few potholes and rocks on the road - I nearly twisted my ankle on one that was not the organizers' fault). Fantastic city. Good camaraderie with other runners and a very supportive crowd. Weather was absolutely perfect. Transportation was very easy and cheap, not least the metro on race day. All highly recommended! A few minor criticisms. The official sports drink, AA, was not good. Even the label said, "for after exercise" - not ideal, I'd think! And it didn't taste great, in my view. The water stations were plentiful and well spaced, but I had a few problems with them. Firstly, they always seemed to be at narrow stretches, so the bunching up was bad! Secondly, there was no labeling of where to get water, AA or fruit, so many people ended up making a grab for whatever they could see. (They were always in the same order but it wasn't clear where the boundaries were.) People who wanted water were getting AA. Lastly, the drinks were given over in plastic cups. Highly impractical because it's very hard to drink and you lose a lot on the floor. You certainly can't carry the thing for more than a hundred paces so no good if you want a drink in a mile. Why not bottles?!?! Luckily some legenday residents had set up independent water stalls at intervals between official ones. Hats off to them - they saved my bacon! In summary: Everyone should do Amsterdam once. I thought it was brilliant!
S. J. from Basel, Switzerland (10/22/2010) "Getting better!" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Amsterdam Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was the second time I ran "Amsterdam." It has gone through a marked improvement. The number of runners completing the marathon has doubled in recent years to 10,000+, but more importantly the number of spectators has hugely increased. Amsterdam always had a reputation for being a race devoid of spectators, but no more... the crowds were out and very enthusiastic. This made the race very pleasurable to run. The course is flat, fast and comes past some choice spots. On the negative side: no goody bag, and as others have noted, very few refreshments at the finish - just a single bottle, some pieces of banana and orange parts....
A. M. from New York (10/21/2010) "That was a good one!" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Amsterdam Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This race was excellent! The course is great, flat and fast, through a large and pretty part of the city itself, and then along the rivers and parks, past two old windmills. The spectators were very enthusiastic and cheerful. The expo was quite a decent size, and in general, I enjoyed the race very much. Unfortunately, there are a couple of negative comments about the organization. At the start I could not easily figure out where to deposit my bag and ended up asking some Japanese support group to keep it with them for me. Also, at the finish I would expect more food and drinks. I was given a small bottle of the sport drink and when I asked for the second one I was given a dirty look instead. It is OK, so I drank more water.
Richard Cross from Brussels, Belgium (10/18/2010) "Beautiful weather, fast course" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Amsterdam Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Great to be able to run in Amsterdam at last. We had perfect weather: 10C, very bright sun, and a small breeze from the coast. The course took us through Vondel Park, headed south down alongside the Amstel River. The barges going up and down the river blasting out music were great fun, even if I had my head down for a fast time. Generally, running congestion was never bad. I didn't like the paper cups at the drinks station, but I found that by stopping to drink I got more water in me than over me; I didn't cough and splutter, and I only lost 10 meters on the people in front. All in all, OK. The stadium finish was brilliant, and the photo and video service was quick and comprehensive. After-race food and drink was limited to be honest. But I PB'd by 13 minutes and broke 3 hours for the first time. I loved this race. Hartelijk bedankt naar de Nederlanders!
S. R. from London, England (1/13/2010) "Flat, friendly and well organized" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Amsterdam Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Hard to find fault with this race. It was extremely well organized, the course is very flat, and although spectators are sparse, they make their presence felt. Getting to and from the race by tram was very easy. Finish line to hotel room in the city center took fewer than 35 minutes. The stadium finish was very inspiring. Easy to find space to run right from the gun.
J. R. from New York, New York (10/28/2009) "My first marathon and still one of my favorites" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Amsterdam Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I've done the full marathon once and the half marathon course once as well. This is a nice race through a beautiful, flat city. The full marathon and half marathon start at different times but end at the same time (that is, the slowest marathoners will finish about the same time as the slowest half marathoners). Vondelpark is beautiful, and the city supports the race well. And you can't beat Amsterdam for post-race fun!
Terrie Greene from Beverly Hills, CA (10/26/2009) "VERY WELL ORGANIZED, FAST RACE" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Amsterdam Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great expo. The start and finish at the Olympic Stadium were great. I would have liked to have started earlier. Race began at 10:30 a.m. The weather was great. The Amstel River part of the marathon was beautiful, with farm animals and beautiful Dutch Estates. It's a great, great city and a wonderful marathon. I wouldn't suggest this marathon for first-timers. It moves at quite a fast pace. I finished 4:56 and was in the back of the pack. A lot of runners never finished because they ran too fast in the beginning and hit the wall. The volunteers, water supply, Gatorade, sponges, and fruit were very plentiful. The field was mostly men. Highly recommend this marathon.

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