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Helsinki City Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Helsinki City Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.0 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 34 [displaying comments 21 to 31]
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P. M. from Dundalk, Ireland
(8/9/2005)
 "Great marathon weekend" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Helsinki City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My first marathon. Thoroughly enjoyed - weather perfect, cool breeze, loads of refreshments. Ideal for a first-timer. Great crowds. The Friday run allows a European to make a good holiday weekend of it. | |
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C. P. from Basingstoke, England
(4/6/2005)
 "Nice race finishing in the 1952 Olympic Stadium" (General Comments)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Helsinki City Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran this marathon in 2003 and 2004. The course is quite scenic with views of the Baltic Sea. It is a well organized, medium-size event with a memorable finish in the Olympic Stadium. Look up at the giant screen as you are crossing the finish line!!! It is, however, a course not suited for a PB, as it contains a few hills with a particularly nasty one at the 24th mile. The crowd support is good in the city center and at the finish, but otherwise fairly absent along the rest of the course. | |
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Guilherme Forbes from London
(8/20/2003)
 "Overall, a very nice weekend!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, so I can't say if it was just me or this is one marathon that can surprise you. It was quite hot and humid and there were some nasty hills. But the scenery is great; Helsinki is a very enjoyable city and the people were all very nice (and very good-looking I might add). Water distribution was sometimes a bit chaotic, and if you dont speak Finnish, you may need to be careful not to toss some Gatorade over your head thinking it's water! | |
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I. K. from Austin, Texas U.S. A.
(8/9/2003)
"Not too bad for the first time" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Being from the United States, this was my first international marathon. Interesting fact was that people did not use the road blocked off with cones to run; instead, they ran on the sidewalks and then hopped between cars to change sides. Also, not too many runners would talk during the race - everybody seemed to be very serious. Otherwise, great crowd support and very pretty course. I would definitely do it again. | |
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M. N. from Málaga, Spain
(8/4/2003)
"Not all is revealed at once" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 A 2003 runner. Weather was good, if a little on the warm side. Out of the city there was plenty of shade. Helsinki looks like it was built by Russian engineers in 24 hours in the mid 50's. There are even statues to match. Bring plenty of money; beer and resaurants are EXPENSIVE. The people are fantastic. The city is a real gem in spite of the heavy northern European architecture. The marathon route is a constant adventure winding through the city, the harbour, the lakes, woods, and bridges, and offering cosy parkland glimpses followed by the open sea. This was my sixth marathon in 2003 and one of the best overall. If nothing else, the rocks peeping above ground are a wonder. The lakes, the woods. I loved the harbour. Experience this for yourself, but train well. It looks flat, but there are a few slopes ready to catch the overconfident. Beware, and enjoy to the fullest. Look out for your name on the big scoreboard in the 1952 Olympic stadium. Now that is a thrill... | |
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Kevin Allen from London, England
(6/29/2003)
 "Nice marathon with very quiet spectators" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I ran the Helsinki City Marathon last year. I recommend this marathon to anybody. The course isn't the flattest, especially towards the end, and the temperature was around 28 degrees, but there are lots of drink stations to compensate for the heat. The only thing that I thought was a little odd was the way that the the spectators would only shout when they saw somebody they knew. Otherwise, they were as silent as mice. I think that this is mostly due to the way that the Finns are as a people. Overall, a well organized marathon that I would run again. | |
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A Runner from Munich, Germany
(10/19/2002)
"An excellent choice for the first time marathoner" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Although a hot day for Helsinki, the weather was nice to run in. The course was also beutiful as it ran along the Baltic, through parks, and the downtown area. | |
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A Runner from Sweden
(9/4/2002)
"New improved route, new hopefully cooler date" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The longest hill is no longer part of the route which now goes via a lower bridge - the last hills is there, alright! The new date, at least for 2003, is yet unsettled, either Aug 2nd or Sep 6th: the latter would be certain to be run in a cooler weather. In 2002, there were plenty of drink stations, 19, but nothing salty was available. There were few spectators after 35km when one would´ve needed them the most - but the sight of the Olympic Stadium and the finish through the stadium gate gave a lift! The grass of the stadium is a beautiful place to walk, lie and marvel at the world after the finish - at least if it isn´t raining... If you´ve done Stockholm, you can do worse than choose Helsinki. | |
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A Runner from London, England
(1/25/2002)
"Tough course, wonderful city" (General Comments)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran in 2001, it was warm but the major problems for me were first, the cobblestones (KM 22-28, but not continuous), but second, the undulating course, for which I was totally unprepared! I'd seen that the course was a huge C-shape which runs mainly across some islands and alongside the sea so I thought it would be flat, no-one told me that the islands were mountainous (I exaggerate slightly). And the final climb before the stadium is a complete killer. But if you're mentally prepared for the course, it's really a stunning tour of Helsinki. So 1 course-star for comfort, 5 for the thrill. It was also my first stadium-finish, that was great. Refreshment stations and post-race care particularly good. | |
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A Runner from Dutch runner living in Beijing
(9/6/2001)
"City marathon - where is the city??" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Some beautiful scenery with lots of green and sea-views in some parts making you feel you are not running in a city. The park in the middle of the city is the only place full of spectators - Finns are quite silent on the rest of the race. Very good organization and wonderfull finish in stadium. Might be a little hot for some people, but not if you come from a warmer climate like me. There was a breeze that helped. |
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