Marathon Details - Geneva Marathon

International Marathons > Switzerland > Geneva > Geneva Marathon

Generali Geneva Marathon & Marathon Relay, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K

Geneva, Switzerland

May 5, 2024

https://www.harmonygenevemarathon.com/en

More Info:	News
Results:	Top 3 Finishers by Year

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Address:	Association Genève Marathon 146, route de Thonon 1222 VESENAZ SUISSE
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Email:	Email the organizers



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Reviews

Course 4.2

Organization 4.4

Spectators 3.5

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Number of comments: 17 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 > ]

C. V. from Boston MA (5/12/2019) "Flat fast course, great destination race" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Geneva Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I'm from the US and picked this race partly for the experience to travel to Geneva. I've never been to Switzerland and loved the city and friendly people. I was not expecting 20 out of 26 miles to be in the countryside.. after 9 miles the novelty of seeing the snow capped Alps and farmland wore off. Mile 20-26 were by far the most interesting. If you live in Europe (or in approximately the same time zone) I'd recommend this course as a PR.. it's very flat. Somehow I ended up running an extra mile but my overall time wasn't too bad even with a busy work week and jet lag. One downer was they ran out of medals for the full marathoners due to a mistake. Expo was very well done. Spectators were awesome.
J. B. from Geneva (5/8/2017) "Fast course in the countryside" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Geneva Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 3rd time doing this race and I note the ongoing efforts to make this a fast course. Only a small portion of the race is actually in the city but this corresponds to the final stages when crowd support is most needed. Well provisioned stations, clear km postings, efficient start and finish set up. Having a DJ in the tunnel section was pretty cool. Medal has improved but by far the crappiest race shirt in the business.
L. S. from Singapore (10/27/2015) "A picturesque & well organised charity marathon" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Geneva Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I brought my family to the 2015 Harmony Geneva Marathon which was a very well organized & friendly 3 day event, with 8 different races for men & women, young & old. This is a charity marathon, & runners can pledge any amount to UNICEF during the online registration. The Expo was at the Flower Clock & collection of Running Pack was hassle free, and the baggage deposit & retrieval before & after the race were precise, seamless & efficient. There were adequate hydration & food stations with energy bars, oranges, bananas etc, & distance markers were large & visible. Crowd support was enthusiastic despite the rain, and people watched & cheered from their village homes, bus stops, shelters, with their umbrellas & in raincoats. The Start of the FM, Relay FM, HM, Hand Cycle & Wheelchair Races was at Ave de Bel-Air in Chene-Bourg on Sunday morning. The Finish Point was at Pont du Mont Blanc at the shores of La Leman. The Course of the FM which I ran was through ten picturesque Swiss villages & suburbs: Chene-Bourg, Thonex, Choulex, Puplinge, etc & finally down to Lake Geneva. It was a smooth & fast course, the first half was thru the countryside, farmhouses & vineyards. The course went gently uphill till 17km then flat till 34km. Once La Leman & the Jet d'eau were sighted, the course was downhill for the last 8km. The Kids Dash & Womens 5km La Genevoise were thankfully held on Saturday when the weather was perfect. But it began to rain on Saturday night during the 10km Nordic Walk. The hotel we stayed gave special rates & public transport was free for runners (on buses, trams & taxi boats) during the weekend of the marathon. Highly recommended
C. H. from San Diego, CA (5/6/2015) "Beautiful, flat countryside coursea charmer" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Geneva Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This marathon was the first stopping point for me and my husband in a two-week European vacation. The weather was chilly and rainy, which provided some extra challenge, but the course was a real treat. It starts and ends in the beautiful city of Geneva but ventures through the countryside for most of the race. Runners pass farmland that's populated with bell-wearing cows that graze free; charming old farmhouses; and fields of fragrant, blooming rapeseedall against a mountain backdrop. Then they run on lanes through small villages, where the people come out and shout French phrases of encouragement. If you reply with the English 'thank you,' they immediately shift to English for you. There are stretches in the course where there are few or no supporters, but every supporter who came out was upbeat, smiling, and enthusiastic. (The people of this city are wonderful!) The last several miles take the runner back along Lake Geneva. The course is mercifully flat. I only remember a mild uphill somewhere in the second half and then a welcome downhill glide before approaching the lake. The rain, chill, and mud puddles on country dirt lanes were the only snags. And, for us, jet lag played a role. We were running on very little sleep. But I fell in love with Geneva and the surrounding landscape during the few days I was there and this marathon course was part of the reason why.
e. h. from israel (5/10/2014) "great fast course. very nice city" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Geneva Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Realtvly small marathon. Great course , this year very windy the first half. Very well orginised. Loved this race. First half in the contryside , second half lake and city. If it wasnt windy it is a good place for p.b
Michael Ingram from Herts Gt Britain (5/11/2013) "Great course - now get the little things right" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Geneva Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 A really wonderful course, perfect for a cool sunny day. Start in the suburbs and then head off to the cluster of Swiss villages that protrude into France along gentle country lanes or even on bridle paths through fields of vivid rape seed or lush pastures. Small picturesque villages with good support and then glory be, a gentle long descent at 30km to the lakeside for the fine city centre stage. The lakeside finishing straight a delight too. The organisation was efficient ( of course) but as mentioned before , the t shirt naff ( though at least technical unlike the London ones) and the medal uninspiring. Mind you in 2009 it was plastic! Once again hydration made more difficult by cups. I really applaud the environmental friendly use of tap water but cups are so difficult and not portable compared to bottles (or better still big sports cap bottles of Jerusalem Marathon). Cant you just bottle the tap water? Finish was let down by endless descent into underground car park for bags and rather meagre facilities. Also marathon sponsoring hotel chain do not include breakfast or late check out ( why bother then?) Would I do this again? I did and it is better than 2009. Would I recommend it? Yes especially to those of bucolic bent!
b. j. from Geneva, CH (5/6/2013) "new and improved course" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Geneva Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 First time on the new course. Faster and smoother with an agreable detour in the Genevese countryside at the beginning and a city centre finish. My one recommendation would be to add a few kilometres to the countryside leg and avoid the last 38-41km of the current route: too many sharp edges and sudden turns in the present set up. Otherwise top notch organisation. Only disappointment is the rather ordinary medal and race shirt. Reasonably fast course and no depressing there and backs. Great job.
M. S. from São Paulo, Brazil (6/6/2012) "Very Nice Race (Half Marathon)" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Geneva Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I just ran the half marathon and I became very happy with my performance on this venue. The course is great despite the fact that in some points it was almost impossible to set a good pace because the road was too narrow and I was not able to set a good pace for a certain time. But I hope to come back in the future to attend the full marathon since the city of Geneva is very cool. Only thing I didn't like was that at the finish line we had to walk too much to get our personnel belongings since they were far away.
L. N. from Fort Collins, CO, USA (6/6/2012) "Very good race" (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Geneva Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a great race for the fundamental things, but it could be better in the small details. First of all, the course was beautiful. It had the best of suburbs, rural areas, and downtown Geneva. Starting in a suburb it meanders through postcard-like fields with canola flowers, barley fields and pastures. Along the way, anyone who has never been to Switzerland will be pleased to see that the charming dairy cows with the little bells around their necks, for which Switzerland is known, are found not only on postcards. All the while, you have great views of the alps or Lac Leman depending on which direction the course takes you. Water stations, portable toilets, paramedics, police and firefighters were perfectly spaced out and I never encountered a line to get into a toilet. A+ there! Furthermore, the course was probably the flattest 42k you'll ever find in Switzerland. On top of all that, you're not running into the backs of relay runners because as far as I know, there was no relay. Fans were good- even in the little rural towns it seemed everyone came out to cheer us on. Volunteers were also very helpful and plentiful. The only improvement needed is in minor stuff, like the race shirt- it was really blah, and even though it has 'GM' on it, it doesn't catch the eye at all- it doesn't say, 'I ran the Geneva Marathon.' Its design and color are really minimal and generic. In stark contrast, the race medal that I got looked like it belonged on a rapper rather than on a runner. The expo should have had more stuff for sale (hats, extra shirts, mugs, etc.) in the absence of a cool race shirt. The finish area was of difficult access to anyone who was driving that day, but I can't blame anyone for that- that's just how Geneva is. Overall, I recommend this race.
James Lehman from Coppell, TX (usually) (5/20/2012) "Good race, Geneva is a great venue." (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Geneva Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 First time to run Geneva 42km was in 2012. Being a run in Switzerland I'll say the course was relatively flat with gorgeous scenery all around to observe without concern for tripping over anything; roads are clean and smooth. Aid stations were organized well enough, spectators in the city were outstanding, those spectator in the towns were enthusiastic enough, and any potential traffic well controlled. I was fortunate to become involved and volunteer marathon packet pick-up on Saturday. I wasn't able to answer all questions but the organization was good enough for me to direct questions to knowledgeable, more full-time race staff armed with computers and data, so I didn't see too many dissatisfied participants on Saturday. I guess their biggest complaint might be that I didn't speak a lick of French but worked with a lovely French-speaking volunteer who more than compensated for my inadequacies. Ah, but some criticisms from me: Bag drop was near the start, but bag pick-up was not near the finish. After finishing the race when it came time to collect our belongings we had to tramp through a portion of Geneva to some school's gym in a basement (downstairs through darkness), and there weren't guides or clear instructions on finding that place from the finish line. I followed several different crowds and some of them were not on their way to bag pick-up. The finish area was so-so, kind of small with bananas, oranges and water, so I'd pay more for a race with more amenities at the end. Still, if I'm living in Switzerland next year I'll certainly consider Geneva again because I adore that city, the residents and the city's landmarks.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 > ]

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C. V. from Boston MA (5/12/2019) "Flat fast course, great destination race" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Geneva Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I'm from the US and picked this race partly for the experience to travel to Geneva. I've never been to Switzerland and loved the city and friendly people. I was not expecting 20 out of 26 miles to be in the countryside.. after 9 miles the novelty of seeing the snow capped Alps and farmland wore off. Mile 20-26 were by far the most interesting. If you live in Europe (or in approximately the same time zone) I'd recommend this course as a PR.. it's very flat. Somehow I ended up running an extra mile but my overall time wasn't too bad even with a busy work week and jet lag. One downer was they ran out of medals for the full marathoners due to a mistake. Expo was very well done. Spectators were awesome.
J. B. from Geneva (5/8/2017) "Fast course in the countryside" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Geneva Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 3rd time doing this race and I note the ongoing efforts to make this a fast course. Only a small portion of the race is actually in the city but this corresponds to the final stages when crowd support is most needed. Well provisioned stations, clear km postings, efficient start and finish set up. Having a DJ in the tunnel section was pretty cool. Medal has improved but by far the crappiest race shirt in the business.
L. S. from Singapore (10/27/2015) "A picturesque & well organised charity marathon" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Geneva Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I brought my family to the 2015 Harmony Geneva Marathon which was a very well organized & friendly 3 day event, with 8 different races for men & women, young & old. This is a charity marathon, & runners can pledge any amount to UNICEF during the online registration. The Expo was at the Flower Clock & collection of Running Pack was hassle free, and the baggage deposit & retrieval before & after the race were precise, seamless & efficient. There were adequate hydration & food stations with energy bars, oranges, bananas etc, & distance markers were large & visible. Crowd support was enthusiastic despite the rain, and people watched & cheered from their village homes, bus stops, shelters, with their umbrellas & in raincoats. The Start of the FM, Relay FM, HM, Hand Cycle & Wheelchair Races was at Ave de Bel-Air in Chene-Bourg on Sunday morning. The Finish Point was at Pont du Mont Blanc at the shores of La Leman. The Course of the FM which I ran was through ten picturesque Swiss villages & suburbs: Chene-Bourg, Thonex, Choulex, Puplinge, etc & finally down to Lake Geneva. It was a smooth & fast course, the first half was thru the countryside, farmhouses & vineyards. The course went gently uphill till 17km then flat till 34km. Once La Leman & the Jet d'eau were sighted, the course was downhill for the last 8km. The Kids Dash & Womens 5km La Genevoise were thankfully held on Saturday when the weather was perfect. But it began to rain on Saturday night during the 10km Nordic Walk. The hotel we stayed gave special rates & public transport was free for runners (on buses, trams & taxi boats) during the weekend of the marathon. Highly recommended
C. H. from San Diego, CA (5/6/2015) "Beautiful, flat countryside coursea charmer" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Geneva Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This marathon was the first stopping point for me and my husband in a two-week European vacation. The weather was chilly and rainy, which provided some extra challenge, but the course was a real treat. It starts and ends in the beautiful city of Geneva but ventures through the countryside for most of the race. Runners pass farmland that's populated with bell-wearing cows that graze free; charming old farmhouses; and fields of fragrant, blooming rapeseedall against a mountain backdrop. Then they run on lanes through small villages, where the people come out and shout French phrases of encouragement. If you reply with the English 'thank you,' they immediately shift to English for you. There are stretches in the course where there are few or no supporters, but every supporter who came out was upbeat, smiling, and enthusiastic. (The people of this city are wonderful!) The last several miles take the runner back along Lake Geneva. The course is mercifully flat. I only remember a mild uphill somewhere in the second half and then a welcome downhill glide before approaching the lake. The rain, chill, and mud puddles on country dirt lanes were the only snags. And, for us, jet lag played a role. We were running on very little sleep. But I fell in love with Geneva and the surrounding landscape during the few days I was there and this marathon course was part of the reason why.
e. h. from israel (5/10/2014) "great fast course. very nice city" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Geneva Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Realtvly small marathon. Great course , this year very windy the first half. Very well orginised. Loved this race. First half in the contryside , second half lake and city. If it wasnt windy it is a good place for p.b
Michael Ingram from Herts Gt Britain (5/11/2013) "Great course - now get the little things right" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Geneva Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 A really wonderful course, perfect for a cool sunny day. Start in the suburbs and then head off to the cluster of Swiss villages that protrude into France along gentle country lanes or even on bridle paths through fields of vivid rape seed or lush pastures. Small picturesque villages with good support and then glory be, a gentle long descent at 30km to the lakeside for the fine city centre stage. The lakeside finishing straight a delight too. The organisation was efficient ( of course) but as mentioned before , the t shirt naff ( though at least technical unlike the London ones) and the medal uninspiring. Mind you in 2009 it was plastic! Once again hydration made more difficult by cups. I really applaud the environmental friendly use of tap water but cups are so difficult and not portable compared to bottles (or better still big sports cap bottles of Jerusalem Marathon). Cant you just bottle the tap water? Finish was let down by endless descent into underground car park for bags and rather meagre facilities. Also marathon sponsoring hotel chain do not include breakfast or late check out ( why bother then?) Would I do this again? I did and it is better than 2009. Would I recommend it? Yes especially to those of bucolic bent!
b. j. from Geneva, CH (5/6/2013) "new and improved course" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Geneva Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 First time on the new course. Faster and smoother with an agreable detour in the Genevese countryside at the beginning and a city centre finish. My one recommendation would be to add a few kilometres to the countryside leg and avoid the last 38-41km of the current route: too many sharp edges and sudden turns in the present set up. Otherwise top notch organisation. Only disappointment is the rather ordinary medal and race shirt. Reasonably fast course and no depressing there and backs. Great job.
M. S. from São Paulo, Brazil (6/6/2012) "Very Nice Race (Half Marathon)" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Geneva Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I just ran the half marathon and I became very happy with my performance on this venue. The course is great despite the fact that in some points it was almost impossible to set a good pace because the road was too narrow and I was not able to set a good pace for a certain time. But I hope to come back in the future to attend the full marathon since the city of Geneva is very cool. Only thing I didn't like was that at the finish line we had to walk too much to get our personnel belongings since they were far away.
L. N. from Fort Collins, CO, USA (6/6/2012) "Very good race" (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Geneva Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a great race for the fundamental things, but it could be better in the small details. First of all, the course was beautiful. It had the best of suburbs, rural areas, and downtown Geneva. Starting in a suburb it meanders through postcard-like fields with canola flowers, barley fields and pastures. Along the way, anyone who has never been to Switzerland will be pleased to see that the charming dairy cows with the little bells around their necks, for which Switzerland is known, are found not only on postcards. All the while, you have great views of the alps or Lac Leman depending on which direction the course takes you. Water stations, portable toilets, paramedics, police and firefighters were perfectly spaced out and I never encountered a line to get into a toilet. A+ there! Furthermore, the course was probably the flattest 42k you'll ever find in Switzerland. On top of all that, you're not running into the backs of relay runners because as far as I know, there was no relay. Fans were good- even in the little rural towns it seemed everyone came out to cheer us on. Volunteers were also very helpful and plentiful. The only improvement needed is in minor stuff, like the race shirt- it was really blah, and even though it has 'GM' on it, it doesn't catch the eye at all- it doesn't say, 'I ran the Geneva Marathon.' Its design and color are really minimal and generic. In stark contrast, the race medal that I got looked like it belonged on a rapper rather than on a runner. The expo should have had more stuff for sale (hats, extra shirts, mugs, etc.) in the absence of a cool race shirt. The finish area was of difficult access to anyone who was driving that day, but I can't blame anyone for that- that's just how Geneva is. Overall, I recommend this race.
James Lehman from Coppell, TX (usually) (5/20/2012) "Good race, Geneva is a great venue." (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Geneva Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 First time to run Geneva 42km was in 2012. Being a run in Switzerland I'll say the course was relatively flat with gorgeous scenery all around to observe without concern for tripping over anything; roads are clean and smooth. Aid stations were organized well enough, spectators in the city were outstanding, those spectator in the towns were enthusiastic enough, and any potential traffic well controlled. I was fortunate to become involved and volunteer marathon packet pick-up on Saturday. I wasn't able to answer all questions but the organization was good enough for me to direct questions to knowledgeable, more full-time race staff armed with computers and data, so I didn't see too many dissatisfied participants on Saturday. I guess their biggest complaint might be that I didn't speak a lick of French but worked with a lovely French-speaking volunteer who more than compensated for my inadequacies. Ah, but some criticisms from me: Bag drop was near the start, but bag pick-up was not near the finish. After finishing the race when it came time to collect our belongings we had to tramp through a portion of Geneva to some school's gym in a basement (downstairs through darkness), and there weren't guides or clear instructions on finding that place from the finish line. I followed several different crowds and some of them were not on their way to bag pick-up. The finish area was so-so, kind of small with bananas, oranges and water, so I'd pay more for a race with more amenities at the end. Still, if I'm living in Switzerland next year I'll certainly consider Geneva again because I adore that city, the residents and the city's landmarks.

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Marathon Details - Geneva Marathon