Dresden Marathon - Race Reviews

One of my most enjoyable marathons. Entry, Registration, Pasta, Route, Results...All so easy. The two laps does not suit everyone, but who wouldn't want to enjoy Dresden twice? The start of the Half and Full Marathon were combined, making the start quite busy (approx 3000 in the Half, and 1200 in the Full).A quality field, including Kenyan 1,2,3! The run starts in the city, crosses the River Elbe, includes some cobbles, riverside running, through the park, more river and city sights. The baggage drop, start and finish locations are all within a block. Then the free massage; I've never seen so many couches. On the negative side I would say that there could have been more drink stations (cups!) but the weather was Autumnal(!) and I found them adequate.

It's your usual Marathon. Nothing out of the Ordinary. It's not exactly where you are going to find the elite runners. The city is really what makes this Marathon worth it.

This was my first marathon, so i cant judge it by comparison. However, the entire experience was excellent! Plenty of snacks and refreshments, weather was chilly, but once you start running... i threw my sweater away! I didnt like that the full marathon course was two laps, rather than a constantly new course. But no hills, and the spectators were great

the positive vibes were amazing, bands playing along the course with lots of encouragement from the locals! the course couldn't be more memorable.. on the banks of the river elbe and through one of the most beautiful of cities.. thank you to everyone who made this event possible.

It was my first marathon, so I wanted a flat, friendly course, which is what this marathon offers. Well organized and, considering the weather, well supported. The changing room set up under the expo center in the car park was a great idea - kept you warm before the start. My wife did the half marathon, so it was good to run together for awhile. And we were the first Australians to finish... though I think we were the only ones running it!!

I'm an American student studying abroad in Denmark. I had a week travel break and used part of the time to travel to Dresden for the marathon - I'm trying to finish 2 marathons per year. The website doesn't offer very much in translation, so for people who don't speak German, let me reassure you that you can register on the Friday or Saturday before the race with no problems and very little wait. No t-shirt comes with the race but that's not typical of European races anyway, and they were selling soft and comfortable and well-sized marathon shirts for just 10 Euros - I'm a proud owner. Weather was just 4 degrees C at the start with cold sprinkling rain on and off - but they can't help that, and the average temperature is usually much better. Reasonable accommodations were all made for providing food, water, tea, there was DELICIOUS fruit juice at the end. There were some toilets on the go, but at my pace (4:30) I could only reach one every 90 minutes or so! (I'm pretty sure most of the marathoners around me took an unsanctioned trip to the trees in Grosser Garten, however.) Zero problems with traffic - police were on hand. Also, several highly spirited drum and band ensembles were stationed at various areas and that was really nice. The medal was just as good as any other medal I've gotten. Best part: after spending a few days learning more about Dresden's tragic history, it was beautiful to cross the finish line: As they said my name and then my nationality (United States), I was given a loud, extra round of cheers by the crowd. I find it common to be pretty emotional at the end of the race, so that kind of warm reception just added to how happy and moved I was. Highly recommended - Dresden is lovely and worth a visit marathon or no marathon, as well.

This was a great run, and the weather was just perfect despite forecasts to the contrary. I managed a PR within my time goal (3:43) and was very happy with the experience. The 10K, half and full course runners all start together, which I found really fun. The course is pretty much a doubled-up half-marathon course but they made enough changes in the second half to keep it interesting and pleasant. The city is lovely, and fans kept me going a few times when I was close to giving up. Music could have used a bit more variety - all salsa groups, all the time.

Want to run where kings resided? In Dresden you can and run past a number of historic sites. You see churches, castles, parks, monuments, etc. Good entertainment along the course. Streets have a decent number of spectators and quite a number of drummers. Nice. :) Close to the finish line, the course was crowed. The course is flat and quite fast. No traffic whatsoever, nice marshals. The first part, you have company from 10K and 1/2-marathon runners. Water stations every 5K are ok for that time & temperature of the year. They had power gels too. Good massages for marathoners. Organization worked nice: Quick race-day pick-up, pasta party afterwards, marathon expo on Sunday. Fast check-in and pick-up for clothes. Nice course for cheering crowds too - they can see you a couple of times and can entertain themselves at sites (Zwinger and Frauenkirche) while you put in the miles/km. Will run it again one day!

Great overall marathon experience. What a gorgeous city with really nice people and good spectators. Some areas of the marathon course had very few spectators, but overall a good crowd. Especially at the finish. This was my first marathon, and was a wonderful experience. Nice marathon fair a day prior to the event as well..and also continued after the race. Would definately recommend, the folks running the marathon are very friendly and helpful.

Superb city-center marathon with all its Baroque splendour, still being restored after the tragic terror bombing raid in 1945. Still in its infancy, this run is rapidly growing in popularity, so much so that the start, which involved a half marathon also, may have to change to ease early congestion. A two-lap course, with a few variations which prevents too much pure repetition, means no really bad `dead` areas and takes in the fantastic architecture of the city, the Elbe and its bridges, and the Grosse Garten Park, with excellent support considering the moderate-sized field. Expect cool or cold weather. Downside; no t-shirt in a poor goody bag and the medal is a bit naff!

There's also a 10K and Half marathon, which I ran. Marathon is 2 laps (with some differences). Only in it's 3rd year when I ran (2001) but a promising event. The course is very flat (a few cobblestones at the start but not too bad) and leads from the old town to the gardens of a stately home via the banks of the Elbe. Stunning views of the city, great for a weekend break. We had luck with the weather, but at the end of October it can be cold and windy.