KARSTADT Ruhr Marathon - Race Reviews

I ran the half-marathon, which started in Oberhausen. It was a beautiful course, as we ran through multiple little towns. Great organization and cheering. Highly recommended.

This marathon is not really a race; it is more a big event with a great, enthusiastic crowd. Many runners run here to enjoy running with many others and to enjoy the spectators, but not to really run a marathon and try to set a PB. Of course, the course is not a very fast one; there are many little hills. This is a little surprising as the Ruhr Area is known to be quite flat. In this marathon you run through different cities of the Ruhr Area, you can choose between the starting points Dortmund and Oberhausen. At 27K, the two races come together. Altogether there are more than 20,000 runners at the start, but most of them run the half-marathon. About 8,000 run the marathon. I enjoyed running this race, but it´s not my favorite race as I like more the not-so-big races. It was a bit too much: too loud, too many people...

17-04-2005 Very Nice marathon, I did it today in a personal record 3:24:54. Good organization - to rent a chip was expensive 6 euro. It's going up and down what makes it not easy for somebody from a flat country.

I´m all posivitve about the Ruhrmarathon, which will be a 'twinmarathon' in 2005 = there´ll be two startingpoints, one in Dortmund one in Oberhausen. Both courses will meet up in Gelsenkirchen and the finish line will be in Essen. The organizers are planning to have around 40.000 Runners! 2004 : the course is almost flat, some very very slight hills at km35, but the crowd keeps you going. Spectators that cheer and push you all the way, not a single meter without spectators that chant, wave flags...etc I´ll definitely take part at next years Marathon again...still overwhelmed