Rhein-Marathon Dusseldorf - Race Reviews

I booked the Metro Dusseldorf Marathon on an early bird ticket & had no regrets after that as I was constantly updated by the organizers both on Facebook & by email. I was also lucky to stay in a great accommodation in Victoriaplatz, 10mins walk to the start point, and to have perfect weather on the Race Day. The Race Pack Collection was efficient & hassle free, at Berliner Alle near Konigsallee. It offered many affordable sportswear & nutrition items. The marathon started promptly at 9am at the Kunstpalast Museum, Victoriaplatz. The course was flat & fast, and it was an official Boston Marathon qualifier (though this didn't apply to me). Cheer support was excellent with musical groups & percussion bands almost every 5km. The route was mostly on roadway, with two scenic bridge crossings over River Rhein. The whole course was shaped like a star/flower giving runners a panorama of the city, & bringing runners back to the Old City at Altstadt on a few occasions. Hydration points, toilet facilities & first aid stations were well-spaced & regular. Distance markers were clearly displayed. There were lots of greenery & the people were gracious, friendly & called runners by our names to encourage us. Besides the full marathon, there were 'Staffel Teams' running in specially designed 'Relay Blocks' of 11.3km, 13.1km, 9.2km & 8.6km distances, who had started their runs later, at 9.45am & 10.15am. Relay runners could pick their preferred distances & the faster runners may choose the longer stretches, or the one with a river crossing. This added variety to runners of different fitness. This was a very thoughtful & powerful way to encourage a 'Sports for All' activity during a marathon. There was no Half Marathon but the 2km Kids Club was run at the Lower Rhein Promenade on the same day. The Finish Point of the marathon was at Tonhalle, along the Rhein River, near the Old Town area. Here, enthusiastic photographers were present for photoshoot as runners were given our marathon medals worn round our necks for us by friendly volunteers. The medals for the finishers of the Full Marathon & Staffel Relays were different. I returned comfortably within the full marathon cut-off time & wandered into the Basilica St. Lambertus near Altstadt after the run to offer thanksgiving for a safe & enjoyable race.

Although the weather wasn´t that great, cold and windy, I had a blast running the 2016 Dusseldorf Marathon! The course is pretty flat and has plenty of aid stations with gel/water/sport drinks/banana. The organisation is superb. The staff is friendly, the website has all the information you need and on race day there are clear signs where to go. Because the course has a star like shape you can meet up with your supporters pretty often without forcing them to cover larges distances. Just stay around the Hofgarten park and within 2km you can meet at the 7km, 12km, 23km en 34km mark. The crowd was spectacular along the whole course. Kids with big high fives, music ensembles and a lot of funny signs. Just great!

The course was really pretty flat, except maybe the 2 bridge crossings across the Rhein. But they were minor. Plenty of aid stations. It was great having Coca Cola as a choice at a bunch of the aid stations. Ran throughout the neighborhoods and tourist places. I had taken the Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus around the City the day before, and quite a bit of the race course covered the tourist spots. [I really enjoyed that a lot of downtown streets are for pedestrians only - easy for shopping and going to restaurants that had a lot of which have outdoor seating.] The weather was just right. Temperature seemed in the low sixties. We had mostly overcast with a little bit of sun and a touch of rain along the course. We finished along the Rhein River in the Old Town area. Couldn't believe it, it was incredible - we could shower and get a free massage after the race. Spectators were great. They were calling your name because your name was printed on THE race bib. There were cafe's along the course where people were eating, drinking, and cheering. Aside from the marathon, there is the relay race, with I think, over 2000 teams. Seeing these relay racers running on the course, encouraged me to keep going as fast as I could. I was treated so well in Dusseldorf. I am looking forward to coming back again and again.

I decided to run the Dusseldorf 2015 Marathon after winning a free entry from a draw held during the San Francisco 2014 Marathon Expo. I flew into Frankfurt and took a train to Dusseldorf. I stayed in a hotel near the Prinzenallee and Am Seestern train stations. On the day of the run, I took the train and was surprised to see 10+ participants in the same train. I followed one of the locals and found the starting point in a few minutes. The course was quite flat and the temperature was in the sixties (Fahrenheit) most of the time. Luckily it did not rain, although the weather forecast showed rain. They had the usual refreshment points along the course with water, bananas, and Taxofit (a sports energy drink). The locals were cheering us on along most of the course, over a Sunday morning beer. After the run, we were greeted by welcoming cheerleaders. The finishing area had plenty of non-alcoholic beer and Berliner doughnuts, which of course reminded me of Ich bin ein Berliner. I felt the 9 AM starting time was a bit late. Personally, I would have preferred an earlier start time, like 7 AM or 8 AM latest. I was also surprised that I had to pay extra for the commemorative shirt. One of the organizers was in touch with me prior to the run and provided plenty of information, which was very helpful. Overall, the race was very well organized. The city is very green and locals are very friendly. I had no problem getting directions in English. I decided to stay a couple of days after the marathon to visit the local attractions. On the first day, I went around Dusseldorf. Be warned that all the museums, including the Schloss, are closed on Mondays. I visited Schloss Benrath in the early afternoon. The gardens and man-made ponds around the building are very impressive. The exteriors of the building were grimy and calling it a Schloss (Castle) is a bit of a stretch. I then visited the ruins of Barbarossas Imperial Palace in Kaiserswerth. Getting around Dusseldorf by train was very convenient. The next day, I visited Cologne, which is a short train ride away. Cologne Cathedral is worth a visit. The University of Cologne is a few train stops away from the Cathedral. Overall I enjoyed my trip to Dusseldorf. Danke Schoen.

This was my first international marathon. It was an incredible experience. I live in Texas now but I was born and raised in Germany where I went to American schools. I am little biased but this is by far the best marathon I have run national or international. I highly recommend this marathon. You will not be disappointed.

Beautiful city (especially old town), flat course, fantastic encouraging spectators , friendly people , very good organization. Highly recommended !!!

This was my first international marathon and everything about it was really great. The city, I believe, is one of Europe's best kept secrets. The people were very warm and friendly and I made friends while there. The marathon was well-organized. The best I have seen so far. The course was flat and very beautiful. It was calm and peaceful as well. The locals were very supportive of the runners. They cheered and offered words of encouragement along the way. I highly recommend this marathon to anyone looking to run a national or international marathon.

I ran the 2015 Düsseldorf marathon and it did not disappoint. The race was well organized and the course was quite flat and fast (only 1 bridge to cross - 2x). It is not a huge field so it is does not have the issue that some of the bigger races have with course congestion, but is still a big enough field to be pulled along and pushed by the other runners and supporters. Plus they have a marathon relay and do a good job of balancing the two different races with the marathoners starting earlier. The conditions this year were pretty much perfect. 12 deg C and overcast at the start and then going up to the mid-teens by the finish with the rain threatening but holding off and the sunning popping out a bit from behind the clouds. There was a slight breeze at a few points of the course but nothing too serious. The setting was perfect for a fast time and I was able to run my fastest time in 10 years (second fastest time to date and a BQ). Needless to say I was quite happy with my time. Aid stations were fine. The drinks (both water and electrolyte drink  Taxo) are in cups, which is manageable, but it would an improvement if they provided bottles that runners could carry for a few miles and continue to sip. Although it can be a bit more work to clean up. I stayed in the Old Town, which has numerous restaurants (including many Italian options for carb loading) and bars (for post race celebrations). The other main advantage of staying in the old town is that it is only a short walk to/from the start and finish, which is a nice advantage to have on race day. There is also some decent shopping to be had in the centre if that is your thing. I would highly recommend the Dusseldorf marathon if you are looking for a fast, well-organized and supported small-medium size European spring marathon.

We joined the free walking tour on Friday and had a wonderful time with volunteers 'Alex & Hana' as we walked the city with a dozen other runners. The weather was beautiful Friday and Saturday. At packet pick up, we were unpleasantly surprised that the race shirt we had previously paid was 'utility yellow'. Yikes!!! As a female, not a color I would have spent 20 Euros for! Before the race started, we were a bit clueless at times about what was being said, as they only seemed to make announcements in German. It rained until about noon during the race, but that didn't matter. The spectators were so engaging. They called you by your bib name, looked into your eyes and said, 'go for it', 'Super' 'Bravo' 'you can do it'. They clapped, they banged on pots and pans, they used broom sticks, anything and everything. The spectators were everywhere, all 26 miles! The fact that there were SO MANY relay people also kept me moving in good spirits. I will say, that as a slow runner that needs frequent walk breaks, after all the 1/2 marathon and marathon people were finished, the relay people kept it ALIVE for me and spurred me on to my 5:35 PR! Loved the experience!

Course - I usually run half, but I run full marathon here. The course was great, very flat, a lot of tree and different neighborhood. A lot of spectators even bad weather (It was cold rain) this year. Overall, it was a great opportunity to run for The First Full Marathon! After Finish- It was only water station and finishers medal (and Aid station) at the finish area. You have to walk a little bit long distance to get food. I wish some food was near finish area (at least for me!). The shower room and free beer was great! However, I wanted to eat more variety food than they provided. Expo- The Expo was little bit minimal (but another runner told me that nice Expo last year. Maybe I didnt know some changes?) . If you want to T-shirt, you have to buy 20euro extra. It is little bit different system than American Marathon. And no Pasta Party.

Düsseldorf Marathon is a great combination of an excellent race in an excellent city. Where else can you cross the finish line of the Marathon and end up in& Oktoberfest celebration?!? In Düsseldorf! Right after you get your finisher medal, still in the finish area, next to the hot showers, there are large tables along majestic Rhine River where tired runners can sit for hours enjoying fantastic view and drinking unlimited and free beer. OK, it is non-alcoholic, but if someone needs the 'real' stuff, just outside of the finish area on the Rhine Promenade there is one of the most famous attractions of Düsseldorf - the longest bar in the world comprised of more than 300 cafes, bars, restaurants, and all kinds of drinking joints that residents of Düsseldorf could think of. This Marathon has a reputation of one of the best organized races in the world. Even the weather on the day of the race was nothing less than perfect - 45F at the start at 9:00 am, and mid 50s at the end. Add sunny skies and no wind, and tell me what else could be better. Even if we had less luck and the temperature was higher, it probably still would be OK because, surprisingly for such a large metropolis, Düsseldorf is one of the greenest cities I have ever been to, and there were lots of huge trees on the streets where we ran. As a result, you run in the shade almost an entire course. All of the 26.2 miles were spectacular and totally flat. And completely traffic-free. That is important because the late spring in Düsseldorf is fantastic. Instead of smelling the exhaust fumes of passing cars and trucks competing for the road at some other Marathons, in Düsseldorf you smell the air of spring flowers, listen to the loud birdsong, and see thousands of wildly blooming magnolias, pink and white Japanese cherries, tulips and daffodils. We passed medieval cathedrals, palaces and mansions dating mostly from 14th to 18th centuries, followed by a showcase of ultramodern architecture like world-famous dancing buildings of Frank Gehry. The streets were packed with very enthusiastic spectators throughout the whole course. And I have never seen so many children and teenagers watching the Marathon, cheering and screaming words of encouragement to the runners. I ran this Marathon in 4:04, at least 20 minutes faster than any Marathon I have done in the last three years or so, without putting any extra effort. It is a VERY fast course, perfect for PRs and BQs. And it is so beautiful! I highly recommend it!

Extremely well organized expo and race. It's exactly the mid/big city race I was expecting. The course looks very loopy with a ton of turns on a map. I worried that they would sap momentum, but it actually kept the course fresh for me. There were very few 'hills' (originally from Utah) and many excellent views. The most memorable being the last kilometer - noticeably downhill towards the river. Really breathtaking. The crowds were great - everything from drumlines to grandmas banging on cooking pots. There weren't more than a few meters without a spectator. Top notch efficiency from registration to the finishing area. There could have been a bit more music blasting at the start, but it was a Sunday in Germany. Highly recommended race if you're in the area.

This is a great marathon to do if you are looking for a cheap weekend away in Europe that involves running a marathon, as I often find myself doing. The city centre is very close to the airport, so an easy place to fly in and out of for a weekend Organisation - it is Germany, so faultless. Refreshments along the course were great (and frequent) and the refreshments area and the end of the race was the best I have seen in a long time. Very friendly volunteer staff as well The course - very flat, my only minor complaint is the number of turns on the course which gets annoying after a while Crowd - excellent.

Nice views. Indeed, over the Rhine on the bridge, it's fantastic. Now, it doesn't last long. But the rest remains impressive. Very well organized, nice crowd, responsive public.

Dusseldorf may not have the glamour name of Berlin or Hamburg but is a must for a German run if you fancy one. Great course. Flat and interesting. Support and marshaling are top-notch. The expo is a bit minimal, and expect to pay for a t-shirt (I got a free one for saying thanks to organizers, which was very nice.) No pasta party. Good finish by the Rhine, with free beer (non-alcoholic) and loads of food in the tented area. The downside was that water was in cups, and this year it was hot, so bottles would`ve been helpful. Nice, compact city center for a weekend trip.

Course is very flat, nice enough for a city run. Good organization in general, but the finish was a bit too restricted, with covered fencing making it not so fun (couldn't meet up with family). The weather was very hot this year. The crowd was a plentiful and very enthusiastic, but the price tag of this marathon is a bit high, with a very thin goody bag.

The race has a fast course, with unforgettable specators all over. You have a good view of the Rhine River. I should emphasize: Very fast course. The winner in 2007 finished in 2:09:47. The women's winner ran a 2:29. In 2005, the same woman finished in 2:26:44. I'll come back.

This marathon goes from one neighborhood to another starting and finishing in the old city. It avoids parks, yet the views of the Rhein River and the different neighborhoods make the course always interesting. The course is almost flat with only two noticeable bumps of about 15 meters (45 feet) at the bridges. The last three kilometers are filled with enthusiastic spectators providing the moral boost to climb the second bridge and get to the finish line. The marathon is well organized with plenty of refreshments and provision during and after the race. Start and finish are very close. Bags are left and retrieved at the same location a few hundred meters from the finish and start line. The official marathon hotel offers a great package that makes life easy for outside the city competitors. Ease of payment for the marathon however needs to be improved for non-Europeans: payment is only by bank transfer. The marathon is fairly small: around 4,000 people and it is easy to get to the desired pace quickly.

This was my fourth marathon and by far the best to date. A great, scenic course with unbelieveable spectators. Two good bridges at 29 and 39K were a nice challenge. This was my first marathon in Europe but definitely not my last. The fans were numerous and crazy. The water stops were adequate. Plenty of bananas on the course, which was also a plus. The only negative was that the sports drink tasted nasty. BYO Gatorade!