Budapest Marathon - Race Reviews

If you're looking for a low-key, flat, well organised marathon then you could do a lot worse than Budapest. With around 6,000 completing the full marathon the wide streets are ideal for a problem free run. While I had concerns that the 30K, 10K and in particular relays races would get in the way of other competitors the organisation was so good there were no issues at all. The course itself is pretty much pancake flat with the exception of a few bridge crossings which are very moderate. To keep the flat course consistent organizers have had to incorporate quite a few twists and turns including a few 180 degree turns around cones but this is a small price to pay for a fast marathon. The crowds are minimal for large sections of the course but to be honest that suits me just fine! Access to the start/finish is very simple by either bus or underground. A huge changing tent is available for competitors too which is a nice touch. as for the city, as a first time visitor to Budapest I was hugely impressed. Incredibly friendly people, exceptional architecture and a phenomenal amount to see and do....all at very low prices too! Great, great race and a terrific place overall.

Because of municipal elections called for in July, they decided to change the date 6 weeks prior to the marathon. The first email notification I received was not apologetic. As a result of numerous complaints from runners who had to make last minute travel plan changes they changed the start time from 9 to 11am. Race day was unusually hot and very sunny so running in the mid day sun was not fun and the change of the start time was not a benefit! I went to the expo the day before the race and it was minimal. Not one vender was selling gear with Budapest on it. The race technical t-shirt was nothing special. On race day there was no water available except for purchase. To buy water from a vendor required getting a hand written receipt that consumed a lot of time. There were more vendors present, but still no Budapest shirts or gear was available. The course was nice passing many of the sights of the beautiful city. The course is flat and manageable, but offered no relief from the hot sun. Crowd support varied but was minimal near the finish where it is most needed. You crossed the finish got your medal and a bag that contained water and non-alcoholic beer. Budapest is known for its thermal baths and a nice one was near the finish, but you had to pay full fee and wear a cap to swim in the large pool. The Chimney Cake Festival and Octoberfest was also near the finish, but no accommodations were made for the marathon participants. Most participants either run the relay or other shorter events and not the full marathon. The pre race city run was changed to the day after the marathon. It was a small low key event. Budapest Marathon was ok, but not one I'd do again.

The marathon was moved from Sunday to Saturday about a month and a half prior to the race! The race started at 11:00 in the morning(!) on a warm day. I arrived to the expo on Friday afternoon and not all the booths were complete. I was very disappointed with the organization compared to other marathons I participated in.

The 2014 marathon was very nice (except for the temperature) but there are serious problems around organization: - The people at the finish line could not answer even simple obvious questions such as where the showers are, what to do with the chip, etc. - Almost nobody speaks English or any other language with the exception of Hungarian. The thing that really enraged me was ordering photos: Absolutely all information on the Web is in Hungarian so for example filling in credit card info is totally unintelligible for anybody who does not understand the language, and even the mail from the photo company is only in Hungarian - as a result, I still don't know whether I ordered the photos or not. To be fair, the race questionnaire is in English if you can call it that. At the same time, the marathon prides itself on registering a record number of foreigners. Please!!!!!!!!! Please pay some attention to this and I will come again !!!!!

I included this marathon during a family visit to Slovakia and Hungary and I was not disappointed. There was some repetition of the course along the Danube, but who cares, what a sight for a Sunday morning run. I particularly enjoyed some of the ethnic music along the course, Hungarian violins and accordions, and the Opera House brass quintets and choirs, fantastic. The water stops were well-stocked and the volunteers were great. I liked having bananas and sugar tablets available throughout the course. The expo was bare bones, and a little confusing as it was located in the finish area of the marathon. We eventually found it. The shirt and medal were nothing but ordinary, but I had a great time running this marathon in a beautfiful city that I hope to return to someday. I'm a 50 Stater, Maniac, and waiting for my app to to the Century Club.

This was my 14th marathon. The course in Budapest is undoubtedly fast, but there were a lot of out and back sections and swinging around at a traffic cone does disrupt your rhythm. It is a nice course though, passing many of the fine buildlings and running along the Danube for the most part. The expo was a little bit chaotic. There's loads of staff, but it seems a little bit disorganised. There's really nothing in the way of gear, it's pretty much just a number pick-up and pasta party. The free pasta party is a nice touch. There are plenty of water/Powerade stations, but even though I was at a decent pace with little congestion, the water stations were still busy. A lot of them only have drink stations one side of the road. It's cups only, so it made for some messy grabbing and dropping at times. It's very convenient having the race centre, start and finish all beside each other. Great for spectators. The additional races are a nice addition, but there were a lot of 30k runners that had very obviously started far too early, leading to lots of near collisions and congestion for a few miles. It's a small enough complaint, but the route is pretty narrow up and down the river, one lane of road each direction, so the 30k start should be more strictly governed. I was delighted with my own race, ran a PB of 10 seconds, and enjoyed the whole weekend. Budapest really is a beautiful city, and has a very fast marathon course. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a fast time.

My first Marathon experience, I specifically looked for a flat course and mild weather and it was exactly that. Fans were great, and the organization seemed to work very well. I, on the other hand was not well prepared. I finished in 4hr49mins, but it was a great experience.

If you are looking for a slightly-off-the-beaten path marathon in Europe, this is a good one to consider. Course is very flat and primarily runs along the Danube (both sides of the river). Crowd support was a bit sparse this year due to the rain, but those who appeared were quite supportive. Adequate water and energy drink stops, and good KM markings. Expo is very rudimentary, but this was not a concern for me. In summary, a nice little marathon and worth checking out.

The previous comments about the course being a bit repetitive are spot on, but you cannot deny how flat and fast this course is. Personally I didn't mind running along the orange cones and turning round a pole and then back along the orange cones. I felt like I was running an olympic marathon! If you are looking for a well organized race where you can improve your PB, then consider Budapest. Crowd support is limited (although it was pouring with rain this year). Number collection before the race is easy, but there's nothing at the expo worth looking at, so you can easily make this a 15-minute visit. The following could be improved: 1) drinks are served in cups (including PowerAde), though bottles would be better. 2) the porta-loos at the start are really basic and don't even have running water - a bit of a health hazard. I will run this again, but only once I've exhausted my international calendar. It wasn't so great that I want to rush back next year, but I would recommend it as a good quality run.

While I enjoyed my time in Budapest, the course was a disappointment - there were many long stretches along the Danube with little to break the monotony, though I did enjoy the sections in the city. The free use of the Szecheni Baths was an enjoyable bonus. If I sound negative, I don't mean to; and I'm quite prepared to come back for 2010.

A nice, well-run event from my point of view. Nice, sunny morning - probably a bit hot for many PB's. I noticed from the results that most people slowed significantly in the second half, as temps rose. It's not a well supported race - there aren't so many spectators. Budapest seems a little indifferent about the race. It's a great city to visit, but the expo is not well supported by vendors - a big opportunity missed. I thought that the course, drink stations, and start/finish area were fine. It's got a nice start in Heroes Square and down Andrassy.

Perfect weather and a flat layout made for a pleasant run. Last kilometer through the park needs repaving, but the rest of the course was smooth, although a bit repetitive. Spectators were thinly spread and mostly subdued. I really liked the size of the field, with just enough competitors to pace you without making it crowded. Support stations were well-manned and stocked with refreshment and fruit. Finish line support was great.

The Budapest Marathon is a funny race, with a good and very friendly organization. What about the race? Weather was good but very windy, and the race wasn't easy, with a long back-and-forth along the side of the Danube and several bridges to cross. We found many support stations with lovely people (many cheers from them). To conclude: it's a nice race to run if you aren't looking to set a personal record.

Budapest is a great city with plenty to offer on a marathon weekend. The course is generally flat, with some slopes/ramps near the bridges to break up the monotony, but great views along the river (which can be breezy)! The only negative for me was the long loop towards the industrial area, which goes on forever! People were great, with lots of music/buskers. Baths afterward were heaven. Allow plenty of time to check in your kit, as it was a bit disorganized. All in all, a good experience.

This was my first Budapest marathon and I had read other comments about it before entering. I do agree that the course is repetitive; felt as though I had run past the parliament building 10 times! The organization was poor in places, e.g., confusion about the start time, ahd lack of organization in the start area, but positive points for me were the friendly and helpful staff, great goody bag afterward, and the thermal bath included in the entry fee. I missed the free massage, though, which was a shame. Budapest is a great city to visit and I enjoyed running along the river (the first time anyway!) and Margaret Island was lovely, but if you like variety along the way, it may not tick that box. The weather was perfect for running, though, and the breeze along the river was quite welcome for the long stretches with no shade. Water stations were frequent and well run, although water is in cups, so it helped to have a running bottle to decant water into to sip it as I ran (rather than gulp it at the water stations).

Budapest is a lovely city with wonderful people, and the marathon is a great excuse to visit; less lovely is the course (as previously noted, repetitive loops, some running next to cars), although the volunteers were top-notch and peppy, with well-spaced aid stations throughout the race. The organizers also did a good job marking the different runners (marathon, 30K, relay) to help with pacing, although there were virtually no LEDs or clocks throughout the course - the best you can do is look for a clock on a city building. Also, the spectator support was underwhelming. Maybe I'm spoiled from running big, heavily attended races in the US, but it's jarring to run past so many crowds that are nearly silent (clearly, waiting to cheer just one person on), or spend most of the race in fairly quiet parts of the city.

Too many out-and-backs on the course; it needs some changes.

Runners for all distances formed in the start area at the same time, but the events had different start times. This may not have been anticipated by the course staff and there was no visible control over the process. Race number bibs were identical for all race distances. If the non-marathoners had a different color bib it could have alerted many of us marathoners, who got trapped and held in-place with runners doing a shorter distance, to suspect that we were being separated from our group. Many of us noticed the surge of runners being halted prior to reaching the start line. Looking ahead. The start line was completely empty. The marathon group had disappeared. Many of us marathoners pushed our way through the crowd in front of us, sprinting to the start line. After running hard for several minutes we eventually caught the marathon group's sweep vehicle. This course is considered flat, but one needs to do some hill training to be able to conquer the numerous ramps and bridges. Anticipate wind along the river. Many have complained about the strong winds, but if the temperature rises, as it did in 2007, the wind can help provide a little relief. Shade from the sun is extremely limited since most of the course is along the river. Distance markers along the course were too infrequent in my opinion. The massage tents were so congested that I chose to continue on to the pool area where the race bags were secured. While at the pool I discovered the massage staff provides free massages to the marathoners. The warm pool water was nice. I recommend this marathon to those considering it.

I enjoyed the race, which showed Budapest off wonderfully at times. However, the course was repetitive in that it went along the river for far too much of the length. It got boring and there was no shade to be had. This might not normally be a problem for an early autumn run, but it was unpleasant that day. Also, for a lot of the race there were cars next to the single lane closed off for the race. Running with cars zipping past is not a great experience. And there was an utter lack of timers. I did not see a race clock until about 200 M before the finish. Maybe I just failed to see them, but I think not.

If you want to run a fast international marathon, but want to avoid the mega-thon experience, try this one. Very well organized. The course is mostly flat with some short and gentle hills on and off bridges and a couple of overpasses. Beautiful views of the city as you run along the Danube and over 3 of the city's bridges. The gave a nice goody bag before the event and superb post-race "presents," as they call them. It was warm this year, but on a cool day, this is a fast course. Heat could have been avoided with an earlier start, but they start at 10:00 a.m. to allow local area runners plenty of time to arrive. They cater to foreigners - nearly half the finishers came from outside Hungary - offering a visit to one of the historic thermal baths as a changing/baggage storage area and for post-race relaxation. The city offers abundant cultural and historical experiences - it's a great place to visit. Race logistics are very simple and entrants are allowed to have their own personal fluids placed at the aid stations.

Don't get me wrong... Budapest is well worth a visit. Just not for a marathon. Countless bridge ramps, running next to cars and boring long stretches spoil the fun. There is so much to see in Budapest, but why does one have to run next to the Danube most of the time? About 2/3 of the course is next to the river. Additionally there is a ca. 8 KM-long stretch, which has to be run twice. The expo was a joke, there was one stall selling shoes and overpriced garments. The organization was ok and friendly. The goody bag was good and the massage excellent! Beware of the weather. If it's hot like this year (25-28 Celsius), prepare for it accordingly. There are hardly any shady stretches.

I ran the Budapest Half-Marathon last week and was impressed by the organization and the track. I will be back for the 2007 marathon and encourage everyone to consider registering. I ran the 2006 marathon and it's been by far the best experience of all the 5 marathons completed to date. Highly recommended!

Congratulations to the organization; they had to overcome rescheduling the marathon from the 1st to the 15th of Oct. because of political problems. Kristina and her team of volunteers should get a big round of applause. THANKS. It's a beautiful city for a marathon with great fans....

Yes, I cannot fault Budapest. I got a lot for my money, and it was most enjoyable. Without being too crowded, there was lots of music and support from the city in general! Thanks!

An absolute must-do marathon. One of the top European medium-sized marathons, if not the best! Tons of goodies (a beer also!), free spa bath pass for after the run, superb course, good, large finish area by city park, everybody most helpful and friendly in a beautiful city. Relay runs at same time and these runners can help you keep going. Having cups instead of bottles for water is the only downside. This year it was cool and a bit drizzly, but be prepared for very warm weather, which can occur.

This was my first international marathon. It was well organized from start to finish. Plenty of refreshments along the way as well as various street musicians and spectators for encouragement. The most beautiful scenic city with friendly people. I will definitely consider this race again.

my husband and i arrived from canada the day before to run this marathon. it was well organized with plenty to drink at the aid stations and we were encouraged with the signs at every km. the only discouraging aspect of the race is that it started at 10 am and the temperature was already too warm. an earlier start say at 8 am would have helped us with an overall better time. the sights were wonderful. budapest is a beautiful city and i would recommend this race. nice to meet fellow canadians along the way.

I have run over 80 marathons - some 4 a year - and I rate your marathon in the top 3 with New York and London. The course was a fine tour of the major city sights. All the helpers at the drink stations and the finish were friendly and charming. I will be back next year. One request: a little cooler please. Brendan Cradden Bearbrook Joggers UK

The organization's great and everything about the race runs very smoothly. Pasta party improving over the years, info widely available and organizers are quite ready to help. The course is not an easy and fast one though. It's picturesque and gives visitors a great tour, but it's got its challenges. There are 10 180-degree turnabouts, 5 bridge crossings, an overpass and several other small, but tiring climbs. The bulk of the course runs by the Danube, which makes it fairly windy, even if by the start there isn't even a breeze. From 22K to 30K theres an awfully long straightaway, usually into a headwind, and that's usually a killer. Refreshments great, crowd small but very loud. Course well cordoned off so no more car/tram/bus problems. After-race goody bag great, t-shirt nice but not of great quality.

I ran this marathon as my very first full marathon and was completely bowled over by the experience. I've run another since and still look back with awe at how fast the race seemed to go by, how much energy the spectators had, and how at the end of the race I couldn't wait to come back the next time. The course is very pretty, though a little dull on the second time around the southern loop of the Danube. Cobblestones at the halfway mark were a bit of a drag, but they ended within 5K. The race is very well organized, and I found the aid stations to be just enough, though other runners I did this race with would have preferred more water stations. One warning: there is a 25K station that you pass early in the race (I think at 12K)... word to the wise: don't take water early, you'll get yelled at! Overall, I would definitely run the race again. We had no problems not speaking the language and found the locals friendly and outgoing. Good luck and enjoy some Bull's Blood wine and Hungarian goulash while you are there!

I wish the Marathon courses spent more miles in the old city and less along the rivers. Same goes for beautiful Budapest. If you are a vegetarian, skip the Pasta Party and their 'only-choice' prepackaged carton pasta boxes with meat. When I tried to take a second cup of water, I was yelled at. Head instead for a terrific Vegetarianum Restaurant which is a fantastic choice for its fantastic quality and is fantastically inexpensive! The Marathon course is OK, though not that flat as they claim (there are quite a few bridges.) You compete sometimes with stinky cars on the road, and with not at all stinky trams, but you may have to stop to let them cross the course! Spectators, though very few, were enthusiastic. Others wait for a bus or tram with their backs to the runners. Pre-race and post-race goody bags are terrific. Bathhouse after the race is great but bring the towel or you will have to walk back drenching wet, the way I did!

I ran Budapest in Sept 2001 actually on my 30th birthday in the hope of breaking the 3hr mark. Failed by 7mins which was a little disapointing. Apart from that mishap i found the race and atmosphere to be fantastic. The first and last 5miles there were lots of enthusiastic crowds but the rest of the race was sparsely populated. Organisation of the Marathon was perfect and the cold beer and dip in the hot spas at the end were great. The Hungarians really know how to put on a great race, things can only get better.

I enjoyed this friendly well organized marathon. I booked my entry via the internet and it all worked out ok. The course is on the banks of the River Danube and it's pretty flat. You cross over it on the many bridges which give have good views of Budapest. Crowds are small but enthusiastic. Goodies include Medal, T-shirt, socks and picture & certificate follow in the post. It's a really good marathon capable of fast times and a great city to visit.

My seventh marathon and the one I enjoyed most: a great experience. The run along the Danube is splendid and offers a beautiful city tour. The organisation is outstanding and much better than the one you'll find in larger runs: the team will help you find hotels and facilitate airport lifts if you need; water+isostar+banana/orange stations every 4 km is a great luxury and the few spectators will support you enthusiastically. Definitely one to run.

I can't tell you how wonderful my trip to Budapest was. The people and the city are just great. Easy to get around, English spoken nearly everywhere. The expo, the race, and post race activities were all very well organized. There was not one meter along the route that wasn't beautiful. There was even a boat playing music sailing up and down the Danube. And there was a cold beer in the post race goody bag! There was never a moment during this race, even at mile 20 that I would have wanted to be anywhere else doing anything else.