Marathon Details - Budapest Marathon

International Marathons > Hungary > Budapest > Budapest Marathon

Spar Budapest Marathon & 30K, 10K, 5K, Relay

Budapest, Hungary

October 13, 2024

http://marathon.runinbudapest.com

More Info:	News
Results:	Top 3 Finishers by Year

Contact

Name:	Smidéliusz Petra
Address:	Budapest Sport Office H-1138 Budapest, Váci út 152-156. HUNGARY
Phone Number:	+36-1-273-0939
Fax Number:	+36-1273-0936
Email:	Email the organizers



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Reviews

Course 3.9

Organization 4.1

Spectators 3.4

Write a review

Number of comments: 35 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]

John Murray from Glasgow, Scotland (10/19/2015) "For me this was an almost perfect marathon." (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 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.
M. S. from USA (10/28/2014) "They changed the date...enough said" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 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.
K. S. from Israel (10/18/2014) "Poor organization" (about: 2014) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 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.
i. t. from wolfville, Canada (10/17/2014) "ivan - please learn English!!!!" (about: 2014) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 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 !!!!!
T. S. from Superior, Wisconsin (10/20/2013) "Loved this marathon. Top 5 of my 107 marathons!" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 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.
A. R. from Ireland (10/9/2012) "Flat course but some room for improvements" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 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.
K. F. from Abu Dhabi, UAE (5/14/2012) "Great Experience, Great City, Flat Course" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 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.
S. F. from United States (10/3/2010) "Decent mid-sized race" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 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.
N. M. from London, England (9/29/2010) "Flat, fast and well organised" (about: 2010) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 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.
D. M. from Burnley, England (5/20/2010) "Great City; Average Course" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 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.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]

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John Murray from Glasgow, Scotland (10/19/2015) "For me this was an almost perfect marathon." (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 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.
M. S. from USA (10/28/2014) "They changed the date...enough said" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 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.
K. S. from Israel (10/18/2014) "Poor organization" (about: 2014) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 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.
i. t. from wolfville, Canada (10/17/2014) "ivan - please learn English!!!!" (about: 2014) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 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 !!!!!
T. S. from Superior, Wisconsin (10/20/2013) "Loved this marathon. Top 5 of my 107 marathons!" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 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.
A. R. from Ireland (10/9/2012) "Flat course but some room for improvements" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 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.
K. F. from Abu Dhabi, UAE (5/14/2012) "Great Experience, Great City, Flat Course" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 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.
S. F. from United States (10/3/2010) "Decent mid-sized race" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 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.
N. M. from London, England (9/29/2010) "Flat, fast and well organised" (about: 2010) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 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.
D. M. from Burnley, England (5/20/2010) "Great City; Average Course" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 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.

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Marathon Details - Budapest Marathon