Marathon Details - Frankfurt Marathon

International Marathons > Germany > Frankfurt > Frankfurt Marathon

Mainova Frankfurt Marathon & Relay

Frankfurt, Germany

October 27, 2024

http://www.frankfurt-marathon.com

More Info:	News
Results:	Top 3 Finishers by Year

Contact

Name:	Jo Schindler
Address:	Eurocity Marathon Messe Frankfurt 60135 Frankfurt am Main
Phone Number:	+49 69 3700468 - 0
Fax Number:	+49 69 3700468 - 11
Email:	Email the organizers



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Reviews

Course 4.2

Organization 4.5

Spectators 4.3

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Number of comments: 32 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]

R. S. from Lisbon (10/28/2019) "Flat and with a great finish" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Frankfurt Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 A great organization. The festhalle messe in the start line was very helpfull with all the amenities you need before the start. The finish line is inside the pavillion with a fantastic atmosfere. Be ready for the light inclination in many parts of the course. Great team of volunteers. The showers at the end were perfect.
Richard Skilling from Glasgow (Scotland) (11/2/2016) "Mainova Frankfurt Marathon - highly recommended" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Frankfurt Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The Frankfurt Marathon has a lot of things in its favour: - autumn (fall) event = heaviest training during summer (for northern hemisphere runners) and reasonable chance of clement weather. - loop course with central location = not leaving hotel in the middle of the night to get to the start in time. - flat course = time potential. - big enough to be 'proper' (ref: IAAF Gold Medal certification) but just under the radar enough that you don't have to enter, like, a year in advance. - excellent transport links getting there and again after you arrive. - great organisation all round, cant really fault it. - good strength in depth time-wise - 1100 (nearly 10%) of the field sub-3, 7100 (59%) of the field sub-4. Miscellaneous points: As noted by others (#1), the first 5-6km through the city are a bit tight; I can imagine this would be a problem further back in the field so be aware. Organisers could think about sub-dividing the corrals a little better to allow a smoother get-away and/or using barriers to create a bit of a pinch-point just before the start mat. Also means running the tangents can be significant. As noted by others (#2), the chip return is back up two levels in the main expo hall, bit of a PITA but no big deal. Recommend you get a hotel within walking distance - the course shuts down the tram/bus/taxi options, leaving just S/U-bahn. No issues with the water stations (cups, BTW, which works better for me) water is first, then some fizzy stuff. Bananas and gels at a couple of locations later on. Post-race nutrition offerings were excellent. For US runners - be aware that all markers are in kilometres. Nice friendly support from the locals. One dead spot at about 24km where you cross back over the river from south to north. This, and a stretch from 9-10km, count as the only noticeable inclines (cant call them hills). No comment on the expo in/out with my number+chip in under 10minutes which counts as a win in my book (does anyone derive anything positive out of these things?). Not too many loos at the start, mustve been more inside the Messe building. A couple of hundred meters of cobblestones in the city centre which you encounter at about 8km and again at about 40km. Overall, I'd thoroughly recommend it.
Karen Samuel from London, England (10/27/2015) "Frankfurt Marathon /BMW Marathon" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Frankfurt Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I wanted to run Berlin Marathon 2015 but I was unsuccessful. So I applied to do Frankfurt Marathon 2015 instead and I got in instantly. It is rated as one of the top fastest Marathon in the world. And I must say it has been very well organized. The Germans were extremely kind and friendly people. The Good Points about the Marathon were the free pasta party the day before the race. The various drinks at the water stations and also bananas and running gels at certain drink stations. Also loads of hot or cold drinks at the finish including Protein bars and bananas to eat. Also the special red carpet finish. Chip-timing breakdown information Points that were not so good. The road were too narrow and congested with runners The running route was quite boring. Lack information where to put your running chip after the Marathon. But what I really loved and enjoyed about the organization of the Frankfurt Marathon was the chunky medal, the free tasty pasta party, also the friendly German people who helped and supported the race. In fact I'd enjoyed every single minute of it. For me I felt like I bonded with the runners, the sponsors and with the people of Frankfurt. It was truly an utterly memorable experience and myself and my family can't stop talking about it. Well done to all involved.
G. G. from Mexico (11/6/2013) "Flat but not so fast" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Frankfurt Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 It is true that the course is flat, but as streets in the first 25K are very narrow, you are 'packed' unable to move and pass other runners. The 3:29 group was almost covering the whole street and therefore all others need to run at their pace. Many participants do not go to the right as they slow down, even if they begin to walk. Fluid stations are only on one side instead of both, so you need to move to that side to get water, which cause a 'bottleneck', and you can be pushed. Great finish line inside the arena. I think they could improve a lot the starting corrals asking for an evidence of time (and not only 'estimated')for the first corrals, like Chicago for example. It is the first marathon in which I saw a runner fell as he tripped with others due to the impatient runners in narrow streets. Great fans and bands.
M. G. from Arizona (11/3/2013) "Fast and flat!" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Frankfurt Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 First Int'l run for me and approached it open-minded - as it turned out, no obstacles to deal with. No language barriers, very flat, fast course. There are several turns to keep it interesting and you loop back a few times. Expo was easy, close to host hotel (Movenpick) and you should stay there - excellent breakfast and right next to start/finish line and expo. Race started on time. Weather was good but there was some rain and stiff winds in the second half to deal with. Finding chip drop-off was only lapse. Course drink stations were scant in the first 10-15K but more cropped up in the second half. Water, tea (strange) and sports-drink (strangely fizzy) on the course and staffed by friendly folk throughout. Only one first aid tent on the entire course. Nice medal, fun pasta party, and indoor/rockstar finish. Almost 27K in the race - seems like it was in the shadow of Berlin's race two weeks earlier where the world record was set. Glad I ran it and hope to do more Int'l runs soon.
David Trevino from Arlington, VA (10/28/2013) "Great Experience and Run" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This being my 1st time running a marathon in Europe, I was a little worried, with flying West to East, and overcoming jet lag - it was not a real factor. I practiced the advice that I read on line on overcoming jet lag and it worked almost to perfection (i.e., before leaving the U.S., a few days in advance, start going to bed early and waking up early. Drink alot of water, and no caffine, or alcohol, during the flight over. There are other things one can do to also add to overcoming jet lag - just goggle it. About the race. Great organization; the course is flat and fast, and a PR is definitely possible (my time was 3:54:59 - not a personal best - but having not run in the sub 4 category for awhile due to injuries, I was very pleased, and I earned another BQ); great crowd support; plenty of water stations throughout the course; and, the expo was also good. Overall, the whole event was outstanding. (There may have been a few things that were a little troublesome, but what the heck - just running a marathon in Europe - that is an experience that will last for years in memories, and overshadow an minor 'cons' there may have been. The people of Frankfurt, Germany, were friendly, and as a person who does not speak fluent German, everyone seemed to go out of their way to assist in answering any questions you may have. I would highly recommend this race to anyone who is planning a run in Europe. One final note - the host hotel, Movenpick, is the plase to stay if you do decide to run in any future BMW Frankfurt Marathon. The hotel is right next to the start and finish line of the race, and the finish is an experience like no other - the finish line takes you right into the building with strobe lights, and cheering support. BMW Frankfurt Marathon is totally awesome.
T. v. from Frankfurt, Germany (10/27/2013) "Extremely fast course" (about: 2013) 2 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 By fare the fastest course. If you out for a new PR (personal record) than you should go with Frankfurt. Everything is managed extremely well so you won't have difficulties.
Helen Poon from Heidelberg, Germany (4/12/2013) "somewhat chaotic at the start, overall good" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 There's a lot to see at the running expo! The goody bag is fine enough. At the start, there were just too many people, it took me some time to find the starting point. The course is rather flat, though not very beautiful. There were many bands on the way, which made the race festive and fun. Gel was provided after 15km(not sure if I remember it right). The finishing place is just too big. You had to walk around the square to get everything. Also, you need to go up to the hall for other stuff......which could be difficult for someone having just finished a marathon.
K. M. from Liverpool, England (10/31/2012) "Loved this race!" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Frankfurt Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The BMW Frankfurt Marathon delivered everything that was promised and more. This race has the feel of a major without all the congestion and hassle. It is primarily flat with excellent PB potential. Travelling to Frankfurt was a breeze. The Expo was a good size with lots of interesting stalls. On the day, the weather was cold and sunny which was perfect. We stayed right near the start which was perfect for a last minute pitstop. The course was really well supported with fans and music. It is probably more a 4.5 than a 5, although I gave it a 5 for the laser light finish in the Festehalle! It starts off winding around the city, and then heads out along the river and then back for a few more loops around the city. At times there was some narrowing of the course where I had to slow down, but I did not mind this because it was in the beginning and helped me keep my pace in check. I never had to stop or anything - just slight congestion. Some people have complained about a dreary part around 30-35 km, but I didn't notice this at all. Even still, they added bands here every 500 meters to make it more interesting, which demonstrates the organisers' commitment to improvement. The finish in the Festehalle was spectacular, as were the goodies on offer after - bread and alcohol-free beer to name a few. I wasn't such a fan of the painted hard boiled eggs in the pre-race goodie bag, but you can't have everything. My only complaint is that the bag drop off was very overcrowded, and I wish they would only permit non-runners into this area. It was probably more crowded than usual because of the cold weather, but there was a serious risk of a stampede trying to get to the start. Apart from that, everything was great and I would highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a good time in Europe.
P. D. from Philadelphia, USA (10/31/2012) "Great Finish, rest of the race not so good." (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Frankfurt Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 One very good feature of this Marathon is the finish inside the Feste Hall, when you run indoors on the red carpet with thumping music, cheerleaders and flashing lights. On the not so good side, this was the first marathon for me where the shirt cost 30 euros and chip rental was six euros, normally these are included in the entry price. The chip needed to be returned to avoid another 25 euros cost, which would not be a problem except that the return location was on the third floor of the building which even with escalators, was not easy as there were very many people about. The course is extremely flat but as you can see from the map, it has many turns during the first 8 miles. These turns and the very narrow course lanes made for a slow first 3-4 miles. This is probably not a marathon worth travelling to.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]

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R. S. from Lisbon (10/28/2019) "Flat and with a great finish" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Frankfurt Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 A great organization. The festhalle messe in the start line was very helpfull with all the amenities you need before the start. The finish line is inside the pavillion with a fantastic atmosfere. Be ready for the light inclination in many parts of the course. Great team of volunteers. The showers at the end were perfect.
Richard Skilling from Glasgow (Scotland) (11/2/2016) "Mainova Frankfurt Marathon - highly recommended" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Frankfurt Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The Frankfurt Marathon has a lot of things in its favour: - autumn (fall) event = heaviest training during summer (for northern hemisphere runners) and reasonable chance of clement weather. - loop course with central location = not leaving hotel in the middle of the night to get to the start in time. - flat course = time potential. - big enough to be 'proper' (ref: IAAF Gold Medal certification) but just under the radar enough that you don't have to enter, like, a year in advance. - excellent transport links getting there and again after you arrive. - great organisation all round, cant really fault it. - good strength in depth time-wise - 1100 (nearly 10%) of the field sub-3, 7100 (59%) of the field sub-4. Miscellaneous points: As noted by others (#1), the first 5-6km through the city are a bit tight; I can imagine this would be a problem further back in the field so be aware. Organisers could think about sub-dividing the corrals a little better to allow a smoother get-away and/or using barriers to create a bit of a pinch-point just before the start mat. Also means running the tangents can be significant. As noted by others (#2), the chip return is back up two levels in the main expo hall, bit of a PITA but no big deal. Recommend you get a hotel within walking distance - the course shuts down the tram/bus/taxi options, leaving just S/U-bahn. No issues with the water stations (cups, BTW, which works better for me) water is first, then some fizzy stuff. Bananas and gels at a couple of locations later on. Post-race nutrition offerings were excellent. For US runners - be aware that all markers are in kilometres. Nice friendly support from the locals. One dead spot at about 24km where you cross back over the river from south to north. This, and a stretch from 9-10km, count as the only noticeable inclines (cant call them hills). No comment on the expo in/out with my number+chip in under 10minutes which counts as a win in my book (does anyone derive anything positive out of these things?). Not too many loos at the start, mustve been more inside the Messe building. A couple of hundred meters of cobblestones in the city centre which you encounter at about 8km and again at about 40km. Overall, I'd thoroughly recommend it.
Karen Samuel from London, England (10/27/2015) "Frankfurt Marathon /BMW Marathon" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Frankfurt Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I wanted to run Berlin Marathon 2015 but I was unsuccessful. So I applied to do Frankfurt Marathon 2015 instead and I got in instantly. It is rated as one of the top fastest Marathon in the world. And I must say it has been very well organized. The Germans were extremely kind and friendly people. The Good Points about the Marathon were the free pasta party the day before the race. The various drinks at the water stations and also bananas and running gels at certain drink stations. Also loads of hot or cold drinks at the finish including Protein bars and bananas to eat. Also the special red carpet finish. Chip-timing breakdown information Points that were not so good. The road were too narrow and congested with runners The running route was quite boring. Lack information where to put your running chip after the Marathon. But what I really loved and enjoyed about the organization of the Frankfurt Marathon was the chunky medal, the free tasty pasta party, also the friendly German people who helped and supported the race. In fact I'd enjoyed every single minute of it. For me I felt like I bonded with the runners, the sponsors and with the people of Frankfurt. It was truly an utterly memorable experience and myself and my family can't stop talking about it. Well done to all involved.
G. G. from Mexico (11/6/2013) "Flat but not so fast" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Frankfurt Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 It is true that the course is flat, but as streets in the first 25K are very narrow, you are 'packed' unable to move and pass other runners. The 3:29 group was almost covering the whole street and therefore all others need to run at their pace. Many participants do not go to the right as they slow down, even if they begin to walk. Fluid stations are only on one side instead of both, so you need to move to that side to get water, which cause a 'bottleneck', and you can be pushed. Great finish line inside the arena. I think they could improve a lot the starting corrals asking for an evidence of time (and not only 'estimated')for the first corrals, like Chicago for example. It is the first marathon in which I saw a runner fell as he tripped with others due to the impatient runners in narrow streets. Great fans and bands.
M. G. from Arizona (11/3/2013) "Fast and flat!" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Frankfurt Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 First Int'l run for me and approached it open-minded - as it turned out, no obstacles to deal with. No language barriers, very flat, fast course. There are several turns to keep it interesting and you loop back a few times. Expo was easy, close to host hotel (Movenpick) and you should stay there - excellent breakfast and right next to start/finish line and expo. Race started on time. Weather was good but there was some rain and stiff winds in the second half to deal with. Finding chip drop-off was only lapse. Course drink stations were scant in the first 10-15K but more cropped up in the second half. Water, tea (strange) and sports-drink (strangely fizzy) on the course and staffed by friendly folk throughout. Only one first aid tent on the entire course. Nice medal, fun pasta party, and indoor/rockstar finish. Almost 27K in the race - seems like it was in the shadow of Berlin's race two weeks earlier where the world record was set. Glad I ran it and hope to do more Int'l runs soon.
David Trevino from Arlington, VA (10/28/2013) "Great Experience and Run" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This being my 1st time running a marathon in Europe, I was a little worried, with flying West to East, and overcoming jet lag - it was not a real factor. I practiced the advice that I read on line on overcoming jet lag and it worked almost to perfection (i.e., before leaving the U.S., a few days in advance, start going to bed early and waking up early. Drink alot of water, and no caffine, or alcohol, during the flight over. There are other things one can do to also add to overcoming jet lag - just goggle it. About the race. Great organization; the course is flat and fast, and a PR is definitely possible (my time was 3:54:59 - not a personal best - but having not run in the sub 4 category for awhile due to injuries, I was very pleased, and I earned another BQ); great crowd support; plenty of water stations throughout the course; and, the expo was also good. Overall, the whole event was outstanding. (There may have been a few things that were a little troublesome, but what the heck - just running a marathon in Europe - that is an experience that will last for years in memories, and overshadow an minor 'cons' there may have been. The people of Frankfurt, Germany, were friendly, and as a person who does not speak fluent German, everyone seemed to go out of their way to assist in answering any questions you may have. I would highly recommend this race to anyone who is planning a run in Europe. One final note - the host hotel, Movenpick, is the plase to stay if you do decide to run in any future BMW Frankfurt Marathon. The hotel is right next to the start and finish line of the race, and the finish is an experience like no other - the finish line takes you right into the building with strobe lights, and cheering support. BMW Frankfurt Marathon is totally awesome.
T. v. from Frankfurt, Germany (10/27/2013) "Extremely fast course" (about: 2013) 2 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 By fare the fastest course. If you out for a new PR (personal record) than you should go with Frankfurt. Everything is managed extremely well so you won't have difficulties.
Helen Poon from Heidelberg, Germany (4/12/2013) "somewhat chaotic at the start, overall good" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 There's a lot to see at the running expo! The goody bag is fine enough. At the start, there were just too many people, it took me some time to find the starting point. The course is rather flat, though not very beautiful. There were many bands on the way, which made the race festive and fun. Gel was provided after 15km(not sure if I remember it right). The finishing place is just too big. You had to walk around the square to get everything. Also, you need to go up to the hall for other stuff......which could be difficult for someone having just finished a marathon.
K. M. from Liverpool, England (10/31/2012) "Loved this race!" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Frankfurt Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The BMW Frankfurt Marathon delivered everything that was promised and more. This race has the feel of a major without all the congestion and hassle. It is primarily flat with excellent PB potential. Travelling to Frankfurt was a breeze. The Expo was a good size with lots of interesting stalls. On the day, the weather was cold and sunny which was perfect. We stayed right near the start which was perfect for a last minute pitstop. The course was really well supported with fans and music. It is probably more a 4.5 than a 5, although I gave it a 5 for the laser light finish in the Festehalle! It starts off winding around the city, and then heads out along the river and then back for a few more loops around the city. At times there was some narrowing of the course where I had to slow down, but I did not mind this because it was in the beginning and helped me keep my pace in check. I never had to stop or anything - just slight congestion. Some people have complained about a dreary part around 30-35 km, but I didn't notice this at all. Even still, they added bands here every 500 meters to make it more interesting, which demonstrates the organisers' commitment to improvement. The finish in the Festehalle was spectacular, as were the goodies on offer after - bread and alcohol-free beer to name a few. I wasn't such a fan of the painted hard boiled eggs in the pre-race goodie bag, but you can't have everything. My only complaint is that the bag drop off was very overcrowded, and I wish they would only permit non-runners into this area. It was probably more crowded than usual because of the cold weather, but there was a serious risk of a stampede trying to get to the start. Apart from that, everything was great and I would highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a good time in Europe.
P. D. from Philadelphia, USA (10/31/2012) "Great Finish, rest of the race not so good." (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Frankfurt Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 One very good feature of this Marathon is the finish inside the Feste Hall, when you run indoors on the red carpet with thumping music, cheerleaders and flashing lights. On the not so good side, this was the first marathon for me where the shirt cost 30 euros and chip rental was six euros, normally these are included in the entry price. The chip needed to be returned to avoid another 25 euros cost, which would not be a problem except that the return location was on the third floor of the building which even with escalators, was not easy as there were very many people about. The course is extremely flat but as you can see from the map, it has many turns during the first 8 miles. These turns and the very narrow course lanes made for a slow first 3-4 miles. This is probably not a marathon worth travelling to.

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Marathon Details - Frankfurt Marathon