No Amsterdam Marathon in city center; Area too crowded for safe event
The Amsterdam Marathon cannot return to the city center. Research shows that the area’s narrow streets and historic buildings, combined with its crowds, make it unfeasible for the sporting event to safely take place, director René Wit told Parool.
In the past, the marathon went through part of the old city center. The current route runs mainly through the southern part of the city, with the start and finish traditionally located in the Olympic stadium.
Over the past two years, the organization behind the marathon worked with the municipality, public transport company GVB, the police, and the fire department to investigate whether it was possible to return the Amsterdam Marathon to the city center. Organizer Le Champion wanted to increase the attractiveness of the international marathon while showcasing more of Amsterdam’s most recognizable neighborhoods and creating a faster course for the participants.
The idea was for the route to run along the Prins Hendrikkade, Central Station, Damrak, Dam, Rokin, and Vijzelstraat, among other places.
“But that is one of the busiest parts of Amsterdam, perhaps of the entire Netherlands, certainly on a Sunday,” Wit said. “Combined with the city’s infrastructure, with many narrow streets and historic buildings, it is not responsibly feasible to hold the marathon here.”
The route will therefore remain as is. This year, the Amsterdam Marathon takes place on Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18. All 32,000 tickets for the full marathon and 15,000 tickets for the half marathon have already been scooped up.
