Enschede Marathon

The Enschede Marathon is the oldest marathon in the Netherlands and Western Europe, first run in 1947, and the 2027 edition marks 80 years since that first race. It starts at 10:00 on Boulevard 1945 and follows a fast, certified course over the University of Twente campus, along a stretch of the F35 bicycle highway and through H.J. van Heekpark, finishing in the city centre. The 2026 edition drew a record field of more than 20,000 runners across all distances, about 4,000 of them in the marathon, from 46 countries. Water and sports food are offered roughly every 2.5 km, pacers run the course, and the time limit is 5.5 hours. The marathon distance is run as the Elektramat Marathon.