Göteborgsvarvet

Göteborgsvarvet is the world's largest half marathon, drawing tens of thousands of runners onto the streets of Gothenburg, Sweden every May. First held in 1980, the race has grown into a city-wide festival: over 200,000 spectators line the 21.1 km course, and roughly 50 live music stations keep runners moving from start to finish. The race starts on Margretebergsgatan, a fixed location since 1982, and finishes inside the historic Slottsskogsvallen athletics arena in Slottsskogen park. Runners cross two landmark bridges, the Älvsborg Bridge and the modern Hisingsbron, with panoramic views of Gothenburg's harbor and archipelago, before passing along Avenyn, the city's grand boulevard. Because it fills up almost instantly (the 2027 edition sold out within three days of registration opening, immediately after the 2026 race finished), Göteborgsvarvet has an official waiting list for runners who miss the initial window. Alongside the main 21 km race, the event weekend includes shorter companion runs (Specialvarvet, Cityvarvet, Stafettvarvet relay, and youth races Minivarvet and Lilla Varvet) for a broader range of runners and families.