Running the Amsterdam Marathon: a race weekend in Amsterdam

I ran the Amsterdam Marathon in October 2022 on a month of no running. I was injured, and it was a last-minute decision: someone offered me their place, the flights were cheap, so I went for it. What could go wrong?

The first half went fine, around 1:45. Then my calf started complaining, and from about 25 km the cramp set in. It turned into a lot of stop-start: walk 200 metres, jog 800, repeat, in the rain and the wind. I scraped in under four hours, in 3:51, and was happy with that as my first proper run in a month.

Saturday had been race pack pickup and a bit of touristing. Sunday night was a huge Italian dinner at Bar Italia, which I'd recommend to anyone who's just run 26.2 miles. Great food.

I went back in May 2026 for a very different weekend: part two of my stag do. A boat round the canals, the Heineken tour, and a Spartan Super on the beach at Zandvoort.

Amsterdam at a glance


Getting there	Cheap flights, booked last minute
Where I stayed	Near the airport, with an easy bus into town
Marathon time	3:51:11, injured and undertrained

The marathon weekend

The finish is in the Olympic Stadium, and it's amazing: a lap of the track with the stands either side. Somehow, after 20-odd kilometres of walking and jogging, I found a sprint finish down the home straight.

TOP TIP: Don't run it injured, on a month of no training. I got away with it. Mostly.

Canals, beer and a Spartan race

In 2026 I did Amsterdam properly, as part two of my stag do. My brother organised it, so all I had to do was turn up. We went out on a canal boat tour (a shared one, not a private boat), then did the Heineken Experience, which is worth it.

On the Sunday we got the train out to Zandvoort, on the coast, for a Spartan Super. Running a Spartan on the beach is great fun.

TOP TIP: Watch out for jellyfish.

Quick answers

Is the Amsterdam Marathon good for a first marathon? Yes. There's loads of crowd support, and finishing in the Olympic Stadium is something else.

Is the Heineken Experience worth it? Yes.

How do you get to Zandvoort from Amsterdam? By train. It's easy.

Would I go back?

I already have. It's a great city for a weekend away, race or no race.

A weekend in Amsterdam is easy to sort from the UK. Pick a race, or don't, and go.