Course Map
About this Race
The Haspa Marathon Hamburg is Germany's largest spring marathon, a flat and fast loop through the elegant northern port city, circling the shimmering Alster lakes and tracing tree-lined avenues and the harbor district. The smooth, wide roads and gentle profile make it a genuine personal-best course, second only to Berlin among German races for speed potential. Run in late April, it usually offers cool, steady conditions ideal for hard racing, with a finish near the exhibition halls. Crowds are warm and well-distributed, and the few rises are minor enough to reward an aggressive, even pace. It suits time-focused runners who want a fast, friendly spring race without the scale and lottery of the majors.
Course Insight
Hamburg is Germany's spring fast course, a flat, friendly loop that sweeps around the Alster lake and down through the harbour on broad roads with steady crowds. With almost nothing in the way of climbs, it's a genuine personal-best hunting ground, which means the only real trap is your own enthusiasm on the open early kilometres. April conditions are usually cool and helpful. Save something for the long city stretches in the back half where the field thins and the wind can find you. Run it as a disciplined time trial and the flatness pays out.
Difficulty Breakdown
A balanced marathon with no single defining challenge.
Course Details
- Course type
- Loop
- Elevation gain
- 135m
- Elevation loss
- 135m
- Highest point
- 39m
- Lowest point
- 4m
- Net drop
- 0m
- Start
- Karolinenstraße
- Cutoff time
- 6h 0m
Course Records
Race History
The Haspa Marathon Hamburg was first held in 1986 and quickly established itself as Germany's largest spring marathon. Run on a flat, fast course looping around the city's Alster lakes and elegant districts, it became a favorite for personal bests and has hosted German national records over the years. From its early field it grew into a major fixture on the German running calendar, second only to Berlin among the country's marathons. Held each spring, it now draws tens of thousands of runners through the northern port city.
Plan Your Trip
Everything you need to know to get there, get settled, and get to the start line.
- Nearest airport(s)
- Hamburg (HAM), Bremen (BRE) & Hannover (HAJ)
- Best area to stay
- The Altstadt for central hotels near the route, St. Pauli for nightlife and lively stays on the course, and around the Alster lake for scenic, quieter hotels.
- Getting to the start
- The start is near the Messehallen; take the U-Bahn or S-Bahn to Messehallen or Dammtor and walk to the start area.