RacesIndependent race preparation guide

Helsinki, Finland · 42.195 km road marathon

Helsinki City Marathon 2027

Saturday 8 May 2027

Two laps of a half-marathon loop from the Olympic Stadium, out across the Lauttasaari bridge and back through parks, with six hours counted from the last starter.

Helsinki City Marathon at a glance

Start: 09:30 (under four hours) and 09:40 (over four hours), Mäntymäentie by the Paavo Nurmi statue
Finish: Helsinki Olympic Stadium
Course: Two laps of a flat loop through parks with sea views, AIMS certified; 2027 route not yet confirmed
Elevation: From about sea level to 21 m
Time limit: Six hours from the moment the last runner crosses the start line
Cut-offs: Checkpoints along the route; places and times not published
Entry: Open; first price band until 31 October 2026, no refund without cancellation insurance
Bib pickup: Race Office; marathon bibs by 08:40 on race day (Saturday) at the latest
Aid stations: In 2026 the only gel station was at about 30.6 km, on lap two

Checked against the organizer's pages on 16 September 2026. Facts for the next edition can still change; the organizer's page is the final word.

Compare it with other races; no account needed.

Build my race-day sheet View my training plan Official race information

Helsinki City Marathon course map and elevation

Two laps of a flat loop through parks with sea views, AIMS certified; 2027 route not yet confirmed. Map, elevation profile and 3D flyover.

Loading topographic map…

running direction two lines: out and back on the same road race kilometresCourse: Helsinki City Run / Racedaymap

Flat (<5%)

Organizer-published 2026 course file; the next edition's route may differ. For illustration, not navigation.

What to expect on the course

South along Mannerheimintie and the Baana to Ruoholahti, then across the Lauttasaari bridge
Through Kaskisaari, Lehtisaari and Kuusisaari, back via Meilahti, Seurasaari, Pikku Huopalahti and Laakso
Lap two is diverted onto the Töölönlahti shore path

The map shows the organizer's current two-lap course from the Olympic Stadium; it is not yet confirmed for 2027.

Read the full course description

Two laps of the half-marathon loop from the Olympic Stadium: south along Mannerheimintie and the Baana corridor to Ruoholahti, across the Lauttasaari bridge and through Kaskisaari, Lehtisaari and Kuusisaari, then back through Meilahti, Seurasaari, Pikku Huopalahti and Laakso to the stadium. The second lap is diverted onto the Toolonlahti shore path. The organizer describes flat paths, parks and sea views on an AIMS-certified course.

Source, licence and file

Racedaymap reference, checked 2026. Course: Helsinki City Run / Racedaymap · Source and attribution · original source · Download reference GPX (42.3 km in the file). Approximate heights supplied in the source file, not a certified climb measurement.

Three decisions to make before race day

Pick the wave that matches your target and clear pickup by 08:40

Wave 1 at 09:30 is for targets under four hours, wave 2 at 09:40 for over four. Collect your bib at the Race Office before 08:40 on race morning and be in the southern stadium square by 09:20.

More detail
Wave 1 at 09:30 is for targets under four hours and wave 2 at 09:40 for over four hours. Everyone must be in the southern stadium square by 09:20, and marathon bibs must be collected from the Race Office before 08:40 on Saturday, so a same-morning pickup leaves no slack.
Treat lap one as reconnaissance of lap two, including the fuelling gap

The marathon runs the half-marathon loop twice with a different shore path on the second lap, and in 2026 the only gel station was on the second round at about 30.6 km. Decide before the start whether you carry your own gels for the first 30 km.
Budget against the course clock, not your chip time

Six hours count from when the last runner crosses the start line, and unpublished checkpoints must also be met. Slower runners should start at 09:40 and hand in personal refreshments between 07:30 and 08:40.

More detail
The six-hour limit is counted from the moment the last runner crosses the start line and must be met at checkpoints whose locations and times are unpublished. Slower finishers should start in the 09:40 group and hand in personal refreshments between 07:30 and 08:40.

Your race-day sheet

Even elapsed splits for 42.195 km. All clocks are local to Helsinki.

Target finish time, including stops

HoursMinutes

Total stopped minutes Your start time (local)

The initial value is the first published start, not your assigned wave. Europe/Helsinki.

Time limit: Six hours from the moment the last runner crosses the start line

How this sheet applies the limit

The organizer states a six-hour maximum counted from the moment the last runner crosses the start line, with checkpoints along the route that must also be met. Checkpoint locations and clock times are not published. This sheet applies six hours from your own start, which is the same or slightly stricter than the course clock; it does not validate any intermediate checkpoint.

A timing comparison, not a fitness assessment. Intermediate cutoffs, queues, weather and terrain are not modelled. Stops are spread evenly in the illustration; actual checkpoint times will differ.

ESTIMATED FINISH

13:30:00

MOVING PACE BUDGET

5:34/ km

ELAPSED PACE

5:41/ km

120 min below the modelled finish limit

Distance markers, not aid stations or guaranteed arrival times.
Distance	Elapsed	Local clock
5 km	00:28:26	09:58:26
10 km	00:56:53	10:26:53
15 km	01:25:19	10:55:19
20 km	01:53:45	11:23:45
Halfway	02:00:00	11:30:00
25 km	02:22:12	11:52:12
30 km	02:50:38	12:20:38
35 km	03:19:05	12:49:05
40 km	03:47:31	13:17:31
Finish	04:00:00	13:30:00

Training plan for Helsinki City Marathon 2027

A free week-by-week plan dated to this race. It starts from a stated default (weekly distance, longest recent run, days a week) that you can change; nothing is read from your watch or training history. It does not use the finish-time target above.

View my training plan

No account required. Keep a fixed copy, download the calendar or get a subscription URL for Google or Apple Calendar.

Entry, bib pickup and rules

Entry:: Open; first price band until 31 October 2026, no refund without cancellation insurance
Bib pickup:: Race Office; marathon bibs by 08:40 on race day (Saturday) at the latest

Read the full entry and pickup rules

Direct registration is open, with the first price band running to 31 October 2026. Entries cannot be cancelled or refunded unless cancellation insurance was bought at registration; a transfer to another runner carries a re-registration fee. Minimum age is 18 in the event year.

Sources

Checked 16 September 2026; next review due 2026-10-26. Event facts come from the organizer; the pacing sheet, decisions and plan are TrailSplits' own. Independently prepared by TrailSplits, not endorsed by the organizer.

What each source confirms

Official marathon page: 8 May 2027 date and 47th edition, start place and waves, six-hour limit, net timing, entry fee bands, bib-pickup deadline, aid stations, AIMS statement and the embedded Racedaymap course.
Official runner information: Limit counted from the last starter, checkpoints, Race Office location and hours, and the preliminary 2027 schedule.
Official 2026 refreshment stations (PDF): 2026 station distances, two-lap structure and the 42.195 km finish at the Olympic Stadium. A 2026 document, not the 2027 plan.