Back to Frankfurt Marathon Information & Reviews
T. K. from Brussels, Belgium
(11/6/2011)
"excellent race" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Frankfurt Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race was great, very flat course, ideal weather-end of October, expo very cool- open even on Sunday after the race,spectators were unbelievable, one of them gave me a musli bar at ca. 28th km :-D. I already ran in Berlin, Rotterdam, etc. and have to say that Frankfurt is fully comparable to Berlin as for the quality and overall impressions, just a bit smaller. Very well organized, start and finish is directly at the Frankfurt expo premises. All in all, a perfect experience. I can warmly recommend this race to both beginners and experienced marathoners. Well done, Frankfurt! | |
Nym Lotay from london, england
(11/5/2011)
"sikhs in the city in Frankfurt" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Frankfurt Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 this has to be one of the best organized races i have ever had the pleasure of running in. Jo Schindler's team do an excellent job. The expo is cool; the race directions clear and simple; the support on the route is better than i would have ever considered. The breakfast run a day before is also worth taking part in. I am great fan of the Frankfurt race and i would do it again and again. See you all soon. Nym | |
P. S. from Frankfurt, Germany
(11/15/2010)
"Great first marathon!" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Frankfurt Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and it couldn't have been more enjoyable! The weather was perfect, the crowds in the street were really motivating, and the organization was very good, especially with the huge number of runners there. I really liked that drinking stations were found every 5K. The red carpet finish was also nice, although I think I prefer the Frankfurt Half-Marathon finish in the Commerzbank Arena. The loops in the city center are not so bad, and it actually helps to meet friends and family along the way. That's where most of the supporters are anyway! My only complaint is that there were no vegetarian options at the food stands at the arrival - apart from bananas, that is! | |
l. f. from Madrid
(11/11/2010)
"A flat course for a personal best" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Frankfurt Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I've just run Frankfurt, and I must said: it's a very good race and it's my 12th marathon so far. We stayed at the Movenpick, which is conveniently located 300 meters away from the start and the finish of the race (and from the expo, where the races finishes) Excellent organization. The only downside is that there's little in the way of communication and signals in English (everything is in German). The race is very flat but for a small hill in the first kilometers (around 5K in - but is very small) and there's another even smaller one somewhere after 38. Overall, flat as a pancake and great for a personal best. I PRed, anyway. Drink stations are conveniently located every 5K, and you have cups (not bottles - sorry!) with water and some German isotonic drink. The finish inside the expo is spectacular. Regarding the turns that we all feared, they were not bad at all. In net, one of the best races to run if you want to make a personal best. | |
K. L. from Brussels, Belgium
(11/1/2010)
"Great course, well organized" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Frankfurt Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I thought the course for the Frankfurt Marathon was really great. No problem at all with the turns around the center - in fact, this was the most fun part. Occasionally the course was a little crowded in some narrow sections, so make sure you are in the good starting group. Organization was excellent. Only negative: the relay runners. Some of the relay teams get together again to cross the finish line, so I finished amongst a bunch of fresh relay runners, not beaten-down marathon runners like me. Would be better if relay runners could run separately. | |
B. F. from Stockholm, Sweden
(2/2/2010)
"Good Marathon" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Frankfurt Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my second marathon in Germany, having run the Hamburg Marathon last year. I love running in Germany as compared to Sweden - the spectators are so much more supportive there . To be honest, I was not too excited about the course. I thought there were too many twists and turns in the city center. Also, from a psychological point of view, it is not good to run close to the finish area when you still have about 7 KM to run. The course was also fairly boring with nothing much to look at. However. the course was very flat and I ran a PB of exactly 8 minutes, so it was a great experience anyway. I could see myself coming back to Frankfurt to run again. | |
S. C. from Portland, Oregon - USA
(11/1/2009)
"Good Tour of Frankfurt" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Frankfurt Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I agree with the previous commentator regarding the twists and turns. This was especially pronounced in the last three to four kilometers, when we retraced the starting route before heading into Festhelle for the grand finale. Spectators along the course were non-stop, and the makeshift neighborhood tents and benches serving beer looked so enticing...! Music along the course was great - almost felt like a "Rock and Roll Marathon" here in the States. Speaking of the grand finale, I have not seen a better finish. Indoor arena, lined with spectators, red carpets for the last ~50 yards, sparkling confetti, plumes of dry ice, cheerleaders, no fewer than four video cameras projecting your image, live, on four large displays, all in a festival hall intended for a grand Oktoberfest party...! Aid stations were very organized and well staffed and abundant. Between Prague, Torino, Great Wall, and my other 14 marathons in the US, Frankfurt definitely had them beat in this arena. Weather was great - it led to the top three finishers all breaking last year's new course record, with the winner taking home US $142,000! TV coverage was great. Actual course video results of your run and the available DVD are cool for a traveling marathoner to take home as a memento. Oh, and the medal was big and nice, too! Great marathon for anyone running marathons to tour different countries. | |
Tony Collier from Manchester England
(10/28/2009)
"Horrible course twisted and turned around the city" (about: 2009)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Frankfurt Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The course twisted and turned around the city center so much - with a huge amount of doubling back on yourself - that it became utterly tedious and very unattractive to run. The crowds, however, were great, and the organization was of a high standard if not perfect (the drinks area at the finish should have been the first thing available, not the last; and there were not enough toilets at the start - 35 for 8,000 people!). Brussels and Amsterdam are much nicer courses to run. | |
robin ruston from grimsby north east england
(10/28/2008)
"fast course" (about: 2008)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Frankfurt Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 First time for me in the Frankfurt Marathon, and I thought the course was very good for a fast time. The leg massage, free and given by students, was great. So were the free food and the beer. The drummers on the route were fantastic, and there was a great indoor finish at the end. I will be back for sure. | |
Nicholas Krenytzky from Frankfurt, Germany
(1/12/2008)
"What a finish!" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Frankfurt Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon was organized very well, though the start and first 7 KM were pretty cramped. The near proximity of the spectators was great. I could even (briefly) greet my family at KM 35. The finish was the highlight: "Red carpet" in the Festhalle with music, laser shows and the works! That was worth all the pain. |
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