The Amsterdam Marathon runs through everyday city life

Editors · 9 October 2026

On 17 and 18 October the Olympic Stadium anchors a weekend of races. Along the route, residents and visitors will encounter closures and altered transport.

Runners in the 2016 Amsterdam Marathon; archive photograph, not the 2026 edition. · Photo: Franklin Heijnen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Image

Amsterdam revolves around the marathon on 17 and 18 October 2026. Saturday’s programme includes children’s runs and a 7.5-kilometre race. On Sunday the full marathon starts at 9 am and the half marathon at 1.20 pm. Starts and finishes are at the Olympic Stadium.

The stadium itself is a viewing point: according to the organiser, grandstand access is free. Marathon runners depart in waves from the stadium and Stadionweg. The start is therefore a flow of runners into the city rather than a single instant.

The route passes through Vondelpark, beneath the Rijksmuseum, along the Zuidas and then for a long stretch beside the Amstel. Runners return through the city to the stadium. Spectators can choose between the large start area and smaller spots along the course.

The marathon gate of the Olympic Stadium in 2011; not a photograph of the 2026 edition. · Photo: Paul Berendsen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image

For residents, the course has another meaning. The organiser lists closures by district for Saturday and Sunday; on Sunday those around the stadium and Amstelveenseweg broadly run from 6 am to 7 pm. The city asks drivers on the route to move their vehicles before 11 pm on Saturday.

Public transport changes on race day too. Amstelveenseweg metro station closes on Sunday from 1 to 6 pm, while trams and buses run altered services. The organiser recommends arrival via Amsterdam Zuid station. Check the current route and traffic measures just before travelling; the published times are approximate.