Preparation guide · TCS Amsterdam Marathon
Amsterdam Marathon 2027: split times, aid stations and how to run it
The next edition is on Sunday 17 October 2027 (provisional date: the organisers haven't confirmed it yet; in 2026 it was held on 18 October. Start time is indicative), starting in Amsterdam (Olympic Stadium, Netherlands) at 9:30. Here you have the Amsterdam Marathon route, split times for your target, what's at each aid station, how many gels to carry and the usual weather.
Amsterdam Marathon: route and profile
Stations from the official 2026 website: «water and/or sports drink depending on the station»; the two gels are Maurten Gel 100.
The course, section by section
| Section | Length | What it's like and how to run it |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Olympic Stadium → Vondelpark and Rijksmuseum km 0 | 8 km | Out of the stadium, through the Vondelpark and under the Rijksmuseum passage, with big crowds. Narrow streets at first: don't zigzag to overtake, it costs metres and energy. Target pace from km 3. |
| 2. Southern and western districts km 8 | 11 km | Flat avenues through residential districts, with the odd bridge over the canals. A comfortable stretch: drink at every station and take your first gel around km 10; the organisers' one comes at km 18. |
| 3. River Amstel (out and back) km 19 | 14 km | The long, straight stretch along the River Amstel, out to Ouderkerk and back, with fewer spectators and exposed to the wind. Find a group and tuck in if it's windy: you'll have it in your face either out or back. Hold the effort, not the pace. Organisers' gel at km 30. |
| 4. Back into the city km 33 | 7 km | Back along the Amstel and through the eastern districts towards the centre, with the crowds returning. The crowds help, but don't surge: hold your pace until km 38 and then push. |
| 5. Vondelpark and finish in the stadium km 40 | 2.2 km | Last pass through the Vondelpark and into the Olympic Stadium, finishing on the track. Whatever you have left, here. Enjoy the lap on the track. |
Route keys
- It's flat and fast, one of the good marathons for a personal best. The start and finish are at the Olympic Stadium, with the final metres inside the stadium: save something to enjoy them.
- The organisers' gels are just two: Maurten Gel 100 (25 g of carbs) at km 18 and 30. The rest are liquid stations, with water or sports drink depending on the station: check which before taking a cup. Carry more of your own gels.
- Between km 20 and 35 you run along the Amstel river, on a long, straight stretch with fewer spectators and exposed to the wind. Find a group and hold the effort, not the pace.
- October mornings in Amsterdam are usually cool and damp (with wind): wear clothing you can throw away at the start. Warm up little and don't get cold waiting.
2 more keys in WinWatts: with the forecast for the days before, the wind and heat, and your split times at your pace.
Split times
At an even pace (we haven't loaded the official track yet, so climbs and descents aren't adjusted: use it as a reference), with the clock time counted from the 09:30 gun. If you start from a later corral or wave, add the time it takes you to cross the start. Write yours down or wear them on a pace band: watch GPS usually reads long.
| Point | 3 h | 3 h 30 | 4 h | 4 h 30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average pace | 4:16 /km | 4:59 /km | 5:41 /km | 6:24 /km |
| km 5 | 0:21:20 9:51 | 0:24:53 9:54 | 0:28:26 9:58 | 0:32:00 10:02 |
| km 10 | 0:42:40 10:12 | 0:49:46 10:19 | 0:56:53 10:26 | 1:03:59 10:33 |
| km 15 | 1:03:59 10:33 | 1:14:39 10:44 | 1:25:19 10:55 | 1:35:59 11:05 |
| km 20 | 1:25:19 10:55 | 1:39:32 11:09 | 1:53:45 11:23 | 2:07:59 11:37 |
| Halfway | 1:30:00 11:00 | 1:45:00 11:15 | 2:00:00 11:30 | 2:15:00 11:45 |
| km 25 | 1:46:39 11:16 | 2:04:25 11:34 | 2:22:12 11:52 | 2:39:58 12:09 |
| km 30 | 2:07:59 11:37 | 2:29:18 11:59 | 2:50:38 12:20 | 3:11:58 12:41 |
| km 35 | 2:29:18 11:59 | 2:54:11 12:24 | 3:19:05 12:49 | 3:43:58 13:13 |
| km 40 | 2:50:38 12:20 | 3:19:05 12:49 | 3:47:31 13:17 | 4:15:57 13:45 |
| Finish | 3:00:00 12:30 | 3:30:00 13:00 | 4:00:00 13:30 | 4:30:00 14:00 |
Aid stations: what's there and how much to drink
For a typical runner finishing in about 3 h 30: sip without stopping and take each gel just before an aid station, to wash it down with water. The organisers hand out gels at km 18 and 30: if they match your plan, those are gels you don't need to carry.
| Where | What's there | Time (for 3 h 30) | You |
|---|---|---|---|
| km 5.0 | water, sports drink | 9:55 | ~200 ml |
| km 8.0 | water, sports drink | 10:10 | ~100 ml · gel just before |
| km 11.0 | water, sports drink | 10:25 | ~100 ml |
| km 16.0 | water, sports drink | 10:50 | ~200 ml |
| km 18.0 | gels | 11:00 | ~100 ml · gel: theirs or yours |
| km 20.0 | water, sports drink | 11:10 | ~100 ml · gel just before |
| km 25.0 | water, sports drink | 11:34 | ~200 ml |
| km 27.0 | water, sports drink | 11:44 | ~100 ml |
| km 30.0 | gels | 11:59 | ~100 ml · gel just before |
| km 31.0 | water, sports drink | 12:04 | ~100 ml |
| km 33.0 | water, sports drink | 12:14 | ~100 ml |
| km 35.0 | water, sports drink | 12:24 | ~100 ml · gel just before |
| km 38.0 | water, sports drink | 12:39 | ~100 ml |
| km 40.5 | water, sports drink | 12:52 | ~100 ml |
How many gels and how much to drink
What a typical runner (68 kg) needs depending on their time, with 35 g gels. When running the stomach tolerates less than on the bike: more than 60 g of carbs per hour only if you've trained it. Gels alone don't reach that figure (the first one comes around 45 minutes and none are due in the last half hour): the rest comes from drinking sports drink instead of water at a few aid stations.
| Time | Carbs per hour | Gels | Total drink | Sodium per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 h | 60 g/h | 4 × 35 g | 1.5 l | 300 mg/h |
| 3 h 30 | 60 g/h | 5 × 35 g | 1.8 l | 300 mg/h |
| 4 h | 60 g/h | 5 × 35 g | 2.0 l | 300 mg/h |
| 4 h 30 | 60 g/h | 6 × 35 g | 2.2 l | 300 mg/h |
Nothing new on race day: gels, breakfast, shoes and socks, all tested on your long runs. Vaseline on your feet, groin and armpits, and protect your nipples. If it's cold at the start, wait in your corral in old clothes you can throw away.
Amsterdam Marathon: weather in mid-October
What the weather was like during the race (from the start to the finish of a 3:30 runner) in recent editions:
| Year | Low | High | Rain | Max wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 13 ºC | 16 ºC | 0.0 mm | 28 km/h |
| 2023 | 8 ºC | 11 ºC | 0.5 mm | 22 km/h |
| 2024 | 14 ºC | 16 ºC | 0.1 mm | 30 km/h |
| 2025 | 7 ºC | 11 ºC | 0.0 mm | 15 km/h |
| 2026 | 10 ºC | 11 ºC | 1.7 mm | 17 km/h |
When running, heat slows you down: allow roughly 2 % more time for every 5 ºC above 12 ºC.
Your Amsterdam Marathon, tailored to you
This guide uses a typical runner. In WinWatts we calculate it with your data:
- Your time, your pace and your split times from your threshold pace and the expected heat.
- The race-day forecast, and what to wear at the start and during the race.
- How much to drink at each aid station and where to take each gel, with your own gels.
- Your training plan until Sunday 17 October 2027, adjusted every week to how you're doing.
WinWatts is not affiliated with the organisers of the Amsterdam Marathon. Dates, routes, schedules and registration: official website. Aid stations from the official website (2026 edition); track not loaded yet (split times at an even pace); weather from past editions (Open-Meteo). For guidance only: it doesn't replace advice from a health professional.