Preparation guide · NN Marathon Rotterdam
Rotterdam Marathon 2027: split times, aid stations and how to run it
The next edition is on Sunday 11 April 2027, starting in Rotterdam (Schiedamsedijk, by the Erasmus Bridge, Netherlands) at 10:00. Here you have the Rotterdam Marathon route, split times for your target, what's at each aid station, how many gels to carry and the usual weather.
Rotterdam Marathon: route and profile
Official 2026 route (organisers' GPX). Wave starts from 10:00 to 10:28 on Schiedamsedijk; finish on the Coolsingel. Time limit 5 h 30, with cut-offs at halfway (2 h 45) and at km 28 (3 h 40).
No hills that change your pace: what matters is starting under control, and the wind.
Route keys
- It's very flat (about 15 m of elevation gain, almost all on the bridges): a PB course. What matters most here is the wind: on the flat Dutch landscape there's nowhere to hide, so run in a group whenever you can.
- There are intermediate cut-offs: halfway in 2 h 45 and km 28 in 3 h 40, and you must have crossed back over the Erasmus Bridge (km 27) before 14:15. Overall time limit, 5 h 30. If you're heading for more than 5 h, check your split times.
- Aid stations only every 5 km (water and AA Drink sports drink), with bananas at km 20, tea at 25 and a gel at 34. In between there are only sponges: carry your gels and drink at every station, even if you're not thirsty.
- The Erasmus Bridge is crossed right after the start and again at km 27: they're the only «climbs» of the day. Take it easy on the way out, there are 41 km ahead, and don't waste energy overtaking on the way down.
4 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 (the profile hardly changes anything), with the clock time counted from the 10:00 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 | 0:21:22 10:21 | 0:24:55 10:24 | 0:28:29 10:28 | 0:32:02 10:32 |
| km 10 | 0:42:38 10:42 | 0:49:44 10:49 | 0:56:50 10:56 | 1:03:56 11:03 |
| km 15 | 1:03:56 11:03 | 1:14:35 11:14 | 1:25:15 11:25 | 1:35:54 11:35 |
| km 20 | 1:25:15 11:25 | 1:39:28 11:39 | 1:53:40 11:53 | 2:07:53 12:07 |
| Halfway | 1:29:58 11:29 | 1:44:58 11:44 | 1:59:57 11:59 | 2:14:57 12:14 |
| km 25 | 1:46:38 11:46 | 2:04:24 12:04 | 2:22:10 12:22 | 2:39:56 12:39 |
| km 30 | 2:07:57 12:07 | 2:29:16 12:29 | 2:50:36 12:50 | 3:11:55 13:11 |
| km 35 | 2:29:12 12:29 | 2:54:04 12:54 | 3:18:57 13:18 | 3:43:49 13:43 |
| km 40 | 2:50:36 12:50 | 3:19:01 13:19 | 3:47:27 13:47 | 4:15:53 14:15 |
| Finish | 3:00:00 13:00 | 3:30:00 13:30 | 4:00:00 14:00 | 4:30:00 14:30 |
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 34: 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 | 10:25 | ~200 ml |
| km 10.0 | water, sports drink | 10:49 | ~200 ml · gel just before |
| km 15.0 | water, sports drink | 11:14 | ~200 ml · gel just before |
| km 20.0 | water, sports drink, fruit | 11:39 | ~200 ml · gel just before |
| km 25.0 | water, sports drink, tea | 12:04 | ~200 ml |
| km 30.0 | water, sports drink | 12:29 | ~200 ml · gel just before |
| km 34.0 | organiser gels | 12:49 | no gel due here |
| km 35.0 | water, sports drink | 12:54 | ~200 ml |
| km 40.0 | water, sports drink | 13:19 | ~200 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.
Rotterdam Marathon: weather in mid-April
What the weather was like during the race (from 10:00 to the finish of a 3:30 runner) in recent editions:
| Year | Low | High | Rain | Max wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7 ºC | 10 ºC | 0.2 mm | 11 km/h |
| 2023 | 8 ºC | 9 ºC | 0.0 mm | 20 km/h |
| 2024 | 12 ºC | 13 ºC | 0.0 mm | 14 km/h |
| 2025 | 13 ºC | 16 ºC | 0.0 mm | 22 km/h |
| 2026 | 9 ºC | 12 ºC | 0.0 mm | 16 km/h |
When running, heat slows you down: allow roughly 2 % more time for every 5 ºC above 12 ºC.
Your Rotterdam 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 11 April 2027, adjusted every week to how you're doing.
WinWatts is not affiliated with the organisers of the Rotterdam Marathon. Dates, routes, schedules and registration: official website. Route measured on the official 2026 GPX (elevation added by WinWatts); schedule, cut-offs and aid stations from the official 2027 event information; weather from past editions (Open-Meteo). For guidance only: it doesn't replace advice from a health professional.