Rotterdam Marathon

The Netherlands' spring speed race, held in April on a flat course that the organizers rank among the fastest marathons in the world. It is the natural pick for anyone who prefers to train through winter and race before the warm months. Getting a place is the hard part. All 18,000 entries for the April 11, 2027, race were taken after some 70,000 people pre-registered, so it rewards planning a year out. As with Amsterdam, the overall sub-three-hour rate is modest for a fast course, a sign of a broad, popular field rather than a slow route, and runners chasing a time should expect crowded early miles.