When you run the Stockholm Marathon, you also get a tour of the Swedish capital. Photos: Tommy Berlin and Rickard Forsberg/Stockholm Marathon

Stockholm Marathon has earned a place among the world’s top marathons. Every year in late May or early June, it’s time for thousands of eager runners to start the 42.195 km long run through the Swedish capital.

The course consists of two laps that loop their way through central Stockholm, passing the Royal Palace, the City Hall, the Royal Dramatic Theatre and the Parliament. The course also meanders through the woods of Djurgården and along the city’s scenic waterways, ending with a flourish on the Olympic Stadium track.

Runners’ paradise

Stockholm Marathon had a modest debut with 2,000 runners in 1979. Since then it has attracted an increasing number of runners. Runner’s World magazine ranks it among the top 10 in the world and “The Ultimate Guide to International Marathons” puts it at the top of its list of world marathon destinations.

Mårten Westberg, a coach at the Fredrikshof Sports Association in Stockholm, has run in other marathons, and can compare his hometown marathon with other races. “Everything works well here. There’s no confusion about where to go or what to do; there’s always a good crowd turnout; and, on top of that, the city is beautiful,” he says.

Stockholm Marathon course

Click on the map for a larger version of the Stockholm Marathon course. Illustration: Tomas Öhrling / Info 

At the Stockholm Marathon headquarters, the staff is loading up with medals, expecting to hand out more than ever due to the large turnout. Thomas Enström, part of the marathon management team and a Stockholm Marathon veteran himself, says that not all of the runners are as young as you might expexct. “Practically every year we get a few runners who are well into their seventies,” he says.

Pace yourself

Enström advises runners to keep an eye out for two areas that are tougher than they look: “Running on the bridge Västerbron is hard, especially on the second lap. And some runners have a difficult time on the street Fleminggatan, which has a long, gradual incline.”

Westberg agrees that Västerbron is a tough one: “The hardest part of the race is going uphill on that steep bridge, which breaks a steady pace. The second hardest part of the race is going downhill on the same bridge. The pounding on your legs is a real cramp producer.”

Cold showers help runners get through the race. Photo: Rickard Forsberg/Stockholm Marathon

Westberg, who has coincidentally been ranked number 46 in two Stockholm Marathons — in 2005 (2:39:47) and in 1983 (2:26:22) — also advises runners to take it easy on the first 10 kilometers of the race. “It can be easy to run too quickly in the beginning, but try not to — at least not until you’ve done Västerbron.”

Making marathon history

So far, no one has managed to beat British runner Hugh Jones’s Stockholm Marathon record of 2:11:34, set back in 1983.

Among other Stockholm Marathon highlights was when two famous boxers were brought out of the ring and onto the running track. Floyd Patterson and Ingemar Johansson, “Ingo,” competed against each other in the Stockholm Marathon in the early 1980s. Not many expected the overweight Johansson to complete the race, but he managed it — in 4:56:13, well behind Patterson’s time of 3:55:55. “I must have drunk too much sport drink because my stomach started to act up,” Johansson was quoted as saying after the race.

The 2009 marathon will be remembered for the unusually high temperatures of 79˚ Fahrenheit or 26˚ Celsius in combination with strong sun and wind, well above the average temperature for this time of year.

Stay a while

Thomas Enström’s best advice to visiting runners is to stay on for a couple of days and do some sightseeing in the Stockholm area. Photo: Bo Lind / www.imagebank.sweden.se

Enström advises visitors to take a day off after the race to really see and enjoy the city. “Take a boat trip to the archipelago while you’re here or do some sightseeing. There's so much to see and do that it’s a shame to rush home right after the race.”

The Stockholm Marathon is televised and more than 100,000 people usually watch from the sidelines, something that runners truly appreciate, according to Westberg. “The first lap from the Royal Dramatic Theatre to Slussen (the Locks) is fantastic. It’s always packed with people and their enthusiasm just lifts you forward.”

Cari Simmons

Cari Simmons is a freelance writer living in Stockholm. Although she has never run in a marathon, she has participated from the sidelines, cheering Stockholm marathon runners on for five consecutive years. She’ll be at it again on June 9.

The author alone is responsible for the opinions expressed in this article.

Classification: A199ENb

This is an updated version of an article written in 2007.