Helsinki City Marathon is one of the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Ranking competitions. At the end of the qualifying period, the top ranked runners in each age group will be invited to the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Championships.

The first qualifying period for the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Rankings will begin on January 1st and will end on December 31st. The best two results in marathons over this period will count for each runner’s ranking.

Age groups (men and women)

The rankings cover age groups from 40 to 80+ for men and women as following:
40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80+

HOW TO SCORE POINTS?

The maximum points that can be scored in any race by an age group winner is 4,000. The age group winners in any AbbottWMM race – the Tokyo, Boston, Virgin Money London, BMW BERLIN, Bank of America Chicago and TCS New York City Marathons – will automatically get 4,000 points.

Any age group athlete who is within 29 seconds of the age group winning time in an AbbottWMM race receives 10 points less, earning 3990 points. Runners within 30-59 seconds of the winning time receive 20 points less, and those earning times within 1 minute and 29 seconds less than the age group winning time receive 30 points less, and so on.

Runners can earn points for their performances in marathons beyond the six AbbottWMM races, provided the event is an official AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Ranking qualifying race. In those events, scoring will be based on a platinum time calculated for each age group and gender, using standard multiples of the ‘mean’ of the current marathon world record times for each age group and gender. Winners of any age group marathons that are not Abbott World Marathon Races must run faster than the platinum time for their age and gender to score 4000 points. The same points degradation according to time behind the winner applies. The full list of the platinum times is included below.
Runners’ qualifying times must be recorded at a certified accurate marathon which has been nominated as an AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Ranking qualifying race. The current list is included at the conclusion of this document. If the age group winning time is below the platinum time, then the points awarded to the winner and every subsequent age group runner are reduced by the time the age group winner has missed platinum time for the age and gender of the athlete.

Platinum times for each age group are as follows:

MEN                   WOMEN

40-44 2:26        40-44 2:46
45-49 2:34        45-49 2:48
50-54 2:41        50-54 3:04
55-59 2:50        55-59 3:18
60-64 3:00       60-64 3:33
65-69 3:09       65-69 3:48
70-74 3:21         70-74 4:09
75-79 3:51         75-79 4:51
80+ 4:17            80+ 5:33

HOW TO ENTER THE WORLD RANKING COMPETITIONS?

If you are +40 years old, you need to select  “Yes” in the section “I want to score points for AbbottWMM Age Group World Championships and give a permission to give all the participant data to World Marathon Majors LCC”.

Age Groups:

Helsinki City Marathon will award prizes in the following series:

W/M Open Class, W/M40, W/M45, W/M50, W/M55, W/M60, W/M65, M70

Runners who are at least 40 years old in the year of the event race automatically in the correct Age group according to their date of birth, when the “Age group” is selected as the series. The Age group is determined by the age on December 31 of the year of the event.

All 40-year-olds automatically race in the General category.

Prize money is awarded only in the General series. If the participant wishes, he can participate in the General series instead of his own Age group, but not in other Age groups.

Prizes

Each runner finishing within 6 hours receives a Helsinki City Marathon finisher medal. A diploma can be printed from your own result page after the official results have been published.

Best male and female runners will be awarded with prize money.  In case the winning time goes under 2.20 (men) and 2.40 (women) the winners prize will be raised by 500 euros.

Prize money:

1. 900 EUR

2. 650 EUR

3. 400 EUR

The top 5 runners in the open class and the winner of each age group will be awarded with a special prize.

The top 3 runners of the open class will be awarded directly after the race at the finishing area. Other awarded runners can collect their prizes from the Race Office at the Olympic Stadium.

All rights to changes reserved.

There is an age limit of 18 years to Helsinki City Marathon. Runners who have or will turn 18 years during the event year are welcome to participate.

Each runner must pick up their bib number from the Race Office at Helsinki Olympic Stadium before their run. Pleace check the Race Office opening hours from the general info.

Please make sure to have your QR code available when you enter the race office. Your friend can also pick up your bib number with your QR code. 

Note!  Helsinki City Marathon bib numbers must be picked up before 8:30 a.m. on Saturday!

Helsinki City Marathon entry fees 2024

The event t-shirt is included in the entry fee until June 20th, 2023. From June  21st onwards, you can purchase the event t-shirt for 17,90 euros when you register (23 euros at the event).

All rights to changes reserved.

All rights to changes reserved.

Pace makers help you to keep up the steady speed during the whole event. These experienced runners are wearing flags with the finishing time and bright coloured vests and they will run the whole route with a steady pace.

We have pace makers aiming to the following finishing times:  3:00h, 3:15h, 3:30h, 3:45h, 4h, 4:15h, 4:30h, 4:45h, 5h, 5:15h and 5:30h. Before the start, you will find the pace makers near the finishing time signs beside the start area.

All rights to changes reserved.

To be updated for 2024

The Helsinki City Marathon route will have 11 refreshment stations, one energy gel station and an extensive refreshment station at the finish area. At the refreshment stations, runners will be served sports drink (Leader Performance sports drink, lemon flavor) and water. At some stations, runners will be served salty pickled cucumbers, bananas and on the second round Maxim energy gels (orange and strawberry flavor). Please find the locations of the refreshment stations from the link below:

Helsinki City Marathon refreshment stations 2023

Personal refreshments 

If you have personal refreshments, please bring them to the marked boxes to the hallway of entrance of the Race Office/Expo Area between 7.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. on the race day. 

Please make sure that you can recognize your drinks, and that they are marked with your name and bib number. You can find the locations of the refreshment stations from the link above.

The personal refreshment drinks are served first (before sports drink and water) at the refreshment stations.

Start at 9:30 a.m.
The marathon start is at 09:30 a.m. at the Mäntymäentie street, next to the statue of Paavo Nurmi. All runners should be at the southern Olympic stadium square (starting area) latest by 09:20 a.m.

The Helsinki City Marathon results are based on runners’ net times (time from crossing start line to crossing finish line). Therefore, runners do not need to rush to the start line, as their timing will not start before they cross the start line.  Note! Runners shall not cover their bib number with their hands neither when crossing the start nor the finish line.

Route
The route shows runners the best views and the heart of Helsinki city! It is a comfortable route to run, offering runners a mixture of seaside, park, and, downtown landscaping. It is faster and smoother than before, avoiding some of the steepest and longest hills and narrow curves.

The route consists two nearly identical laps. In the first lap, the route takes runners to Salmisaari, where the route doesn’t go anymore in the second lap.

Finish
The finish line is at the iconic Helsinki Olympic Stadium. Runners are served a variety of refreshments at the finish area.

For a better view, click on the right corner “view larger map”

To be updated for 2024

Elevation profile 2023

Click the profile to get better view of it.

All rights to changes reserved.