Belgrade Marathon
Belgrade, Serbia · April · World Athletics Label
Why people love it
- Finish in front of Hotel Moskva in central Belgrade.
- RaceRaves difficulty 1.3 of 5, with 280 m (919 ft) of gain.
- Course record 2:09:11 set in 2026.
- Organiser used fire trucks to cool runners in 2024 heat.
- Open entry with medal, shirt, diploma and pasta party.
Watch out for
- Only three RaceRaves ratings and little first-hand marathon reporting.
- Heavy start crowding reported in 2025.
- April heat forced cooling measures in 2024; highs reach 23 °C (73 °F).
- Sources disagree on elevation: 280 m (919 ft) gain versus "completely flat".
- Start time, cutoff and fee were not found.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Moderate
- Racer satisfactionLoved3.7
RaceRaves has only 3 ratings, averaging 4.3 of 5. Reviewers like the Hotel Moskva finish and the medal; one found the start crowded. · Low confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.6
RaceRaves production 4.3 of 5 from 3 reviews. Field hospitals and GPS tracking were added in 2024; a 2025 10K runner reported heavy start crowding. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.5
A 2024 first-timer liked the course and the fire-truck cooling in the heat. Gain is 280 m (919 ft) and the cutoff is not published. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast3.5
Course record 2:09:11 set in 2026. Reviewers call it mostly flat; one noted a steep early downhill and the 2025 winner a late windy climb. · Low confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful3.6
RaceRaves scenery 3.7 of 5. Route links Kalemegdan area, the rivers and Zemun per course listings; sections in New Belgrade are plainer. · Low confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points3.2
A 2025 reviewer reported heavy crowding at the start line; the marathon shares the weekend with half and 10K events. · Low confidence
- Road surfaceMixed3.3
Paved city road with tram lines on the central avenues; no surface complaints found. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed3.6
City, police and army support, with roads closed on race day per Wikipedia. No runner has confirmed it. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessMostly flat3.8
Marathon Index 280 m (919 ft) gain, but reviewers call it mostly flat and European Athletics says New Belgrade is completely flat. Conflicting data. · Low confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Start and finish about 1 km (0.6 mi) apart in the centre; an early downhill and late climb roughly cancel. · Low confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSome waiting3.3
Crowded start line reported in 2025; start at a central city junction. Packet and pasta party in the package. · Low confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups3.3
Chip timing in the package; no pace group detail found. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportDecent3.4
A 2017 half runner and press mention a big city event with spectators at the Hotel Moskva patio finish; 11,249 participants in 2025. Limited reports. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsStandard3.4
In 2024 heat the crew sprayed runners down with fire trucks; a 2025 10K runner asked for an extra water stop in the heat. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindSome wind3.2
An AP report on a recent edition said it was windy and uphill late; river-side sections exposed. · Low confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant3.9
April highs of 11 to 23 °C (52 to 73 °F). Most years are ideal; 2024 was hot enough for fire trucks to spray runners. · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
2024 hot and challenging per organiser; AP report mentioned warm weather and wind. April swings 1 to 14 °C (34 to 57 °F) lows. · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy3.8
Central start and Hotel Moskva patio finish let spectators sit and watch; loop passes the centre. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.7
Belgrade sits at about 117 m (384 ft). · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood3.9
Capital city with ample hotels, though about 11,000 people run across the weekend. No sell-out reports. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.9
Serbian hotels are cheap for Europe in general, but no race-week prices were found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable4.0
Start and finish both in central Belgrade within about 1 km (0.6 mi) of each other. · Low confidence
- Travel easeEasy3.7
Airport about 18 km (11 mi) from the centre with European connections; 72 countries represented in 2024. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.8
Pasta party and expo; the package includes diploma and finisher medal. No transport complaints found. · Low confidence
- Town and foodGood4.0
Large capital with the Kalemegdan fortress and a lively food scene; no runner described the post-race experience. · Low confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inEasy4.4
Open entry with no qualifier; 1,545 marathon finishers in 2025 suggests space remains. · Low confidence
- Value for moneyGood value3.7
RaceRaves swag 4.0 of 5 with medal, shirt, diploma and pasta party. The fee is unknown. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Belgrade, Central Serbia, Serbia
- Typical month
- April
- Latest or next date
- 18 April 2027
- Organiser
- World Athletics Label
- Field size
- About 1,545 athletes
- First held
- 1988
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- loop
- Climbing
- 280 m (920 ft)
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Paved city roads
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Rarely
- Air temperature
- 8–18 °C (46–64 °F)
- Humidity
- Moderate
- Altitude
- 117 m (385 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Belgrade Nikola Tesla (BEG), 18 km (11 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Stari Grad, Vračar, Dorćol
- Booking
- Start and finish are in central Belgrade near Hotel Moskva; central hotels are walkable.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRaves Belgrade Marathon page (3 ratings)Raced 2025 · aggregator · Positive
Three runners average 4.3 of 5: difficulty 1.3, scenery 3.7, production 4.3, swag 4.0. They call it flat and scenic, praise organisation and the Hotel Moskva finish, and note a 2024 heat day with fire trucks spraying runners and a crowded start in 2025.
“fire trucks sprayed us down”
- European Athletics: the wonders of the White City marathonRaced 2015 · article · Positive
Describes the race mostly in New Belgrade, completely flat, and quotes an official calling the 28th edition a complete success. Organiser-friendly.
- AP report: Kenyan trio triumphs at Belgrade MarathonRaced 2025 · article · neutral
Report on a recent edition with about 20,000 runners across races in mostly warm weather; the winner said the last section was uphill and windy.
- Wikipedia: Belgrade MarathonRaced 2026 · article · neutral
Gives marathon finishers of 1,264 in 2024 and 1,545 in 2025, records of 2:09:11 (2026) and 2:26:48 (2025) and WA Label status; run by JSD Partizan with city, army and police support.
- Marathon Index: Belgrade courseRaced 2026 · aggregator · neutral
Lists 280 m (919 ft) gain, a rolling road loop through Zemun and New Belgrade and the Danube riverside. Generated data, flagged out of date by other sources.
Raced Belgrade Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
Training for Belgrade Marathon? Moku Coach builds your plan around race day.