Amsterdam Marathon: Elevation Profile, Course Map & Pace Calculator
Starts and finishes inside the 1928 Olympic Stadium, loops through the centre, then spends its middle third on dead-flat tarmac out and back along the Amstel river. Total elevation range on the course is under 10 m: treat it as zero-gradient and race purely off pace, drafting and wind. Mid-October in the Netherlands is classic PR weather.
The Amsterdam Marathon is exceptionally flat and fast — rated 1/5 on our difficulty scale. Over the official 42.195 km (26.2 mi) the course gains about 200 ft (60 m) and loses 200 ft (60 m), with roughly level start to finish. Grade-adjusted pace says the toughest stretch arrives at kilometre 3 (near mile 2), demanding about 2% more effort than the same distance on flat ground.
Course stats
| Distance | 26.2 mi (42.195 km) |
|---|---|
| Location | Amsterdam, NL |
| Total ascent | 200 ft (60 m) |
| Total descent | 200 ft (60 m) |
| Net elevation | +0 ft (+0 m) |
| Steepest grade | 2.8% |
| Difficulty | 1/5 |
| Field size | ≈18,000 runners |
| Race day | Third Sunday of October |
| Elevation from | AHN DTM (Netherlands, 0.5 m) |
Bare-earth terrain model, smoothed over 500 m — it measures the ground, not the rooftops.
Kilometre-by-kilometre splits (grade-adjusted)
Grade-adjusted (GAP) splits for a 4:00:00 finish, computed from the course's elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model: uphill kilometres get more time, downhills less, at even effort. Splits scale proportionally for any other goal time — the interactive pace calculator on this page computes them exactly.
| Kilometre | GAP pace /km | GAP pace /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5:44 | 9:13 | -1 ft (0 m) | 5:44 |
| 2 | 5:41 | 9:09 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 11:25 |
| 3 | 5:44 | 9:14 | -1 ft (0 m) | 17:09 |
| 4 | 5:52 | 9:26 | +12 ft (+4 m) | 23:00 |
| 5 | 5:42 | 9:11 | -4 ft (-1 m) | 28:43 |
| 6 | 5:44 | 9:14 | -1 ft (0 m) | 34:27 |
| 7 | 5:42 | 9:10 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 40:09 |
| 8 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +1 ft (0 m) | 45:54 |
| 9 | 5:47 | 9:19 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 51:41 |
| 10 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +1 ft (0 m) | 57:26 |
| 11 | 5:44 | 9:13 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:03:10 |
| 12 | 5:45 | 9:15 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:08:55 |
| 13 | 5:44 | 9:14 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:14:39 |
| 14 | 5:44 | 9:13 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:20:23 |
| 15 | 5:44 | 9:14 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:26:07 |
| 16 | 5:45 | 9:15 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:31:52 |
| 17 | 5:45 | 9:15 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:37:37 |
| 18 | 5:45 | 9:15 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:43:21 |
| 19 | 5:45 | 9:15 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:49:06 |
| 20 | 5:45 | 9:15 | 0 ft (0 m) | 1:54:50 |
| 21 | 5:45 | 9:15 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:00:35 |
| 22 | 5:45 | 9:15 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:06:20 |
| 23 | 5:44 | 9:14 | -1 ft (0 m) | 2:12:04 |
| 24 | 5:45 | 9:15 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:17:48 |
| 25 | 5:44 | 9:14 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:23:33 |
| 26 | 5:46 | 9:17 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 2:29:19 |
| 27 | 5:44 | 9:13 | -2 ft (-1 m) | 2:35:02 |
| 28 | 5:45 | 9:15 | 0 ft (0 m) | 2:40:47 |
| 29 | 5:45 | 9:14 | -1 ft (0 m) | 2:46:31 |
| 30 | 5:50 | 9:23 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 2:52:21 |
| 31 | 5:33 | 8:56 | -21 ft (-6 m) | 2:57:54 |
| 32 | 5:46 | 9:16 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:03:40 |
| 33 | 5:47 | 9:19 | +5 ft (+1 m) | 3:09:27 |
| 34 | 5:50 | 9:23 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 3:15:17 |
| 35 | 5:45 | 9:15 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:21:02 |
| 36 | 5:45 | 9:15 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:26:47 |
| 37 | 5:46 | 9:17 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 3:32:33 |
| 38 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +1 ft (0 m) | 3:38:18 |
| 39 | 5:39 | 9:05 | -10 ft (-3 m) | 3:43:57 |
| 40 | 5:45 | 9:15 | 0 ft (0 m) | 3:49:41 |
| 41 | 5:49 | 9:21 | +7 ft (+2 m) | 3:55:30 |
| 41.8 | 5:45 | 9:15 | +1 ft (0 m) | 4:00:00 |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Amsterdam Marathon flat or hilly?
The Amsterdam Marathon is exceptionally flat and fast (1/5 difficulty). Total ascent is about 200 ft (60 m) over 26.2 miles.
How much elevation gain does the Amsterdam Marathon have?
About 200 ft (60 m) of total ascent and 200 ft (60 m) of descent, for a net change of +0 ft (0 m). Elevation is sampled from AHN DTM (Netherlands, 0.5 m) and smoothed over 500 m, so it will not match a GPS watch step for step.
What is the hardest part of the Amsterdam Marathon course?
Kilometre 3 (near mile 2) is the toughest split on the course by grade-adjusted effort. Grade-adjusted pace puts it at roughly 2% more effort than flat running.
When is the Amsterdam Marathon?
The Amsterdam Marathon is typically held on the third Sunday of October. The next edition is expected around October 18, 2026. Confirm the exact date on the official race website.
How many runners take part in the Amsterdam Marathon?
The field is roughly 18,000 runners.
What pace do I need to run the Amsterdam Marathon in my goal time?
At an even pace: 3:00:00 needs 6:52/mi (4:16/km); 3:30:00 needs 8:01/mi (4:59/km); 4:00:00 needs 9:09/mi (5:41/km); 4:30:00 needs 10:18/mi (6:24/km); 5:00:00 needs 11:27/mi (7:07/km); 5:30:00 needs 12:35/mi (7:49/km). On this course, grade-adjusted pacing shifts a few seconds per mile between uphill and downhill splits — the pace calculator on this page computes those splits for any goal time.
Plan your Amsterdam race
Marathons with a similar profile
- Detroit Free Press Marathon — 210 ft (60 m) ascent
- Tokyo Marathon — 170 ft (50 m) ascent
- Chicago Marathon — 230 ft (70 m) ascent
- Berlin Marathon — 230 ft (70 m) ascent
How Amsterdam Marathon ranks
- Flattest marathon courses — ranked 2 of 20 (200 ft (60 m) of climbing)
Official race site: https://www.tcsamsterdammarathon.nl/