Reykjavik Marathon

Course & Elevation

The Reykjavik Marathon is a road marathon through Iceland's capital, held on a Saturday in late August as part of the city's Culture Night weekend. It has been run every year since 1984, when 56 runners took part, and the 2026 edition drew around 16,000 runners across all distances. A half marathon, a timed 10K and a fun run run alongside, and the organisers say about 1,500 people enter the marathon. Every distance starts on Sæmundargata by the University of Iceland and finishes on Geirsgata by the harbour. The marathon route leaves through Ægisíða, Seltjarnarnes and Grandi, heads east along Sæbraut to Laugardalur and on through Laugarnes, Öskjuhlíð and Fossvogur to the Elliðaárdalur river valley, then returns through Smáíbúðahverfi and Laugardalur and along Sæbraut towards Harpa. Most of it is on city streets, with some sections on tracks by the sea and the salmon river. The marathon and half marathon are one lap, and the organisers describe the marathon course as both enjoyable and challenging. The time limit is 6 hours 30 minutes, and the minimum age is 18. The men's course record is 2:17:06, set by Ceslovas Kundrotas of Lithuania in 1993. The organisers say a new route is being prepared.