Warsaw Marathon

Course & Elevation

The Warsaw Marathon is a road marathon through central Warsaw, held every year since 1979 and usually run on a Sunday in late September. It is organised by the Maraton Warszawski Foundation and hosted by the City of Warsaw, with a 10 km race, the Warszawska Dycha, run alongside it and a children's mini marathon the day before. Start and finish are on ulica Świętokrzyska beside the Palace of Culture and Science, where the runners' village is also based. The 2026 route crossed the Vistula and covered seven districts: Śródmieście, Praga-Południe, Praga-Północ, Żoliborz, Wola, Bemowo and Bielany, before returning to the centre. Crossings include the Poniatowski Bridge and the Gdański Bridge. The course is certified by the Polish Athletics Federation (PZLA) and World Athletics, and the organisers describe the profile as mostly flat, with about 85 metres of total ascent and a start at 113 metres above sea level. The time limit is 6 hours 30 minutes, with checkpoints of 3:15 at halfway, 4:45 at 30 km, 5:30 at 35 km and 6:15 at 40 km. Runners must turn 18 by race day. In 2026 the race held World Athletics Elite Label status for the first time, and more than 10,000 runners finished, the largest marathon yet held in Poland.