Amsterdam Marathon 2027: a plan set to October 31, all the way to the Olympic Stadium track
Race day is Sunday, October 31, 2027, almost two weeks later than the 2026 race (October 18), and training starts on Monday, August 9. In two minutes, Running Workout sets the plan to that date; then your AI assistant sends each week's workouts to your watch.
Last updated: October 27, 2026
TCS Amsterdam Marathon
Sun, October 31, 2027
356 days
to race day
- Distance
- 26.2 mi
- Entry
- Opens December 19
- Course
- Flat
- Time limit
- 6 h
Plan starts: Mon, August 9 (12 weeks)
Train for October 31Free to start · official Garmin connection
Try it now
Ask your assistant
Once your Garmin is connected, paste one of these into Claude or ChatGPT:
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« Build me a 16-week plan for the Amsterdam Marathon on October 31, 2027, with 3 runs a week: it's my first marathon. »
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« I'm aiming for 3:45 in Amsterdam: what pace per mile, and how much slack should I allow into the wind along the Amstel? »
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« Send Thursday's workout to my watch: 6 miles including 2 × 2 miles at marathon pace. »
Free to start · 4 workouts a month sent to your watch
Your training, timed for October 31
The plan lasts 12 weeks, starting on Mon, August 9. With more time, it can start on July 12 with 4 lead-in weeks.
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Weeks 1–3
Base
Aug 9 → Aug 29
Settle volume, wake threshold up
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Weeks 4–7
Development
Aug 30 → Sep 26
Marathon pace comes in, long runs get longer
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Weeks 8–10
Specific
Sep 27 → Oct 17
Long blocks at marathon pace, 2-hour-plus runs
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Weeks 11–12
Taper
Oct 18 → Oct 31
Two weeks to arrive fresh
The course: the city, then the river
After the stadium and the Vondelpark, the course runs along the Amstel on a long out-and-back between the 15th and 30th kilometre. It is flat, but isolated and sometimes windy: the mental part of the race.
The return into the city from the 32nd is carried by the crowd. The finish in the Olympic Stadium, on the track, is one of the finest final 400 metres on the calendar.
A back-to-school preparation
Race on October 31: the 12-week plan starts on Monday, August 9, the 16-week version on Monday, July 12. September's return to routine lands on the hardest block, the 2 h 30 long runs. Plan for it in your schedule.
The AI coach reads every week what you actually ran on Garmin. A lighter holiday week is not a disaster: it adjusts what follows without making you catch up on lost kilometres.
Pacing and fuelling along the Amstel
The stretch along the river is where an Amsterdam marathon is lost: alone, into the wind, you slow down or you force. The plan sets a simple instruction: target pace, easy feel until the 25th, then keep exactly the same pace until the 35th.
- Km 1 to 5: target pace + 10 s/km, stadium and park.
- Km 6 to 35: target pace, even into the wind on the Amstel.
- Km 36 to 42: by feel, the crowd brings you back to the stadium.
Aid stations are every 5 km. The plan has you test on a long run the gel or drink you will take, at the same intervals.
Frequently asked questions
When is the 2027 Amsterdam Marathon?
On Sunday, October 31, 2027: the official website announces a race weekend on October 30 and 31, and the marathon is run on the Sunday, as in 2026. Registration for 2027 opens on Saturday, December 19, 2026.
Is Amsterdam suitable for a first marathon?
Yes: flat, well organised, mild temperatures, regular aid stations. The 3-sessions-a-week "finish" plan is more than enough.
How much climbing on the course?
Negligible, under 30 metres in total. The only rises are the canal bridges, short and rare.
Is Running Workout free?
Free to start: Garmin connection, plans, reading your activities and 4 workouts a month sent to your watch. Running Workout Pro (€4.90 a month or €35 a year, no commitment) removes the limit.
TCS Amsterdam Marathon
October 31 is 356 days away.
The plan is set to that date; your assistant does the rest, week after week.