Copenhagen Marathon 2027: your 12-week plan for May 9, ready on your Garmin

Your training, timed for May 9

The plan lasts 12 weeks, starting on Mon, February 15. With more time, it can start on January 18 with 4 lead-in weeks.

1. Weeks 1–3

   Base

   Feb 15 → Mar 7

   Settle volume, wake threshold up

2. Weeks 4–7

   Development

   Mar 8 → Apr 4

   Marathon pace comes in, long runs get longer

3. Weeks 8–10

   Specific

   Apr 5 → Apr 25

   Long blocks at marathon pace, 2-hour-plus runs

4. Weeks 11–12

   Taper

   Apr 26 → May 9

   Two weeks to arrive fresh

A flat course that starts and finishes on Østre Allé

The Copenhagen Marathon starts on Østre Allé, next to Fælledparken, and comes back up the same avenue to finish. The organizer describes a flat course that stays in the heart of Copenhagen the whole way: the inner city, Østerbro, Christianshavn, Vesterbro, Nørrebro and Frederiksberg.

On the 2026 course, the race crossed Knippelsbro into Christianshavn and Amager around mile 6, came back over Langebro, passed Queen Louise's Bridge (Dronning Louises Bro) around mile 9, then ran a slight downhill on Frederiksberg Allé around mile 15. Next came Istedgade and Vesterbro (mile 17.5), the city center with Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn (mile 20.5), Nyboder (mile 22.5), then the run back to Østre Allé.

Three workouts for a flat course

Flat, with a few bridges and a slight downhill around mile 15: in Copenhagen, what counts is a pace you can hold for the whole distance. Your AI assistant creates these workouts and sends them to your watch, with paces based on your MAS (maximal aerobic speed).

• — 4 × 2.5 miles at marathon pace (76 to 80% of MAS), about half a mile easy between blocks: the consistency you'll need between the bridges and Frederiksberg Allé.
• — A 2 h 15 long run, the last 30 minutes at marathon pace: the return from Nyboder to Østre Allé is decided in that last half hour.
• — Threshold: 2 × 15 min at 85 to 88% of MAS, 3 min recovery, so marathon pace becomes easier to hold.

A build from mid-February to early May

With the race on May 9, training starts on February 15 and runs through late winter and spring. With more lead time, the plan stretches to 16 weeks, from Monday, January 18, 2027. Easter (March 28) falls at the end of week 6, and Ascension Day (Thursday, May 6), a public holiday in Denmark, is in race week: a chance to arrive a few days early.

A missed week doesn't break the plan: your assistant compares the planned workouts with what your watch recorded, the plan's rule decides whether to repeat the week or move on, and it sends the next one. If some days suit you better, tell it: it records them as a constraint the plan has to respect, such as a Sunday long run.

Bibs: a first-ever lottery

For 2027, bibs were allocated by lottery for the first time: 80,937 entries for 35,000 places, after the 2026 edition sold out in less than 24 hours, according to the organizer. The draw is over; runners who weren't selected can still try the official charity partners or tour operators. Bibs are personal and can't be sold or transferred. You must be 16 on race day.

Frequently asked questions