Munich Marathon will always be a special Marathon for me. I ran my first 10k race, my first Half Marathon and my first Marathon there. This year I spontaneously decided to run Marathon no 11 of my 12 Marathon fundraising project there, as a lot of my friends were running as well and the weather looked really nice. And I did not regret it at all.

Munich Marathon

Travel and Accessibility

Munich is one of Germany’s largest cities and very well connected by plane, train and bus. The public transport system is also great. The start line of the Marathon and the 10k race as well as the finish line are located in the famous Olympia Park, wich has it’s own underground station. The start of the Half Marathon is located half way on the other side of the city, but also accessible via an underground station.

Munich Marathon Expo

The Munich Marathon Expo is located in the famous Olympia Hall, with lots of traders exhibiting. One big advantage of this Marathon is that you can register at the expo nearly up to the very last minute for all races, even in the morning of the race. Which is what my friend Susanne and I did, as we decided a few days before to run the Marathon. (without really training for it)

Munich Marathon

Pre-Race

The start line of the Munich Marathon is in between the Olypmia Stadium and the Olympia Hall. As this area is generally an area used for various events, you will find good infrastructure there. you can use the regular toilets of the stadium, and the bagdrop is located under the stadium stands. There are also a lot food stalls if you want to purchase food and drinks. And if your friends and family need a break from all that cheering action they can even go zip lining over the Olympia Stadium. Cool, right?

Munich Marathon Course

The Munich Marathon Course first heads East towards the famous Leopoldstraße. After that is takes a loop in the English Garden. This can be very nice if you like running in parks, but sometimes also a bit boring. After that the course heads further East where also the delayed start of the Half Marathon is located. The second half then first passes through the Eastern parts of Munich before heading right through the city center and the famous Marienplatz. It then takes a few loops around the Museums area and Königsplatz, before heading back to the Olympia Stadium. (Attention: the part around Königsplatz will be run in the beginning of the race starting in 2019) The final stretches of the Munich Marathon are the best: one final victory loop around the Olympia Stadium, with your friends and family watching you from the best seats!

Munich Marathon

Post-Race

The center area of the Olympia Stadium is also the finish line area. You will get your medal, a space blanket, water, sportsdrinks, food and of course some alcohol free wheat beer. You can can sit on the lawn or on some sunchairs and recover while enjoying the atmosphere.

Unfortunately you will have to leave the stadium in the end, which means you will have to walk up the stairs to the exit. Not fun at all. For some, this will be an even harder challenge than the Marathon.

After that you will then collect your drop-bag where you left it. Or in case you ran the Half Marathon your bag was transported to the stadium where you pick it up from the DHL vans.

A big bonus of the finish line location is also the Olympic Swimming pool. You can buy a normal ticket and use the showers there for just around 5€.

Munich Marathon

Munich Sightseeing

When you run the full Munich Marathon you will already see a lot of famous sights. But here are my top picks:

  • City center: visit the famous Frauenkirche, the City Hall at Marienplatz and the Residenz.
  • Beergardens: The most famous ones are the Chinese Tower Beergarden and Seehaus Beergarden in the English Garden Park.
  • Museums: Pinakothek der Moderne, Lenbachhaus and the Deutsches Museum are my favorites.
  • Something you don’t see during the Marathon: Castle Nymphenburg in the West
  • And if you want to travel a bit: Don’t miss out on Neuschwanstein Castle (but there is also a Marathon there in case you want to run one in July)

Do you want to run a Marathon yourself? Check out my blog post on the best Marathon gear, pacing strategy and tips for your first Marathon.