Relive your race with the smart medal

Are you participating in the NN Marathon Rotterdam this year? Then you will receive a special medal: the Smart Medal. With this medal you can relive your race, because your running story is stored in the medal. En you can make your story even more personal by adding your own photos. Download the Smart Medal app on your smartphone, since you will need this app to be able to scan your medal after the race and watch your NN Running Story. 

Strong international field of participants at the 39th NN Rotterdam Marathon

Kenyan top athlete Marius Kipserem, winner of the Abu Dhabi Marathon 2018, is one of the big contenders for victory during the 39th NN Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday 7 April. Kipserem have run the NN Marathon Rotterdam before in 2018 and in 2016, he actually won the 36th Edition of the NN Rotterdam Marathon.

Kipserem will battle with a host of top-class runners that also have a marathon victory in 2018 to their names, including the Ethiopian Woldaregay Gezahegn Kelkile (winner of the Frankfurt Marathon, Emanuel Saina (Buenos Aires Marathon winner) and the winner of the Sydney Marathon, Elijah Kemboi. In total, there will be six athletes with a personal best of 2:05.56 or faster lined up at the start of the Netherlands' most gorgeous marathon.

Hardloopsupporter is live!

The Running Supporter returns! Also during this year’s edition of the NN Marathon Rotterdam, you can surprise your marathon hero with a personal encouragement video. Your video message will appear on one of the four large screens next to the course when your runner is at the 34 kilometer point.

Click here to send in a video.

Top 8 places to watch the marathon

Watching the marathon on television just isn’t the same – if you want to absorb the electric atmosphere, and cheer on the runners you need to find a good point. Here's where to get the best views along the NN Marathon Rotterdam route.

1) Erasmusbrug
Metro: Wilhelminaplein

The city and the NN Marathon Rotterdam’s icon. Just before 10 o’clock the runners gather full of high expectations at the foot of the Erasmusbrug. The countdown begins. There’s the sound of the gunshot. Rotterdam’s heroes take off. After 25 km, the marathon runners turn around head back here, so you have more than one chance to show your runner some support.

2019 course maps now online

We proudly present our NN Marathon Rotterdam 2019 courses. The famous NN Marathon Rotterdam course begins at the foot of the iconic Erasmusbrug and runs through the city, passing the most beautiful highlights of Rotterdam. The AA Drink ¼ Marathon Rotterdamroute runs through the streets of Rotterdam and passes some of Rotterdam’s most famous highlights. The finish is after 10.55 kilometer on the bustling Coolsingel. The courses of the AD City Run Rotterdam and NN Kids Runs begin at a new start location on the Coolsingel. The energy and support along the course are second to none – you have to experience it to understand.

Dutch record holder Abdi Nageeye at the start of 39th NN Marathon Rotterdam

Dutch marathon runner Abdi Nageeye will be at the start of the most beautiful marathon in the Netherlands for the 3rd time on Sunday 7 April. The 29-year-old top athlete is no stranger to Rotterdam. In 2015, he made his debut in Rotterdam and finished 9th overall in a time of 2.12.33. He was crowned Dutch Champion with this fantastic performance. In 2017, he was the first Dutch athlete ever to dive under the 'magical' limit of 2.10.00 (2.09.36) on the Coolsingel. Half a year later, on a sunny day in Amsterdam, the Somali-born man claimed the national title in a Dutch record of 2.08.16.

The talented Nageeye returns to Rotterdam, partly to take revenge after the European Athletics Championships in Berlin where he had to stop in the final stages after suffering from cramps. Earlier that year, he ran the Boston Marathon where he finished 7th in very harsh weather conditions. The athlete himself said this was his toughest marathon ever.

Khalid Choukoud opens new attack on his personal best at the NN Marathon Rotterdam in 2019

Khalid Choukoud will be at the start of the NN Marathon Rotterdam for the sixth time on Sunday 7 April 2019. The 32-year-old athlete from The Hague's AV Sparta ran his PB of 2.10.52 in 2014 during his debut in Rotterdam and wants to finish as close to two hours and ten minutes as possible on Sunday 7 April. Choukoud has the opportunity to set the second fastest time ever run by a Dutchman in Rotterdam on this international stage. 

However, the two previous editions did not suit the top Dutch athlete. In 2017, he had to stop because of blisters and in 2018 he didn't make it to the finish because of an unfortunate fall at the start. In the upcoming edition, Choukoud wants to do everything possible to improve his best performance of 2.10.52. Choukoud is receiving all possible support from the organisation to surpass himself. A strong group of pacers has been formed to help him.

Koen Naert on the hunt for a personal best at 39th NN Marathon Rotterdam

The 29-year-old Koen Naert will be at the start of the 39th NN Marathon Rotterdam next spring. In August this year, the Belgian athlete from Roeselaere won the gold medal in the marathon at the European Championships in Berlin. He finished in 2:09:51 and beat his personal best by twenty-five seconds. Earlier this year at Valencia he also improved his PB on the half marathon by more than two minutes. His time was a very quick 1:01:42.

The European Champion is working hard to build up his condition in the run-up to next year in which he wants to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. That is one of the reasons why he chose the fast track at Rotterdam.