The Flattest Marathons in the World

Dubai, United Arab Emirates · January · 25 m gain

Arguably the flattest marathon on the planet — a sea-level out-and-back along Umm Suqeim Road where a pancake profile and pre-dawn start produced a stack of 2:03–2:04 elite times. Featureless, windless on a good day, and brutally honest.

Seville, Spain · February · 35 m gain

Possibly the flattest certified marathon in Europe — 35 m of total climbing. Fewer crowds and less glamour than Valencia, but an even better elevation profile and a stadium-track finish.

Gold Coast, Australia · July · 40 m gain

Dead-flat highway along the Pacific with a field full of PR-chasers escaping the northern-hemisphere summer. The fastest marathon on earth in July, and the classic mid-year BQ play.

Berlin, Germany · September · 73 m gain · -6 m net

The fastest marathon course in the world on paper: wide boulevards, gentle curves, and virtually no climbing. More world records have fallen here than anywhere else. Pacing discipline is the only hazard — the course gives you no excuse to slow down.

Copenhagen, Denmark · May · 50 m gain

Flat Scandinavian city loop with clean organisation and good crowds for its size. The May date is the trade-off: a fraction warmer than April racing, in exchange for a full spring training block.

Frankfurt, Germany · October · 50 m gain

Germany's oldest city marathon and quietly one of its fastest: flat, unfussy roads and a famous indoor finish on red carpet inside the Festhalle arena.

Indianapolis, USA · November · 55 m gain

Flat as Indiana itself, with long straights past the monuments and one of the best pace-group operations in the US. A no-frills, all-speed alternative to the big-city lotteries.

Rotterdam, Netherlands · April · 55 m gain

A former world-record course that is still one of the fastest spring marathons anywhere: flat, wide, with the Erasmus Bridge crossing early and a roaring Coolsingel finish straight.

Manchester, United Kingdom · April · 60 m gain

Flat, fast, and enormous for a non-major — the PR course of British running. Wide roads through Trafford and Sale with a finish by Old Trafford, and a field full of people chasing times rather than sightseeing.

Valencia, Spain · December · 60 m gain · -5 m net

The 'ciudad del running' earns it: dead flat, wide, sheltered streets, December air, and a field stacked with PR-hunters. The blue-carpet finish over the City of Arts lagoon is one of the sport's great closing images. If you want one fast race in Europe, this is it.

Amsterdam, Netherlands · October · 60 m gain

Flat and fast with a long out-and-back along the Amstel river — pretty, but exposed if it's windy. Starts and finishes inside the 1928 Olympic Stadium, which remains one of the best finish lines in racing.

Houston, USA · January · 65 m gain

Flat, fast loop where American records and debuts happen. Well-drilled organisation, sharp corners kept to a minimum, and a January date that guarantees you trained through the holidays.