Photo by Jonipoon via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Oslo Maraton
Marathon, Half marathon, 10K in Oslo, normally held in September. A rolling marathon course — Central course along the Akerselva and the harbour front; rolling rather than flat.
The Oslo Maraton at a glance
| Distances | Marathon, Half marathon, 10K |
|---|---|
| Main distance | 42.2 km (marathon) |
| Usually held | September |
| Course | Rolling |
| City | Oslo, Norway |
| Typical conditions | 16°C high / 9.7°C low, rain on ~37% of days |
Central course along the Akerselva and the harbour front; rolling rather than flat.
Entering the Oslo Maraton
Entry fees, closing dates and start times are set by the organiser and change every year, so they are not reproduced here — a stale deadline is worse than none. The organiser’s own site and its social channels are the authoritative source for the current year, and are where entry opens.
What is stable, and what this page covers: the month the race is held, what the course is like, the conditions you should expect, and how long a build-up the distance needs.
Weather at previous Oslo Maraton races
Across the last ten years, Oslo in September has averaged a daily high of 16°C and a low of 9.7°C, with at least a millimetre of rain on about 37% of days.
These are recorded observations for the race month averaged over ten years, not a forecast and not a single past race day — race dates move, so one day’s figures would mislead. Source: Open-Meteo historical archive.
How to prepare for the Oslo Maraton
How long to train
Build for 16 to 20 weeks from a base you already hold rather than from nothing. For marathon the block should peak at a longest run of 30–32 km, reached at least two weeks before race day so there is time to taper. Three weeks of taper is standard: cut volume by roughly a third each week while keeping some race-pace work so the legs stay sharp.
Training for this course
The course rolls, so pace will drift either side of your average and that is fine. Run your long efforts on undulating ground and practise cresting a rise without spiking your effort — the usual mistake is attacking the ups and freewheeling the downs.
Conditions in September
Conditions are usually good for racing: highs average 16°C and lows 9.7°C in September, which is close to ideal for marathon running. Dress for the temperature about ten degrees warmer than it actually is, since you will warm up within two kilometres. Rain is common — around 37% of days that month see at least a millimetre — so do some training runs wet and know which kit does not chafe.
Fuelling
Over 42 km you will need 30–60 g of carbohydrate an hour from early on, not once you feel empty. Rehearse the exact products in training — the gut trains like anything else — and check in advance which brand is handed out on course, because switching to an unfamiliar one mid-race is a common and avoidable mistake.
Race week
Sleep matters most two nights before, not the night before, so protect that one. Keep eating normally with a modest tilt toward carbohydrate, lay out kit the night before, and do nothing new: no new shoes, no new breakfast, no new socks. Plan to arrive at the start with time to spare — marathon fields move slowly through bag drop and security.
Distances and where the race is run
- Marathon — 42.2 km
- Half marathon — 21.1 km
- 10K — 10 km
The pin marks Oslo city centre, the area the Oslo Maraton starts and finishes in. This is not the course line: the route is set by the organiser and changes between editions, so the official course map for the current year is theirs to publish. The routes below are for training on the same roads.
Train on these roads: 10K routes in Oslo · long runs in Oslo · GPS art routes
Other races in Oslo
- Sentrumsløpet — 10K, 5K, April
- Holmenkollstafetten — Relay, May