European Marathon Classics

The European Marathon Classics (EMC) link the marathons of eight cities, Rome, Vienna, London, Madrid, Copenhagen, Warsaw, Lisbon and Frankfurt: free to join with no time limit, finish any five different cities to earn the finisher title and an exclusive medal. This page covers the series rules, a detailed guide to all eight races and suggested routes for completing five.

Part of Run the World, which brings together every race in the World Marathon Majors, the China Marathon Majors and the European Marathon Classics.

Last updated: November 9, 2026　|　Sources: European Marathon Classics official website, challenge rules and FAQ, Frankfurt Marathon official announcement; race data is linked in the text

This page is a reference summary, not an official publication. The series only launched in 2026; check European Marathon Classics and each race's official website for the latest rules, race dates and entry methods.

Key takeaways

Any five races complete it: Finish five different cities out of the eight to earn the Master Medal; London is not required.
Free to join, with no time limit: You only pay each race's own entry fee, and you can start at any race and run them in any order.
Past results count: Since July 15, 2026, official full-marathon results from every edition of the eight races can be claimed.
Only in-person full marathons count: Half marathons, relays and virtual races do not count.
Races cluster in spring and autumn: Five races fall between March and May and three in September and October; London and Madrid share a weekend, so you can only run one of them in a given year.

What the series is

EMC was launched on February 25, 2026 at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, aiming to combine sport, travel and culture so that runners everywhere can complete a "European city marathon list" (source). Within two weeks of the launch, more than 6,500 runners from 105 countries had registered (source).

How to join: Create a free runner profile on the official registration platform europeanmarathonclassics.letsdothis.com. You still enter each race separately on its official website.
Completion: Finish at least five of the eight races, each in a different city; running the same race several times does not add up, and there is no time limit.
Coins: Each race you complete earns that city's digital coin (e-coin). Physical coins are planned for separate purchase later and are not handed out at the finish.
Master Medal: A concentric-ring design that holds a magnetic coin from each race. Once you have five races, it is awarded free of charge at the finish line of your fifth race or at an official expo, and it is not mailed. Coins from all eight races let you fully personalise the medal; there are no other official tiers.
Result recognition: Only official in-person full-marathon results published by each race's organising committee count.

2026 arrangements: The Master Medal was first awarded at the three autumn 2026 races, only to finishers of that race: the Warsaw Marathon (September 27), the Lisbon Marathon (October 10) and the Frankfurt Marathon (October 25). Runners who have already collected five races but will not run another EMC race can collect the medal from 2027.

How to claim past results

Results from each race's first edition onward count, for example Madrid from 1978 and Lisbon from 1986.

Log in to your runner profile, open "My Journey" and choose "Results".
Click "Find Results", choose the race and year, and click "Search for my results" to find and add your result, free of charge.
If it is not found, first check that your profile name matches the name you entered with; you can add a former name or submit an individual result request. If the result itself is wrong, contact that race's organising committee.

How it differs from the World Marathon Majors

	European Marathon Classics	World Marathon Majors
Races	8, all in Europe	8 (Cape Town a full member from 2027), across five continents
To complete	Any 5 of the 8	Six Star requires all of the original 6
Shared race	London	London
Entry difficulty	Mostly open entry except London and Copenhagen	Mostly ballot or qualifying time

In short, the Majors are about ballot luck and long-haul travel, while the Classics are more like a European city running-and-travel list that you can complete without London. Running London earns both an EMC coin and a Majors star.

The eight races at a glance

Race	City (country)	2026 race day	2027 race day	Marathon field	In one line
Rome Marathon	Rome (Italy)	March 22	March 14	About 36,000	Runs past ancient Roman ruins
Vienna City Marathon	Vienna (Austria)	April 19	April 18	12,995 entries	The Ringstrasse and imperial architecture
London Marathon	London (UK)	April 26	April 24–25	59,830 finishers	The world's largest, and the only Major
Madrid Marathon	Madrid (Spain)	April 26	April 25	About 15,000	Live bands on course, rolling route
Copenhagen Marathon	Copenhagen (Denmark)	May 10	May 9	22,424 starters	Flat, with cool May weather
Warsaw Marathon	Warsaw (Poland)	September 27	September 26	Capped at 14,000	Poland's oldest marathon
Lisbon Marathon	Lisbon (Portugal)	October 10 (Saturday)	October 9 (Saturday)	Capped at 18,000	Along the coast and river the whole way
Frankfurt Marathon	Frankfurt (Germany)	October 25	October 31	Cap planned to rise to 20,000	Flat and fast, indoor red-carpet finish

"Field" is measured differently by each race (finishers, starters, entries or entry cap) and is only a guide to scale. 2027 race days are taken from the European Marathon Classics homepage; each race's final official announcement prevails.

Race by race

Listed in race-day order.

Rome Marathon

Officially the Acea Run Rome The Marathon.

History: Founded in 1995; 2026 was the 31st edition.
Course: Starts on Via dei Fori Imperiali beside the Colosseum and finishes at the Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo), running through the historic ruins of the ancient city (source).
Field: Entries for 2026 sold out four months before race day, with about 36,000 marathon runners (source).
2026 results: Kenya's Asbel Rutto won for the second year running, and Pascaline Kibiwot set a women's course record (source).
Race tips: Cobblestones and plenty of gradient make the course more rolling than you might expect; it suits slowing down for the sights more than chasing a PB. Even open entry sells out, so enter early.

Vienna City Marathon

History: 2026 was the 43rd edition, and Vienna is where the EMC series was launched.
Course: Runs through the city of Vienna and finishes on the Ringstrasse in the city centre.
Field: A record 12,995 marathon entries in 2026; across all weekend events, 49,379 entries (source).
2026 results: Women's winner Tigist Gezahagn set a course record of 2:20:06; she is a visually impaired athlete and a two-time Paralympic 1500 m champion (source).
Race tips: 2026 was hot, and many runners switched to the half marathon mid-race, so prepare for warm weather in mid-to-late April. The next edition is on April 18, 2027.

London Marathon

Officially the TCS London Marathon.

Status: The only World Marathon Major among the eight, and one of the main founders of the series.
Course: Starts in Greenwich, follows the River Thames across Tower Bridge and finishes on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace.
Field: 59,830 finishers in 2026, a world record for marathon finishers; Sabastian Sawe set a men's world record of 1:59:30 here (source).
2027 changes: The race becomes a two-day event on April 24–25, with about 100,000 participants (source). The 2027 ballot has closed.
Race tips: The ballot success rate is extremely low, and international runners mainly enter through charity places or official tour packages; Chinese runners need a separate UK visa.

Madrid Marathon

Officially the Zurich Rock 'n' Roll Running Series Madrid.

History: Founded in 1978; 2026 was the 48th edition and the first held as an EMC member.
Field: About 47,000 runners across the weekend's marathon, half marathon and 10 km, about 15,000 of them in the marathon (source).
Course: Madrid sits at about 650 m and the course is noticeably rolling, so times are usually slower than on flat courses; live bands cheer runners along the way.
Race tips: It falls on the same weekend as London, so runners who miss the London ballot can make Madrid their spring alternative.

Copenhagen Marathon

History: Founded in 1980.
Course: A flat loop through the city centre and along the canals.
Field: 22,424 starters in 2026, the largest marathon in Danish history.
2026 results: Kenya's Mercy Chebwogen set a course record of 2:22:08 in her marathon debut (source).
Race tips: Mid-May weather is cool and stable, making it the best of the eight for a spring PB. According to the EMC website, entry moves to a ballot from 2027, so watch the entry window in advance.

Warsaw Marathon

Officially the Maraton Warszawski.

History: Founded in 1979 as the "Peace Marathon", it is Poland's oldest marathon; 2026 was the 48th edition and the first race at which the EMC Master Medal was awarded.
Course: Starts and finishes beside the Palace of Culture and Science (source).
Entry: The 2026 field was capped at 14,000, with entry fees of €75–120, cheaper the earlier you enter; runners must be at least 18 (source).
2026 results: Hungary's Lili Anna Vindics-Tóth broke the Hungarian national record with 2:24:48.
Race tips: Its entry requirements and fees are among the lowest of the eight, making it one of the easier races to count toward your five.

Lisbon Marathon

Officially the EDP Lisbon Marathon.

History: Founded in 1986.
Course: Held on a Saturday, it starts by the sea at Carcavelos and runs along the Atlantic and the Tagus into Lisbon, finishing at Praça do Comércio (source).
Entry: The field is capped at 18,000 with a 6-hour time limit (source); runners must be at least 18 and submit a PPS health certificate (source).
Race tips: October days in Lisbon can reach the mid-20s °C and the coast can be windy, so leave some margin in your pacing. The race is on a Saturday, so do not plan your trip around a Sunday.

Frankfurt Marathon

Officially the Mainova Frankfurt Marathon.

History: 2026 was the 43rd edition, and it is the last race of the series each year.
Course: The fastest of the eight, on a flat course; the finish is on a red carpet inside the Festhalle exhibition hall, a unique atmosphere.
2026 results: Jirata Dinki won in 2:05:26, and German record holder Amanal Petros ran 2:05:46 (source).
Field: The organisers plan to raise the entry cap to 20,000 (source).
Race tips: A good choice for your fifth and final race, collecting the Master Medal at the indoor finish.

How to complete five races

The following are suggestions, not official guidance.

The easiest approach is to register for free, claim the races you have already run, and then fill the gaps with open-entry races; London is not required.

Suggested routes

Route	Races	Best for
Steady two-year plan	Year 1 autumn: Warsaw + Frankfurt; Year 2 spring: Rome + Copenhagen; Year 2 autumn: Lisbon	Recreational runners racing 1–2 times a season
No-ballot plan	Any 5 of Rome, Vienna, Madrid, Warsaw, Lisbon and Frankfurt	Runners who do not want to rely on ballot luck
PB plan	Copenhagen, Frankfurt and Vienna, plus two of Warsaw, London or Lisbon	Runners chasing times on flat courses
Travel plan	Rome, Madrid, Lisbon, Vienna and Copenhagen	Runners who treat races as city holidays

Open entry still sells out: Rome sold out four months before race day in 2026, so entering early is both cheaper and safer.

Entry and travel tips

Entry timing: Most races open entry for the next edition soon after race day, with tiered pricing. The London 2027 ballot has closed, and Copenhagen moves to a ballot from 2027.
Clashing dates: London and Madrid share a weekend in both 2026 and 2027, so count only one of them when planning.
Visas: Chinese passport holders need only a Schengen visa for Italy, Austria, Spain, Denmark, Poland, Portugal and Germany; the UK requires a separate UK visa. Apply 2–3 months before race day.
Health certificates: Some races require a health certificate (such as Lisbon's PPS); check each race's official website.
Bib collection and time difference: Most races require you to collect your bib in person with your passport 2–3 days before race day; Europe is 6–8 hours behind Beijing time, so arrive 3–5 days early.
Keep a record of your results: Record each finish on your Finisher Club runner profile to track your coin progress.