Amsterdam marathon on Sunday; chance of rain and traffic disruption

The 47th TCS Amsterdam Marathon will take place on Sunday. As runners gear up for the potentially rainy day, residents should brace for traffic disruptions.

The Amsterdam Marathon ranks among the largest marathons in Europe and stands as the premier marathon in the Netherlands. This year, 45,000 runners will participate. Another 20,000 people will participate in the half-marathon, with 5,000 others trying to complete an eight-kilometer course instead.

The marathon will start at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam-Zuid, where it will also conclude. The course, stretching over 42 kilometers, primarily runs through the city. Runner will notably do two laps in the Vondelpark, run under the Rijksmuseum and alongside the Stadhouderskade, traverse the Zuidas, and follow the Amstel up to the town of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel.

According to Weeronline, temperatures at the start of the marathon are expected to hover around 8 degrees, with a brisk northwest wind. There is also a chance of showers, potentially even thunderstorms. Temperatures are not expected to exceed 11 degrees that day.

Given that the marathon largely takes place within the city, traffic complications are expected. Barriers will be erected early Sunday morning along the marathon route. Streets on the marathon route will shut down 45 minutes before the leading participants arrive and will reopen 30 minutes after the last runner’s passage. The largest streets temporarily closed to traffic on Sunday are the Amstelveenseweg, Stadionweg, Stadhouderskade, Mauritskade, and Zeeburgerdijk. Here is a detailed overview of the route and impacted streets.

Motorists are advised to remove their vehicles from the marathon route by 11:00 p.m. on Saturday. Parked vehicles will receive a fine and will possibly be towed, the municipality warned. 800 signs have been placed throughout the city to warn drivers about it.