Spanning Mediterranean Rome and Madrid, Atlantic Lisbon and London, to the heart of Europe in Vienna, Warsaw and Frankfurt, and reaching north to Copenhagen – European Marathon Classics offers a journey across borders and cultures.
At its core, European Marathon Classics is about more than running. It is a movement that encourages health and wellbeing, inspires people to stretch beyond their limits, and fosters a deep sense of belonging among runners and the communities that support them. The series champions responsible participation in sport and respect for the environment - values shared across the eight events.
In addition to the TCS London Marathon, the European Marathon Classics series includes: Maratona di Roma, Vienna City Marathon, Zurich Rock’n’ Roll Running Series Madrid, Copenhagen Marathon, Warsaw Marathon, EDP Lisbon Marathon and Mainova Frankfurt Marathon.
“European Marathon Classics embodies our ambition to explore Europe together while pushing boundaries – both geographically and philosophically. I’m confident this series will show that across Europe we are better together than we are apart and that we are more similar than we are different. I hope it will inspire participants from around the world to experience Europe’s great marathons, cities and communities,” said Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the TCS London Marathon and one of the driving forces behind the creation of European Marathon Classics.
To earn the title of European Marathon Classics Finisher and receive a commemorative medal, participants must complete at least five different marathons from the list, each in a different city. There is no time limit for completing the five events.
The series features a modern visual identity built around colourful, dynamic circles. Each circle symbolizes a marathon held in a different European city. The logo contains ten such elements, while the series currently launches with eight races leaving room for future expansion.
The medal takes the form of a large disc with a distinctive concentric structure. At the centre of the reverse side, there is space for circular, magnetic collectible coins. These EMC badges, each featuring its own individual colour scheme and “Finisher” designation, correspond to the respective races. As runners complete additional marathons, they build a personalized medal composition reflecting their journey.
“The European Marathon Classics are an inspiring challenge, and this unique medal represents this spirit in a truly remarkable way,” says Kathrin Widu, CEO of the Vienna City Marathon. “By bringing together leading European marathons, we aim to inspire even more people to embrace marathon running. We are united by shared values like a passion for sport, community, health, and sustainability, and driven by the energy of a new generation of runners.”
One of the key principles of the project is the recognition not only of future European Marathon Classics results, but also historical performancesdating back to the earliest editions of the marathons included in the series.
The oldest event in the series is the Madrid Marathon, first held in 1978, while the youngest is the EDP Lisbon Marathon, established in 1986. This means working with archives and verifying results from several hundred editions across the eight races.
This solution will be made possible through cooperation with the platform www.letsdothis.com, which is providing technological solutions for the EMC project.
Organizers aim to enable participants to add past race results to their profiles starting in the second half of 2026.
“We value everyone who has ever completed the marathon distance at our races, whether this year or 40 years ago. It is a major operational undertaking and a significant organizational challenge, but we will make it possible to recognize results dating back to the very first editions. We see this as a sign of respect for marathon history and for the people who created it,” emphasized Marek Tronina, Race Director of the Warsaw Marathon.
Registration for European Marathon Classics is now open at www.europeanmarathonclassics.eu. Joining the series is free of charge. Entry fees apply for participation in individual races in accordance with each event’s regulations.