Copenhagen Marathon Lottery Pulls Over 80,000 Entries for 35,000 Spots

June 13, 2026

Nearly 81,000 runners entered the lottery for a place at the 2027 Copenhagen Marathon, more than double the number of bibs available, organizers announced this week.

The exact figure was 80,937 applications for 35,000 spots, the first time in the race’s history that entries were assigned by random draw. Sparta Athletics & Running, the club behind the race, switched to a lottery after the 2026 edition sold out in under 24 hours and locked many runners out before they could load the registration page.

“The tremendous interest shows that Copenhagen is now among Europe’s most attractive marathon destinations,” said Dorte Vibjerg, CEO of Sparta Athletics & Running. “Copenhagen Marathon has become more than just a race. For many people, it is a personal goal and an experience they dream of sharing with others.”

Vibjerg said the three-week application window was built to give runners in any time zone a fair shot. “It has given far more runners a genuine opportunity to secure a place on the start line,” she said. MARATHON HANDBOOK