Download information in printable pdf-form.
We would like to welcome you to the event and also give you instructions that we require you to comply with.
The instructions are in alphabetical order.
ADDITIONAL EVENTS
On the same day with the Helsinki City Marathon, the Minimarathon for children is organized. Minimarathon starts on Saturday 20th August, at 10 am. Find more information about the Minimarathon on www.minimarathon.fi.
CHAMPION CHIP TIMING SYSTEM
We will use the Champion Chip system for the result taking. The data chip attached to your running shoe gives results. You will get your chip in the envelope with your running number. There are also instructions for attaching the chip to your shoe. Read the instructions and attach the chip carefully. You have to use exactly the chip, which you are given and the chip does not work in other events. You may not use your own chip if you have one. Remember that you have to have the chip during the race, in order to get the results properly.
After the race, the officials will remove the chip from your shoe. If you have to cancel before finishing the race, make sure you remember to return your data chip to the officials (to the nearest refreshment station, info-desk at the office or mail it to the organisers by post). If you do not return the chip, you will be charged 45 €. The chip must be returned by 31st August!
DURATION OF RACE
The maximum race time is 6 hours from the start. This means the runner must cross the finishing line at 9:10 pm at the latest, to be able to get an acceptable result. This time schedule will be used in all functions of the race, for example the services after the race will be closed according to the schedule at 9:10 pm.
To be able to maintain your participation right, you should be at the measuring points as followed: 5 kilometres by 41 minutes from the start, 10 kilometres by 1:24 from the start, 20 kilometres by 2:49 from the start, 30 kilometres by 4:17 from the start, 40 kilometres by 5:40 from the start and finish by 6 hours from the start.
EQUIPMENT STORAGE
You can leave your personal belongings in the marked places inside the Olympic Stadium. Only those with a competition number are allowed to enter the storage area. The storage area will be open between 12 and 9:30 pm on the race day.
You can also change your clothes in the equipment storage and leave your belongings there. NOTE: The organizers are not responsible for any valuables or money left in the storage area! There will be a separate storage for valuables.
FINISH
The marathon race finishes inside the Olympic Stadium. After passing the finishing line, the officials will remove your chip from your running shoe. After this, continue forwards where you will receive your medal.
After the finishing area you can enter the refreshment service area where you will find different refreshments. Medical services are also available at the finishing area. From the refreshment area you can continue back to the equipment storage.
INSURANCE
Only the runners that belong to the Finnish social security system (KELA) are insured for acute illness and injuries sustained during the race by If Company. The insurance is valid from the time you enter the start area until the time you leave the finishing area or if you are forced to retire, until you leave the running service. If you need to use the insurance, contact the Helsinki City Marathon medical services immediately during the race time.
If you do not belong to the KELA-system, please check your own personal insurance cover.
INTERMEDIATE TIMES
A timing car will travel in front of the leading runner. In addition, there are clocks at 5 km, 10 km, 15 km, 20 km, 25 km, 30 km and 35 km. You can see your finishing time from the big clock above the finishing line.
LOST AND FOUND
You can ask for the lost property at the info desk during and right after the race or later from the office of the Finnish Athletics: e-mail maraton(at)sul.fi and phone +358 9 3481 2405.
MEDICAL SERVICE
Medical services can be contacted at each refreshment station. The services will also be available at the finishing area.
PACE MAKERS
If you are insecure about your own speed, you can follow our pace makers. These experienced runners are wearing flags with the finishing time and bright coloured vests and they will run the whole route with a steady pace. We have pace makers aiming to the following finishing times: 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, 5:00 and 5:30. Before the start, you will find the pace makers near the finishing time signs beside the start area.
PERSONAL REFRESHMENTS
If you have personal refreshments, please bring them to the marked places at the race office by 1 pm on the race day. You can place your drink in a basket to be brought to a refreshment station. Make sure you recognize your drink, and that it is marked with your name, running number and the kilometres of the refreshment station. It is possible to bring the drinks to the baskets only on Saturday and only before 1 pm.
PHOTOS
The official photos of the race will be taken by a company called MarathonFoto. There will be several photo shooting spots along the route. A happy face assures a nice photo as a memory from the race. It is important to keep your running number visible during the whole race, so that the photographers are able to recognize the runners. You can view and order the photos a few days after the race on their web page www.marathonfoto.com.
POSTPONING OF THE PARTICIPATION RIGHT WITH INSURANCE FEE AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATE
The entry fee is not refunded in any case. However, if you have paid the 5 EUR insurance fee with the registration and you have to cancel the race due to sickness or injury, you are able to postpone your participation right to the next year’s event by sending us a medical certificate before the race. Postponing of the participation right can be done only once and only with one year ahead.
If you send the certificate by post, it must have the postal stamp of the race day at the latest. You can send the certificate by post, fax or e-mail attachement. Contact information: Finnish Athletics, Helsinki City Marathon, Radiokatu 20, FI-00240 Helsinki. Fax: +358 9 3481 2367. E-mail: sul.harraste(at)sul.fi
Another requirement for the postponing to be possible is that the T-shirt and the race number of the event to be postponed is not picked up.
PRIZES
Each runner finishing within 6 hours receives a Helsinki City Marathon medal.
The following is a list of prizes for the best finishing times:
| Men | Women | |||
| 1st |
3,500 € | 1st | 3,500 € | |
| 2nd | 2,000 € |
2nd | 2,000 € | |
| 3rd | 1,000 € | 3rd | 1,000 € |
In addition, the best male and female runner will receive special prize and the possession of the trophy.
Also following placements are rewarded with a product prize:
Men: Open class 1.-10., M40 1.-3., M45 1.-3., M50 1.-3., M55 1.-3., M60 1.-3., M65 1.-3., M70 1.-3.
Women: Open class 1.-10., W35 1.-3., W40 1.-3., W45 1.-3., W50 1.-3., W55 1.-3., W60 1.-3.
The winners of the classes of men and women will be rewarded directly after the race at the finishing area. Other winners can collect their prizes from the race office in front of the room of the race secretary.
RACE EXPO
The race expo is located at the race office. There you can get to know and buy the products of our co-operating companies.
RACE NUMBERS
All participants can pick up their race numbers with their race pack at the race office at Töölö Sports hall (Töölön Kisahalli) either on Friday or Saturday during the race office hours. Make sure that you have picked up the number by Saturday August 20th at 1 pm at the latest. Take the registration card with you to pick up the number. There will be a separate desk for the foreign runners. After you have picked up the number, you can get a Helsinki City Marathon T-shirt from another desk at the end of the expo area. Please follow the signs in the halls. It is not possible to get the T-shirt afterwards.
Please, write your name behind the running number as well as possible diseases you might have and medications you are using. Also, please write contact information (phone number and name) of a close relative of yours. This makes the work of the medical personnel easier and you will get quicker health care, in case you need to use the medical services along the route or in the finishing area.
The race number should be pinned to the front of your shirt so that the numbers are clearly visible all the time. You get the pins in an envelope with your race number. You can keep your number after the race.
RACE OFFICE
The race office is located at the Töölö Sports hall (Töölön Kisahalli) near the Olympic Stadium (address: Paavo Nurmen kuja 1). The office will be open on:
Friday, August 19th from 12 pm to 8 pm
Saturday, August 20th from 9 am to 1 pm
Remember that the race numbers must be picked up by Saturday 1 pm!
If you have any questions, please contact the info desk at the race office! You can reach the race office by phone +358 9 3481 2405 or by e-mail sul.harraste(at)sul.fi. The phone lines might be quite busy at times during the race office hours.
You can find the journey planner for the public transport from http://www.reittiopas.fi/en/ and search the best route to arrive to the sports hall. However, from the city centre the sports hall is only a walking distance away (about 1,5 kilometres from the railway station).
REFRESHMENT STATIONS
There are several refreshment stations along the route, which are marked on the route map. Refreshment stations offer water and sports drink Gatorade Lemon. At some stations you will also be served bananas and salted cucumbers. In addition, there are 5 stations where you will find sponges and showers. You can see the stations also on the course map on our web page under Entrant info. Due to the big number of participants, no special diets can be taken into account.
The signs along the route are:
- pre-sign of a drink station
- pre-sign of a sponge station
- water
- sports drink
- personal drinks
RESULTS
The preliminary results of the race are to be seen on our web page immediately after the race: www.helsinkicitymarathon.com. The official results will be published later on the web page. The Helsinki City Marathon diploma will be sent to all the participants in October by post. Make sure you will let us know the possible address changes.
RETIRING FROM THE RACE
If you have to retire before finishing the race, please contact the officials at the nearest refreshment station and give your running chip to them. If you do not return your data chip we will charge you a 45 € fee. You can get back to the race office in the control car driving behind the last runner or with the car collecting the runners from the refreshment stations.
ROUTE
The course map can be found on our web page under Entrant info.
ROUTE CONTROL
The police and traffic controllers will be controlling the route. At some point, the vehicles might have to be let in between the runners and it might hinder the pace of the runners for a moment.
ROUTE MARKINGS
Each kilometre on the route is marked by a sign.
RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE RACE
Get to know the rules and regulations of the Helsinki City Marathon. You can find them on our web page under Entrant info. Every participant is committed to follow the rules after having done the registration.
START
The Helsinki City Marathon race will take place on August 20th, 2011. The Marathon race will start at 3 pm outside the Olympic Stadium next to the statue of Paavo Nurmi. The runners should be at the start area at 2:45 pm at the latest. Select your spot at the start area according to your own expected finishing time (signs: 2:30, 3:00, 3:30, 4:00 etc.). Make sure you are in good time if you wish to get a good spot to the start.
SPECTATORS
The spectators can watch the race along the route. (Note: At some spots there are traffic limitations, which will slow down or even hinder traffic!)
STORAGE FOR VALUABLES
There will be a safe storage for valuables for a fee of 5 €. The valuables storage is located at the race office and you can leave small valuables there (e.g. wallet, phone, keys, watch...). The storage will be closed at 2:30 pm and opened again after the race. Please make sure you have the exact amount of 5 € in cash with you.
TOILETS
There are toilets along the route. You can also see them from the route map on our web page. In the start and finishing area, there are temporary toilets for use.
TRANSFERRING PARTICIPATION RIGHT TO ANOTHER RUNNER
The running number is personal and it must not be given to anyone else. The transfer of the participation right to another runner is possible in the race office for a separate transfer fee.
WASHING FACILITIES
All participants can use the facilities at the Swimming Stadium for free by showing their running number. It will be open for the runners between 4 pm and 9:30 pm. Admission is free only for the runners with competition numbers. The Swimming Stadium is located next to the Olympic Stadium, close to the start and finish. You will need a deposit of 50 cent coin for the lockers for your clothes.
The Minimarathon for children is an event for the whole family. It is organized in the morning before the HCM starting at 10 AM.
You will get your running number in an envelope looking like this. It includes your running number and timing chip and pins to attach them. Be supre not to lose your timing chip!
Every finisher gets a HCM-medal.
The view along the route is also magnificent.
The pace maker run to help you to keep up with a steady pace.
The course goes also along beautiful bridges.
The winners of HCM 2009, Men.
There is a happy mood among the runners.
Race numbers should be pinned in front of the T-shirt.
Water and sports drink are served at the refreshment points.
There are also sponge points on the route.
There are traffic controllers and policemen controlling the route.
The atmosphere at the start is amazing!
The route goes along the most important buildings in Helsinki.
Here: the Parliament House.
Runners in Kaivopuisto-park.