Guide to the Stockholm Marathon 2025 – for runners and audiences

When?

Saturday May 31st. First start at 12.00 (the first five start groups) and second start 12.10. The finish for the first male elite runners is expected around 14.10 and the decision in the women’s race is expected around 14.30.

The exercisers have a maximum time of six and a half hours so the last finish is at 18.40. There are four « stop times » – checks that must be passed within the time for the runners to continue:

• 21.1 km – Strandvägen, no later than 15.25

• 27 km – Rosenlundsgatan, no later than 16.20.

• 32 km – Scheelegatan, no later than 17.05.

• 35.5 km – Vasagatan, no later than 17.40.

Banana

The race is a classic marathon length: 42 195 meters. By 2023, the stretch was redone – the track got fewer height meters and curves, while boring parts were removed in favor of more central and crowd -friendly parts.

For this year’s race, minor adjustments have been made, around the Old Town and Kungsträdgården.

The start is on Lidingövägen outside Stockholm Stadium on Östermalm. After a little bit on Valhallavägen, the runners swing down Odengatan. Instead of running straight to Sankt Eriksplan, a turn is made via Sveavägen past Hötorget and the first turn along Torsgatan.

At Kungsholmen, the runners take via Fleminggatan and Scheelegatan down to Norr Mälarstrand. After passing the City Hall, and Vasabron, it is time for this year’s first news – the Old Town should not be rounded. The runners run directly towards the castle and across Norrbro for after the opera, here is news two, follow the Kungsträdgården towards Hamngatan before they, as before, run along Strandvägen, for the first time out of three.

Via Narvavägen, Karlavägen and Sturegatan If the runners are back at the start, but even though the goal at Stadion Hägers is just over 12 kilometers of the race.

Valhallavägen in the other direction followed by Djurgårdsbrunnsvägen, the runners take out on Djurgården and the greenest stretch of the race. Both Skansen, Gröna Lund and the Nordic Museum run by before the runners are back on Strandvägen. When the course folds into Blasieholmen, a little more than half the race has been cut.

Through Skeppsbron in the Old Town, the runners arrive in Södermalm. For many years, the runners have been off to the right, but since 2023 the runners are running left up Katarinavägen. Then run along Folkungagatan, Götgatan, Magnus Ladulåsgatan and Rosenlundsgatan.

Lundagatan and Heleneborgsgatan take the runners to the notorious Västerbron.

Then the runners are back on Norr Mälarstrand, and Scheelegatan, Fleminggatan and Torsgatan run the other way. After Vasagatan, a lap is now waiting around the Old Town. According to last year’s track stretch, the Strömbron was passed three times, but here is news three: just as on the first lap, instead Norrbro and Kungsträdgårdsgatan will be cleared again before the runners follow the same distance as previously over Östermalm. As they now glimpse the stadium, they also have to go to the finish.

Car traffic will be heavily affected by the race, see more here.

Along the track

Along the track there are 17 fluid controls with water, on 10 of them also sports drinks. At 13 controls, energy is served in different forms such as fruit, gel, coffee, cola and jelly frogs.

Last year, when a record number of runners – almost 19,000 – ran a very hot race, water could not be delivered at a sufficiently high rate at the first station and some runners were without fluid. The organizer announces that lessons have been drawn and that the arrangement has been redone so that it does not happen again.

The runners are also offered a large amount of entertainment to keep the mood up. The organizer announces that DJs, wind orchestras, live bands and cheer heels are placed around the city.

As motivation, the runners can also memory that a medal and a sweater with the text « Stockholm Marathon 2025 Finisher » await after the finish.

The runner gets younger

The average age-the lowest so far in the history of the race-for the 23,618 runners is 37.4 years, which means that a Stockholm Marathon participant has become five years younger since 2021.

The most common age is 30 years (974 pieces this year). 14,500 runners are debutants in the race.

The applicants come from over 100 different countries. The Swedish runners dominate by 17,000. The largest foreign group comes from the UK (1,150), which has passed Finland (911). Then follows Germany (583), France (521) and Norway (480), but also countries such as Kyrgyzstan, Bermuda and Guatemala are represented.

A shrinking group of the reported runners is the ones that have run all Stockholm Marathon since its inception in 1979. Five have become four this year, the oldest is Börje Carlsson (born -43) and the other three are Christer Gidewall (-49), Kennet Johansson (-52) and Stefan Lindberg (-58).

News of the year – special music for six countries

The runners from the six countries with the most participants receive their own DJ stations with music from their home country.

● Sweden – the intersection of Vallhallavägen/Lidingövägen

● UK-Vasabron, Old Town page

● Finland – the top of Katarinavägen

● Germany – Oxenstiernsgatan, near the intersection Karlavägen

● France – the intersection of Norlälarstrand/Kungsholmstorg

● Norway – Kornhamnstorg

In these places, the audience can cheer a little extra on their countrymen and scream loudly to familiar songs.

A completely different onePractical thing, which the audience should think about are two prohibitions introduced last year because of the increased security situation in the country. For audiences who want to see the finish line at Stadion, there is a total bag ban (with the exception of bags for medical reasons and carrying bags that come with a child). And no audience, only participants and officials, has access to Östermalm’s IP before and after the race.

More numbers

• 3,000 officials work before, during and after the race.

• 2.5 tonnes of pasta are served during Friday night’s pasty party.

• 400 rental toilets are located along the track.

• 38,000 bananas, 11,000 buns and 400 kilos of salt cucumber are distributed.

• 27,500 liters of sports drinks, 50,000 liters of water and 5,500 liters of coffee are served in 350,000 compostable mugs.

• 28 TV cameras and 2 helicopters are used for TV4’s TV broadcast.

Fastest through the ages

The route of the course has changed over the years, but the record is held by Nigussie Sahllesilassie, Ethiopia, with the time 2.10.11 from 2019. The fastest female runners are Norwegian Grete Waitz who in 1988 ran at 2.28.24.

The fastest Swedish of all time is Kjell-Erik Ståhl, his 2.12.33 from 1986 still stands. Carolina Wikström has the Swedish women’s record with 2.29.56, sat in 2021.

On the men’s side last year it became Kenyan top-five. Won made Fredrick Kibii followed by Robert Ngeno and Benard Kipkorir. First lady in goal also came from Kenya: Marion Kibor. But Sifan Melaku from Ethiopia cracked a Kenyan triple on the women’s side when she came second ahead of Ivyne Jeruto.

Favorites and SM

A large part of the runners in the Stockholm Marathon are exercisers and it is a power test and an experience in one. For many, the challenge is to get to the finish, while for others it is about setting as good a time as possible.

At the same time, an elite competition is underway. The East African runners are big favorites. The last ten races have been won by a runner from Kenya or Ethiopia. Last year’s winner Kibii has received starting number 1. Start number two has Haimro Alame – a runner born in Ethiopia but who represents Israel. The other three top -seeded runners are Birhan Nebebew and various Adugna, both Ethiopia, and Edwin Kosgei, Kenya.

The Swedish championships in the marathon will also be decided. On the men’s side, one of the three runners who are selected for the Tokyo World Cup participates in September: Örgrytes Samuel Tsegay. However, last year’s winner Ebba Tulu Chala, Hässelby, or Suldan Hassan, Ullevi. Last year’s SM-two Archibald Casteel, Spårvägen, and SM-Trean Linus Rosdahl, Hässelby, as well as Samuel Russom, Hässelby, however, participates in and challenges Tsegay.

An exciting debutant is Kalle Berglund, World Cup finalist 2019 at 1,500 meters who recently ended the elite venture.

In the women’s race If we get a new pallet trio, then neither victorious Kibor nor her main challenger participate this year. Topseedades are three Ethiopians: Muluhabt Tsega, Shewarge Alene and Birtkutan Abera.

Last year’s SM winner Carolina Wikström has just become a mother and does not participate. On the other hand, this makes Örgrytes Samrawit Mengsteab, who made a marathon in Hamburg in April with the fine time 2.28.44. Like last year’s SM-Trea Hanna Lindholm, Eskilstuna.

How do you follow the runners

The race will be broadcast on TV4 at 11.30-15.30. A target camera in TV4 Play follows all runners’ last steps inside the stadium, broadcast until 19.00.

On the race’s website, under « Results 2025 » and the underponent « Tracking & Replay », or via the race app you can follow family and friends through intermediate times every fifth kilometer. Runners can also connect via GPS and then you can follow the current position all the time.