Is cph marathon losing its spark?
Hey all! I’ve run the CPH Marathon a handful of times now and always loved it. But this year felt a bit off to me.
The atmosphere on the streets was still amazing, and I know some things come down to sponsors etc., but compared to previous years it felt much more professionalized and less community / Sparta-driven. Small things maybe, but they added up: new venue, less alcohol-free beer in the running bag lol and no proper nutrition after crossing the finish line (I still taste all the faxe kondi).
What honestly frustrated me most was the announcement that 2027 entries will go through a lottery system. It changes the whole feeling of the event for me. It used to feel like a marathon built by and for the local running community and now it feels more like a massive branded event where we are just random numbers in a system.
I’m wondering if the marathon joining the European Marathon Classics has something to do with it? I assumed it was still non-profit/community-oriented, but this year it honestly felt a bit like consultants had come in and over-scaled the event.
Maybe I’m just getting old and nostalgic... curious what everyone else’s impression was?