Marathon

mei20, Paris, Netherlands

Marathon is a race weekend in Leiden, not a venue you hang out at. It's the city's annual marathon event, with distances from a free kids run up to the full 42.2km. There's also a 5km nightrun on Saturday and a walking event, so it's not just for hardcore runners. The whole thing takes over the city. Start lines are at Koninginnelaan, finishes at Vismarkt, and the nightrun kicks off from Garenmarkt. If you're not running, you can still be part of it: there's live tracking on an interactive map so you can follow the first and last runners in real time. That's actually kind of nice for supporters who don't want to camp out at the finish line for hours. What makes it worth it is the energy. The 2026 edition drew over 2,500 walkers alone, and the nightrun brought people out on Saturday evening. It's a full weekend where the city gets taken over by people doing something hard, which is a vibe whether you're participating or just there to watch. Next edition is May 8-9, 2027. If you run, sig…