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Wizz Air Budapest Half Marathon

Name: Wizz Air Budapest Half Marathon 2025
Uploaded: 2025-09-23
Description: First held in 1984, it takes place in Budapest every September. The 21.1km course starts and finishes at Pázmány Péter sétány on the Buda side of Petőfi Bridge. It runs along both banks of the Danube

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Budapest
HU

Nammarci · CC BY-SA 3.0Paul Colin Hennig / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0Wilfredor, CC0, Wikimedia CommonsGodot13, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commonskallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Race date in 295 days: Sep 5, 2027 Sun
City · Distance: Budapest · 21.1km
Entry fee: €70Varies by event and entry period
Status: OpenSee how to enter ↗

2027Date Sep 5, 2027 · Entry ~ Aug 26, 2027

2026

2026Date Sep 6, 2026 · Entry ~ Aug 30, 2026

Official website ↗Marathon · Spar Budapest Marathon

Instagram YouTube

D-day as of Nov 14, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

First held in 1984, it takes place in Budapest every September.

The 21.1km course starts and finishes at Pázmány Péter sétány on the Buda side of Petőfi Bridge.

It runs along both banks of the Danube, crossing Árpád Bridge, Margaret Bridge and Liberty Bridge.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

#WizzAirBudapestHalfMarathon#Budapest#September Marathon#Half marathon

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 2

Pernilla BredoltRan in 2019 · Finish time 1:48:13

“However, the course was truly beautiful.”

The runner struggled with the early congestion, humidity, and nausea from the 13 km point, but enjoyed the Danube scenery, the flat course, and the support in the latter stages.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

Men banan var enormt fin.

Read the original on Runwaytoadventures

Autumn LytleRan in 2017

“Truth be told, it was even more amazing than I expected it to be.”

A September Budapest half marathon participant visited the expo and downtown course, and reviewed the refreshments and live music at the venue.

Read the original on autumnlytle.com

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Wizz Air Budapest Half Marathon 2025
Wizz Air
View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

General entry

Entry cost €70

Only the individual half marathon is open for entries right now;

the 10K and relay will open soon.

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 21.1km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

From the 2026 edition

Runners start · local timeFrom 08:00

Event	Start
Half21.1km	08:00

START

Péter Pázmány Promenade

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Városliget City Park, Budapest

Finish · Google Maps

Original course map · halfmarathon.runinbudapest.com

The Wizz Air Budapest half marathon is Hungary's largest half marathon,

held each year around the first Sunday in September along both banks of the Danube.

The 42nd edition is on September 5, 2027, with the individual half marathon starting at 8 a.m. Registration for the individual half marathon opened first,

with the 10 km and two- and three-person relays to follow.

In 2026, race headquarters were in the north building of ELTE University's Lágymányos campus,

and the start and finish were on Pázmány Péter sétány on the Buda side of Petőfi híd.

The course follows the lower riverside road north on the Buda side, crosses Árpád híd, runs through Margit-sziget (Margaret Island),

then crosses to Pest on Margit Bridge and heads south along the riverside past Parliament.

It then crosses Szabadság híd at Fővám tér, passes Szent Gellért tér, and returns to the start.

It's a flat course that takes in three bridges and the UNESCO World Heritage riverfront in one go.

In 2026, runners were split into seven start corrals by target time and set off in waves from 8:01 to 8:42 a.m.,

with wheelchair and handcycle athletes going 2 minutes earlier.

The time limit was 3 hours net from the last corral's start, and the individual half marathon was capped at 18,000.

World Athletics Label: Label Label
Typical race-season temperature: around 17°C (63°F): Short sleeves — hydrate for the warmth

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Pacers

Half

Medical support

Half

Restrooms

Half

Water stations

Half

Finisher medal

Event T-shirt

Bag drop

Half

Changing rooms

Half

From the most recent edition

Pacers 2026

Half

Bag drop 2026

Half

Changing rooms 2026

Half

Medical support 2026

Half

Restrooms 2026

Half

Timing chip 2026

Half

Water stations 2026

Half

Event T-shirt 2026

Half

Finisher medal 2026

Half

This may change for the next edition.

Hotels705m from the start · ★9.7

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2026 edition

Sep 4(Fri) – Sep 6(Sun)

Bib pickup

Packet Pickup is also available on race morning from 06:00 to 07:30.
The race center is about a 600m walk from the Buda side of Petőfi Bridge.

Race Center

ELTE Lágymányos Campus area (Pázmány Péter sétány, 1117 Budapest)

Google Maps Directions

Sep 4(Fri): 10:00–18:30
Sep 5(Sat): 09:00–18:30
Sep 6(Sun): 06:00–07:30

Shakeout run

A relaxed group run to loosen up before race day. No pace pressure — everyone's welcome.
There was no official shakeout from the organizer. Local running communities host their own.

Check this year's announcement

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startPetofi Bridge (Buda side), via tram 4 · 8 min walk
Transit cardFor a short visit, just tap a contactless bank card or phone directly at the metro gates via the Pay&GO system — no ticket purchase needed. If you'll also use buses/trams a lot, buy a 24/72-hour or 7-day BKK travelcard in the BudapestGO app instead.

Source · checked Aug 20, 2026 · Source · checked Aug 17, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Petofi Bridge (Buda side), via tram 4/6 or M4 metro to Moricz Zsigmond Square + tram 4 · 8 min walk

Event venue: Pazmany Peter Promenade, near ELTE Budai Campus. From Deli station: tram 17/61 to Moricz Zsigmond Sq, then tram 4 to Petofi Bridge (Buda side), walk ~600m.

From Keleti: M4 metro to Moricz Zsigmond Sq, then tram 4, walk ~600m. From Nyugati: M3 metro to Corvin Quarter, then tram 4/6 to Petofi Bridge.

Bikes: supervised storage on-site, MOL BUBI recommended. Parking is limited near the venue and fills early.

Paid: Kopaszi-gat lot, about 800 m walk. Free: Lurdy Haz lot, then tram 1 across Rakoczi Bridge (2 stops) and about 500 m walk.

Map

Getting to the finish

Same as start - Pazmany Peter Promenade / Petofi Bridge (Buda side)

Loop course returns to start venue, so finish access identical to start.

Map

Transit card

As of April 2026, Pay&GO contactless payment (tap Visa/Mastercard or phone) works on all Budapest metro lines, automatically charging and validating per tap — but it has not yet been extended to buses and trams. Tourist travelcards (24h/72h/7-day) are bought via the BudapestGO app or ticket machines and cover the full network.

The physical Budapest Card bundles unlimited transit with museum discounts for tourists who plan heavy sightseeing.

Where to buy

Source · checked Aug 20, 2026 Source · checked Aug 17, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

In 2026, bib pickup was at race HQ from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday,

and also on race day from 6 to 8 a.m. Bag storage ran from 6 a.m. to noon and only took bags up to 60 × 40 × 30cm.

Changing rooms and a staffed bike park were open from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The start area opens at 7:15 a.m.

There are six aid stations, at 4.2, 8.6, 11.6, 14.7, 17.6 and 19.1km, with water and Powerade as standard and, at some points, bananas, glucose and magnesium.

The sweep vehicle follows at a pace of 8:26 to 8:38 per km, so if you're slower than that you risk missing the time limit.

Parking around the venue is limited, so trams 4, 6, 17 and 61 or metro lines M3 and M4 are the better option.

If you need to park, the paid lot at Kopaszi-gát and the free lot at Lurdy Ház were recommended.

From Liszt Ferenc International Airport, the 100E airport express bus runs 24 hours a day via Kálvin tér to Deák Ferenc tér in about 40 minutes.

Budapest in September averages a high of around 23°C and a low of around 13°C,

but the riverside can get hot in the midday sun, so the later your corral, the more important it is not to skip drinks.

Times are local to Budapest. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Alice Hotel

Hotel · 419m · 6-minute walk

9.2/10(2784)

View on Booking.com

Hévíz Wellness Trip: Thermal Lake Day Trip from Budapest

€170

Wizz Air Budapest Half Marathon

About Wizz Air Budapest Half Marathon — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run