Races

PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONNL / RACE GUIDE

Venloop

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Venlo
NL

Thomas Krakow · CC BY-SA 4.0Thomas Krakow · CC BY-SA 4.0Thomas Krakow · CC BY-SA 4.0Sindala at nl.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Thomas Krakow · CC BY-SA 4.0

Race date in 128 days: Mar 21, 2027 Sun
City · Distance: Venlo · 21.0975km · 10km · 5km
Entry fee: €35Varies by event and entry period
Status: ClosedSee how to enter ↗

2027Date Mar 21, 2027 · Entry Aug 1, 2026 ~ Mar 19, 2027

2026

2026Date Mar 29, 2026

Official website ↗

Instagram YouTube

D-day as of Nov 13, 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.

This is a running festival centered on the half marathon, held in March in Venlo, in the Dutch province of Limburg.

Founded in 2006, it draws about 25,000 participants and is known for its fast course along the Maas river and its city-center finish.

Spots in the half marathon are so popular that they sell out within three days of registration opening.

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.

Stories from runners who've been there.

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

Race reports: 3

Jonas MüllerRan in 2025

“It's a fast course that runs alongside the Maas River several times, so you can expect a good time.”

The 2025 edition had good weather, and the course and the finish-line atmosphere were reportedly excellent. Many runners from Germany also took part.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

Die schnelle Strecke, welche mehrfach auch entlang der Maas führt, verspricht gute Aussichten auf Topzeiten.

Read the original on Runner's World Deutschland

Willem L. MiddelkoopRan in 2024 · Finish time 2:05

“It's exhilarating when spectators cheer you on by name – it really boosts your morale.”

A runner who ran the 2024 edition in 2:05 shares a race report. The runner said the energy of the crowd support gave a real lift.

Read the original on willem.com

TjerkjeRan in 2018 · Finish time 2:28:46

“The crowds were standing several people deep along the course, and the atmosphere was unbelievable.”

A runner's report from the 2018 edition, in which the runner finished half marathon in 2:28:46. Crowds packing the roads were a boost the whole way round.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

Rijen dik massa’s mensen, wat een sfeer, ongelooflijk!

Read the original on Tjerkje (WordPress)

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.

Official Aftermovie Arrow Venloop 2026
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.

First come, first served entry has closed

It ran Aug 1, 2026–Mar 19, 2027.
Check separately whether other entry routes are open and spots remain.

Registration history · The 2027 race opened entry on Sat, August 1, 2026

First come, first served

Entry cost €35

Registration opened on a first-come, first-served basis at midnight on 1 August 2026, and the half marathon sold out within 72 hours.

18 years or older

Organizer's page

Charity

Entry cost TBD

If you raise €500 in donations through the cancer charity program, you receive a free entry and a shirt.

Raise €500 by 1 February 2027

Organizer's page

Other

Entry cost TBD

For sold-out distances, only person-to-person transfers are possible, from 13 to 27 March.

Buyers must find a seller themselves.

Organizer's page

Other · Half

Entry cost TBD

Even after the sell-out, people with a charity code and corporate running teams can still apply for the half marathon.

Sponsorship code or the Newtone Business Run team

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 2:00

Half marathon 180 minutes (10 km 90 minutes, 5 km 45 minutes)

Event	Start	Entry fee	Bib pickup
Halve marathon21.0975km	14:00	€35	2027-03-20
10 km10km	12:00	€28.50	2027-03-20
5 km5km	10:50	€19	2027-03-20

START

Deken van Oppensingel, Venlo

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Keulsepoort, Venlo

Finish · Google Maps

Runners start · local time — Half marathon 2:00 pm, 10 km 12:00 noon, 5 km 10:50 am (based on the 2026 edition)

Venloop held its first race in 2006 and has taken place every spring since, with 2027 marking the 20th edition.

The half marathon doubled as the Dutch half marathon championship in 2012 and 2013, and today Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes flock to it to chase fast times.

The course is World Athletics-certified,

and with a flat course that passes through the city center and runs along the Maas several times, it is widely said to produce quick times.

The start and finish are both near the city wall road on the edge of Venlo's old town, so spectators line the route close to the center.

Besides the half marathon, the same weekend includes a 10 km, a 5 km, a Kids Run and a para-athletics run, and the total field reaches about 25,000.

Venlo is close to the German border, so many German runners come too.

The organizing foundation also runs charity runs to support people with cancer, so the whole city has a festival atmosphere.

Spots in the half marathon are so popular that they sell out within three days of registration opening.

The 2026 edition was held on a rescheduled date of 29 March, and the men's winning time of 59:11 was decided inside the hour.

With children's, family and walking events as well, it is a city festival where the cheering never stops.

On race day many roads in the city center are closed, and it feels as if the whole city has been cleared for the runners.

Typical race-season temperature: around 6°C (42°F): Long sleeves + a throwaway layer for the start

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Medical support

Restrooms

Water stations

Aid stations

Finisher medal

Bag drop

Start shuttle

Lockers

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

Bib pickup

Web shop products and the finisher medal engraving booth operate on site on Sunday.
The official website lists no separate expo.
Same hours as the Packet Pickup (19–20 March 2027)

Ewals Cargo Care Paviljoen, Julianapark, Venlo

Google Maps

Free public transit

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startVenlo
Free public transitParticipants ride Arriva trains and buses in Limburg free using the bib QR code.

Source · checked Nov 4, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Venlo

Start is on Deken van Oppensingel, a short walk from Venlo station. Venlo station is about 400 m from the start/finish area.

Participants ride Arriva trains and buses in Limburg free using the bib QR code. Three parking areas (P1 Stadion De Koel, P2 Venlo-Noord, P3 Fontys) open on Sunday only and usually fill around 11:30; shuttle buses run from P1/P3.

Map

Getting to the finish

Venlo

Finish at Keulsepoort, close to the station.

Map

Source · checked Nov 4, 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.

The half marathon starts at 2:00 pm, so you can enjoy a relaxed morning.

Traffic to the course backs up from one hour before the start, so get to the start line area before then at the latest.

For 2027, you collect your bib at the pavilion in Julianapark on Friday, 19 March,

from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and on Saturday, 20 March, from 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm.

Bibs are not handed out on Sunday, so be sure to go the day before.

Bag storage is available on Sunday only and is free.

Lockers are guaranteed if you reserve one when you register.

The train station is within a 5-minute walk of the event site, so public transport is the easiest way to get there.

Participants can ride local trains and buses within Limburg for free using the QR code on the bib.

If you had the bib delivered to your home, the journey there is free as well;

if you collect it on site, only the journey back is free.

The three car parks open on Sunday only and fill up around 11:30 am, so go early.

Aid stations are at 5 km, 10 km, 14 km and 18 km mark.

The time limit is 3 hours for the half marathon.

Mid-March in the Netherlands is chilly and some years have been rainy, so a waterproof jacket and a disposable layer to wear before the start are a good idea.

If you book accommodation near the train station or in the old town, you can walk to and from the event.

Schedules and times are based on the 2026 edition's information, so check the official website again.

After the finish you receive water, sports drink and a banana, and you can have your finisher medal engraved at a booth in the park.

Train timetables can change on race day, so leave plenty of margin for your trip home.

The train station gets crowded late on Sunday afternoon, so allow extra time.

Times are local to Venlo. 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.

Van Der Valk Hotel Venlo

Hotel · 3.1km

9.0/10(1395)

View on Booking.com

Massage and Sauna in Düsseldorf - Relax at a Boutique Spa

€108

Venloop

About Venloop — 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

Venloop runner reviews and race reports

Stories from runners who've been there.

See it on video,feel it through their stories.

Official Aftermovie Arrow Venloop 2026

How to enter Venloop — registration routes

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

First come, first served

Charity

Other

Other · Half

Venloop course map and elevation

Your 21.1km

Deken van Oppensingel, Venlo

Keulsepoort, Venlo

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Medical support

Restrooms

Water stations

Aid stations

Finisher medal

Bag drop

Start shuttle

Lockers

Where and when to collect your Venloop race bib

To the start line,step by step.

Bib pickup

Ewals Cargo Care Paviljoen, Julianapark, Venlo

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the start

Getting to the finish

From race morning to after the finish.

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

Van Der Valk Hotel Venlo

Massage and Sauna in Düsseldorf - Relax at a Boutique Spa

Düsseldorf: Brewery Tour with Alt Beer Tastings

Düsseldorf: City Sightseeing Cruise on the Rhine

Bilderberg Chateau Holtmuhle

Düsseldorf: Couples’ Massage, Breakfast, and Spa Access

Düsseldorf: Flingern Food Tour

Hotels near the Venloop start line in Venlo

Hotels that make race morning easy

Van Der Valk Hotel Venlo

Bilderberg Chateau Holtmuhle

Maashof

Bilderberg Hotel De Bovenste Molen

galerie 65

BnB prins Hendrik Venlo

TIN INN Nettetal-Kaldenkirchen

Tours and activities around the Venloop in Venlo

Time for you, before and after the finish

Massage and Sauna in Düsseldorf - Relax at a Boutique Spa

Düsseldorf: Couples’ Massage, Breakfast, and Spa Access

Cologne: Aquapark Adventure Pool Day Pass with Sauna World

Düsseldorf: 2-Hour Evening Rhine Cruise with Live DJ

River Cruise with All-You-Can-Eat Dutch Pancakes

Cologne Pub Crawl

Cologne Boat Party: Techno Steamboat with SaltySis, August 29, 2026

3-Course Food Tour Across 3 Restaurants

Düsseldorf car rental (EconomyBookings)

Düsseldorf Airport pickup (GetTransfer)

Düsseldorf Airport–City Private Taxi

Düsseldorf car rental (Localrent)

Düsseldorf airport pickup (Welcome)

Eindhoven car rental (EconomyBookings)

Eindhoven Airport Pickup (GetTransfer)

Düsseldorf: Art:walk museum pass

Düsseldorf: Social Night Out with Shots & Club Entry

Dvalish Art & Lev Museum Admission Ticket

Eindhoven: Dvalish Art Gallery Admission Ticket

Eindhoven: VONK Museum Park Entry Ticket

Nuenen: Van Gogh Village Museum Nuenen Admission Ticket

Eindhoven: PSV Museum Admission with Optional Stadium Tour

Düsseldorf: 3-hour guided bike tour of the highlights

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

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

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

To the start line,
step by step.

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

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

With runners who dream of
the same start line.