GENERAL INFO

Bag drop is located at the Olympic Stadium northern market square (Pohjoinen Stadionintori). The bag drop is divided by the distances. It is open on event day as follows:

Saucony Helsinki City Marathon: 8.10 a.m. – 4.30 p.m. (8.10 – 16.30)

Helsinki City 5: 8.30 – 11.30 a.m.

Helsinki City 5 Walk: 8.30 – 12 a.m.

OP Uusimaa Helsinki City Run: 1 – 6.30 p.m. (13 – 18.30)

The bag drop area will be guarded. For bag drop, you can leave things in your personal, closable bag or backpack, to which a removable bag drop tag from the bib number is attached. The runner must attach the tag to his bag himself with a tie obtained from the race office. You may collect the bag with your bib after the race.

Please note that the organizer is not responsible for lost items. A separate storage service for valuables is recommended for items such as wallets, cell phones, and watches etc.

Helsinki City Double runners’ bag drop is located inside the Olympic Stadium, on Floor -1. The entrance to Double’s bag drop goes through the Race Office lobby (a staircase next to the Race Office entrance).

Read more about bag drop for Marathon Relay in the specific info about events.

Storage for valuables

Small valuables that fit a normal sized envelope (phone, money, watch etc.) can be left to the storage for valuables during the race. The storage is located at the Olympic Stadium northern market square and it is open on Saturday from 8.10 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. (8.10-18.30). The cost of the storage is 5 € (card only). 

Toilets

The Olympic Stadium has plenty of toilets with hand washing facilities (north and south curve of the Stadium). There are temporary toilets in the starting area and along the route in connection with service points, you can see the service points on the route map. Please note that a large number of participants may lead to queues.

All rights to changes reserved.

Bib number
Bib number is personal and it cannot be given or transferred to another person without re-registration. In case of a misuse, the runner might be disqualified from the race. The bib number must be attached in front of a shirt and be visible during the whole race.

The bag drop tag on the side of the bib number must be removed before the race. After the run, if you have used bag drop, you can get your bag by showing your running number.

Bib number pick up

Each runner picks up the bib number from the race office no later than 1 hour prior to the start time. The bib number can be collected by showing a QR code. The QR code will be  sent about a week before the event by email and a few days before the event by text message. When you arrive at the race office, take out the QR code message well in advance. 

 You friend may also pick it up for your with your QR code. 

Timing
Helsinki City Running Day timing system works with bib tag attached to the bib number. Bib number is personal and it cannot be given or transferred to another person for safety reasons. 

Net time (time from crossing the starting line to crossing the finish line) and gross time (from firing of the gun to crossing the finish line) will be given for each runner. The  results are based on runners’ net times. Please do not start/stop your watch simultaneously as you cross the timing mat in order not to cover the bib tag with your hand and possibly disturb the timing.

All rights to changes reserved.

Event area map 2025

Click the picture to get better view of it.

The schedule for Helsinki City Run

Start times:
Friday: Minimarathon at 5 pm onwards
Helsinki City 5 at 8 pm
Helsinki City 5 Walk at 8.05 pm

Saturday:
Saucony Helsinki City Marathon and Marathon Relay at 9.40 am
OP Uusimaa Helsinki City Half 1. start group at 2.20 pm

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Detailed daily schedule:

Friday May 15th

8:00 am Minimarathon Race Office opens at Pallokenttä 1 (Urheilukatu 1, next to the Olympic Stadium). Please notice the location!

8 am – 8 pm (8-20) Race Office for adults as well as Running Expo Area is open at Helsinki Olympic Stadium (Paavo Nurmen tie 1). 

Please note that the rush hours on Friday are between 03:30 p.m. – 06:30 p.m. We recommend that you visit the Race Office outside the rush hours, if possible. 

3:00 pm The Minimarathon activity area opens at Pallokenttä 1

5:30 pm Minimarathon bib number pick up closes at Pallokenttä 1. Minimarathon starts begin. The youngest children start first.

7 pm Helsinki City 5 & City 5 Walk bib number pick up closes

7.15 pm Minimarathon event area closes

8 pm Helsinki City 5 starts.
8.05 pm Helsinki City 5 Walk starts

Schedule for Bag drop area for Helsinki City 5 & City 5 Walk will be confirmed later.

Saturday May 16th

7:30 am Race Office for adults and Expo Area opens at Helsinki Olympic Stadium. Please note that the rush hours on Saturday are 8 – 9 am and 11.30 am – 1.30 pm. We recommend that you visit the Race office outside the rush hours, if possible. 

7:30 am The dressing rooms at the Swimming Stadium opens

8:10 am Bag drop area for Saucony Helsinki City Marathon and the storage for valuables open at Olympic Stadium (northern market square)

8:40 am Saucony Helsinki City Marathon participants’ possibility to deliver own drinks ends

8:40 am Saucony Helsinki City Marathon and Marathon Relay bib number pick up closes

9:40 am Saucony Helsinki City Marathon and Marathon Relay starts at Mäntymäentie, close to the Paavo Nurmi statue. Runners (incl. Helsinki City Double and Marathon Relay’s first leg runners)  gathered at the start area at least 15 minutes earlier.

9:40 am Olympic Stadium stands (section A) are opened for spectators

1:00 pm (13:00) Bag drop area for OP Uusimaa Helsinki City Half opens

1:20 pm (13:20) OP Uusimaa Helsinki City Half bib number pick up closes

2:20-3 pm OP Uusimaa Helsinki City Half starts. Five starting waves with one wave leaving every 10 min. Runners gathered at the start area at least 15 minutes prior to their start group.

3:00 pm (15:00) The Expo and the Intersport running shop closes. The After Race Info is still open. 

4:40 pm (16:40) Bag drop area for Saucony Helsinki City Marathon closes

6:15 pm (18:15) The Olympic Stadium Finish area closes

6:30 pm (18:30) Bag drop area for OP Uusimaa Helsinki City Half and the storage for valuables closes

6:30 pm (18:30) Race Office closes

7:00 pm. (19:00) The dressing rooms at the Swimming Stadium closes

All rights to changes reserved.

Helsinki City Running Day Expo Area and Race Office are located at Helsinki Olympic Stadium (address: Paavo Nurmen tie 1, Helsinki) -2 floor.  The entrance to both the Race Office and Running Expo Area is located at the western side of the Olympic Stadium (50 meters from the Olympic tower). 

Minimarathon’s office is located under southern curve of the Olympic Stadium, on Olympic Stadium Square. The office open at 8 a.m. on Friday.

Race Office and Expo opening hours:

Friday May 16th: 08:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m. (08:00-20:00)
Saturday May 17th: 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (7.30-18.30) Expo is open until 3 p.m.

Minimarathon: Friday May 16th: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

Bib-number must be picked up 1 hour prior the start time. 

Please note that the rush hours on Friday are 3.30 p.m. – 6.30 p.m. and
on Saturday 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. and 11.30 am – 1.30 p.m.  If possible, we recommend that you visit the Race Office outside the rush hours. 

All rights to changes reserved.

As the official hotel partner of Helsinki City Running Day, Scandic offers runners and their support groups the perfect base for the event weekend from 16 to 18 May 2025. Stay comfortably, prepare for your run and recover in peace – a rested body runs easier!

Choose from two hotel options at discounted prices:

Scandic Meilahti

109 euros / night/1 person standard room
129 euros / night/ 2 persons standard room

Use this link to book. “Where do you want to stay” choose ”Helsinki” and the dates of your choice between May 16th and May 18th, 2025.

Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa
105 euros / night/ Hilton Guest room for 1 person
125 euros / night/ Hilton Guest room for 2 persons

Use this link to book and the dates of your choice between May 16th and May 18th, 2025.

MEDICAL SERVICE
Medical service can be contacted from all the refreshment stations along the route and at the finish. Medical staff is available along the route. In case of an injury, an illness or other reason, which forces you to discontinue the race, please contact the nearest event official.

DISCONTINUING THE RACE
If you need to drop out of the run, there is transportation organized from the route to the finish area. Contact the closest service station. Your pickup will be organized from there.
There are checkpoints to control the time along the route. The maximum running time must be met also at the checkpoints.
Participant is noticed to have discontinued the race if he/she does not arrive to the finish line within the maximum time or he/she does not arrive to the refreshment point within the maximum time of the race.   
A runner who stays behind the control personnel continues the run at own risk.

DISQUALIFICATION
A runner short cutting the marked route, disturbing other runners, or not following the rules and regulations stated by the organizer will be disqualified from the race. His or hers participation right for other Finnish Athletics’ events might also be denied in the future.

MAXIMUM RUNNING TIME
Maximum running time is counted from the moment when the last runner crosses the starting line. The maximum running times per event are:

OP Uusimaa Helsinki City Run: 3h
Saucony Helsinki City Marathon: 6h
Helsinki City Marathon Relay: 6h
Helsinki City 5: 1h

All rights to changes reserved.

Get your result engraved on the medal after the run!

The engraving station is located at the Northern Stadium Square, and it serves from 10.30 to 11.45 am and from 12.30 to 6 p.m. The price of the engraving is 10 e (card payment or MobilePay).

The official after run party Helsinki City Running NIGHT is at the Apollo Night Club on May 17th, 2025. All the HCRD runners will get a free entry to Apollo Night Club by showing a HCRD medal (cloakroom 3,50 e). The age limit is 20 years.

International elite runners: Helsinki City Running Day may offer a free participation for elite runners depending on the best result last/this season. To get a free entry, please send us a DIRECT link to your best result this year or last year.

Qualifying times for: 2h16 men/2h38 women for marathon, 1h04 men/1h16 women for half marathon and 13.50 men/15.50 women for 5K.

Unfortunately, we don’t pay accommodation or travel costs and cannot provide any assistance with the Visa process (= HCRD does not send invitation letters). 

Photos taken by the organizer
The event will be photographed by the organizer. The organizers have free access to the photos and video footage they take during the event. The photography permission given in the profile applies to an outsourced runner photography service (Marathon Foto). By accepting the rules, every runner can be photographed at the event.

Marathon Foto
During the event, our photographing partner Marathon Foto will take pictures of runners before, during and after the race. Photos for participants can be found here.

All pictures taken will be available online after the event only for runners who have given their permission to photos while registering to the event or later in their entry-profile. 

The organizer has the right to use the pictures and videos taken at the event.  

All rights to changes reserved.

SPECTATORS

At the Helsinki Olympic Stadium, spectators can use the A section of the grandstands to cheer on runners. Entrance above the main stairs next to the stadium tower. Free entrance.

TRAFFIC INFORMATION
The HCRD event will affect the traffic in Helsinki on race day. Please see the traffic information below.

Traffic information map 2024 (in Finnish only)
Traffic information 2024 (in Finnish only)

During the event, the following café/restaurant services will be available to runners and the public in the area:

Minimarathon: café-kiosk at the Pallokentä on Friday from 3 pm to 7 pm.

Chili Factory restaurant tent and licenced area in the Olympic Stadium Square on Friday from 12 pm to 7 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm (weather permitting). Delicious street food, non-alcoholic and low-alcohol (2.8%) refreshments available

Kiosks at the stadium

Cancelling participation

Transfer Insurance is no longer available.

Transfer Insurance, available until 2024 event:
Deferring your participation to next year with the transfer insurance fee 

When you have bought the transfer insurance fee when registering you are entitled to defer your participation to next year’s event with a medical certificate. If you wish to use your transfer insurance and defer, please contact maraton(at)sul.fi no later than the week after the event and include the medical certificate. The medical certificate must be dated no later than the day of the event. Please note that it is not possible to buy the transfer insurance after registration. 

A deferral can only be made for yourself and only for next year’s event. A deferred participation cannot be transferred again next year. The transfer insurance must  be bought when registering, it is not possible to buy transfer insurance afterwards.

Transfer to another runner 

A bib number is personal and should not be given to another person without re-registration. It is however possible to transfer your bib number to a new runner with a re-registration fee of 10 euros (the new runner pays the fee).

Note: Registrations paid with employee benefits cannot be transferred.

Instructions:

1. Log into your personal participant profile using the direct ling sent in your registration confirmation. Your registration details will open. Click the “Transfer registration to another runner” button.

2. You will then need to confirm the transfer. After confirmation, the system will generate a discount code to be given to the new participant. Copy the code and confirm.
IMPORTANT: After this step, the transfer cannot be canceled and you will no longer be able to log in to your profile!

3. Send the code to the person to whom you want to transfer the registration. The code can only be used for registration for the same distance.

4. The new runner must register as a new participant on the event website. At the end of the registration process, on the payment page, they should enter the code you provided. The registration fee will then be 10 euros, to be paid via online banking.

NOTE: The transferred registration includes only the right to participate in the run, not any additional services.
If the transferred registration includes the Helsinki City 5K as an additional service along with the marathon/half marathon/double, the recipient must contact maraton@sul.fi.

Important: The 5 km purchased as additional service can only be transferred to the same person as the main registration.

Transfer of Entry to Another Runner

How to change the distance 

If you have already registered for the event, and would like to change your distance, please send an e-mail to maraton@sul.fi. You will then receive instructions on how to pay the price difference between the events (if you change to a longer distance). In case you like to change to a shorter distance (less expensive distance), we will not refund you for the price difference. You can do the change for a shorter distance yourself, by logging in to your profile, until race week’s Thursday. After that, all changes are made at the race office.

Postponing participation due to pregnancy

Participation can be postponed by a year or two due to pregnancy. Please contact our customer service at maraton(at)sul.fi and send a pregnancy certificate.

All rights to changes reserved.

CONFIRMATION EMAIL
If you haven’t receive a confirmation email when registering, please check your junk-mail.

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION
Please make sure that the event organizer has your correct e-mail address in order to receive the participation information e-mail. You can easily update your e-mail address and other registration information on your personal entry profile page. Username and password are sent to participants by e-mail together with the registration confirmation e-mail.

Runners that belong to the Finnish Social Security system (KELA) have a chance to buy an optional insurance for acute illness and injuries sustained during the race. The insurance is valid from the time the runner enters the starting area to the time the runner has left the marked finish area. For Helsinki City Marathon Relay runners that belong to the Finnish social security system (KELA) the insurance is automatically included in the entry fee.

For the insurance to be valid, runners must first contact the official medical staff at Helsinki City Running Day.  See more information about the insurance from Finnish HCRD website.

International runners participate in the HCRD on their own risk. 

The start list for Helsinki City Running Day 2025 can be found from following link here.

Helsinki City Running Day Terms and Conditions

All rights to changes reserved.