Luxembourg May 31st, 2025
Source: https://www.ing-night-marathon.lu/ and https://www.instagram.com/ingnightmarathonluxembourg/ ; https://www.facebook.com/INGNIGHTMARATHONLUXEMBOURG/
The ING Night Marathon Luxembourg is a unique and highly popular annual running event held in Luxembourg City. Its distinctive feature is that it takes place at night, transforming the city into a vibrant festival of sport and light.
Here’s a historical overview of the event:
- Inception (2006): The first edition of the marathon, originally known as the “ING Europe Marathon” (or sometimes “Europa Marathon”), was held in 2006. The financial group ING was the founding and primary sponsor, aiming to encourage physical activity through their “Globe Runners” project. From the very beginning, the idea was to create a nighttime race, which was a novel concept for a major city marathon at the time.
- Growth and Popularity: The event quickly gained traction and has seen consistent growth in participation and spectator numbers.
- From around 10,000 participants in its inaugural year, it grew to over 16,000 by 2018 and even surpassed 17,000 participants across all disciplines in recent editions.
- It attracts a diverse international field of runners, with participants from over 100 nations.
- The event consistently sells out its registration slots each year, highlighting its popularity.
- Unique Nighttime Atmosphere: The “Night Marathon” aspect is central to its appeal. As the sun sets, the city’s landmarks and streets are illuminated, creating a magical backdrop for the runners. The course winds through various districts, including Kirchberg, Limpertsberg, Belair, Merl, Hollerich, the Gare district, and the city center.
- Entertainment: A key element of the event’s success is the vibrant atmosphere created by numerous music groups (DJs, reggae bands, choirs, drummers, samba groups, jazz bands, brass bands), spectators, and light installations along the route. This turns the entire city into a giant street party, cheering on the runners.
- Spectator Engagement: The enthusiastic support from the crowds, often personalizing their encouragement by calling out runners’ names printed on their bibs, adds to the unique experience.
- Course Characteristics: The Luxembourg City course is known for its challenging and varied topography. While it doesn’t feature long, sustained climbs like a mountain marathon, it includes numerous rolling hills and undulating sections, including the Petrusse Valley and passages near historic fortifications. This makes it a demanding course and not typically one for personal best times, but it offers a visually engaging and diverse running experience.
- Evolution of Disciplines: Over the years, the ING Night Marathon Luxembourg has expanded beyond just the full marathon (42.195 km) to include several other distances and categories to cater to a wider range of participants:
- Half Marathon (21.0975 km): A very popular option.
- Team Run: A relay race where a team of four runners collectively covers the marathon distance.
- Minimarathon: For children, typically around 4.2 km.
- Mini Minimarathon: For younger children, usually 1 km.
- 5K Run for Success: A shorter, accessible distance.
- Roll & Run: For sports enthusiasts using wheelchairs or other mobility aids, covering a 7 km route.
- Impact on Luxembourg City: The event has become a major fixture in Luxembourg’s sporting and cultural calendar. It draws significant tourism, boosts local businesses, and showcases the city’s beauty and unique character to an international audience. The city itself plays a significant role in organizing the event, mobilizing hundreds of municipal staff and emergency services to ensure smooth operation and safety.
- Recent Editions: The marathon has generally been held annually, with exceptions like the cancellations in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It continues to attract top elite runners, particularly from East Africa, with course records currently standing at 2:12:10 (men’s, Mark Kangogo in 2018) and 2:34:23 (women’s, Naomi Tuei in 2015).
The ING Night Marathon Luxembourg remains a highly anticipated and beloved event, celebrated for its festive atmosphere, challenging course, and unique nighttime setting.
RUNNER’S HANDBOOK
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL RUNNERS
In order to make the event run as smooth as possible, please read this important information
carefully: RUNNER’S HANDBOOK 2025
