Amsterdam, October 18, 2026
Mizuno Amsterdam Half Marathon Pacing Plan
Starts in Start Area B on Stadionweg, distinct from the full marathon's own start loop, and runs via Churchilllaan and Rijnstraat across the Amstel on the Utrechtsebrug before threading Watergraafsmeer and Zeeburg: genuinely its own opening route, not just half the marathon. From roughly halfway it merges into the full marathon's course past the Rijksmuseum and the Heineken Experience, along the Amstel and through Vondelpark, finishing inside the 1928 Olympic Stadium. Flat throughout, consistent with the full course.
Weather is a 10-year seasonal average for this course's location and month, not a forecast for a specific date. See FAQ.
Route shown is from the 2021 edition; next year's course hasn't been officially published yet.
Distance
21.1 km
Elevation gain
+12m / -13m
Typically run in
October
Typical race-day weather
11Ā°C, 13 km/h
Elevation profile
Sample strategy: 1:45:00 goal
A real, AI-generated excerpt of what Splitshape produces for this exact course, not a hand-written example. Upload your own goal and recent results to get the full plan.
KM 0-3: The field is packed and the road is flat, so the temptation is to go with it. Hold 4:55/km through these opening kilometers even though it feels too easy. You bank nothing here, but you also don't dig a hole that costs you at 18 km.
KM 4-6: A small headwind starts at 4 km and stays through 6 km, right where the grade ticks up slightly to 0.2%. Pace naturally eases to 5:01/km at km 4 before the course tips gently downhill and gives you 4:51/km at km 5. Ride that dip, don't chase it, you'll want that margin later.
KM 7-13: This is the heart of the course: flat, tailwind-assisted from km 7 through 13, and the fastest sustained stretch of the race. Lock into 4:55/km and let the tailwind carry you to 4:49/km at km 11, the single quickest kilometer on the sheet. You cross 13 km at 1:03:52, still comfortably inside the pace you need, this is where a 1:45 gets built, not where it gets spent.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Mizuno Amsterdam Half Marathon course flat enough for even pacing?
Yes, with only 12 m of elevation gain and 13 m of loss over 21.1 km, the course is essentially flat throughout, making it well-suited to a steady, even-split pacing strategy. There are no meaningful climbs to break your rhythm, so pace deviations will mostly come from wind or congestion rather than terrain.
Does the half marathon follow the same route as the full marathon?
No, the half marathon starts in its own Start Area B on Stadionweg and runs a distinct opening route via Churchilllaan, Rijnstraat, and across the Amstel on the Utrechtsebrug through Watergraafsmeer and Zeeburg. It only merges into the full marathon's course from roughly halfway, near the Rijksmuseum and Heineken Experience.
What weather should I expect on race day in Amsterdam for the half marathon?
Typical race-day conditions are around 11.3Ā°C with wind near 13.3 km/h. These are mild, cool conditions favorable for consistent pacing, though the moderate wind is worth factoring in along exposed stretches like the Amstel.
Where does the Mizuno Amsterdam Half Marathon finish?
The race finishes inside the 1928 Olympic Stadium, the same finish used by the full marathon, after the course merges near the halfway point and continues along the Amstel and through Vondelpark. This shared finish gives the last stretch a landmark, flat run-in.
Is negative splitting a good strategy for this course given its flat profile?
Since the course has negligible elevation change (12 m gain, 13 m loss) across its entirety, a negative split is achievable primarily through disciplined early pacing rather than fighting terrain. The distinct, less-crowded opening loop before merging with the full marathon course around halfway can make an early conservative pace easier to hold before pushing later.
Build your Mizuno Amsterdam Half Marathon plan
Upload your own GPX or use Mizuno Amsterdam Half Marathon's course, set your goal and recent results, and get the full km-by-km strategy.
Build my Mizuno Amsterdam Half Marathon plan āSplitshape is an independent pacing-plan tool and is not an official partner, sponsor, or affiliate of the Mizuno Amsterdam Half Marathon or its organizers. Course data source: digitized from the official course.