Göteborgsvarvet

The course

The start is on Margretebergsgatan next to Slottsskogsvallen, where it has been since 1982. The first kilometre goes straight into the park of Slottsskogen, round past the natural history museum and back along Björngårdsvägen, and then comes the first real test, the climb up Säldammsbacken. From Slottsskogen the course drops into Majorna, with its crowds and small bands and a refreshment station before the first split at 5 km.

At about 5 km you climb on to Älvsborgsbron, the 900 m suspension bridge, which holds the highest point of the course at 52 m above sea level and views of the port and the archipelago. On the Hisingen side the course turns along the river through Färjenäsparken and Eriksberg (the 10 km split comes at the end of this section) and the flat Lindholmen waterfront, passing Karlatornet. Around 12.7 km you reach Frihamnen and then Hisingsbron, a lift bridge that debuted in the race in 2022 and is lower than the old Götaälvbron.

After the 15 km split you run through the city centre past Gustaf Adolfs Torg and Kungsportsplatsen to Avenyn, a long uphill stretch lined with crowds several rows deep, up to Götaplatsen and round the Poseidon statue. The last 4 km pass through Vasastaden and Linné before the finish at Slottsskogsvallen. There are 9 water stations (some with sports drink), 10 showers to run through, medical stations at each water station, and transport back to the start if you abandon.

How to enter

Registration for the next race opens on the weekend of the race itself, and it sells out fast: 29,000 had registered two days after the 2026 race and the 2027 race sold out within days, a record early sell-out according to the organiser. For 2027 the organiser opened an official waiting list on 22 June 2026: joining is free, an invitation e-mail gives you 72 hours to buy at the current price, and sellers get 90 per cent back.

The fee for the 2027 race was reported at 750 to 900 kr (about 68 to 81 euros) rising in steps; the organiser said in 2025 that the price rises on 31 May. Entry is binding and refunds are not available, but you can transfer a place to another person for 300 kr up to seven days before the race (the buyer is seeded on their own results). You must be born in 2010 or earlier, as the rules allow a half marathon from the year you turn 17. No licence is needed.

Seeding decides the start wave. Runners with a qualifying result start first, in order of result; others start in the later part of the field. Qualifying races are Göteborgsvarvet 2025 and 2026 and Varvetmilen 2027, or an externally sanctioned race between 15 April 2025 and 15 April 2027 registered with your entry by 15 April 2027: men 38:00 for 10 km, 1:46:00 for the half or 3:55:00 for the marathon, women 41:00, 1:50:00 and 4:02:00. You may always move to a later wave to run with a friend, but not an earlier one.

How to train for it

Practise a hill in the first 2 km

Säldammsbacken comes within the first kilometres, when you are in a crowded wave and tempted to go fast. Run one or two training sessions with an uphill early in the run and keep it controlled, then settle into your pace.

Rehearse bridges and the Avenyn climb

The course has Älvsborgsbron around 5 km, Hisingsbron between 13 and 15 km and a long uphill on Avenyn in the 16-17 km stretch. Include steady 5 to 8 minute climbs late in tempo runs so your legs know them when tired.

Choose your wave honestly

If you start in a later wave, expect crowds and weaving in the first kilometres. Run a 10 km or half marathon race in the spring to get a result and a better wave, or start in a later wave with friends; the organiser allows moving back but never forward.

Plan for an afternoon start

Waves leave between 13:00 and about 16:15, so you may run in the warmest part of the day. Practise eating and drinking at the pace you plan, take what the nine water stations offer, and read the organiser's race-doctor advice on drinking.

Keep right unless you are passing

The organiser asks slower runners to keep to the right to leave the left as a passing lane; wheelchair athletes may reach high speed on downhills. Train yourself to look behind before changing line.

What you need

• Bib collected at the Göteborgsvarvet Expo at Friidrottens Hus during race weekend; your bib is the receipt for your bag drop
• Start certificate sent by e-mail 1-2 weeks before the race with your start wave
• Bag drop in the event area for a change of clothes; the bib is your receipt when you collect it
• Road running shoes you have already done long runs in; the whole course is on city roads
• Own gel or bar if you need it; there are 9 water stations with water and some with sports drink
• Showers after the finish are at Frölundaborg (men) and Slottsskogens ishall (women and non-binary)

Getting there and staying

The start and finish are on the Göteborgsvarvet arena at Margretebergsgatan and Slottsskogsvallen. The organiser asks you to use public transport (stops Marklandsgatan or Linnéplatsen) or bike or walk, because of construction traffic; there is also a shuttle bus from Åby Arena. Bag drop and toilets are in the event area. Pick up your bib at the expo on Thursday or Friday to avoid queues.

After the finish there is a Runner's Zone with water, bananas and cake, a food court open 09:00-20:00, and the medal. Results are live in the Göteborgsvarvet app. The race site links to a Stay and Experience Gothenburg page for hotels; it does not arrange accommodation itself.

History

The first Göteborgsvarvet was held in 1980 with about 1,800 runners, in sunshine and temperatures that reached 30 C; the first winners were Göran Högberg in 1:06:17 and Midde Hamrin in 1:15:50. The start has been at Margretebergsgatan since 1982. The race is organised by the Göteborg Athletic Association, around 3,000 volunteers from local clubs help, and surplus goes to local sport.

Where to find out more

• Race information (opens in a new tab): Start, cut-off points, bag drop, water stations, showers and transport.
• Seeding system (opens in a new tab): How start waves are set and which qualifying results count.
• Race course (opens in a new tab): The course section by section, with spectator spots.
• Official waiting list (opens in a new tab): How to buy or sell an entry when the race is sold out.
• Results 2026 (opens in a new tab): Live and archived results.