‘A large cruise ship with a party on every deck.’ Golazo works with regional partners on the future of Marathon Groningen

Tu 9 June 2026

The first full edition of Marathon Groningen, powered by Campus Groningen, is a wrap. With over 12,000 participants, thousands of spectators along the route, and a widely supported ambition for the future, the event has instantly put itself firmly on the map. For Johan Meijer, project manager at Golazo, the impact on the city in particular is a reason to look back with pride.

"What we have built in a relatively short period of time is extraordinary," Meijer says. "The city was completely overwhelmed that Sunday by everything that was happening. You could really feel that the marathon is alive in Groningen. People genuinely find it special that the marathon is back."

According to Meijer, it was not just the number of participants that spelled success, but especially the way the event was experienced. "Everything fell into place. We had a beautiful route, many dedicated volunteers, and enthusiastic participants. The feedback afterwards was incredibly positive. That makes you proud."

Interest in the marathon proved to be massive. Registration was initially capped at 2,500 participants, but after a rapid growth of the waiting list, the maximum was increased. Ultimately, nearly 2,700 marathon runners lined up at the start. Together with the participants of the half marathon, 10 kilometers, and the kids run, the event grew to over 12,000 participants.

Platform for ambitions

During the Marathon Groningen powered by Campus Groningen, various regional partners and Golazo signed a letter of intent to jointly develop the event further over the coming years. Regarding that shared ambition, Meijer says: "Golazo literally gets people moving, but the true strength of an event lies in everything that is created around it. A marathon can serve as a platform where many different ambitions converge."

He compares the event to a large cruise ship. "The marathon is the ship that all kinds of parties sail on together. Something different is happening on every deck, but everyone is steering the same course. The event forms the foundation that other initiatives can connect to."

It is precisely there that Meijer sees opportunities for Groningen. According to him, themes like health, talent development, regional pride, and social engagement align perfectly with the power of the event. Meijer believes that Campus Groningen plays an important connecting role in this. "Through the partners of Campus Groningen, you immediately reach the core of many key players in the city. There lie enormous opportunities to connect the various existing ambitions to Marathon Groningen as a platform."

Organic growth

For the coming years, Golazo deliberately chooses a gradual and sustainable development of Marathon Groningen. "We believe in organic growth," Meijer says. "First, the foundation needs to be solid. That is now in place. Next, you look at how you can build upon that year after year."

According to him, this growth is not just about participant numbers, but also about involvement from the region. For instance, he sees opportunities to connect more companies to the event and to further increase local support in the city.

"Ultimately, we want Marathon Groningen, just like the 4 Mijl, to earn a permanent spot in people's calendars. An event of which you know: that belongs to Groningen." In addition, Golazo hopes to work towards a stable date on the event calendar in the coming years and a further growth in the number of participants, without compromising on the quality of the event.

An event for recreational athletes

Although the full marathon was on the program for the first time this year, Golazo emphatically looks at the event as a whole. Besides the marathon, the half marathon, the 10 kilometers, and the kids run also drew thousands of participants to Groningen.

"When you look at the total picture, you see that the largest participant numbers are actually in the shorter distances. That is true for many cities. That is why we look at the impact of the entire event," Meijer says.

The ambition is therefore not to compete with major international marathons like Rotterdam or Amsterdam, but to be an attractive running event for recreational athletes from Groningen and far beyond. "It needs to be an event people love to visit because they have a connection to Groningen, studied here, or simply want to run a beautiful route. That is where our strength lies."

After a successful second edition of the running event—and the first one featuring a full marathon—Golazo is primarily looking ahead. One thing is already certain, according to Meijer: "Marathon Groningen will return. We are incredibly happy with what we have built together with all the partners, and we are now looking toward the next step."

Source: Campus Groningen (author Marlies Schipperheijn). Photo: Johan Meijer