Copenhagen Half Marathon, or CPH Half, is organised by Sparta Athletics & Running, a non-profit sports association, and was first held the year after Copenhagen hosted the World Half Marathon Championships. The course is built for fast times, the crowds are loud, and 45,000 runners fill the streets of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg. It is one of the six SuperHalfs races, alongside Lisbon, Prague, Berlin, Cardiff and Valencia.
After the last first-come, first-served sale sold out in two and a half hours, the organisers moved to a lottery: it is free to enter, stays open for two weeks, and your chances are the same whether you apply on the first day or the last. For the official entry and all details, head to the Copenhagen Half Marathon website.
Key dates
- Lottery WindowExpected Sep 2027
- Race daySep 19, 2027
Windows are shown to the month until the organiser confirms them. Subscribers get the exact day, by email, on the morning it opens.
This year's lottery has closed. The next window is expected Sep 2027. Set up a BibsAlert now and we'll email you the moment the Copenhagen Half Marathon lottery reopens, so next time you're first in instead of locked out.
How to enter the Copenhagen Half Marathon
Places for the public are allocated through a free lottery. If you miss out, official tour operators sell packages with a guaranteed entry, and companies can enter groups of employees.
1. Lottery
Enter during the two-week lottery window by completing your participant registration, minus payment: name, date of birth, email address and expected finish time, with your full name matching your photo ID. It is free and non-binding, everyone gets one entry in the draw, and when you apply makes no difference to your chances. You can enter alone or as a group of up to three people: the group is either drawn together or not at all. Drawn runners are emailed and have 48 hours to buy their entry for DKK 795 plus a 5% administration fee; if they do not, the place goes to another randomly drawn runner. Everyone who entered hears the outcome by email. There is no age limit, wheelchair users are welcome but handcycles are not allowed, and you can run with a running buggy by prior agreement with the organisers.
Entries are personal and cannot be transferred, sold or given to another runner, and there is no resale platform. Instead, you can buy a Refund Protect through Refundable.me when you complete your registration, and not afterwards.
2. Tour Operators
Official tour operators sell travel packages that include a guaranteed entry and can also include hotel accommodation and flights; the contents vary by operator. The official operators include specialists for runners from Norway, France, Brazil and the United Kingdom, among others.
3. Corporate Entries
Companies can set up a corporate agreement for a minimum of 25 participants. These entries are separate from the public lottery; the organisers handle them directly.
4. Elite Field
Elite B and Elite C are open to runners who meet the race's qualifying standards with verified results over selected distances. The organisers announce the qualifying standards, the qualifying period and how to apply on the official site.
The course
A fast city course through Copenhagen and Frederiksberg, with the start on Jagtvej in Østerbro.
- Start: Jagtvej, Østerbro
- Finish: The shared start and finish area in Østerbro
- Distance: 21.0975 km (13.1 miles)
- Start Time: 9:30 AM, in start groups based on expected finish time
- Time Limit: 3 hours net, from when you cross the start line
The route runs through the heart of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg and crosses Queen Louise's Bridge over the city's lakes. Over the years the race has been the stage for records and seriously fast times, with elite runners, ambitious amateurs and first-time half marathoners all sharing the same course. Start groups are set by the expected finish time you give when you register, so friends only start together if they land in the same group.
Why run the Copenhagen Half Marathon?
- Fast course: Built for personal bests, and over the years a stage for records and seriously fast times.
- Big crowds: 45,000 runners and loud spectators fill the streets of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg.
- SuperHalfs: Copenhagen is one of six SuperHalfs races; finish all six, in any order, to earn the SuperMedal.
Didn't get in?
If you weren't selected in the Copenhagen Half Marathon lottery, you still have options:
- Charity entries: Many official charity partners offer guaranteed places in exchange for fundraising commitments. Check the official website for partner organizations.
- Tour operator packages: Official tour operators sell travel packages with guaranteed entries, for runners from many countries.
- Corporate entries: If your employer can field 25 or more runners, a corporate agreement gives entries outside the public lottery.
- Avoid second-hand bibs: Entries are personal and there is no resale platform, so an entry bought from another runner cannot be transferred to you.
- Try another Sparta race: Sparta also allocates Copenhagen Marathon entries through a lottery.
- Try a similar race: Check the related races below for races with similar entry types, dates, or locations.
- Apply again next year: Set up a BibsAlert so you don't miss the next entry window.
Questions runners ask
What are the chances of getting into the Copenhagen Half Marathon?
Approximately 24%. This figure is based on the most recent edition, odds vary year to year as application volume changes.
How does the Copenhagen Half Marathon lottery work?
The lottery is free and non-binding, and stays open for two weeks. You complete your registration without paying, with one entry per person, and when you apply makes no difference to your chances. Drawn runners get an email and have 48 hours to buy their entry for DKK 795 plus a 5% administration fee.
What are my odds in the Copenhagen Half Marathon lottery?
For the first lottery, the organisers reported 188,522 runners entered for 45,000 places in the race, so at most about 1 in 4 applicants could get a place through the draw.
Can I enter the lottery with friends?
Yes. You can enter as a group of up to three people, and only one person needs to register the group. The group is either drawn together or not drawn at all, and each member then completes their own registration within 48 hours of their own email.
Can I transfer or sell my entry?
No. Entries are personal and cannot be transferred, sold or given to another runner, and there is no resale platform. Instead, you can buy a Refund Protect through Refundable.me when you complete your registration. Runners who cannot take part because of pregnancy can defer to one of the next three editions.
What is the time limit?
There is a net time limit of 3 hours, counted from when you cross the start line.
Looking ahead
The lottery opens in mid-September, about a year before race day, and stays open for two weeks. Drawn runners are emailed from early October, and everyone who enters hears the outcome by email within days. Set up a BibsAlert to get notified when the next lottery opens.