Budapest one of the best European destinations for marathon runners?

A new study has revealed that Budapest is the 9th best European city to run a 2022 marathon. 

The new study by Runners Need examines the air quality, weather conditions, number of landmarks, cost of running necessities, and marathon popularity of over 60 European cities to rank Europe’s marathon destinations.

Budapest scored in the top 10 for one factor.

Budapest is one of the most affordable destinations for marathon runners, and a running package (which includes water, bananas and running trainers) costs 18% less than average . The city also offers runners an attractive running route, with 394 landmarks across the city to take in.

• Read also: 7 Hungarian universities among the best in the world!

You can see how Budapest ranks for all factors below:

You can compare all cities in the study and find out how they rank for each factor in the interactive tool here.

• Read also: Historic trams on the streets of Budapest – A ticket to the past – PHOTOS, VIDEO

Overall Findings

Overall Barcelona, Madrid and Athens top the European marathon destinations. Barcelona won overall, and placed in the top 10 for both its number of historical landmarks (with a whopping 756 to take in, the 3rd most in the study) and the 10th cleanest air.

Just behind its Northern counterpart, Madrid ranks 2nd in the study, also scoring highly for the number of landmarks to pass by and offering predictably dry weather conditions. In 3rd place is another mediterranean city, Athens. Athens is one of the most affordable and popular marathons on the list. Completing the top five are Seville and Lisbon respectively.

With poor air quality and heavy rainfall Locarno came last, and Caen and Zurich completed the bottom three. London, despite having a 1,564% higher search rate than the study average, and over 1,000 landmarks to sightsee, London ranked 12th overall due to its rainfall and pollution.

Cultural Capitals

The study can also reveal the top destinations per category. If you’re after a scenic route, Rome, London, and Paris all offer over 1,000 landmarks to pass by. Alternatively, Milan ranked in 2nd position with 960 points of interest and Barcelona came 3rd with 756.

Best running conditions

The best cities to avoid a run-day wash-out are Apeldoorn in the Netherlands which has the least annual average rainfall (61 mm) followed by Gran Canaria in Spain (135 mm) and Athens (366 mm). Tromso, Norway, has the cleanest air of all the cities in the study, with the lowest levels of PM 2.5 (particle pollution) in the air, followed by Galway in Ireland and Venice in Italy.

Most Affordable

To discern the most affordable destinations, the study calculated the price of one litre of water, one kg of bananas, and a pair of running shoes in each city. The most budget-friendly city is Cordoba, Spain, where a running package will cost you just

€43, narrowly beating Istanbul with a cost of €47. Placing third with an appetising cost of just €56 is Kosice, the largest city in eastern Slovakia.

Trendiest marathons

By looking at the google search volume for each marathon, the study also reveals Europe’s trendiest running locations. London came out top, with a 1,564% higher search rate than the study average: the London marathon. Berlin’s marathon ranked 2nd, with a search volume 1013% above average, and trailing behind in 3rd position was Stockholm, with a score 398% above average.

Source: Press release/runnersneed.com