Race Date: Sunday 17th September 2023
Race Report by: Hannah Wright
Superhalf Marathon Race Number: 2
This year there were 27.000 participants and it was the 9th race edition.
After lots of hard training it was finally time for CPH half marathon. My second superhalf marathon with Lisbon being my first earlier in the year.
Before the race…
I arrived in CPH a few days before the race, took in the sights and local activities (parkrun and harbour swim). Leading up to the race, a three-day expo is held in Sparta Hallen on Østerbro in Copenhagen where you pick up your race number and t shirt. The location was only 5 minutes from fælledparken Parkrun and was easy to find (just follow the other park runners). To reduce waste, race numbers were printed on an individual basis whist you wait. This only took a few minutes. I did appreciate the can of beer you get in the race bag.
Race day…
The course covers most areas of Copenhagen and Frederiksberg and showcases the very best of the Danish capital. It is flat and fast.
The location of the start line was easy to find and travel was easy using the local metro. There was no chance of getting lost as most of the people on the metro were heading the same place, Frederiksberg. There was bag drop available and plenty of loo’s.
The gun time was 11:15 and all participants were lined up in colour coded predicted finish times. There were 4 pacers for each time. I was glad to see pacers available for us slower runners. Due to the number of participants I didn’t get to the start line till 12.
Once over the start line my game plan was to stick to the 2hr 30 pacers for as long as possible and aim for a PB. The pacers were motivating throughout and got me through the tough bits.
The crowds and entertainment kept everybody’s spirits high. Everything from live music, DJ’s and cheerleaders to fire trucks, big choirs and rock bands. There were plenty of water, red bull and hi 5 stations along the course. This was needed due to the heat. I saw many participants along the course suffering with heat exertion… there were always medics on hand.
After avoiding heat stroke with my trusty cap, fuelling and sticking to the pacers I crossed the finish line and achieved a new PB. At the finish line medals were handed out but also plenty of fruit, water, beer and pop.
Thank you CPH for the incredible atmosphere and creating an environmentally sustainable event (not forgetting the beer).
My result:
Position | Name | Category | Time |
22041 | Hannah Wright | F35-39 | 02:30:09 |
Full results can be viewed here.

Photo credit to Copenhagen Half Marathon.
Interesting facts about th
Demographics:
- 35-40% foreign participants
- More than 120 nationalities
- Gender distribution: 62% men, 38% women
- Largest age group 25-29 yrs followed by the year groups from 30 – 49
- Average age is 38 years.
Top 10 country distribution in 2023:
- Denmark
- Norway
- Sweden
- Great Britain
- Germany
- Spain
- France
- USA
- Spain
- Netherlands
Volunteers:
1300 persons are volunteering and working during race week including course marshalls, tech crew, medical crew and much more.