" Copenhagen Marathon 2008" Mollenborg © 2008. Used under a Creative Commons Attribution license

Want to get a running start into summertime? Well, on 19 May 2013, the Nykredit Copenhagen Marathon can help you do just that.

Over the course of the past thirty-four years, the marathon has become a remarkable event for both runners and spectators alike. If you are familiar with the event, you know it’s crucial to book in advance because room availability becomes slim in the city’s hotels. Copenhagen, Denmark has a variety of exciting summertime events, but I’ve been informed that this one beats them all.

I recently looked at friend’s photographs of a previous year’s race, and was amazed to see the disciplined runners gliding through the finish line. The more I found out about the marathon, the more intrigued I became. Any Dane will tell you that the race is about so much more than running.

The atmosphere in Copenhagen during the event is like none other. All along the streets of Copenhagen bands play everything from rock music to bagpipes, dancers dazzle viewers, people ride through the streets with boom boxes on bikes and stilt walkers strut their stuff.

After reading a Copenhagen paper, I discovered an advertisement encouraging more people to come up with ideas to bring even more creativity to the event. So much so, that the city is willing to provide technical or practical assistance to anyone who has a great idea to entertain spectators. I’ve been racking my brains trying to come up with an amazing idea since.

After the race, many of the runners, as well as members of the general public, take a dip in the Copenhagen harbor. It’s a stunning site to see hundreds of people run towards the water together, and is something I’m dying to see next time I’m in Copenhagen.

The Nykredit Copenhagen Marathon is truly an event the entire city participates in. For the 2013 marathon, forty hotspots have already been organized including restaurants and cafes, which will be offering special marathon deals.

You may find that special deals and promotions are also going on in the city’s hotels. Copenhagen, Denmark is passionate about its beloved marathon and apparently the energy in the city is so contagious that I think I may just attend the event this year!