Denmark-Sweden bridge half marathon sells all 40,000 tickets in two hours

The 21.1-kilometre Bridge Run 2025 will be held on June 15th, 2025 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the bridge’s opening in 2000.

Some 40,000 race bibs were available to participants, with no specific requirements for entry. Hopeful runners experienced interruptions and delays on the event's ticket platform amid heavy interest when bibs went on sale on Thursday. The event sold out in two hours, organisers later said in an Instagram post.

"Interest has been massive. So massive, our systems had a hard time keeping up. But 40,000 runners are now ready for an unforgettable half marathon on June 15th 2025 on the Øresund Bridge's 25th anniversary. What a sprint!", the Bridge Run 2025 account posted.

To put this into context, Copenhagen's annual city marathon, which sold out in January four months ahead of schedule, has a capacity of 15,000 and opened for registration last autumn. The event had not previously sold out in its history.

READ ALSO: Why has the Copenhagen Marathon seen a jump in popularity?

Several social media commenters noted they had problems with the platform freezing, or their payments going through but no confirmation being received as they attempted to enter Bridge Run.

Ticketing platform Sportstiming said via a banner on its website that the confirmation emails had been delayed due to issues with its own provider.

A banner posted on the Sportstiming website on Thursday. Screenshot

Bridge operator Øresundsbron is working with race organisers MAI (Malmö Allmänna Idrottsförening) in Malmö and Sparta Athletics & Running in Copenhagen to plan the Bridge Run event, in which runners will cross an international border.

"We expected great demand, but we did not expect that all places would be sold out so quickly. Now we want to work to create a fantastic running party for all participants next year," MAI spokesperson Mats Svensson said in a statement.

Sparta CEO Dorthe Vibjerg said the quick sale provided a basis for organisation of a successful race, and referred to the recent capacity sales of the Copenhagen Marathon and CPH Half events.

“This is absolutely incredible. After a few hours of sales, we can add Bridge Run 2025 to the list of big races that have sold out earlier than expected," Vibjerg said in the statement.

"We are really looking forward to organising Bridge Run 2025 next summer and the quick sale gives us peace of mind to secure the framework for the race so that participants get as optimal a running experience as possible," she said.

The route for the half marathon will begin in Copenhagen suburb Tårnby, which is located on the island of Amager close to the Öresund Bridge entrance. It will cover the full 16 kilometres of the tunnel and bridge sections of the crossing and finish in Swedish city Malmö.

A running race was held more regularly on the bridge in its early years, but no event has taken place on the crossing since 2010.