May 1981 saw the start of the first international marathon organized by the Rotterdam Marathon Foundation with a mere 200 participants.

Winner John Graham (UK) with a time of 2:09:28 hour gave the event an immediate international reputation.

The Marathon Rotterdam has now developed into the largest one-day sporting event in The Netherlands (source: Response Events Monitor). Nationally and internationally the Marathon Rotterdam is recognized as one of the fastest marathons in the world and as a spectacular event with an attractive atmosphere. The Marathon Rotterdam is a "must" for both the world leaders and the other 10,000 runners.

Rotterdam owes its strong and unique position in the marathon world to the fact that the Marathon Rotterdam is a quality event. Its primary aim is to organize an internationally attractive marathon of high quality.

Rotterdam Marathon Report 2002