pacertrip.

PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONAE / RACE GUIDE

Al Marmoom Ultramarathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Dubai
AE

Mannytheyellow · CC BY-SA 4.0Mannytheyellow · CC BY-SA 4.0Al Marmoom · CC BY-SA 4.0GMarcury · CC BY-SA 4.0GMarcury · CC BY-SA 4.0Mannytheyellow · CC BY-SA 4.0

Race date Date TBD: Date TBD
City · Distance: Dubai · Distance TBD
Entry fee: Fee TBDVaries by event and entry period
Status: TBDSee how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 11, 2026

About the race How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

A desert ultramarathon launched in 2018 in Dubai’s Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve.

The inaugural race was a stage race covering 270km in sections, attracting runners from 48 countries.

It later expanded to include 100km, 50km, 10km and 5km events.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

No runner reports yet. We'll add them here as they come in.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

CNN - World's longest desert ultramarathon launches in Dubai

Al Marmoom Ultramarathon

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

We'll fill this in once the official entry rules are out.

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Course

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

City center · not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet. The map shows the host city.

The Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve, the race setting, covers 10% of Dubai’s total area.

Because the course runs through a wildlife reserve, course follows desert terrain of sand and gravel rather than paved roads.

The organizer is FittGROUP under the Dubai Sports Council, and the race director is Danil Bonventure.

At the inaugural 270km race in 2018, Morocco’s Rachid El Morabity won the men’s title in 31 hours 17 minutes 29 seconds,

while Magdalena Lewy Boulet of the United States won the women’s title in 37 hours 27 minutes 59 seconds.

In February 2022, a 50km race was held at Expo 2020 Dubai Lake to mark the UAE’s 50th anniversary, and participants planted 120 ghaf trees.

The December 2026 edition features 10km and 5km events around the desert dunes.

Participant benefits

Finisher medal

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startNo rail or metro service — vehicle access only…

Source · checked Sep 3, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

No rail or metro service — vehicle access only (off-road driving is prohibited within the protected area; designated roads only)

The base camp is near Lake Al Qudra in the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve (behind the 'Last Exit' rest stop). With no public transportation, travel from central Dubai by car or taxi is essential.

It is about 45 minutes by car from central Dubai toward Al Qudra.

Map

Getting to the finish

The loop and stage format brings runners back to base camp. Arranging a vehicle for the nighttime return or staying overnight at the camp is the most practical option.

Source · checked Sep 3, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

The December event takes place in the middle of winter, so the midday temperature is tolerable,

but the desert has a large day-night temperature difference and almost no shade.

It is better to bring a separate outer layer that is easy to take off and put on before and after departure.

On the sand dunes, your feet sink in and your footing becomes unstable.

If you carry the flat road pace as is, your calves will tire first, so it is safer to shorten your stride and increase your cadence.

There are sections where sand keeps filling your shoes, so prepare gaiters and socks that cover the ankles.

Trophies and prizes are given to the top 3 finishers in each event, and finishers receive a finisher finisher medal.

Times are local to Dubai. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

HAVN - 2 Bedroom Apartment in Bloom Tower, JVC

Accommodation · 1.7km

8.5/10(10)

View on Booking.com

Dubai Luxury Spa & Wellness

₩325,073

Al Marmoom Ultramarathon

About Al Marmoom Ultramarathon — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run