Races

PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONAE / RACE GUIDE

Dubai Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Dubai Emirate
AE

Anto1210 · Public DomainNorlando Pobre / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0Gfilip / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Race date in 63 days: Jan 17, 2027 Sun
City · Distance: Dubai Emirate · 42.195km · 21.1km · 10km +1 more events
Entry fee: $150Varies by event and entry period
Status: OpenFri, July 3, 2026 ~ Sat, January 16, 2027See how to enter ↗

Official website ↗

Instagram YouTube

D-day as of Nov 15, 2026

About the race Runner stories 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.

The Dubai Marathon is held each January in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and marked its 25th anniversary in 2026.

The next confirmed edition is on Sunday, January 17, 2027.

Registration is currently open.

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.

#January Marathon#Dubai Emirates#DubaiHalfMarathon#DubaiMarathon#Full marathon#Half marathon

Stories from runners who've been there.

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

Race reports: 4

MuckDanRan in 2023 · Finish time 3:29:46

“I managed to get a hotel basically on the finish and about 1km from the start.”

They completed their first full marathon after a short preparation period. Fueling worked well, but the rerouted highway course felt monotonous.

Read the original on Reddit

Anton ReiterRan in 2018 · Finish time 05:00:54

“I completed my Dubai Marathon debut in 5 hours 54 seconds. I wasn't at the back, and it's a course where you can chase a time.”

Went out hoping to lower their time, but knee pain flared badly around 32 km and forced them to stop and walk. They started running again at 38 km and finished in 5 hours 54 seconds.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

Nach 5:00:54 beende ich mein Dubai-Marathon-Debut, zwar längst nicht als Letzter im Feld, aber auf einer Strecke, die wirklich Personal Bests ermöglicht.

Read the original on Marathon4you.de

CharlieRan in 2014 · Finish time 03:52:30

“The good thing is that my legs still felt very good and I feel that I could have really hit my time had it not been for my stomach flu.”

Finished the 2014 Dubai Marathon in 3:52:30. Set out targeting 3:20, but hot weather and a stomach flu had them vomiting repeatedly after mile 16. Still gave the aid station the course and the finish crowd support good marks.

Read the original on Running with Miles

Aymen CHEIKH MHAMEDFinish time 1:52

“Not my record, but 1h52min is still a solid time.”

Aymen Sheikh Mohammed ran the first 12 km of the Dubai half marathon faster than 4:45/km. Blisters and cramps nearly made him quit at 18 km, but he changed his goal to simply finishing and passed the finish in 1:52.

Read the original on LinkedIn

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

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

2024 Dubai Marathon Highlights Show
Dubai Marathon - Official
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.

General entry

Entry cost $150

The marathon entry fee is $150.

Organizer's page

Official tour operators

Official tour operators listed by the race organizer. Check whether race entry is included and confirm the application requirements with the operator.

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 42.195km

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

From the 2026 edition

Runners start · local timeFrom 05:45

Time limit6 hours

6 hours (phased road reopening)

Event	Start	Time limit
Marathon42.195km	06:30	6 hours
10K10km	08:00	—
4km Fun Run4km	10:30	—

START

Umm Suqeim Road

10km near Al Sufouh, Madinat Jumeirah

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Inside the Dubai Police Academy

Finish · Google Maps

Cutoff
Official time limit for the 2027 Dubai Marathon: full marathon, 6 hours; road sections reopen progressively afterward.

Original course map · dubaimarathon.org

Runners start · local time — Elite 05:45 · General Category 06:30

The current marathon course starts on Umm Suqeim Street, a few blocks southeast of Madinat Jumeirah.

It initially heads northwest for a short distance, then follows an approximately 6 km out-and-back section on King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street.

It then moves onto Jumeirah Beach Road, passes the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel,

and completes two approximately 7.5 km out-and-back sections near Al Mehemal Street before returning to Umm Suqeim Street and finishing a few hundred metres southeast of the start.

Most of the race takes place on D94, a few blocks from the coast.

Because the course uses the same road several times, it pays to plan your pace segment by segment, turnaround by turnaround.

Approximately 150 people took part in the first event in 1998, which started outside Al Wasl Club, and 48 finished.

It became an officially measured course in 2000 and also has a strong international elite-race profile, including a men's winning time of 2:04:23 in 2012.

The marathon time limit is 6 hours.

World Athletics Label: Gold Label
AIMS Certified: Member race of the AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races)
Typical race-season temperature: around 20°C (68°F): Short sleeves — hydrate for the warmth

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Medical support

Marathon

Restrooms

Marathon

Water stations

Marathon

Finisher medal

Event T-shirt

Finisher certificate

Bag drop

Marathon

Hotels598m from the start · ★9.4

To the start line,
step by step.

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

From the 2026 edition

Jan 13 (Wed) – Jan 16 (Sat)

Bib pickup

You must bring proof of identity to collect bib.
If you cannot collect it in person, proxy pickup is available—the proxy must bring a printed copy of the final confirmation email (sent approximately one week before the race) and your proof of identity.
According to the official information, the 2027 pickup venue is The Agenda (Dubai Media City), open from Wednesday, January 13 to Saturday, January 16.

The Agenda, Dubai Media City

Google Maps Directions

Jan 13 (Wed): 12:00~22:00
Jan 14 (Thu)·Jan 15 (Fri): 10:00~22:00
Jan 16 (Sat): 10:00~17:00

Shakeout run

A relaxed group run to loosen up before race day. No pace pressure — everyone's welcome.
There was no official shakeout from the organizer. Local running communities host their own.

Check this year's announcement

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startMall of the Emirates (Dubai Metro) - accessible via the Dubai Metro Bridge for parking in the Mall of the…
Transit cardBuy a disposable Nol Red Ticket from a metro station vending machine when you land, or load a Nol card into Apple/Google/Samsung Pay — Dubai's Metro, buses, and tram do not accept a regular foreign contactless bank card tapped directly at the gate. Where to buy

Source · checked Aug 20, 2026 · Source · checked Aug 17, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Mall of the Emirates (Dubai Metro) - accessible via the Dubai Metro Bridge for parking in the Mall of the Emirates/Al Barsha area

Start is on Al Taryam Road near the Police Academy boundary. Do NOT park on Jumeirah Beach Road, Al Sufouh, Madinat Jumeirah or Police Academy area.

Park along Al Wasl Road junctions instead, or in Mall of the Emirates/Al Barsha area, crossing via Dubai Metro Bridge. Taxi drop-off point on Al Wasl Road before race -- book in advance, arrive 90 min before start.

Extensive road closures around Jumeirah Beach Road and Al Sufouh areas on race day (no street-by-street detail published on official site).

Map

Getting to the finish

Finish is at Police Academy Parade Grounds, near the Police Academy Entrance. No public parking near finish -- public transport strongly recommended.

Taxi collection point on Al Wasl Road after race.

Transit card

Nol card

Metro station ticket offices and vending machines, RTA customer happiness centres, authorized retail agents, or online Not accepted at the gates — get the local card above

There are several Nol variants: Silver (standard, AED 25 including credit), Gold (premium cabin access), Blue (discounted, for residents/students/seniors), and the disposable paper Red Ticket for single/limited trips, best for a short visit. The Nol network covers Dubai Metro (Red and Green lines), RTA buses, the tram, and water buses/ferries.

Where to buy

Source · checked Aug 20, 2026 Source · checked Aug 17, 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.

Plan your journey so that you arrive 90 minutes before the start.

Take taxis to and from Al Wasl Road.

Avoid parking along Jumeirah Beach Road and around Al Sufouh; park at the Al Wasl Road intersection or in the Mall of the Emirates and Al Barsha areas.

Event	Start
Marathon Elite	05:45
Marathon Open	06:30
10K Road Race	08:00
4K Fun Run	10:00

The taxi drop-off point before the race and pickup point after the race are on Al Wasl Road.

Check the aid station spacing

For the marathon, water is available every 2.5 km from 5 km to 40 km, as well as at the finish.

Category	Locations
Water	Every 2.5 km from 5–40 km · Finish
Sports drink	15 · 20 · 25 · 30 · 35 · 40 km · Finish

An ambulance and medical station are located about 200 m after each major aid station.

Baggage is accepted only in the bag provided

There is a bag drop near the start and finish areas, available only to marathon and 10 km participants.

Only the provided bags with a bib sticker attached are accepted.

Choosing clothing for the temperature before the start

The race is normally held in the morning in January, but in 2006, when it was postponed to February, temperatures rose to nearly 30°C.

First decide whether you plan to finish within the 6-hour cutoff, then decide whether to switch to the 10 km or 4 km distance.

Times are local to Dubai Emirate. 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.

Jumeirah Mina Al Salam Dubai

Hotel · 373m · 6-minute walk

9.1/10(1506)

View on Booking.com

Dubai Luxury Spa & Wellness

$243

Dubai Marathon

About Dubai Marathon — 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

Dubai Marathon runner reviews and race reports

Stories from runners who've been there.

See it on video,feel it through their stories.

2024 Dubai Marathon Highlights Show

How to enter Dubai Marathon — registration routes

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

General entry

Dubai Marathon course map and elevation

Your 42.195km

Umm Suqeim Road

Inside the Dubai Police Academy

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Medical support

Restrooms

Water stations

Finisher medal

Event T-shirt

Finisher certificate

Bag drop

Where and when to collect your Dubai Marathon race bib

To the start line,step by step.

Bib pickup

The Agenda, Dubai Media City

Shakeout run

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the start

Getting to the finish

Transit card

From race morning to after the finish.

Take taxis to and from Al Wasl Road.

Check the aid station spacing

Baggage is accepted only in the bag provided

Choosing clothing for the temperature before the start

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

Jumeirah Mina Al Salam Dubai

Dubai Luxury Spa & Wellness

Dubai Alexandra Dhow Dinner Cruise

Dubai Frame Half-Day City Highlights Tour

Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf Dubai

Dining or Spa Experience at Palazzo Versace Dubai

Dubai Canal Dinner Cruise

Hotels near the Dubai Marathon start line in Dubai Emirate

Hotels that make race morning easy

Jumeirah Mina Al Salam Dubai

Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf Dubai

Jumeirah Al Qasr Dubai

Jumeirah Al Naseem Dubai

Luxurious Garden View Apartment with Pool & Gym in Madinat Jumeirah By ĀYA Boutique

Nasma Luxury Stays - Fabulous Apartment With Balcony Near MJL's Souk

Vogue Vacation Homes, Madinat Jumeirah Living Rahaal Near Burj Al Arab One Bedroom Apartment with Balcony and Vibrant Community View, Access to all Amenities

Tours and activities around the Dubai Marathon in Dubai Emirate

Time for you, before and after the finish

Dubai Luxury Spa & Wellness

Dining or Spa Experience at Palazzo Versace Dubai

Flower Bath & Massage (Oasis Mall)

Self-Drive Sea Camel Speedboat Experience in Dubai

Ain Dubai Houseboat Experience

Dubai Atlantis or Burj Al Arab Speedboat Experience

Banana Boat Ride Experience in Dubai

Dubai Banana Boat Ride

Donut Ride Dubai

Paris Paradis Dubai Dinner Show Live Cabaret Experience

Swingers Crazy Golf Experience with Optional Drinks and Street Food

Dubai Luggage Pickup, Storage and Delivery Service

Private Transfers to Yas Island Abu Dhabi Attractions

Dubai｜Private Airport Pickup/Drop-off Service at Al Maktoum International Airport

Dubai International Airport Lounge Service at Ahlan Lounge

Dubai International Airport Be Relax Lounge Service

Dubai International Airport Lounge Service (Sleepover)

Dubai｜Private Airport Pickup/Drop-off Service at Dubai International Airport

Wicket Batting Cage Admission Ticket

Dubai Sky Pool Luxury Tour & Shopping

Miracle Garden Ticket Dubai

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

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

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

To the start line,
step by step.

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

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

With runners who dream of
the same start line.