PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONTN / RACE GUIDE

Marathon COMAR de Tunis-Carthage

Name: Marathon COMAR de Tunis-Carthage 2023
Uploaded: 2023-11-22
Description: Held every December in Tunis, Tunisia, the Marathon COMAR Tunis-Carthage is an internationally certified race named after its sponsor, the Mediterranean insurer COMAR. Founded in 1986 and held annuall

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Tunis
TN

T A · CC BY-SA 2.0Matanya, CC BY-SA 4.0Houss 2020, CC0Houss 2020, CC0Houss 2020, CC0

Race date in 62 days: Dec 6, 2026 Sun
City · Distance: Tunis · 42.195km · 21.1km
Entry fee: Fee TBDVaries by event and entry period
Status: SoonSee how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 5, 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.

Held every December in Tunis, Tunisia,

the Marathon COMAR Tunis-Carthage is an internationally certified race named after its sponsor, the Mediterranean insurer COMAR.

Founded in 1986 and held annually since, it has four categories: the marathon,

the half marathon, a 5K open to everyone, and a kids' marathon.

It has been a World Athletics Label road race since 2019 and is a full member of AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races).

The 39th edition on December 6, 2026 is expected to draw more than 10,000 runners from over 58 countries.

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.

#December Marathon#Tunis#TunisHalfMarathon#Full marathon Marathon#Overseas Marathon

Stories from those who ran it first.

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

Race reports: 2

W. TabascoRan in 2025 · Finish time 05:07 h

“But first, I used reaching half marathon as a mental anchor.”

He struggled to maintain the pace in the sunshine and on the long straight section late in the race, finishing in 5 hours 7 minutes more exhausted than expected but happy simply to finish.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

Aber ich stütze mich vorerst mal mental auf das Erreichen der Halbdistanz.

Read the original on Team Austria Unlimited

Nadia JasRan in 2023

“A few minutes after the full marathon runners started, we started half marathon too.”

A Tunis half marathon participant recorded the congestion at the start, the lakeside course and aid stations, the difficulty of the second half, and the finish. The writer disclosed that the article was produced during a press trip invited by the tourism board.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

Quelques minutes après le départ des marathoniens, nous avons pris le départ du semi-marathon.

Read the original on Trail Session

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.

la 35ème édition du Marathon COMAR de Tunis-Carthage

Tunisie Numérique

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

Apply on-site at COMAR headquarters or register online at marathon.comar.tn.

A participation pledge must be signed, and written consent is required for minors.

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

The 42.195km I'll run

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

Runners start · local timeFrom 08:00

Time limitFull marathon 5 hours

Event	Start
Marathon42.195km	08:00
Tunis International Marathon21.0975km	08:05
Tunis International Marathon5km	08:10

START

Avenue Mohamed V, Tunis

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Mövenpick Hotel du Lac Tunis

same as the start

Finish · Google Maps

Original course map · marathon.comar.tn

The race starts near Avenue Mohamed V and Place du 14 Janvier in central Tunis.

The opening 5km passes through the city centre, after which the half marathon section becomes an out-and-back course along La Goulette Road beside Lake Tunis.

The lake once served as ancient Carthage's natural harbour, providing the geographical link to the Carthage named in the event title.

On broad, flat, paved roads lined with palms, runners can see Jebel Boukornine in the distance.

The course finishes in front of the city's landmark clock tower.

The full marathon has a time limit cutoff of 5 hours.

Field size: Full marathon 1,000 runners · half marathon 4,500 runners · 5K 2,500 runners · children 700 runners
World Athletics Label: Label Label
Typical race-season temperature: around 13°C (55°F): Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

From the most recent edition

Finisher medal 2025

Timing chip 2025

This may change for the next edition.

To the start line,
step by step.

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

Pick up your bib at the expo

Bib is distributed only at the COMAR headquarters in the city from several weeks before the race.
When collecting it, the participant (or a guardian for a minor) must sign the participation waiver.
Proxy collection rules and same-day collection have not been announced, so advance collection is required.

COMAR headquarters, Avenue Habib Bourguiba, Immeuble COMAR, Tunis

Google Maps Directions

Stations & transport near the venue

For the Métro Léger (light metro) and TGM tram to La Marsa, buy tickets at station windows/machines — Transtu sells single tickets as well as passes. For city buses, you can typically just pay cash on board.

Getting to the start

TGM station 'Tunis Marine' (southern terminus of the Tunis–Goulette–Marsa light rail) and Métro Line 1 'Place Barcelone' station, both at/near the start of Avenue Habib Bourguiba

Start is on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, Tunis's main boulevard, near Tunis Marine / Place de la Victoire.

Central Tunis venue with strong public transit access via Métro Line 1 and the TGM line.

Getting to the finish

Same area as start — Avenue Habib Bourguiba, near TGM Tunis Marine and Métro Place Barcelone

The 42.195 km course loops around the Lake of Tunis and through Carthage before returning to finish on/near Avenue Habib Bourguiba.

More details

one weaker single-source mention of Nov 29 appears to be a stale/incorrect listing).

Avenue Habib Bourguiba and Lake Tunis loop roads closed to traffic for the race;

expect metro Line 1/TGM disruption near the avenue (not separately confirmed for 2026).

No dedicated shuttle found -- central location is walkable from most downtown hotels.

More details

None advertised; well served by Tunis Métro Line 1 and the TGM commuter line.

More details

Transtu confirms it sells single tickets, ticket booklets, and weekly/monthly/annual subscriptions across bus,

Métro Léger, and TGM tram lines, but its own tariff page does not list a specific named rechargeable smart card.

No source indicates contactless foreign bank-card payment is accepted at gates or on buses.

Fares are low (roughly 0.5-0.7 Tunisian dinar per ride).

Stations & transport near the venue

Tunis Metro Leger (light rail) and the TGM suburban train run on paper tickets bought for cash at station ticket booths, about 0.68 TND per ride;

foreign bank cards are rarely accepted so keep dinar cash on hand.

Rechargeable transit cards exist at some stations for frequent riders but are not necessary for a single race-day trip.

Taxis are cheap and widely used as a backup option.

Source · checked Aug 24, 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.

Pick up your bib at the reception desk of COMAR's head office on Avenue Habib Bourguiba in Tunis.

At recent editions, pickup ran from about 2 weeks before the race, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays,

closed on Sundays and public holidays.

There's no registration and no packet pickup on race day.

The online entry fee was 15 dinars for Tunisian residents and 15 euros for nonresident foreigners, and you sign a waiver when you collect your bib.

The 39th edition in 2026 is on Sunday, December 6.

The marathon starts at 8 a.m., the half marathon at 8:05, the 5K open run at 8:10 and the kids' marathon at 8:15.

The start is on Avenue Mohamed V near Place du 14 Janvier, with assembly from 7 a.m. The time limit is 5 hours.

Aid stations are at least every 5km and at the finish, and from 7.5km there are also sponge points between aid stations.

First-aid posts are also set up every 5km.

At the last edition the caps were 1,000 for the marathon, 4,500 for the half marathon, 2,500 for the 5K and 700 for kids.

The marathon is open to those 18 and over, and the half marathon and 5K to those 15 and over.

Tunis in December averages a high of 17.6°C and a low of 9.4°C, with rain on about 8 days a month.

It's around 10°C at the morning start, so a light layer and a rain jacket come in handy.

Times are local to Tunis. 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.

Hotels that make race morning easyHotels to rest in right after the finish

7 places

Distances are straight-line from the start.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

Distances are straight-line from the finish.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

Near the startNear the finish

The start and finish are 15km apart.

Campanile El Mechtel

Hotel · 3.7km

8.1/10(2104)

View on Booking.com

Hotel Saheb Ettabaa

Hotel · 4.6km

5.1/10(96)

View on Booking.com

Mosaica Residence

Accommodation · 3.8km

View on Booking.com

Casa Bardo

Accommodation · 3.2km

View on Booking.com

Casamira king size bed near airport

Accommodation · 5.0km

View on Booking.com

Location Saisonniere etage Maison Arabesque a Hergla

Accommodation · 3.2km

View on Booking.com

Nour 2

Accommodation · 4.5km

View on Booking.com

Mövenpick Hotel Du Lac Tunis

Hotel · 1.3km

8.2/10(741)

View on Booking.com

Casaflor Tunis

Accommodation · 1.4km

9.8/10(12)

View on Booking.com

L'Orchidée - Villa de luxe avec piscine chauffée, ascenseur privatif et vue sur le lac de Tunis

Accommodation · 1.2km

9.8/10(10)

View on Booking.com

L'Orchidée - Suites de Luxe avec Piscine Chauffée et Vue sur le Lac de Tunis

Accommodation · 1.2km

9.4/10(246)

View on Booking.com

The Perfect Flat, Lac 2, Tunis

Accommodation · 1.2km

9.4/10(16)

View on Booking.com

Bright Flat Lac 2 Tunis

Accommodation · 999m

9.1/10(30)

View on Booking.com

lac 2 apartment

Accommodation · 859m

9.1/10(18)

View on Booking.com

Swipe sideways to see more hotels.

View on map →

Time for you, before and after the finish

31 experiences

Rest a little, wander a little.
Pick what suits you and whoever you're with.

RECOVERY & SPA2SIT-DOWN TOURS3CARB LOADING5LOCAL TRANSIT7FAMILY PASS3TRAIL & OUTDOOR3CITY TOURS7EASY WALKING1

Tunis: Babina Spa Hammam and Massage Experience

₩124,750

Marathon COMAR de Tunis-Carthage

About Marathon COMAR de Tunis-Carthage — 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