Abu Dhabi Marathon

Location: Abu Dhabi
Country: United Arab Emirates
Website: https://www.adnocabudhabimarathon.com/
2025 Marathon Date: 13/12/2025
2026 Marathon Date: 12/12/2026
Winning Time 2025: 2:07:27
% Sub-3s: 2-5% # Sub-3s: 50-99 Total Finishers: 1-3k

The Abu Dhabi Marathon is a fast, flat loop race held annually in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and is recognised as a World Athletics Elite Label event. First staged in 2018, the marathon has quickly established itself as a major international fixture on the December running calendar, combining a highly runnable course with a route that showcases the city’s modern skyline and historic landmarks.

The marathon is staged entirely within Abu Dhabi, with the start and finish traditionally located near the headquarters building on the Corniche, one of the city’s most prominent waterfront corridors. The associated race village is typically positioned in the surrounding parkland or at Zayed Sports City, providing a central hub for participants and spectators. The course is designed as a single loop, allowing runners to experience a broad cross-section of the city without repeated sections, while maintaining a consistent, predictable profile.

The route is widely regarded as flat and fast, making it well suited to personal-best attempts. Elevation change is minimal, and long, straight roads dominate much of the course. Runners pass a series of key landmarks that reflect both Abu Dhabi’s heritage and its contemporary identity. These include Wahat Al Karama, the city’s principal war memorial; the Corniche itself, with extended coastal views; the World Trade Center Abu Dhabi; Qasr Al Hosn, one of the city’s oldest stone structures; the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque; and the Emirates Heritage Village. Together, these elements create a course that is visually varied while remaining technically straightforward to run.

The marathon is held in December, when winter conditions in the region offer cooler temperatures than at other times of year, contributing to its reputation as a performance-friendly race. Shorter associated events, including relay, 10 km, 5 km and 2.5 km races, are largely concentrated along the Corniche, reinforcing the event’s accessibility and community focus.

Since its debut in December 2018, the Abu Dhabi Marathon has grown rapidly. Participation has increased substantially across all race categories, reaching approximately 37,000 entrants by its seventh edition in 2025. Alongside elite competition, the event places emphasis on inclusivity, with multiple race formats and dedicated provisions that encourage broad participation. The result is a marathon that combines speed, scale and a distinctive urban setting, set against the backdrop of one of the Middle East’s most recognisable cities.