🇦🇪Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Abu Dhabi Marathon
Dec 6, 2026
Race facts
Next edition · 2026
Dec 6, 2026
ScheduledCourse
35 melevation gain
- Distance · surface
- 42.2 km · Road
Entry
Open entry
- Status · last recorded
- Open
Dates and entry details change. Confirm with the organiser before you book.
PB potential
Excellent PB course — flat, fast, and well-paced
Beginner friendly
Great for newcomers — manageable course, strong support
About this race
The Abu Dhabi Marathon holds IAAF Gold Label status and is one of the fastest courses in the Middle East — a near-sea-level flat route in December's most favourable Gulf temperatures. The course runs along the Abu Dhabi Corniche with the Arabian Gulf on one side and the iconic skyline of Etihad Towers and the Abu Dhabi skyline on the other, passes within sight of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (the UAE's most spectacular architectural landmark, its marble dome accommodating 41,000 worshippers), and through Yas Island (home of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix circuit). December conditions of 18–24°C with low Gulf humidity are excellent for fast times. The prize money pool and IAAF label attract elite East African fields that set the race's tempo for the mass-participation runners behind them.
Typical race-day weather
Temperature
17–24°C
Humidity
40–60%
Conditions
Gulf winter — the most comfortable marathon window in the UAE
Wind
10–20 km/h Gulf breeze
Qualifies for
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Stack Abu Dhabi Marathon against another race side-by-side.
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