Dakar Marathon

Course & Elevation

The Marathon Eiffage de Dakar is Senegal's international marathon, run in the capital on a Sunday in November and sponsored by the construction group Eiffage. Its programme has been a 42.195 km marathon, a 21 km half marathon, a 10 km and a Saturday walk. The marathon starts and finishes on the Esplanade du Grand Théâtre, next to the Museum of Black Civilisations. The route follows the Grande Corniche, with views of the Atlantic, and passes the Place du Souvenir, the Mosquée de la Divinité and the Monument de la Renaissance Africaine. The organisers call the course technical and put its elevation gain at more than 50 metres. The first Marathon Eiffage de Dakar was held in February 2016. Later editions took place in April 2019, November 2021 and, as the fourth edition, on 18 and 19 November 2023, when about 15,000 runners from 72 nationalities took part. The marathon is open to licensed and unlicensed runners born before 31 December 2003, which sets a minimum age of 20. The 2023 race was run in heat: the press reported 30°C by 07:00. Kenya's Geoffrey Kipiego won the 2023 men's marathon in 2:25:13 and Alice Cherotich Milgo the women's in 2:43:57.