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Jan 17, 2027
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The Dubai Marathon is a January road race in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and the organisers call it the Middle East's oldest international marathon. The first international Dubai Marathon was staged in front of Al Wasl Sports Club on 14 January 2000. The 26th edition is on Sunday 17 January 2027, together with a 10 km road race and a 4 km fun run. The marathon starts at 6:30 a.m. on Al Taryam Road, near the boundary of the Police Academy. Runners go onto Al Sufouh Road for an out-and-back to the Dubai Media City entrance, passing Dubai College Junction, the Palm Island entrance and Madinat Jumeirah. They then run an out-and-back on Jumeirah Beach Road past the Burj Al Arab, Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Marsa Al Arab, and that section is run twice. The finish is on the Police Academy parade ground in front of the academy grandstand. There is an official six-hour time limit, and marathon runners must be 18 or over. The course records are 2:03:34 for men, set by Getaneh Molla in 2019, and 2:16:07 for women, set by Tigist Ketema in 2024. The race is a World Athletics Gold Label road race.
Typical climate for the race month — an estimate, not a forecast or a race-day record
January in Dubai averages a daily high of about 24°C and a low of about 15°C, with rain on only around three days of the month.
The Race
Dubai
The first international Dubai Marathon was staged in front of Al Wasl Sports Club on 14 January 2000. Its patron was Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The event was then held on a Friday in January for many years.
In April 2007 it was announced that the 2008 race would offer one million dollars for a world record. Haile Gebrselassie won in 2:04:53, the second-fastest marathon time up to that point, not enough to claim the record or the prize. He won again in 2009 and 2010.
Haile Gebrselassie
Ethiopian distance-running great who won the Dubai Marathon in 2008, 2009 and 2010
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02:03:34
Getaneh Molla (2019)
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