Course & Elevation
The White Nights Marathon is a night marathon in Saint Petersburg, Russia, held in the white-night season around the turn of June and July. The 2026 race, the 35th SberPrime White Nights Marathon, took place on Saturday 4 July: the 10 km started at 20:00 and the marathon and relay at 22:00, so the field ran through the night under the white-night sky. The organisers say the evening format means marathon runners no longer have to run in July heat. The point-to-point course starts near Gazprom Arena on Krestovsky Island and finishes on Palace Square. The organisers promise views of the Kazan Cathedral, the Peter and Paul Fortress and the Rostral Columns. The marathon covers an additional 10 km on the Petrogradsky Side, along the embankments of the central district and near the Smolny, with the final stretch along the Griboyedov Canal and Nevsky Prospect. The time limit is six hours from the runner's personal start, and the finish closes at 04:40. The 10 km race goes straight to the finish on Palace Square and has a limit of one and a half hours. The first White Nights Marathon was held in June 1990, when Leningrad still carried that name.
Course Facts
Weather
Typical climate for the race month — an estimate, not a forecast or a race-day record
19°C
Temperature
71%
Humidity
55%
Rain Chance
July in Saint Petersburg is mild to warm: average highs are around 23°C and lows around 15°C, with relative humidity near 71% and rain on about 17 days of the month. With the marathon starting at 22:00, runners avoid the daytime peak, according to the organisers.
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