Marrakech International Marathon

What it really is

The Marrakech International Marathon was founded in 1987 by the Association Le Grand Atlas du Maroc, chaired from the start by Professor Mohamed Knidiri. The race runs under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI. Marathon certified by IAAF and AIMS over the official 42.195 km, 21.097 km half-marathon, Welcome Race open to all and run the day before: three formats, three audiences, one Koutoubia start. Around fifteen thousand entries each year, half Moroccan, half international, with a Kenyan and Ethiopian elite chasing a fast time. The race is one of the rare ones offering a fully flat course in January, under an almost guaranteed blue sky. The 2021 edition was cancelled due to the pandemic, the only interruption in thirty-seven years.

Taking it in

Marathon week, the town changes its rhythm. The Village sets up on Koutoubia square Friday and Saturday, 10am to 6pm: bib collection on passport, gel trials, pop-up stores, favourites’ briefings, coaches glued to their phones. At dawn on Sunday, the square turns into a start pen: loudspeakers rolling the weather updates, runners in throwaway layers, the official convoy ready to release the peloton. On the results side, the race remains held by a Kenyan and Ethiopian elite. In recent years, winners have finished the marathon around 2 hrs 08 for men, 2 hrs 25 for women, with two or three Moroccans in the top 5. The men’s record has stood since 2020: Morocco’s Hicham Laqouahi in 2 hrs 06 min 32 s. On the women’s side, Ethiopia’s Tinbit Weldegebriel set 2 hrs 26 min 48 s in 2018. The start-pen mood pulls the returners back as much as the chase for a time.

Getting there

Entries open in early September on the official site (marathon-marrakech.com), through the SPORT UP platform. Registration closes a week before race day. After that, only bib collection at the Village on Friday or Saturday can secure a bib, subject to remaining spots. Passport required for collection. The course drops from the Koutoubia towards Guéliz, skirts the ochre ramparts, dives into the Palmeraie for around ten kilometres, then loops back through the modern districts. Finish line on Avenue Prince Moulay Rachid, one hundred and fifty metres from the fountain, behind the Sofitel. Flat course, a few false-flat climbs in the Palmeraie that trap over-optimistic starting paces. Aid stations every five kilometres from the seventh: water, orange slices, discreet salt. Where to stay: the medina and Hivernage are ten or fifteen minutes on foot from the Koutoubia, the Palmeraie forces a shuttle that gets tense at five in the morning. Book four to six months ahead: on the last weekend of January, the hotels around the Koutoubia fill first with runners, then their families. Weather: reckon on 6 to 12°C at the start, climbing gradually to around twenty degrees by the third hour. Blue sky almost guaranteed, rain rare. Bring a throwaway layer for the start-pen wait. The organisers collect it in the first kilometre.

Pair it with

Plan three or four nights minimum. Saturday, the Welcome Race serves as a light warm-up. Sunday belongs to the race. Monday, the town recovers with you. A traditional hammam at the end of the day is the most honest option to loosen the legs (see our hammam sheet). On Tuesday, a quiet run out to Ourika valley - 60 km, two to three hours return - makes for welcome active recovery, provided you keep the pace steady. Avoid in the 48 hrs after: quad biking in the Agafay Desert, hiking Toubkal or any restaurant that promises a ‘grandma’s’ tagine at midnight.

Who it is for, who it is not

For experienced marathoners chasing a time in mild weather, on a flat course under a predictable sky. For a first marathon, the Welcome Race the day before and the generous time limit ease the logistics. For a couple or a family who follow the race with a regular stay. Less for: runners who dread the temperature rise in the second half. Those who refuse the logistics of on-site bib collection. Travellers without an up-to-date passport, required for collection as much as for the border.

FAQ

When is the next edition? The 37th edition runs on Sunday 31 January 2027, under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI. Marathon start at 7.45am, half-marathon at 9.15am, Koutoubia square.

How do I register? On the official site (marathon-marrakech.com), through the SPORT UP platform. Entries open in early September 2026, close a week before the race. After that date, only bib collection at the Village still allows you to pick up a bib, subject to remaining spots.

How much is the entry? Fees are published each year by the organisers and vary by race (marathon, half, Welcome Race) and registration date. They appear on the registration page of the official site.

Where do I collect my bib? At the Marathon Village, Koutoubia square, on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 January 2027, 10am to 6pm. Passport required. No collection on race morning.

Which accommodation do you recommend? The medina and Hivernage: ten to fifteen minutes on foot from the start line, warm-up pen reached without stress. The Palmeraie sits further out, the morning shuttle leaves at 5am in a town that stirs early. Book as soon as entries open, and check our where-to-stay hub in Marrakech to lock in the district.

Sheet built from official sources - Marrakech International Marathon (marathon-marrakech.com), Association Le Grand Atlas du Maroc, World Athletics results. Next update expected at the release of fees and the official programme.