Dubai Marathon
Sunday, January 17, 2027 · Dubai, UAE · 5:45 AM (Elite); 6:30 AM (Masses)
Updated Oct 17, 2026
Sea-level, uniformly flat geometry with exceptionally wide roads. The most Ethiopian-dominated race on the global elite calendar: all 20 winners (men and women combined) across the last 10 editions are East African, 19 of them Ethiopian. Historically offered up to $1,000,000 for a world record (most prominently in 2008); the current published prize structure does not list a WR bonus.
Dubai Marathon course and distance
The Dubai Marathon is 26.2 miles (42.195 km).
Is the Dubai Marathon hard?
No, not as marathon courses go. The Dubai Marathon scores 1.5/10 on the Kenyan Running Difficulty Index, the 4th easiest of the 12 marathons we rate.
The score is built from four factors: hills, race-day weather, turns and bridges, and the late miles where a runner is most likely to lose time. See the score breakdown.
Pacing the Dubai Marathon
Training for the Dubai Marathon?
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The score breakdown
The Kenyan Running Difficulty Index combines four weighted factors. The heaviest weight (35%) is on Tactical Brutality. That is what a Kenyan coach watches first: where the field actually blows up.
Score confidence: preliminary. Computed from public course, weather, and prize data.
Course profile
- Elevation gain
- —
- Elevation loss
- —
- Surface
- paved smooth
- Late-stage climbs (after mile 18)
- None.
- Profile notes
- Uniformly flat sea-level course; exact elevation gain/loss not published.
Race day
- Date
- Sunday, January 17, 2027
- Start time
- 5:45 AM (Elite); 6:30 AM (Masses)
- Field size (approx.)
- 14,000
- Entry
- Open online entry for runners 18 and over. No lottery or qualifying time. Fee US$150.
- Time limit
- 6 hours
- Aid stations
- Water every 2.5 km from 5 km and at the finish. Sports drink at 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 km and at the finish.
Weather (historical)
- Humidity
- ~58% average in January (cool-season window before midday heat builds; January is Dubai's most humid month but temperatures stay mild).
- Notable weather events
- 2022 event postponed to 2023 due to external logistical factors
Prize money
- Total purse
- $316,000 (international marathon field)
- Winner
- $80K
- 2nd / 3rd
- $40K / $20K
- Notes
- Top-three USD payouts ($80K/$40K/$20K) are competitive with the WMM tier despite Dubai sitting outside the WMM circuit. The much-publicized $1M WR bonus from late-2000s editions does not appear on the current published prize structure.
Course records
Recent winners
Top East African winners (Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda) across the last 10 verified editions: 10 men, 10 women.
| Year | Men's winner | Time | Women's winner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Nibret Melak (ETH) | 2:04:00 | Anchinalu Dessie (ETH) | 2:18:31 |
| 2025 | Bute Gemechu (ETH) | 2:04:51 | Bedatu Hirpa (ETH) | 2:18:27 |
| 2024 | Addisu Gobena (ETH) | 2:05:01 | Tigist Ketema (ETH) | 2:16:07 |
| 2023 | Abdisa Tola Adera (ETH) | 2:05:42 | Dera Dida Yami (ETH) | 2:21:11 |
| 2020 | Olika Adugna Bikila (ETH) | 2:06:15 | Worknesh Degefa (ETH) | 2:19:38 |
| 2019 | Getaneh Molla (ETH) | 2:03:34 | Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) | 2:17:08 |
| 2018 | Mosinet Geremew (ETH) | 2:04:00 | Roza Dereje (ETH) | 2:19:17 |
| 2017 | Tamirat Tola (ETH) | 2:04:11 | Worknesh Degefa (ETH) | 2:22:36 |
| 2016 | Tesfaye Abera (ETH) | 2:04:24 | Tirfi Tsegaye (ETH) | 2:19:41 |
| 2015 | Lemi Berhanu (ETH) | 2:05:28 | Aselefech Mergia (ETH) | 2:20:02 |
Training for Dubai Marathon?
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Sources
- https://www.dubaimarathon.org/race-info/how-to-register/
- https://www.dubaimarathon.org/
- https://www.dubaimarathon.org/race-info/general-info/
- https://www.dubaimarathon.org/news-media/prize-money/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai_Marathon
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Dubai
- https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-Humidity-perc,dubai-ae,United-Arab-Emirates