ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon, live.

A December morning on the streets of the UAE capital

The ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon is a December race day in the UAE capital, with five races from a 2.5 km fun run to the full marathon.

The 8th edition of the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon is on Saturday 12 December 2026. It is organised by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council together with ADNOC, and the programme has five races: the marathon, a marathon relay for teams of two, a 10 km road race, a 5 km road race and a 2.5 km fun run.

The elite marathon field goes at 05:55, and the marathon and the relay start at 06:00. The 10 km follows at 06:30. The 2.5 km fun run starts in waves from 08:30 and the 5 km in waves from 09:45, with each participant's wave printed on the bib. For the 2024 edition the organiser described a course from ADNOC Headquarters on Corniche Road past the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Al Bateen Palace, Qasr Al Hosn and the World Trade Centre, finishing at the ADNOC Campus near Baynunah Public Park.

The early start keeps the marathon in the coolest part of the day on city streets, so the race suits people aiming for a steady time as much as those running their first marathon. The relay is a good way into the distance for two people who want to share it. There is no race pack collection on race day, so bibs are collected beforehand at the race village or through the other options the organiser offers.

For spectators, the race village is the place to be, with sponsor stands, fitness classes, children's areas and live music. Park and ride runs on race day, and a shuttle bus can be booked from Ibn Battuta Metro Station in Dubai, leaving at 02:45 in the morning.

On Livebib you can follow a participant who chooses to share their own live position from the phone they carry. This is not the organiser's timing, and the official results come from the organiser of the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon.