Petra Desert Marathon, live.

From the rock-cut city into the Jordanian desert

The Petra Desert Marathon starts in the heart of the ancient city of Petra and climbs out past rock-carved tombs into the desert around it.

The next Petra Desert Marathon is on Saturday 4 September 2027, and the 2028 edition is already set for 2 September. It is organised by Albatros Adventure Marathons, with a field capped at 500 participants. There are two distances: the full marathon over 42.195 km and an ultra half marathon of 25 km.

The race starts inside Petra, passing rock-carved tombs and temples before heading into a lunar-like desert landscape with hard climbs. The surface is a mix of gravel roads, paved roads and sand, and the organiser gives 739 m and 1074 m of climbing for the two routes. The marathon includes an out and back stretch of 16 km in total, with a wristband handed out at the turn to prove the distance.

Both races start at 06:30 and have seven hours to finish. Five hours after the start, the marathon route closes at 31 km and the 25 km route at 14 km. Race day can reach 35 degrees with very little shade, so heat is the real test. The minimum age is 18 for the marathon and 16 for the shorter race, and poles are not allowed. International participants enter through a tour package, while residents of Jordan can enter the race on its own.

The course is not closed to traffic and there is little room for spectators out in the desert, but the start inside Petra is worth getting up early for. This is a race for people who want an adventure more than a time. Danish doctors, assisted by Jordanian paramedics, give medical help to runners along the route.

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 Petra Desert Marathon.