ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon: Dates, Tickets & Venue (Abu Dhabi)

For one Saturday morning in December, Abu Dhabi closes its multi-lane boulevards to traffic and gives them to runners. The ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon takes place on December 12, 2026. It is an annual road race with four distances, so the field runs from elite marathoners to families pushing through 2.5 kilometres.

Four distances, one city morning

The programme covers a full range of effort. Each distance draws a different crowd:

• Marathon: the full 42.195km, for experienced distance runners.
• 10K: a popular target for club runners and first-time racers.
• 5K: short enough for casual runners and groups of colleagues.
• 2.5K: the family-friendly fun run, often done by parents with children.

The race carries the name of ADNOC, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, which is its title sponsor. The first edition ran in 2018, and the event has since become a fixture of the city’s winter sports calendar.

Why December works here

The timing is about heat. For much of the year, Abu Dhabi is too hot for a long road race to be safe. December brings mild days and cooler mornings, so the city’s outdoor events are packed into the winter months.

Distance races in the Gulf usually start early in the morning, before the sun gets strong. Even in December, runners still feel the sun on long, open stretches of road. Shade is scarce once the light comes up over the boulevards.

December 12, 2026 falls on a Saturday. The UAE’s weekend is Saturday and Sunday, so most runners and spectators have the rest of the day free afterwards.

Entries, course and start area

There is no ticket in the concert sense. A place in the race is a registration for one of the four distances. The organiser publishes registration, the course map and race-day logistics on its official site.

Earlier editions have used the long, flat roads of central Abu Dhabi, with the Corniche waterfront at the centre of the route. The city’s grid of wide, straight avenues suits fast running. Course details for each edition come from the organiser, so this guide does not describe a route of its own.

Runners usually pick up race packs before race day. Supporters tend to choose one or two spots along the route rather than following the whole distance.

Race morning on Abu Dhabi’s roads

Rolling road closures shape the whole morning. Taxis and ride-hailing apps such as Careem and Uber are how most people move around Abu Dhabi, since the city has no metro. Drivers on race morning usually get dropped a few blocks from the start, because closed roads block the most direct approach.

Runners staying near the Corniche or downtown often walk to the start. Anyone staying on Yas or Saadiyat Island usually allows extra time, because those islands sit a long drive from the city centre.

How runners and spectators handle the day

A few customs and habits make race morning easier in Abu Dhabi:

• Clothing: running kit is normal on the course. Away from it, in malls, hotels and taxis, people cover up more, so runners often bring a T-shirt and shorts or leggings for afterwards.
• Hydration: experienced Gulf racers drink steadily in the days before the race, not only at water stations.
• Payment: cards and phone payments work almost everywhere in the city, including taxis.
• Cheering: supporters usually bring flags or signs with a runner’s name. Crowds tend to gather near the finish and on the stretches beside the waterfront.
• Respect: if race day overlaps with prayer times, mosques along the way stay in use as normal. People keep the noise down near the entrances.

The finish area gets crowded once the shorter-distance runners come in. Groups usually agree on a meeting point away from the finish line itself.

After the finish line

Most runners spend the afternoon resting and the evening sightseeing. Several of the city’s main landmarks are an easy taxi ride from the Corniche:

• Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque: white marble domes and huge courtyards, with a modest dress code for visitors.
• Qasr Al Watan: the presidential palace complex, open to visitors, close to Emirates Palace.
• Louvre Abu Dhabi: on Saadiyat Island, under a perforated dome that lets through dappled light.
• The Corniche beach and promenade: a flat waterfront walk that suits tired legs.

Mosques, palaces and museums change their visiting hours through the year. Their official sites list the current times.