Dubai Marathon 2027, from bed to start line.
The race starts before most of the city is awake, and the finish sits behind closed roads. Read what the organiser sets up first. A private vehicle is for the group that wants one pick-up time and one headcount.
The race in brief
The organiser, whose site is dubaimarathon.org, runs the 26th Dubai Marathon on Sunday 17 January 2027. It is a Sunday, not a Saturday, which matters for the Metro and for hotel check-out. The start and finish area is the Dubai Police Academy in Umm Suqeim, close to Madinat Jumeirah. On the organiser’s site map the marathon starts on Abdullah Omran Taryam Street, the 4 km and 10 km start on King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street on the Al Sufouh side, and every race finishes inside the Academy grounds.
Four races, four start times, taken from the organiser’s FAQ. Confirm yours in the organiser’s Final Instructions email.
| Race | Who it is for | Start |
|---|---|---|
| Marathon, elite | Elite athletes | 5:45 am |
| Marathon, masses | Aged 18 and over | 6:30 am |
| 10 km road race | Aged 15 and over | 8:00 am |
| 4 km fun run | Open to all | 10:00 am |
The marathon has an official six-hour finish limit, with police and medical support. Counted from the 6:30 start, that is about 12:30 pm. The organiser does not say whether it counts gun time or chip time, so treat 12:30 as arithmetic, not as a rule. Runners still on the road after the limit are asked to use the footpaths as the roads open again in phases.
The maps on the live site are the 2026 files. They show a route west along King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street to a turn near Westin Mina Seyahi, back past Madinat Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab, then two laps of a Jumeirah Beach Road section. Do not assume the 2027 course is the same. The organiser says full 2027 maps will go on its site, and that is the page to check.
Planning this trip? Tell us the date and group size for a fixed price.
Get a quoteRace-pack days at The Agenda
Numbers are collected at The Agenda in Dubai Media City, on four days. Desks close promptly at 5 pm on Saturday 16 January, and there is no collection on race day.
| Day | Date | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | 13 January | 12:00 to 22:00 |
| Thursday | 14 January | 10:00 to 22:00 |
| Friday | 15 January | 10:00 to 22:00 |
| Saturday | 16 January | 10:00 to 17:00 |
Bring the final confirmation email and photo ID, such as a passport. A friend can collect for you with a copy of your confirmation email and their own photo ID. Places are non-transferable, so a friend may fetch the pack but may not run on your number. Dubai Media City to the Police Academy is about 8 km, roughly 8 minutes in free-flow conditions, from OpenStreetMap routing with no traffic.
How the organiser says to arrive
This is the part to read twice, because it is the organiser’s own advice.
- Taxi. There is a drop-off point before the race and a collection point after it, both on Al Wasl Road. The organiser says to book in advance and to plan to arrive at least 90 minutes before the start.
- Metro. Mall of the Emirates is the station on the organiser’s map, with a Metro bridge that leads to the back of the starts. The walking time is not on the organiser’s current pages, so we give none.
- Parking. The organiser says there is no public parking near the finish and strongly recommends public transport. It tells people not to try to park on Jumeirah Beach Road, in Al Sufouh, at Madinat Jumeirah or around the Police Academy, and warns of extensive road closures.
- Time. Be at your start at least one hour before it begins.
Metro hours for race morning are announced by the RTA close to the date. For the 2026 race the RTA opened the Red and Green lines at 5 am, earlier than the usual 8 am on a Sunday, as reported by third-party sites. That is last year’s precedent, not a 2027 fact. Check the RTA for this year.
Road closures work the same way. Last year the RTA closed Abdullah Omran Taryam Street from 1 am, according to press coverage of its notice. The 2027 notice is not out yet.
Cheering from the side
Free grandstand seats at the finish are first come, first served. The organiser’s tracking is the mika:timing app, which follows up to 15 favourite athletes and needs mobile data, so a spectator on a roaming plan should check that before race morning. The organiser gives about 10 to 15 degrees Celsius at the start, a figure it does not date, so check the forecast near the day.
Driving along the route to cheer is a poor plan, since the streets close. A spectator group is better placed by the finish, with a return time agreed for later in the morning.
Where a private vehicle fits
We are Dubai Bus Services. We are not the organiser’s transport provider and not an official partner of the Dubai Marathon, and we sell no entries. Our vehicles are booked separately from anything the organiser runs.
A private vehicle suits a group that wants to leave one hotel together at one time. A running club, a company team and a family with a long supporter list all fit that description. A taxi suits two or three people with light bags.
We do not know whether a coach, minibus or car may use the Al Wasl Road taxi point, and the organiser publishes no coach bay. So we agree the drop-off and collection point with you in advance and follow the organiser’s and the RTA’s notice for the day. The last stretch on foot is normal.
Seat sizes: the Mercedes V-Class for a small group, the 13-seater van, the Mercedes Sprinter, then the 30-seater mini coach and the 50-seater coach for a tour group. Kit bags and spare layers take space, so count them with the people.
Teams that run regularly can read how we plan for another early start in our Dubai Run group transport guide.
After the finish
The organiser says to allow up to 40 minutes from the finish line to leaving the finish area with your medal, water and kit bag. Baggage cabins near the start and finish are for marathon and 10 km runners only, using the bag and sticker from the race pack. A pick-up planned for ten minutes after the line will not work.
For a group, set the return by start wave: the 10 km finishers are done much earlier than the marathon masses. Agree one place and a time with a margin, and share it in writing. Phone batteries run low after a race, so write the plan on paper as well.
If the vehicle is also to carry the group to a late breakfast or back to the airport, the hourly chauffeur option keeps the same driver for a block of time.
Before you book
January is high season, so rooms and larger vehicles go early. Our peak season guide explains why. If you land in Dubai for the race, the airport transfer page shows how arrival pick-ups work, and the event transport page lists our other event work. Entry rules depend on your passport, so check the official UAE government visa page. We give no visa advice.
To ask for a quote, use the booking page. Tell us the date, the number of people, the hotel, the race you run and the time of your start. We reply with a fixed written quote before you accept.
Keep reading
- DXB airport to the Dubai Marathon: Landing at DXB before the Dubai Marathon on 17 January 2027: race-pack timing, the very early race morning, bags, medals and the way back to the airport.
- Marina, JBR and Downtown hotels to the Dubai Marathon: Marina, JBR, Palm, Downtown and Business Bay to the Dubai Marathon start area: approximate drive times, a pick-up plan for a 6:30 am start, group sizes and the return.
- Burj2Burj Half Marathon 2027 transport: Burj2Burj Half Marathon, Sunday 24 January 2027: the 06:30 start, the bib-only-at-the-expo rule, and why the Metro opens after the gun.
- WHX Dubai 2027 transport guide: WHX Dubai 2027 runs at two venues, Expo City and the World Trade Centre. How the Red Line and the free venue shuttle work, and where a private vehicle fits.
- AEEDC Dubai 2027 delegation transport: AEEDC Dubai, 19 to 21 January 2027, at the Dubai World Trade Centre: exhibition hours, the hall layout, courses at the Novotel next door and the marathon Sunday before it.
- Gulfood 2027 venue and airport run: Gulfood 2027 is split across Dubai World Trade Centre and Expo City. Which sectors are where, how the Metro fits, and the road time from each airport.
Frequently asked.
Quick answers for this trip.
When is the Dubai Marathon 2027?
Sunday 17 January 2027. The marathon starts at 5:45 am for elite athletes and 6:30 am for the masses, the 10 km at 8:00 am and the 4 km fun run at 10:00 am, according to the organiser.
Where do I collect my race pack?
At The Agenda in Dubai Media City, from Wednesday 13 to Saturday 16 January. Desks close at 5 pm on Saturday and there is no collection on race day. Bring your confirmation email and photo ID.
Can I park near the finish?
The organiser says there is no public parking near the finish and strongly recommends public transport. It also warns of extensive road closures around Jumeirah Beach Road, Al Sufouh and the Police Academy.
How do I get there for a 6:30 am start?
By taxi to the drop-off point on Al Wasl Road, which the organiser says to book in advance, or by Metro to Mall of the Emirates and across the Metro bridge. Race-morning Metro hours come from the RTA close to the date.
Are you the official transport for the race?
No. We are a private company, not appointed by the organiser. Our vehicles are pre-booked on our own timing and are separate from anything the organiser runs.
Do you sell race entries?
No. Entry is on the organiser’s own site, and bibs are non-transferable. We provide the vehicle and the driver.
Can a coach drop us at the start line?
We do not assume so. The roads around the finish close, and the organiser publishes no coach bay. We agree the drop-off point with you and follow the organiser’s and the RTA’s notice.
How much does a vehicle cost?
Ask for a fixed written quote. It depends on the date, the group size, the number of stops and the hours, and we put it in writing before you accept.
Running with a group? Send us the start times.
Two questions now, a fixed price in your inbox shortly after.