From DXB to the Dubai Marathon start line.
Runners from abroad usually land a few days before the race, and the order of things matters more than the flight. Airport, hotel, race pack, a very early night, a very early start. Here is how the pieces fit.
Work back from the race pack
The Dubai Marathon is on Sunday 17 January 2027. The organiser, whose site is dubaimarathon.org, hands out race packs at The Agenda in Dubai Media City from Wednesday 13 to Saturday 16 January. Saturday is the short day: 10:00 to 17:00, and the desks shut promptly at 5 pm. There is no collection on race day.
That gives your flight a simple rule. If you can land by Friday, Saturday becomes a spare day. If you land late on Saturday, you have no spare day at all, and a delayed flight could mean no number. We do not know your airline’s schedule, so the best help we can give is the rule itself: do not let the pack depend on the last day.
If you are cutting it fine, the organiser allows a friend to collect for you. They need a copy of your confirmation email and their own photo ID. They cannot run on your number, because places are non-transferable.
Planning this trip? Tell us the date and group size for a fixed price.
Get a quoteAirport to the start area: the distances
The organiser publishes no drive times from the airports. These are our own estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, with free-flow roads and no traffic. They are approximate, Google Maps on the day will differ, and early on race morning the closures change the last stretch.
| From | To | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| DXB Terminal 3 | Dubai Police Academy, Umm Suqeim | About 25 km | About 20 to 25 minutes |
| Al Maktoum Airport (DWC) | Dubai Police Academy, Umm Suqeim | About 40 km | About 35 to 45 minutes |
| Dubai Media City (race pack) | Dubai Police Academy, Umm Suqeim | About 8 km | About 8 minutes |
We have not measured the airport to Dubai Media City leg, so we print no figure for it. Your written quote will name it once we know your hotel. Most runners do the airport and the hotel first and the race pack on the next day, so the leg that matters is hotel to The Agenda.
Landing day: airport, hotel, rest
The driver waits in the public arrivals hall holding a name board, and the plan is the usual one on our airport transfer page. Give us the flight number and the terminal, and tell us if the group splits across several flights. Our big group arrival guide covers clubs and tour parties, and how to get from Dubai Airport to your hotel compares the options for a single traveller.
After a long-haul flight, the hotel is the destination, and sightseeing can wait until after the race. Leave the pack for the following morning and keep the evening for food and sleep.
Race morning, worked backwards
The starts are 5:45 am for elite marathon runners, 6:30 am for the masses, 8:00 am for the 10 km and 10:00 am for the 4 km, per the organiser. The organiser asks you to be at your start at least one hour before it begins, and taxi users to plan to arrive at least 90 minutes before.
Counted back from a 6:30 start, that is at the start area by 5:30 at the latest, or about 5:00 by taxi. The vehicle leaves the hotel before that, since the drop-off is not the start line. The 10 km runner works the same sum from 8:00, and the 4 km family from 10:00. This is arithmetic from the organiser’s own advice, not a promise about traffic.
Last year the RTA closed Abdullah Omran Taryam Street from 1 am, as reported by the press, and it ran the Metro from 5 am instead of the usual 8 am on a Sunday. The 2027 closure notice and Metro hours are not published yet. They come from the RTA close to the date, so check them before you decide between a taxi, the Metro and a private vehicle.
The organiser’s own routes are a taxi drop-off on Al Wasl Road, booked in advance, and the Metro from Mall of the Emirates across a bridge to the starts. It says there is no public parking near the finish. Those come first. A private vehicle is the choice for a group of five or more that wants to leave together.
Bags, kit and your medal
Leave the suitcase at the hotel. The baggage cabins near the start and finish are for marathon and 10 km runners only, and you use the bag and sticker from your race pack. The 4 km fun run has no cabin, so a family should carry as little as possible.
After the line, the organiser says to allow up to 40 minutes before you leave the finish area with medal, water and kit bag. If your hotel check-out falls on Sunday morning, ask the hotel in advance whether it will hold your cases, or whether a late check-out is possible. Packing in a hurry after a race is no fun.
The return, and the flight home
The organiser’s taxi collection point is on Al Wasl Road, with extra taxis through the morning and afternoon. A pre-booked vehicle avoids the queue, if the pick-up point is agreed first. We do not assume a coach or minibus can use the taxi point, since the organiser publishes no coach bay. We agree the point with you and follow the organiser’s notice for the day.
If you fly out the same day, send us both times, the finish and the departure, and we write them into one quote. A runner who finishes at midday and flies in the evening needs a margin for a shower, a bag and the airport. For a longer stay, a chauffeur by the hour can take you to a meal or the beach after the race.
January is high season, so book rooms and vehicles early, and see our peak season guide.
Where we fit, and where we do not
We are Dubai Bus Services, a private company. We are not the organiser’s transport provider, not an official partner of the race, and we sell no entries. Entry rules depend on your passport, so check the official UAE government visa page. We give no visa advice.
For a runner on their own, a taxi from the airport is fine. For a club or a family, the Mercedes V-Class or the 13-seater van keeps people and bags together, and a larger club can use the Mercedes Sprinter. Ask for a fixed written quote through the booking page.
Keep reading
- Dubai Marathon 2027 transport guide: Dubai Marathon 2027: start times, race-pack days, the organiser’s taxi and Metro routes, no parking near the finish, and where a private vehicle fits a group.
- 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.
- Dubai airport transfer for groups: Vans, Sprinters, mini coaches and 50-seat coaches for groups landing at DXB or DWC, with the luggage and the split flights planned.
- DXB airport to Expo City for GITEX: Landing at Dubai International for GITEX Global 2026 and heading to Expo City: Metro, taxi or a pre-booked vehicle, hotel first or venue first, bags and the return.
- Dubai Airport to your hotel: Metro, bus, taxi rank, app ride, hotel transfer or a driver in arrivals: how to reach your hotel from DXB, area by area.
Frequently asked.
Quick answers for this trip.
When should I land for the Dubai Marathon?
The race is on Sunday 17 January 2027. Race packs are handed out from Wednesday 13 to Saturday 16 January, and the desks close at 5 pm on Saturday. Landing by Friday leaves Saturday as a spare day.
How far is DXB from the marathon start area?
From Terminal 3 to the Police Academy in Umm Suqeim it is about 25 km, roughly 20 to 25 minutes in our free-flow estimate, with no traffic or closures. The organiser publishes no airport times.
Can I collect my race pack on the morning of the race?
No. The organiser says there is no collection on race day. Saturday 16 January closes at 5 pm. A friend can collect for you with your confirmation email and their own photo ID.
Where do my bags go on race morning?
The organiser provides baggage cabins for marathon and 10 km runners only, using the bag and sticker from your race pack. Keep suitcases at the hotel.
How long does it take to leave 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.
Can you meet me at the airport?
Yes. The driver waits in the arrivals hall with a name board. Send the flight number, the terminal and the number of people.
Are you the official transport for the race?
No. We are a private company, separate from the organiser. We do not sell entries. Entry is on the organiser’s own site.
How much does a transfer cost?
Ask for a fixed written quote. It depends on the date, the terminal, the group size and the stops, and we put it in writing before you accept.
Landing for the race? Send us the flight.
Two questions now, a fixed price in your inbox shortly after.