ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon 2026: road closures, start times and getting runners there from Dubai

The ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon 2026 is on Saturday 12 December, starting from the Abu Dhabi Corniche, with the marathon off at 6am. Expect road closures across central Abu Dhabi island from the early hours until early afternoon. Runners from Dubai need to leave around 3:30am, and should plan a second trip in race week to collect their race pack.

We drive runners and their supporters on race weekend with our chauffeur service in Abu Dhabi and from Dubai. This guide covers what was closed last year and the timing that makes a 6am start work from Dubai.

Abu Dhabi Marathon 2026 at a glance

Race day	Saturday 12 December 2026
Start	Abu Dhabi Corniche, a new start point for 2026
Race village	ADNOC Headquarters Park on the Corniche, open from Monday 7 December
Start times	Elite marathon 5:55am; marathon and two-person relay 6am; 10 km 6:30am; 5 km and 2.5 km in waves
Race pack collection	At the village, 7–11 December only; none on race day
Distances	42.195 km, two-person relay, 10 km, 5 km, 2.5 km

The start times and pack collection rules come from the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon FAQ. WAM reported the Corniche start and the village location on 9 October 2026. The full 2026 route map hadn’t been published when we wrote this; check the official ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon site before race week.

Editions

Edition	Date	Start	Status
2025 (7th)	Saturday 13 December 2025	Zayed Sports City	Held
2026 (8th)	Saturday 12 December 2026	Abu Dhabi Corniche	Confirmed by the organiser
2027	Not announced yet; usually a Saturday in mid-December	Not announced	Based on 2025 and 2026
2028	Not announced yet; usually a Saturday in mid-December	Not announced	Based on 2025 and 2026

Which roads close for the Abu Dhabi Marathon?

The 2026 closure list hasn’t been published yet. Abu Dhabi Mobility and Abu Dhabi Police normally announce it in race week, and we’ll add it here when they do. Until then, the last edition is the best guide.

What was announced for the 2025 race (13 December 2025):

• Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street (E10): Abu Dhabi Mobility announced a partial closure from Saturday 13 to Monday 15 December, alongside other marathon-related closures on race day, as reported by Gulf News.
• The race route itself: the Abu Dhabi Sports Council’s 2025 route announcement took the marathon from Zayed Sports City along Arab Gulf Street, past Capital Gate and ADNOC Headquarters, along the Corniche to Qasr Al Hosn, then down Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Street (formerly Airport Road) to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and back to Zayed Sports City.
• Timing: the 2025 elite race started at 5:45am, so the route was in use from before dawn until the last runners finished.

Two things change for 2026. The start moves to the Corniche, so race-morning disruption begins on the waterfront rather than at Zayed Sports City. And the route map is new. Don’t assume last year’s roads are this year’s.

For anyone driving on the island that Saturday morning, our advice is simple: if you can wait until early afternoon, wait. If you can’t (a flight from Zayed International Airport, a hotel checkout, a hospital appointment), tell us the time and we’ll route around the published closures and leave earlier than usual.

Race week: plan two trips, not one

This catches out runners who live in Dubai. There’s no race pack collection on race day. Packs are collected at the village on the Corniche between 7 and 11 December, so you either make a separate trip to Abu Dhabi in the week or send someone with your details.

A weekday evening run to the village and back is about three to three and a half hours from Dubai Marina, longer from Downtown. If you go between 3pm and 7pm on a weekday, the bridge gates onto the island charge Darb and Abu Dhabi traffic is at its heaviest. After 7pm both get easier.

Getting to the start from Dubai on race morning

You have two realistic options.

The organiser’s shuttle. The FAQ says the shuttle to the marathon leaves Ibn Battuta Metro Station (Park & Ride) at 2:45am, and only runners who booked it online can board. The return pickup was listed as the parking near the InterContinental hotel, with details still to be confirmed.

A private car from your door. At 3am the E11 is close to empty, and the island bridges are toll-free before 7am. These times get you to the drop-off with about an hour before a 6am start:

Starting from	Drive to the Corniche	Leave by
Dubai Marina / JLT	about 1 hour 20 minutes	3:30am
Downtown / Business Bay	about 1 hour 35 minutes	3:15am
Deira / Mirdif	about 1 hour 45 minutes	3am
Inside Abu Dhabi (Yas Island or Saadiyat)	20–35 minutes	4:45am

The drop-off point depends on the 2026 closure map. We’ll set you down at the nearest open road to the start area, and you’ll walk the last stretch. Relay pairs and families going together fit in one luxury van with driver, which saves splitting up at 3am.

After the finish

Your legs will decide this one. A chauffeur on hourly hire waits outside the closure zone, and you message when you’ve collected your medal and bag. We’ll pick the nearest open road to the finish and send you the pin, so the walk is as short as the closures allow.

For runners heading back to Dubai, the drive home on a Saturday late morning is easy, about 1 hour 20 minutes to Dubai Marina. Hourly hire with us has a 3-hour minimum and the price includes fuel, Salik and Darb tolls and water in the car. Bring a towel for the seat; nobody minds.

The rest of the ADNOC race series and December events

The marathon caps a series of ADNOC races. The organiser lists the Al Dhannah Flat Out 10 km on 24 October 2026 at Ruwais and the Al Ain Half Marathon on 7 November 2026; our Dubai to Al Ain guide covers that drive. The week before the marathon is the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, 3–6 December on Yas Island.

Running in Dubai too? The Dubai Marathon road closures guide covers that race, and every big date of the season is in our Dubai events calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Abu Dhabi Marathon 2026?

The ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon 2026 is on Saturday 12 December 2026. It’s the eighth edition, and it starts from the Abu Dhabi Corniche. The elite race starts at 5:55am and the marathon and relay at 6am. The race village at ADNOC Headquarters Park opens on 7 December, and race packs must be collected there by 11 December.

Which roads are closed for the Abu Dhabi Marathon?

The 2026 closure list will be announced by Abu Dhabi Mobility and Abu Dhabi Police in race week. In 2025, Abu Dhabi Mobility announced a partial closure of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street (E10) from 13 to 15 December, plus closures along the race route through central Abu Dhabi on race morning. The 2026 race starts on the Corniche.

What time does the Abu Dhabi Marathon start?

According to the official FAQ, the elite marathon starts at 5:55am, the marathon and two-person relay at 6am and the 10 km at 6:30am on 12 December 2026. The 5 km and 2.5 km races start in waves. Plan to be at the start area about an hour early, which means leaving Dubai Marina around 3:30am.

Is there a shuttle from Dubai to the Abu Dhabi Marathon?

Yes, for runners who book it. The official FAQ says the shuttle leaves Ibn Battuta Metro Station (Park & Ride) at 2:45am on race day and only runners who booked online can board. The return pickup is expected near the InterContinental hotel, with details to be confirmed. Supporters need their own transport.

Where is the Abu Dhabi Marathon race village?

For 2026 the race village is at ADNOC Headquarters Park on the Abu Dhabi Corniche, opening on 7 December. It’s where you collect your race pack (7–11 December, with no collection on race day). In 2025 the village was at Zayed Sports City, so check the official site for 2026 opening hours.