Venue
Deir el-Bahari, West Bank, Luxor, Egypt
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Egyptian Marathon, Luxor guide
Running past Hatshepsut's temple in Luxor.
In short
Runners of most levels, and families, can take part in the 34th Egyptian Marathon on 8 January 2027 on Luxor's West Bank, starting and finishing beneath the temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Distances range from 5 km to the full marathon on a flat course through temple ruins, cane fields and villages. Register through egyptianmarathon.com and plan for an early start.
Once a year, runners take over the West Bank of Luxor for a race that starts and finishes beneath the terraced temple of Queen Hatshepsut. The Egyptian Marathon threads its course through temple ruins, sugar cane and village lanes, with four distances ranging from a 5 km fun run to a full marathon measured to AIMS standards.
It is a race for people who want ancient history at running pace. The organisers grade the course as easy, flat and without real climbs, and the age limits are wide enough for a family to enter together: a child can take on the Hatshepsut Run while a parent goes for the Ramses Run, the Luxor Run half marathon or the full distance.
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Key Facts & Stats:
Where: Luxor, Egypt
Venue: Temple of Hatshepsut
Held: Every year
Type of event: Sporting Events
Currency: Egyptian pound (E£, EGP)
Time zone: UTC+2; daylight saving (UTC+3) from late April to late October
Language: Arabic
Map
Close to the venue
- Valley of the Kings Attraction · 680 m
- Luxor Temple Attraction · 5.3 km
- Karnak Temple Attraction · 5.5 km
Getting around
Hotels near the venue fill up around the event dates.
Layers for a cold start and warm finish
January mornings on the West Bank start cool, and you will be standing on the forecourt for the best part of an hour before the gun. Bring an old top you are happy to discard or hand to a friend. Once the sun is up there is very little shade on the course, and the closing kilometres of a marathon feel far warmer than the date suggests.
- Wear a peaked cap and sunglasses, and put on sunscreen before you leave the hotel.
- Drink at every station, even when you do not feel thirsty.
- Village roads can be dusty and uneven at the edges; road shoes you already trust are better than new ones.
Age limits for each distance
Age limits go by birth year: 8 and over for the 5 km Hatshepsut Run, 10 and over for the 12 km Ramses Run, 16 and over for the half marathon and 21 and over for the marathon. No qualifying time is required for any race.
Cut-offs are counted from the official start, not from when you cross the line. Marathon runners have six hours; the half, the 12 km and the 5 km all close after four. Walkers on the shorter courses finish well inside the limit, but anyone planning a slow marathon should check their pace against the six-hour mark.
Behaviour in the villages and at the temples
Part of the course runs through a working farming village, and people come out to watch. Return the waves and high-fives, and do not throw bottles or gel wrappers into fields or yards; hold them until the next station.
- Before and after the race, cover shoulders and knees when walking through villages, and add a layer over running vests.
- Ask before photographing local people, especially women and children.
- The temples you pass are protected monuments. Do not climb on stonework for a finish-line photo.
What happens on the day
- Thursday 16:00 to 20:00
Race expo
At the Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa on the East Bank: collect your bib, timing chip and race shirt. Eat early and lay out your kit before bed.
- Friday 06:00 to 06:30
Arrive at the temple
Runners are asked to reach the forecourt at Deir el-Bahari in this window, which means leaving an East Bank hotel well before first light.
- 06:45
Warm-up
The warm-up and final announcements begin in front of the temple.
- 07:00
Start
All four distances set off together and share the opening stretch of road before the courses split across the West Bank farmland.
- Mid-morning
Shorter races finish
5 km and 12 km finishers drift back to the forecourt to wait for friends on the longer loops.
- 11:30
Prize-giving
The awards ceremony is held in front of the temple; by now the morning chill has gone.
Registering early and choosing where to stay in Luxor
Entry opens in phases through the year and the fee rises as January approaches, so sign up as soon as your flights are fixed. Registration goes through the organisers' own website. Many overseas runners take the simpler route of an official package at the Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa, the race hotel, where the entry and a ride to the start line are folded into one price.
Four days in Luxor suits most runners. Arrive two days early, collect your pack and keep the walking light. Karnak and Luxor Temple, both on the East Bank, fill a gentle afternoon. Leave the Valley of the Kings and its tomb stairs until the race is behind you. Our Egypt travel guide helps if you want to stretch the trip to Aswan or Cairo.
The start at Hatshepsut's temple and the course
The start line sits below Djeser-Djeseru, the Holy of Holies, the mortuary temple Queen Hatshepsut raised in the Eighteenth Dynasty. Its three terraces step up into the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari, and in the half-light before the gun the colonnades are the first thing you make out. On the middle terrace, carved reliefs record an expedition to the Land of Punt and the exotic cargo it brought home to Thebes. Come back on a rest day to see them properly.
From the temple the course heads out across the farmland of the West Bank. It passes Medinet Habu and the two seated statues of Amenhotep III called the Colossi of Memnon, about 18 m high and completed around 1350 BC. After an earthquake damaged the northern figure, Roman tourists travelled to hear it make a sound at dawn. The noise reportedly stopped once the Romans repaired it.
Nobody sings now. The soundtrack is children shouting from a village lane and the dry rattle of sugar cane. Several of the monuments you pass belong to Luxor's UNESCO World Heritage Site. Smile, wave back and keep your pace honest.
Getting there
Flying to Luxor
Luxor International Airport is on the East Bank, about 6 km from town, with Cairo flights all year plus seasonal charters and scheduled flights from Europe. There is no public bus: agree the taxi fare before you get in (travellers reported no more than LE 300 in January 2026).
By train from Cairo
About 10 hours. Watania runs the deluxe sleepers, booked through Abela; Egyptian National Railways has cheaper day and night expresses. Trains also come up from Aswan, and Luxor station is on the East Bank near the hotel strip.
Race morning
Package runners ride the organisers' transport from the Hilton. Independent entrants should book a taxi to Deir el-Bahari the night before.
Crossing the Nile
The blue public ferry costs LE20 for foreigners and leaves when full; taxis wait at the West Bank landing. Bikes rent for about US$5 near the landing, a pleasant way to revisit Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon once your legs recover.
Where to stay during the festival
The race hotel, the expo and most of Luxor's hotels are on the East Bank, along with the railway station; staying there keeps you close to the organisers' transport.
The West Bank is quieter and much nearer the course and the tombs, with a growing number of small guesthouses. Stay there and you will need to arrange your own lift to the temple before dawn.
Luxor
Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor5-star hotel
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from$200.00/ night
- Internet – Wifi
- Swimming pool
- Car park
6 Rooms available
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Weather and what to pack
January is Luxor's coolest month and the most comfortable for running. The 1991 to 2020 normals give an average daily high of 22.8°C and a low of just 7.1°C, with about 3 mm of rain in the month.
At the 07:00 start the air is close to the overnight low, so it is chilly on the start line. By the 11:30 prize-giving the sun is strong, and marathoners finishing late in the morning should expect it to feel much warmer than the thermometer suggests.
Worth packing
- A throwaway layer for the cold start line
- Sun cap, sunglasses and sun cream for the second half
- Your own gels if you rely on a particular brand
- Body Glide or similar for the long dry run
- A warm jacket for the pre-dawn taxi and waiting at the finish
- Light trainers for sightseeing on recovery days
Car hire in Luxor
Airport transfer to Egyptian Marathon, Luxor
Met at arrivals at Luxor International Airport (LXR) and driven door to door to Temple of Hatshepsut.
- Luxor International Airport (LXR) → Temple of Hatshepsut
- 19 km · 25 min
Restaurants and food in Egypt
Places to eat in Egypt before or after the celebrations.
Mohamed Ahmed
17 Shakour Street, Raml Station, Alexandria, Egypt
Cuisine:EgyptianFul
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
Sofra Restaurant & Café
90 Mohamed Farid Street, Al Manshiya, Luxor, Egypt
Cuisine:EgyptianMiddle Eastern
- Dine-in
- Outdoor seating
Koshary Abou Tarek
Champollion Street, Downtown, Cairo, Egypt
Cuisine:EgyptianKoshary
- Dine-in
- Takeaway
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Prices & payment
During the general registration phase, which runs until 30 November 2026, overseas runners pay 80 euros for the 5 km and 100 euros for the 12 km, the half or the full marathon. Taxes and fees are added at checkout, and a dearer late phase follows from 1 December.
The organisers sell packages at the Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa from 370 euros for two nights, 509 euros for three and 650 euros for four. Each one includes the race entry, a pasta party and transport to the start line. Airport transfers are not listed.
General
No. None of the four races asks for a qualifying standard, so first-timers can enter any distance their age allows and simply aim to finish inside the cut-off.
Every entrant gets a race T-shirt, a bib with a timing chip, access to the drinks and refreshment stations, medical cover on the day and some sponsor goodies. Finishers receive a medal, a digital certificate and access to race photos.
Timing uses the MyLaps chip system. Results are published overall and by age group on Sporthive, which the race website links to after the event.
Yes. The first three men and the first three women overall in each of the four distances receive awards at the ceremony in front of the temple.
Yes. The King Sneferu Pyramids Challenge runs past the Red and Black Pyramids at Dahshur on 23 October 2026, and the 15th Sharm El Sheikh Half Marathon is on 28 November 2026.
Booking
Medical support is part of the race-day service included in every entry. Tell the crew at the nearest station if you feel faint or overheated.
Families & accessibility
The temple forecourt at Deir el-Bahari is the natural meeting point, since every race starts and ends there. Supporters who travel out with their runner before dawn get to see both the start and, later, the finish.
Timing & weather
The last pricing phase, the late registration window, runs from 1 December 2026 to 1 January 2027. Each earlier phase is cheaper, so there is no reason to wait once your trip is booked.