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Pyramids Half Marathon - Marakez 2026

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Photo credits: Pyramids Half Marathon
Road Running
🗽 Exceptional monuments🏜 Desert😲 Unusual Venue⛱ Sand
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The event in a few words

Run, Pharaoh, run !

The hardest part of the Marakez Pyramids Half Marathon might not be holding your pace, but not stopping every ten seconds to photograph the pyramids 📸. This road race takes place in Giza, on the edge of Cairo, in Egypt, mid-December. Egyptian winter plays the mildness card: the thermometer rarely drops below 10°C, so you can leave the puffer jacket in the closet 🧥.

The half marathon is run in a single loop, with the start and finish at the Pyramids Visitor Center. The course winds across the Giza plateau, on the edge of the desert, passes ancient temples, goes by the Great Sphinx and heads to the foot of the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure 🔺. It’s nothing like a highway: the 21.1 km alternates climbs and descents, with a downhill toward the Sphinx followed by a punishing final stretch, so save your legs for the last push 🦵. The elevation gain reaches about 206 mD+.

On the serious side, the half marathon and the 10K carry the AIMS label (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races), a guarantee of a route measured according to the rules of the art 📏. At the helm is TriFactory, founded in 2015, which organizes triathlons and races all over Egypt. A 5K rounds out the lineup so everyone can find their distance. The Pyramids of Giza have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979 🏛️.

Once the medal is around your neck, the Giza plateau doesn’t stop at the finish line. Some pyramids can be visited from the inside, with a separate ticket, and the nearby Grand Egyptian Museum lays out the history of the pharaohs, enough to fill the day after the race 🏺. To refuel, head to Cairo and its koshari, a mix of rice, lentils, pasta and chickpeas that ticks every box for a carb-loaded meal 🍚. In the village of Nazlet el-Samman, at the foot of the plateau, cafés with views of the pyramids welcome tired legs ☕. Want a different side of Egypt? The El Gouna Half Marathon runs along the Red Sea marinas ⚓. The pyramids have been standing for 4,500 years: we hope you’ll do the same all the way to the 21st km 🏁.

5 reasons to join this race

A 4,500-year-old backdrop 🇪🇬
At the crack of dawn, you start out at the foot of the pyramids, when the barely risen sun gilds the stone of Khufu 🌅. Few road races offer such an unusual setting: the kilometers unfold in front of the Sphinx and the three pyramids of Giza, with the only ancient wonder of the world still standing as your horizon 🐫.
An AIMS-certified course 📐
The half marathon and the 10K are AIMS-certified, the international association that validates the measurement of road races. The distances are therefore accurate to the meter, which is reassuring when the clock ends up weighing heavily in the balance 🧮. Timing is handled by MyLaps, the system used at the Olympic Games and the Boston Marathon ⌚, even if the hilly profile of the half marathon will temper the ambitions of record chasers.
Three distances for all levels 🏃
The half marathon isn’t mandatory: a 5K and a 10K share the bill, at the foot of the same pyramids. Everyone finds their distance, whether you dream of 21.1 km or are discovering competition over 5K 🧭. A great way to come with others of different levels and meet up at the finish 🤝.
A medal that tells history 🥇
Every finisher, from the 5K to the half marathon, receives the I Raced Through History medal, literally “I ran through history” 📜. Hard to find anything more true to the setting: it will take pride of place on the living room wall, right next to the photo taken in front of the Sphinx 🖼️.
A trip that’s already well planned ✈️
The partner hotel and partner airline offer special rates to participants, enough to turn registration into a real weekend in Cairo without blowing the budget 💸. The detailed conditions are listed in the FAQ.

A distance for every taste

Half Marathon

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  • Saturday, December 12, 2026 at 7:00 AM
  • 1 loopx21.0975 km

A few more words

The half marathon covers its 21.1 km in a single loop, from the Pyramids Visitors Center back to the same finish point. The course crosses the Giza Plateau, runs alongside ancient temples, passes in front of the Great Sphinx, and heads along the foot of the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. The profile is not made for records: climbs and descents come one after another, with a downhill toward the Sphinx followed by a finishing stretch that stings a bit 🔋. Pacers accompany runners to help keep the right pace. The elevation gain reaches about 206 mD+.

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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Participants pick up their bib at the Mall of Arabia shopping center, in the El Sheikh Zayed district (west of Cairo):

  • Wednesday 9 December 2026 from 12 pm to 8 pm;

  • Thursday 10 December 2026 from 12 pm to 8 pm;

  • Friday 11 December 2026 from 2 pm to 6 pm.

5K runners, who start on Friday at 8 am, must therefore collect their bib on Wednesday or Thursday.

The races start at the foot of the pyramids:

  • 5K: Friday 11 December 2026 at 8 am;

  • 10K and half marathon: Saturday 12 December 2026 at 7 am.

The fee is the same for the 5K, 10K and half marathon. It is 3,000 EGP for general registration until Monday 2 November 2026, then 4,000 EGP from Tuesday 3 November 2026 (late registration), subject to availability. 14% VAT is added at the time of payment.

Access to the pyramids requires an entry wristband. Runners receive it in their race pack. Spectators must buy their own wristband (200 EGP) at the Mall of Arabia when picking up bibs or online. Access to the complex by private car is not permitted on race day.

Yes, official buses serve the pyramids on race day. Runners can also be dropped off at the entrance by taxi, ride-hailing service or a friend/family member. The bus ticket costs 200 EGP. It can be purchased on the race website or at the Mall of Arabia when picking up the runner pack. Tickets sold out last year: it’s best to buy them early.

Arrival times at the Pyramids complex:

  • 5K (Friday): from 6 am, with a final call at the start line at 7:45 am;

  • 10K and half marathon (Saturday): from 5 am, with a final call at the start line at 6:45 am.

Bus times:

  • Friday 11 December 2026, departure at 6 am from each pickup point, return from 10:30 am;

  • Saturday 12 December 2026, departure at 5 am from each pickup point, return at 11 am.

The buses take runners back to the same points. The Race Bus pickup points are:

  • HyperOne (El Sheikh Zayed);

  • Total Maadi Gate #2 service station (Maadi);

  • Emirates service station next to Downtown Mall (New Cairo);

  • Abdelmoneim Riad Square (downtown Cairo);

  • Main gate of the Heliopolis Sporting Club (Heliopolis);

  • District 5, in front of Breadfast headquarters (New Cairo);

  • Mall of Arabia, in front of Seoudi supermarket at Gate 11 (6 October);

  • Zamalek, in front of the Imperial Boat;

  • CityStars, in front of the InterContinental CityStars hotel (Nasr City);

  • AUC, at ChillOut AUC on South Teseen Street (New Cairo).

Yes, toilets will be available to runners in the start and finish area. Toilets will also be available to runners in several zones for all three races.

2026 information coming soon

Yes, a 3-hour time limit is imposed for the 10K and the half marathon. It is calculated from the moment you cross the start line.

Each participant (5K, 10K and half marathon) who finishes their race receives an I Raced Through History finisher medal. Runners who do not finish the race are not entitled to it.

Rankings are established overall and by age group, with certificates available online. The first three men and the first three women in each distance receive prizes at the awards ceremony: at 9:30 am on Friday 11 December 2026 for the 5K, at 10 am on Saturday 12 December 2026 for the 10K and the half marathon.

Yes. The Hyatt Centric Cairo West, the official partner hotel, located about 15 minutes from the Pyramids and 20 minutes from the Mall of Arabia, offers special rates to participants via the hotel booking page.

Turkish Airlines, the airline partner, offers with code TKRUNCAI26 a 10% discount in economy class and 15% in business class (10% for flights from the Americas). It applies to flights booked until Saturday 12 December 2026 and traveling between Tuesday 1 and Sunday 20 December 2026, to Cairo, Alexandria Borg El Arab or Sharm El Sheikh.

You can check the race rules here

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Semi-Marathon des Pyramides - Marakez
Semi-Marathon des Pyramides - Marakez
Semi-Marathon des Pyramides - Marakez
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