ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon 2026 race week

Abu Dhabi, UAE · Dec 12, 2026

Race week has four jobs: get your bib, keep your legs fresh, run one short shakeout, and start rested. Below is the day-by-day plan for the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon, plus the heart-shaped 3-5K to run through Abu Dhabi the morning before the start.

Your race-week plan

  1. Wednesday Dec 9 — Travel & expo. Land, collect your bib, and stay off your feet once the expo is done. Walking Abu Dhabi for six hours is the classic race-week mistake.
  2. Thursday Dec 10 — Easy legs. A short 20-30 minute jog or nothing at all. Eat normally, hydrate, and get your kit laid out early.
  3. Friday Dec 11 — Shakeout heart. The one run that matters this week: 3-5K easy through Abu Dhabi, shaped like a heart. Loose legs, calm head, and something to post the night before.
  4. Saturday Dec 12 — Race day. Everything is already done. Run the race you trained for.

Shakeout runs in Abu Dhabi

Brands, stores, and run clubs announce free race-week shakeouts a few weeks out, and verified meeting points appear on this page when they do. You can also build your own heart-shaped route through Abu Dhabi, export the GPX for Garmin, Coros, or Apple Watch, and invite whoever else is racing.

Race-week questions

When should I do my shakeout run before the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon?

The day before the race, Friday Dec 11, morning if you can. Keep it to 3-5K at conversational pace, then stay off your feet.

What should I run the day before the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon?

A short easy loop through Abu Dhabi. CityHeart builds a heart-shaped 3-5K on real streets, exports it as GPX for Garmin, Coros, or Apple Watch, and it shows up as GPS art on Strava after your run.