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Luxor · Events · Updated November 2026
The next Egyptian Marathon in Luxor is on Friday 8 January 2027. All races start at 7am at the Temple of Hatshepsut, on the west bank of the Nile. You can run 5K, 12K, a half marathon or the full marathon. The route passes Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon. The organiser, Egyptian Marathon, has held the race since 1992. Entry for international runners starts at 80 euros. Below are the races, the route, how to enter and how to plan a few days in Luxor around it.
| Full and half marathon | 12K and 5K | |
|---|---|---|
| Date and start | Friday 8 January 2027, 7am | Friday 8 January 2027, 7am |
| Start | Hatshepsut Temple | Hatshepsut Temple |
| Minimum age | 21 for the marathon, 16 for the half | 10 for the 12K, 8 for the 5K |
| Cut-off | 6 hours for the marathon, 4 hours for the half | 4 hours |
| International entry | 100 euros | 100 euros for the 12K, 80 euros for the 5K |
The short answer
Run the full or half if you trained for it. Pick the 12K or 5K if you came for the temples and want a morning run past them. Families with children aged 8 or more can enter the 5K together.
Friday 8 January 2027. The organiser lists it as the 34th Egyptian Luxor Marathon.
All four races start at 7am. Runners should arrive between 6am and 6:30am, and the warm-up is at 6:45am.
Race packs are handed out the day before, on Thursday 7 January, from 4pm to 8pm. The pickup is at the official race hotel in Luxor, which the organiser names on its race page.
There are four distances: 5K, 12K, a half marathon of 21K, and the full marathon. The organiser says the courses are AIMS certified, the international standard for measured road races.
Each race has a minimum age. It is 8 for the 5K, 10 for the 12K, 16 for the half marathon and 21 for the full marathon.
The cut-off is 6 hours for the full marathon. For the other three races it is 4 hours.
The race starts at the Temple of Hatshepsut, on the west bank of the Nile. The awards take place in front of the temple too.
From there the course runs through the west bank past the Temple of Medinet Habu, the Temple of Amenophis III and the Colossi of Memnon. These names come from the organiser's race page.
The west bank is spread out. The temples sit along the desert edge, several kilometres apart, with no shade.
Register on the organiser's website, egyptianmarathon.com. International runners pay 80 euros for the 5K and 100 euros for the 12K, the half or the full marathon. Taxes and fees are added at checkout.
Egyptians and residents of Egypt pay in Egyptian pounds, from EGP 900 for the 5K.
The race page lists late registration until early January, but its dates do not fully agree. Register early and check the deadline on the site. Prices were checked on 6 November 2026.
Cool by Egyptian standards. The average high in Luxor in January is about 23C, which is good running weather. A 7am start keeps you ahead of the warmest part of the day.
There is little shade on the west bank. Bring a hat and sunglasses for after the race.
Nearly every hotel in Luxor is on the east bank, with the station, the airport and Luxor Temple. The race is on the west bank, so plan your crossing for an early morning.
The local ferry crosses the river in a few minutes. By road, the bridge is south of the centre and adds 20 to 30 minutes each way. Ask your hotel or operator how you will reach the start by 6:30am.
January is peak season in Luxor. Rooms and Nile cruise cabins fill early, so book as soon as you enter.
Most travellers fly to Luxor from Cairo. It is a short flight, and our Cairo to Luxor page compares the flight, the train and the sleeper.
From the Red Sea, Hurghada is about four hours away by road.
Arrive by Thursday 7 January at the latest, so you can collect your race pack that evening. Two nights before the race is safer.
You will have run past the temples. Come back with a guide to see inside them. Hatshepsut's temple, Medinet Habu and the Valley of the Kings are all on the west bank.
On the east bank, Karnak and Luxor Temple are easy afternoon visits. A balloon flight over the west bank at sunrise is another option for a rest day.
Our tours with nights in Luxor are below. None is timed for the race. If your dates match, tell us when you send your request. We will ask Memphis Tours, who run our trips, to add a Luxor night around the race. We confirm it only once they do.
Cairo and Luxor, 5 days, from US$1,480 per person, includes the west bank with Hatshepsut. Cairo, Luxor and the Red Sea, 8 days, from US$2,040. Cairo, Luxor and a Nile Cruise, 12 days, from US$3,160, with two Luxor hotel nights before the boat.
Friday 8 January 2027, in Luxor. All races start at 7am at the Temple of Hatshepsut. Race packs are collected on Thursday 7 January.
It has been held in early January in recent years, with the 2026 race on 9 January and the 2027 race on 8 January. Check the organiser's site, egyptianmarathon.com, for each year's date.
5K, 12K, a half marathon (21K) and the full marathon. The organiser says the courses are AIMS certified.
For international runners, 80 euros for the 5K and 100 euros for the other races, plus taxes and fees. Egyptians and residents pay from EGP 900. Checked November 2026.
Yes, in the shorter races. The minimum age is 8 for the 5K and 10 for the 12K. The half marathon needs runners aged 16 or more, and the full marathon 21 or more.
6 hours for the full marathon and 4 hours for the half, the 12K and the 5K.
In 1992, according to the organiser.
Check the current travel advice from the US State Department and the UK FCDO before you book.
Entry rules, opening hours, security advice and exchange rates all move. Check them at the source, not here.
Written and checked by the Nile Trip Guide editorial team · Last reviewed . Entry rules, prices and opening hours change — check anything critical against the official sources linked on this page.
Plan this trip
A real itinerary with real prices, usually within 24 hours. Nothing is booked and nothing is charged until you say yes.
5 days · Short break
Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then a flight south for one night in Luxor covering both banks, and a flight back. Five days, two cities, both domestic flights in the price and every day guided privately.
from US$1,480 / per person
8 days · Nile & Red Sea
No boat on this one. Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, a night in Luxor for both banks, two nights on the Red Sea, then back to Cairo for the Citadel, Coptic Cairo and the Royal Mummies.
from US$2,040 / per person
12 days · Classic Egypt
The standard Cairo-and-cruise route with two extra nights in a Luxor hotel before boarding, which is what buys you the Valley of the Queens, Medinet Habu, the Ramesseum, and a day out to Dendera and Abydos.
from US$3,160 / per person
