Abidjan Marathon

The Race

History

The Kaydan Marathon International du District Autonome d’Abidjan is run by the Fédération Ivoirienne d’Athlétisme and sponsored by Kaydan. The organiser numbers the 2026 event as the 22nd edition, but that count follows the festival. The full marathon was introduced only in 2025, and other accounts describe it as a return after several years.

The 21st event took place on 6 December 2025, and Japhet Langat won the 42.195 km race in 2:28:50. The 2026 programme adds a wheelchair race over 2.5 km and corporate entries. Reported participation runs from about 6,500 in 2025 to an expected 20,000 or more in 2026, across all distances.

The course

The marathon starts in Plateau, and the route strip names Plateau, Cocody, Adjamé, Treichville, Koumassi and Marcory. The strip is a schematic with no scale. Two finish venues have been named, Parc des Sports in October and Palais des Sports de Treichville in August, so the finish is not settled. No official profile or kilometre guide has been published, and the 2026 map is not out, so check the organiser’s map before you plan landmarks or a pace.

The line on the map is the 2025 course. It leaves Plateau on Boulevard de la République, runs north to its northern point at km 5.2, loops back through Plateau on Avenue Guy Nairay at km 6 and Avenue Amadou Gon Coulibaly at km 9, and crosses the Félix Houphouët-Boigny bridge at km 12. It follows Boulevard Philippe Grégoire Yacé through Biétri at km 15 to 18, turns near km 19 and runs east to Koumassi, where its eastern end is at km 26.2. The return runs west along Avenue Paul Akoto Yao at km 27 to 30 and Avenue Bernard Dadié at km 33, and recrosses the bridge at about km 39. That line ends 3.1 km south-east of the start. The course runs between 5 m at km 18.8 and 40 m at km 7.1, and starts at 30 m.

Km 0 to 12: Plateau. The line leaves the start at 30 m and falls 22 m by km 1.9, then climbs 18 m between km 2.5 and 3.2. It falls 21 m to km 5.3, then climbs 32 m between km 5.3 and 7.1, 1.8% on average, to the course high of 40 m. From there it falls 33 m to 7 m by km 11.5, ahead of the bridge at km 12.

Km 12 to 27: the southern districts.After the bridge the line stays low, with no climb or descent of 10 m or more, and reaches the course low of 5 m at km 18.8. It follows Boulevard Philippe Grégoire Yacé at km 15 to 18, reaches its southern point at km 19 and runs east through Avenue N’guetta Timothée Ahoua at km 21 and Avenue Kassoum Coulibaly in Koumassi at km 24.

Km 27 to 42.2: the return. The line comes back west on Avenue Paul Akoto Yao through Marcory at km 30, then north on Avenue Bernard Dadié at km 33 and Boulevard Auguste Denise at km 36. It recrosses the bridge at about km 39 and turns back at km 39.2 before ending at km 42.2 on Boulevard Félix Houphouët-Boigny. The steepest 200 m on the chart is 5.8%.

Course Map

The map shows the 2025 line from Plateau across the lagoon bridge, through the southern districts and out to Koumassi and back, with the start, the bridge, the high and low points and the eastern end of the line. The 2026 route may differ. Tap a marker for details, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.

What to wear

November is warm and humid in Abidjan. Monthly climate averages for 1992 to 2021 give a mean low of 25 and a mean high of 31 degrees, humidity around 85 per cent and about 167 mm of rain. Those are monthly averages and not a 07:00 reading. Plan for heat, humidity and a chance of rain, and check the forecast near the date.

Entry

Entry is online through Shammah Track, linked from the organiser’s site, and runs until 26 November 2026. The 42.195 km fee is XOF 20,000, about £26.11 at XOF 765.876 to the pound. That rate is from 1 September 2026, so treat it as a guide before card charges. The fee includes a bib, a bag, a shirt, a diploma and a finisher medal. The bag is merchandise and does not mean bag storage.

The organiser says amateurs are welcome, and no ballot or qualifying time was found. The form offers individual, team and company entry, and a team option does not make the marathon a relay. The entry form may show a nationality warning, so choose the international category if it applies. No minimum age, medical certificate, refund, transfer or deferral terms were published.

For UK passport holders, FCDO requires a passport valid for six months after arrival, an e-visa approved before travel (apply at least ten working days ahead) and proof of yellow-fever vaccination. FCDO also describes health screening for travellers from Ebola-affected countries. TravelHealthPro lists a high malaria risk and advises individual advice four to six weeks before travel. FCDO restricts travel to the northern border areas, Comoé National Park and the Liberian border corridor.

Fast Runner / GFA Standards

No ballot, qualifying time or guaranteed-entry route has been found.

Race Weekend

Expo

The registration form asks you to choose a collection location, but no list of venues or opening hours has been published. The registration deadline of 26 November is not the last day for collecting a number. Bring your confirmation, payment proof and photo identification, and use the collection visit to ask for the start gate, the finish venue, the bag arrangements and the cutoff.

Getting to the Start

The marathon is announced for 07:00 in Plateau. No gate times, pens or waves have been published, and no runner transport has been confirmed. Allow roughly an hour before the start as a personal buffer. If you stay in Marcory, Cocody or near the airport, arrange a driver and a drop-off point in advance. Ask the hotel when breakfast starts, because a pre-dawn runner may need it earlier. Leave larger bags at the hotel until storage is confirmed.

Nutrition on Course

No aid-station table has been published for the marathon, so the positions of water and food are not known. Carry the fuel you have trained with.

Spectating

No spectator zones have been published, and the finish venue is not settled, so there is no dependable spectating plan yet. Agree a meeting point near your hotel and a backup time once the organiser confirms the finish.

Post-Race Food

No finish-area meal has been confirmed. N’Restaurant at Novotel Abidjan Plateau, 10 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, serves international food. LIVA, on the 11th floor of Novotel Abidjan Marcory on Boulevard Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, and the restaurant at ibis Styles Abidjan Marcory serve food on site. Book a flexible table and check Sunday hours.

Where to Stay

Plateau is the start district and the sensible first search. The finish is not settled, so a finish-side hotel cannot be recommended yet.

Plateau

Novotel and Pullman are in the start district. Both need a return transfer from wherever the finish turns out to be.

Marcory

Marcory suits an airport-side stay, with a Novotel and an ibis Styles, but needs a transfer on race morning. Novotel Plateau and Novotel Marcory are different hotels.

Cocody

Cocody has Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire and more facilities, with a longer road to the start.

Recommended hotels

Booking timeline

The race is a month away, so confirm your entry and your e-visa first. Apply for the visa at least ten working days before travel. Book a cancellable hotel once you know the finish, and arrange airport transfers, early food and late checkout. Get health advice four to six weeks before travel.

See & Do

Three places to see around the city, each outside the race route.

Saint-Paul Cathedral, Plateau

A cathedral in the start district. Check worship times and access before you go.

Grande Mosquée du Plateau

A mosque in Plateau. Visitor access follows the mosque’s rules, so ask before photographing.

Historic Town of Grand-Bassam

A UNESCO World Heritage Site on the coast and a separate trip from the city. See the itineraries under After the Race.

After the Race

The race is on a Sunday in November, so the excursions start on Monday. Grand-Bassam is the nearest of them, and the coast and the capital need a longer stay.