The Race
| Next Race Date | To be Confirmed |
|---|---|
| Course Type | Point-to-point |
| Registration | Open |
| Ballot Opens | Not applicable |
| Total Finishers | 23 (2025) |
| Average Race Day Temperature | To be Confirmed |
| Cutoff Time | To be Confirmed |
| Free Race Day Transport | Yes, a start shuttle from the Labadi Beach Hotel |
| Course Certification | To be Confirmed |
A hotel finish and an early start
Every Accra International Marathon race finishes at the Labadi Beach Hotel, and the hotel also hosts the packet desk and the start shuttle. The marathon starts at 05:30, an hour before the half marathon at Tema Harbour, and the line passes the half-marathon start at km 17.9.
History
The Accra International Marathon launched in early 2007. The original promise was the last Sunday of September, and other Accra endurance events crowding into the same month caused trouble. By 2015 the race had added a half marathon and drawn registrations from more than 20 countries.
The route has moved repeatedly. A continuous coastal road from the Prampram and Ningo area towards La proved impossible, with physical obstacles and traffic forcing diversions through Dawhenya. The pandemic interrupted the race, and a planned return in 2023 came with new start locations and a new hotel relationship.
Today the marathon is the smallest part of a multi-distance event that also offers a half marathon, a 10 km, a 5 km and a relay, with a charity emphasis. The full-distance field is tiny: 23 runners finished the marathon in October 2025. Bernard Bentum of Ghana won in 3:43:13, and Emma Morton, listed under France, was the first woman in 5:10:55. Those are the winners of that edition and not course records, and no course record has been published.
The race has run in late October for the past two editions, on 26 October 2025 and 25 October 2026, after earlier years in September. No date has been announced for the next edition.
The course
The marathon starts at 05:30 on Teshie Road, close to the Family Health Hospital and opposite the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, and finishes at the Labadi Beach Hotel in La, 3.0 km west of the start. The 2026 line runs east along the coast to Tema Harbour at km 18, loops through Tema’s communities, comes back west along the same corridor and passes the start gate again at km 38.9 on its way to the finish. The organiser describes the course as relatively flat. Surface and road crossings are not described.
The 2026 line is gently rolling. It runs between 7 m at km 3 and 38 m at km 7.5, starts at 18 m and finishes at 9 m, and reaches 38 m again at km 31.8. The two biggest rises are 22 m over 1.9 km (1.2%) from km 5.6 to 7.5 and 27 m over 1.5 km (1.8%) from km 30.3 to 31.8. Between them the line stays between 11 and 32 m.
Km 0 to 18: Teshie to Tema. The race starts at 05:30 on Teshie Road. The line passes the 5 km start at Teshie First Junction at km 2.2, climbs to the 38 m high point at km 7.5 on the Accra-Ashaiman Road through Nungua and Sakumono, then falls 20 m to reach the Accra-Tema Beach Road by km 12.7. It arrives at Tema Harbour Road at km 18. Water stations stand about every 2 to 3 km, so use every one in this heat.
Km 18 to 25: Tema Harbour and the communities.The half marathon starts at the harbour entrance at km 17.9, at 06:30 in 2026. The line loops through Tema’s Communities 1, 5 and 2 along Kraku Street, Baba Yara Avenue and P.V. Obeng Avenue from km 19 to 23, then rejoins the Accra-Tema Beach Road at km 24. The ground stays between 15 and 31 m.
Km 25 to 31: back along the Beach Road. The return follows the Accra-Tema Beach Road through Community 3 and Sakumono, then reaches Nungua at km 30. This is the flattest part of the day, between 12 and 20 m.
Km 31 to 38: Beach Drive and Teshie. The last rise of the day is the 27 m over 1.5 km that ends at a second 38 m peak at km 31.8. The 10 km start on Beach Drive is at km 31.5. The line then drops 19 m by km 33.4 and runs along Beach Drive and Coco Beach Street at km 35 into Teshie.
Km 38 to 42.2: Teshie Road and La. The line passes the start gate on Teshie Road again at km 38.9, then follows Teshie Road and La Road to the Labadi Beach Hotel at km 42. It falls 12 m from 21 m at km 39.6 to the 9 m finish.
Course Map
The map shows the 2026 line from Teshie Road east to Tema Harbour and back to the Labadi Beach Hotel in La, with the start, the finish and the start lines of the shorter races. The next edition’s 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
October in Accra is warm and humid. At the city’s airport the monthly average runs from about 24 degrees at night to about 30 by day, with humidity near 83 per cent and about 95 mm of rain across the month. The 05:30 start catches the coolest hour, but it is not cool, and the sun is up well before most runners finish. Those are monthly averages and not a start-time reading.
Wear a light singlet and shorts, a cap or visor and sunglasses, and put on sunscreen before the start because the later kilometres are fully exposed. A throwaway layer is not needed, and no clothing donation scheme has been announced, so treat anything left behind as lost. Water stands about every 2 to 3 km. No sports drink or gel is announced, so carry your own fuel and salt and practise with it in warm training runs. The shuttle leaves in the dark, so a small head torch or a phone light helps at the start.
Entry
Entry is open to anyone through the organiser’s registration page on the ACTIVE platform. There is no ballot, no qualifying standard and no stated field cap. The organiser describes the race as private but says an invitation is not needed to take part, and visa invitation letters follow a confirmed registration.
In the 2026 cycle the full marathon cost USD 90 until 31 May, USD 100 until 7 September and USD 110 until noon GMT on 24 October, the day before the race. Ghana residents pay in cedis at the exchange rate on the payment date. A separate subsidy was offered to qualifying moderate-income citizens of ECOWAS countries living in an ECOWAS country, at GHS 550 with an income ceiling equivalent to GHS 3,500 a month, but it was a request process with a deadline and limited places. It is not the standard international price.
Fees are strictly non-refundable. No transfer, deferral or insurance product is described. There was no race-day registration, and shirt availability was not guaranteed after 30 September. No guaranteed charity bibs, club allocations or tour-operator packages are published. Minimum age, wheelchair and pushchair rules and a cutoff time are not published, and no 2027 fee or date has been announced.
For UK passport holders, a visa is required for Ghana, the passport must be valid for six months from arrival and proof of yellow-fever vaccination is required. FCDO gives ordinary visa processing as 10 to 15 days. See Where to Stay for health and safety advice.
Fast Runner / GFA Standards
No ballot, qualifying time or guaranteed-entry route exists.
Race Weekend
Expo
There is no expo, only a packet desk, and there is no race-day collection. Collect your bib and shirt at the Labadi Beach Hotel before the race.
In 2026 the desk ran from Sunday 18 October to Saturday 24 October. It was open 10:00 to 15:00 on the first two days in the east-gate parking lot, 10:00 to 15:00 near the swimming pools on the Tuesday, 12:00 to 18:00 on the Wednesday, closed on the Thursday, then 10:00 to 15:00 on the Friday and 09:00 to 14:00 on the Saturday near the pools. Registration closed at noon on the Saturday and the packet deadline was 14:00 that day, so a flight landing late on the Saturday can miss collection.
Bring your payment receipt or ACTIVE confirmation and complete the waiver at the desk. A friend can collect for you if you tell the organiser in advance and they carry your identification. Sign up for the free start shuttle at the desk. Check the next edition’s dates before you book flights.
Getting to the Start
The morning has three fixed anchors: the Labadi Beach Hotel, a free shuttle and a 05:30 gun. The marathon starts on Teshie Road near the Family Health Hospital, opposite the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre. In 2026 the marathon shuttle left the hotel’s east-gate parking lot at 04:30. The half marathon started at 06:30 at the Tema Harbour entrance, with its shuttle at 05:30. The 10 km started at 07:00 on Beach Drive near the Nungua Methodist School, shuttle at 06:00, and the 5 km at 07:30 at Teshie First Junction, shuttle at 06:30.
The shuttle is free and was provided by Leasafric Ghana Plc. It needs a sign-up at the packet desk, and seat numbers, journey time and late-arrival policy are not published, so sign up early and be at the hotel before 04:15. Staying at the finish hotel puts you at the shuttle point and at the finish without another journey. Visitors elsewhere should book a pre-dawn car through their accommodation. Bag transport from the start to the finish is not described, so keep valuables with a companion or in a hotel room.
At the finish the organiser advertises coconuts and massage. The medal handover, recovery layout, reunion point and exit route are not published, so agree a meeting place outside the finish area. Headphone rules, bib placement and pushchair rules are not published.
Nutrition on Course
Water stations stand about every 2 to 3 km along the course. Beyond that the organiser publishes no aid-station chart. Carry your own fuel, salt and a soft flask. Product brands, cup type and personal-bottle procedures were not announced, and supply at the back of the field is not described.
| Where | What is listed |
|---|---|
| About every 2 to 3 km | Water |
| Finish | Coconuts and massage |
Spectating
The practical plan is to stay at the finish. The marathon field is small, so the finish at the Labadi Beach Hotel is likely to be quiet, and a base at the hotel avoids chasing a runner along a coast road in the dark. Spectator rules and live tracking have not been published. A runner starting at 05:30 who finishes in four, five or six hours arrives at about 09:30, 10:30 or 11:30. Those are arithmetic examples and not predictions. Agree a meeting place away from the finish area and allow a buffer for the exit. A sighting near Tema Harbour around km 18 would need a prearranged car and cannot be planned without published access rules.
Post-Race Food
The finish provides coconuts, and anything more substantial comes from a hotel restaurant. Two restaurants at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel on the Labadi coast are options. The Ghanaian Village Restaurant serves Ghanaian food and advertises a Sunday family lunch buffet. The Continental Restaurant serves European and American food and advertises a weekday business lunch, so it may not run on a Sunday. Prices and menus are not published online. No walking route between the finish hotel and La Palm has been measured, so use a hotel-arranged car if you are tired. Eating at your own hotel is the simplest recovery meal.
Where to Stay
The finish is the Labadi Beach Hotel in La, and the hotel is also the packet desk and the start-shuttle pickup. Stay near the finish: it removes the dawn journey to the shuttle and the journey back afterwards. The start is a vehicle ride east of the finish, so the start is the wrong anchor.
La and Labadi
La has the clearest race logic, because the hotel is the packet desk, shuttle pickup and finish. La Palm Royal Beach Hotel is a neighbour on the same stretch of coast. A beach hotel does not guarantee a safe, continuous beach walk, so ask the hotel before leaving on foot, especially before dawn.
Osu
La Villa Boutique Hotel is in Osu. It suits a longer city stay but needs a car to the shuttle point at 04:15. FCDO advises caution after dark.
North Ridge
Alisa Hotel North Ridge is a business-district property that needs a vehicle both ways.
Airport City
The ibis Styles Accra Airport advertises airport transfers. That is a hotel shuttle and not the marathon shuttle, so you still need a car for the dawn transfer. It suits a short stay built around flights.
UK travellers: entry, health and safety
British citizens need a visa for Ghana, and the passport must be valid for at least six months from arrival. Proof of yellow-fever vaccination is required. FCDO recommends checking vaccinations at least eight weeks before travel and flags malaria, dengue and yellow fever. It advises against all but essential travel to parts of Ghana, which do not include Accra, and it reports rising street crime and asks travellers to take care after dark. Insurance should cover the marathon and medical evacuation. Check the FCDO regional map before any extension.
Recommended hotels
Packet desk, shuttle pickup and finish are all here, so it is the simplest base. Ask about early breakfast and late checkout.
On the same stretch of coast as the finish, with a Sunday lunch buffet at the Ghanaian Village Restaurant. Check whether a safe walk to the finish hotel exists or arrange a car.
A city-centre option for a longer stay. It needs a pre-dawn car to the shuttle pickup, so cost in the extra journey.
A business-district hotel that works as a general Accra base. It needs a vehicle for the dawn transfer and the return.
Close to the airport, with airport transfers. It adds a drive to the shuttle pickup, so it suits a flight-driven short stay better than race morning.
Booking timeline
Wait for the date. The organiser has not announced the next edition or opened entry, and non-refundable flights should not be booked around a placeholder. When a date appears, the sequence is a cancellable room near the finish, then the entry, then flights timed to reach the packet desk, which closes the day before the race. For British travellers the visa application comes first because processing can take 10 to 15 days, and the passport needs six months’ validity. Book yellow-fever vaccination and a travel-health appointment at least eight weeks ahead, and arrange insurance that covers the race and evacuation. No sell-out curve or race-weekend premium has been measured.
See & Do
Four places around Accra. Distances from the finish were not measured, so none is shown.
Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park
The mausoleum, museum and statue on the site of the independence declaration. Opening is 09:00 to 19:00 Monday to Saturday and 10:00 to 19:00 on Sunday, and the adult fee for non-Ghanaians is GHS 100. It suits a short, mostly level visit by car the day after the race.
National Museum of Ghana
Archaeology, ethnography and art collections, open daily 09:00 to 16:30. An indoor visit with seating is easy on tired legs. Ask at the door about stairs.
Independence Square
The independence arch and the memorial to the unknown soldier, in central Accra. It is an outdoor stop, so keep it short in the heat and arrange a car.
Aburi Botanical Gardens
About 45 minutes by car, 32 km (20 miles) north of Accra, in the cooler Akwapim hills. See the day-trip article under After the Race.
Read Before you Run
Tail of the Blue Bird
Nii Ayikwei Parkes
A crime novel that links modern forensic work in Accra with a village and its oral storytelling. It is fiction and not a history of the route, and it pairs well with a trip inland.
After the Race
The race has been held on a Sunday in recent years, so the excursions start on the Monday. Aburi is the easiest first outing, and the coast to the east and west of Accra suits a longer stay.
Lawns, sculpture and kapok trees about 160 years old in the cooler Akwapim hills. A good first outing after the race.
A beach camp where the Volta meets the Atlantic, with sea turtles and birds.
Two UNESCO castles and a fishing harbour. These sites tell the story of the slave trade and call for emotional space as well as stamina.
A rest on the Volta estuary before the heritage sites and the Kakum canopy walkway.
Frequently asked questions
Should I stay near the start or the finish?
Stay near the finish. The Labadi Beach Hotel is the packet desk, the shuttle pickup and the finish, and the start is a vehicle ride east on Teshie Road. A room at or near the hotel removes the dawn journey and the return. Confirm the next edition keeps this arrangement before booking.
How far in advance should I book a hotel?
Wait for the organiser to announce a date, or use a cancellable booking while it is unconfirmed. No sell-out window has been measured. British visitors also need a visa, which takes 10 to 15 days to process.
Is public transport free on race day?
No public transport entitlement was found. A free start shuttle ran from the Labadi Beach Hotel east-gate parking lot at 04:30 in 2026, with sign-up at the packet desk. It does not cover companions.
What is the best neighbourhood to stay in?
La or Labadi, because the hotel finish and the shuttle are there. Osu, North Ridge and Airport City are alternatives that need a pre-dawn car. FCDO advises caution after dark and does not rule out Accra for visitors.
When does the expo open?
There is no expo, only a packet desk at the Labadi Beach Hotel. In 2026 it ran from the Sunday before the race to the Saturday, closed on the Thursday and shut at 14:00 on the Saturday. There was no race-day collection.
What is the weather typically like?
Warm and humid. October at Accra’s airport averages about 24 to 30 degrees, with humidity near 83 per cent and about 95 mm of rain across the month. The 05:30 start is the coolest hour.
How do I get from the airport?
Kotoka International Airport (ACC) has official airport taxis, and many hotels arrange pickups. No verified fare or journey time to the finish hotel is published, so agree the price before you travel.
Is there a bag drop?
No bag service is described, and the start shuttle does not carry bags to the finish. Leave valuables in a hotel room or with a companion.
Should I bring a throwaway layer?
No. The air is warm even at 05:30, and no clothing donation scheme has been announced.
How do I get back to my hotel after finishing?
At the finish hotel, you are there. From elsewhere, arrange a vehicle in advance and agree a meeting point outside the finish area. No return shuttle is described.