The Race
The organiser describes the race as a World Marathon Major qualifier. AbbottWMM's qualifying-race directory lists the La Valette Marathon, and that directory serves the Age Group World Championships, with a cycle running from October 2026 to December 2027 for the 2028 event. A listing in that directory does not give automatic entry to the individual Majors.
Each Major sets its own rules. Boston accepts results from certified overseas marathons within its qualifying window, which runs from 19 September 2026 to September 2027 registration week for 2028, subject to age and gender standards and verification, and meeting a standard does not guarantee a place. Chicago, New York, London, Berlin, Tokyo and Sydney set their own windows, and most of the 2027 windows have closed or end before March 2027. Tokyo's overseas elite route requires a World Athletics label, and no label has been established for La Valette. Read the qualifying rules of the Major you want before relying on this race's result.
| Next Race Date | Sunday 21 March 2027 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Point to point: north-west Malta to Fort St Angelo, Birgu |
| Registration | Open online entry; no ballot |
| Ballot opens | Not applicable |
| Start | Triq San Pawl il-Baħar, near Manikata, north-west Malta |
| Finish | Fort St Angelo, Birgu |
| Total finishers | ~456 (2025 edition) |
| Average race day temperature | 11 to 17°C (March monthly mean, Malta airport) |
| Cutoff time | 6 hours |
| Free race-day transport | No: paid shuttles run from Birgu and Sliema to the start and back from Birgu |
| Course certification | AIMS member race; World Athletics certified road course list, expiry 2028 |
History
The first La Valette Marathon ran on 24 April 2022 under the name Intersport La Valette Marathon. Runners started on Sliema seafront and finished in front of the Freedom Monument in Vittoriosa. Matthew Xuereb won the men's race in 2:48:26 and Jemima Farley won the women's in 2:50:59. The sponsor has gone from the name, and so has that route: the start now sits on the north-west coast.
The date has moved more than once. The second edition took place on 5 February 2023, the third on 24 March 2024, the fourth on 23 March 2025 and the fifth on 22 March 2026. The next is set for 21 March 2027. March is the recent pattern and not a long tradition, and the organisers have not published why the race left April and then February.
Corsa organises the event. The marathon is one of four distances, with a half marathon, a 10 km and a 5 km, and every distance finishes at Fort St Angelo. The race is an AIMS member, and the World Athletics list of certified road courses, updated in July 2025, carries the La Valette marathon with a 2028 expiry.
The field has grown quickly from a small base. The official results classify 109 marathon finishers in 2022, 137 in 2023, 344 in 2024 and 456 in 2025. Winning times fell as the field grew: 2:39:14 for Stefan Azzopardi in 2023, 2:25:12 for Thijs Mathisen Nijhuis in 2024 and 2:24:43 for Cosmas Kigen in 2025. The women's winners ran 3:03:24 in 2023, 2:46:02 in 2024 and 2:45:58 in 2025. More than 5,000 runners took part across all distances in 2026, with Kenyan runners dominating the results and a new half marathon course record.
The course
The marathon is a point-to-point route of 42.195 km. It starts in the north-west of Malta on Triq San Pawl il-Baħar near Manikata at 06:30 and runs east along the north coast with the sea on the runner's left. Traffic stays on parts of the route, and runners keep to the sea side behind a line of orange cones.
The recorded 2026 line goes through Xemxija, Buġibba and Qawra, follows the coast road past Naxxar, climbs through Pembroke and drops into St Julian's and Sliema, where it passes Tower Road at km 21. It then runs round Marsamxett harbour through Gżira, Msida and Pietà to Great Siege Road in Floriana at about km 29, crosses Valletta, goes round Marsa and Paola and finishes through L-Isla at Fort St Angelo in Birgu.
The profile is low for most of the distance and has three rises. The terrain profile spans 71 m, from 4 m at Naxxar to 75 m at km 15.5. The one long climb is 69 m over 6.3 km from km 9.2 to km 15.5, with 46 m of it in km 14, then 61 m drops away by km 18. The others are 39 m on the way up to Floriana from km 25 and 36 m at Marsa from km 35 to Paola at km 37.
Kilometre by kilometre
Km 0 to 5: the north-west start. The marathon starts at 06:30, half an hour before the shorter distances, and runners should be at the line by about 05:30 for a briefing at 06:20. The first kilometres run east on Triq San Pawl il-Baħar through L-Imġarr and Xemxija at 10 to 17 m and drop 13 m to the coast at Buġibba at km 5. Expect cool air, little crowd support and a road shared with traffic.
Km 5 to 14: the open coast. The route loops out to Qawra point at km 7 and back through Triq Kennedy at km 9, then follows the coast road, Tul il-Kosta, past Naxxar at 4 to 13 m. It is flat and exposed, and wind decides the effort, so tuck in behind a group. Water is at roughly five kilometre intervals.
Km 14 to 20: the one hill. Tul il-Kosta turns inland at km 14 and climbs 46 m in a single kilometre to 63 m on Triq Sant' Andrija in Pembroke, topping out at 75 m near km 15.5. Triq Suffolk then drops 33 m in km 16 and the road reaches St Julian's at 31 m at km 17 and St George's Bay at 14 m at km 18. Run the climb by effort and take the descent without braking hard.
Km 20 to 29: Sliema, the creek and Floriana. The course passes Tower Road in Sliema at km 21, where the half marathon and walkathon start, so from here marathoners meet slower runners and walkers on shared road. Qui-si-Sana and Tigné follow at km 22 and 23, then The Strand in Gżira, Ta' Xbiex and Msida at 6 to 10 m. The road rises 39 m from Pietà at km 27 to Great Siege Road in Floriana at 42 m near km 29, where race packs are collected.
Km 29 to 42.195: Valletta, Marsa and Birgu. The road drops 38 m to Triq Marsamxett in Valletta at km 30 and Triq il-Mediterran at km 31, runs the Grand Harbour side at Xatt Lascaris and Floriana waterfront at 8 to 14 m, and goes round Marsa at 6 to 11 m. Vjal Sir Paul Boffa climbs 27 m to 42 m at Paola at km 37, then Triq Għajn Dwieli falls to L-Isla by km 39 and Birgu by km 42. The finish is inside the fortifications at Fort St Angelo, where all distances end.
The start is at 06:30, half an hour before the other distances, on the north-west coast. Settle in, because the road is flat and the field is thin.
Flat road along exposed coast with the sea on the left. Wind sets the effort, so use a group if one forms.
A 46 m kilometre at km 14 and a 75 m crest at km 15.5. Hold effort steady on the way up and let the descent carry you towards Sliema.
Harbour road with shared lanes from Tower Road at km 21, a rise to Floriana near km 29 and another at Paola near km 37. The finish is at Fort St Angelo.
Course Map
A point-to-point course from the north-west coast of Malta to Fort St Angelo in Birgu, drawn from a 2026 GPS recording. 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.
Malta's two road marathons differ in shape. The Malta Marathon, on 28 February 2027, runs point to point from Mdina to Sliema, has a five-hour limit, published fee bands (EUR 55 to 30 November 2026, EUR 60 from 1 December to 15 January and EUR 70 afterwards) and a quoted 185 m net drop with 211 m of ascent. La Valette is a point-to-point from the north-west coast to Birgu with 456 classified finishers in 2025, one sustained rise and no published gain or loss.
A runner expecting to finish after five hours should not treat La Valette's advertised six hours as certain until the organiser confirms the cut-off, because the runners guide also gives a 12:00 limit.
The half marathon, the walkathon and the four-person relay start in Sliema and share the second half of the marathon course. The 10 km and 5 km start at Valletta and Paola. All finish at Fort St Angelo. The relay uses three exchange points: Msida near the Kullegg bus stop, MCC Valletta and Triq Għajn Dwieli. Marathoners meet the shared sections from about km 21 onwards.
Monthly averages for Malta in March give a mean maximum of 17.4°C and a mean minimum of 10.9°C at the airport, and the organiser quotes ranges between 11 and 19°C. A 06:30 start in the north-west corner is cool, so bring a layer for the wait. The briefing starts at 06:20 and runners are asked to be on location around 05:30.
The route follows exposed coast, and wind affects the effort more than the temperature does. The organiser's guide warns that the UV index can reach 6 in March, so sunscreen and sunglasses make sense for anyone expecting to be out until late morning, and slower runners spend more of the race in the stronger sun after 10:00.
The bag drop at the start closes 20 minutes before the race begins and uses a draw-string bag issued with the race pack. No rucksacks or plastic bags are accepted. A throwaway layer scheme has not been published, so a jumper that is not worth keeping is the sensible choice. The bag travels to the Birgu finish.
Entry
Entry is open and online. There is no ballot. The organiser sends runners to a registration page on the ACTIVE platform, and the race information page lists the closing date as 10 March 2027 at 23:59, with the right to close earlier. The page lists no fee table, so the price for the solo marathon has to be read at the registration link. Check that the selected category is the full marathon, since the cheaper distances share the same page.
The minimum age is 18 on the day of the event. The organiser's FAQ says entries are non-refundable. Its published transfer and deferral dates (10 March in the FAQ, 14 March in the runners guide) belong to earlier editions and cannot be relied on for 2027, so ask the organiser at contact@corsa.mt for the current rules before paying. Race numbers cannot be transferred.
The race has no published fast-runner, charity or tour-operator allocation. The organiser links accommodation partners on a separate page, and those links carry 2025 dates and a 2025 promotional code, so they are not a current package. The cut-off matters for slower runners: the event page gives six hours, while the runners guide also gives 12:00, which would be five and a half hours after the start. Read the participant email for the final figure.
Fast runner standards
The La Valette Marathon has no qualifying times or fast-runner entry. The standards of the World Marathon Majors apply to entering those races, not this one.
See the organiser's site →Race Weekend
Race pack collection
Race pack collection is at the Grand Hotel Excelsior in Floriana, on Great Siege Road, FRN1810, which the recorded course passes at about km 29. The runners guide places it on Bastion Terrace. There is no separate exhibition programme. Runners collect a bib, an event T-shirt and sponsor items, and the medal and race photos are bundled into the registration price.
The organiser's published collection dates do not match the 2027 calendar. They list a Wednesday to Saturday sequence that ends on 21 March, which in 2027 is race day, a Sunday, so the sequence fits 2026. Treat the sessions as unconfirmed until the participant email arrives. The FAQ says there is no race-day collection, so plan to collect on a day before the race.
Bring the confirmation email. Collecting for someone else requires their confirmation email and a copy of their ID on one organiser page and a ticket or QR code on another, so confirm which applies. A pre-booked hotel delivery for €15 for late arrivals was offered with the earlier calendar and has not been confirmed. The bag for the start is a draw-string bag issued with the pack, with a sticker carrying the race number.
Getting to the start
The marathon starts at 06:30 on Triq San Pawl il-Baħar near Manikata, with a briefing at 06:20 and a request to be on location around 05:30. The half marathon and the 10 km start at 07:00, the walkathon at 07:10 and the relay at 07:30. All distances finish at Fort St Angelo in Birgu. The half marathon, walkathon and relay start at the Exiles Beach Club on Tower Road in Sliema, the 10 km in Valletta (Triq il-Mediterran or Xatt Pinto) and the 5 km in Paola on Triq Għajn Dwieli.
The organiser's guide lists shuttles to the marathon start at 05:00 from the Exiles Beach Club car park in Sliema and from the Birgu finish area. The Sliema to Manikata shuttle has to be booked in advance through the ACTIVE booking link. Public transport does not solve the pre-dawn journey: the harbour ferries do not start until 08:45 or 09:00 on a Sunday in the winter timetable, and no race-day bus service has been published.
The bag drop is at each start line and closes 20 minutes before the race, which means 06:10 for the marathon. Use the draw-string bag from the race pack, because rucksacks, backpacks and plastic bags are refused. The bags go to Birgu and only the owner with the matching bib can collect, and the organiser takes no responsibility for lost items.
Runners keep to the sea side of the road behind orange cones because traffic remains on parts of the route. Walking is permitted and walkers keep left. The race is marshalled, a lead car precedes the marathon and an emergency responder follows the last runner, with roaming ambulances, first aiders on bicycles and police covering the course. Toilets and nurse stations are at the finish. Shuttles run from Birgu back to the start areas from 09:30 until 13:00, quoted at €5, though it is unclear whether that applies to every route. A shuttle for family and friends to the finish is listed at 06:40 for marathon supporters, with no pickup place stated.
Nutrition on course
The organiser lists seven aid stations on the marathon course and describes water spacing of about five kilometres. Every station has water, and stations 3, 5 and 7 add fruit and Gatorade. The runners guide also says the course carries gels and isotonic drinks, but the station table does not list gels, so bring a gel plan of your own.
Pace markers stand every 5 km and kilometre markers appear on signs along the route. Station positions, cup type and personal-bottle arrangements are not published, and only three of the seven stations offer anything beyond water, so runners aiming for the later part of the field should carry a small bottle of their own fluid.
| Station | Water | Gatorade | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yes | ||
| 2 | Yes | ||
| 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | Yes | ||
| 5 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 6 | Yes | ||
| 7 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Spectating
Plan for one sighting. The route crosses both sides of the harbour, and the organiser has not published signed spectator zones, kilometre positions for supporters or a tracking app. Spectators are welcome on pavements, and the Isla Waterfront in L-Isla is the organiser's suggested viewing spot, 0.5 km from the finish.
The easiest plan is to wait at the finish in Birgu. A runner who starts at 06:30 finishes at about 10:30 in four hours and 11:30 in five, and a supporter staying in Birgu avoids the cross-harbour trip altogether. A second option is the Excelsior in Floriana at about km 29, a candidate sighting for supporters based in Valletta, with the finish reachable afterwards by road. Nobody has timed the cross-harbour journey on race morning, so allow generous margins.
- Stay on the finish side and agree a meeting point outside the controlled finish area.
- A family and friends shuttle to the Birgu finish is listed at 06:40 for marathon supporters; its pickup place is not stated.
- Take the Three Cities ferry from Valletta, with a walk from the Cospicua landing to Birgu.
- The Sunday winter service starts at 09:00 at €3 single and €5 return, so it suits finish times from about 09:30; winners may arrive before the first sailing.
- Watch at the Excelsior at about km 29, then cross to Birgu by road.
- Confirm the km 29 position before relying on it, and do not plan around a specific pace without live tracking.
Post-race food
No restaurant next to the Birgu finish has been verified, so the first meal is likely to be wherever the runner returns to. Two places with confirmed hours are on the Valletta and Floriana side of the harbour.
Caffè Cordina at 244 Republic Street in Valletta is open from 07:30 to 17:00 on Sundays and 07:30 to 23:00 from Monday to Saturday, and confirm what is served before building a post-race meal around it. Admiral's Landing, the restaurant at the Grand Hotel Excelsior on Great Siege Road in Floriana, serves Sunday brunch from 11:00 to 15:00 and dinner daily from 18:00 to 22:30. A slow marathon finisher should count the return journey from Birgu before booking a brunch table.
Where to Stay
Choose a base around the start shuttle or the finish, and not around the word Valletta in the race name. The marathon starts in the north-west and finishes in Birgu, and the organiser's guide lists 05:00 shuttles to the start from the Exiles Beach Club car park in Sliema and from the Birgu finish area, so if those run in 2027 Sliema and Birgu are the two simplest bases. Valletta suits a city stay but has no listed pre-dawn link to the start.
Birgu and the Three Cities
Birgu is the finish. A base here removes the cross-harbour return and sits at the departure point for the 05:00 shuttle to the start. The streets are historic and uneven and Fort St Angelo has steps to its upper levels, so check access to the room as well as the distance. The ferry from Valletta lands at Cospicua and not at the fort.
Valletta and Floriana
Valletta is the city-break base, and Floriana holds the Excelsior, where race packs are collected, 1.4 km from the finish. Neither has a listed start shuttle, so arrange a road transfer for 05:00 or travel to Sliema first. After the race the return from Birgu is by road or the Three Cities ferry. Many Valletta buildings stand above street level, so ask about lifts and steps.
Sliema and Exiles
Sliema is where the organiser lists a pickup for the marathon start at 05:00 and the start of the half marathon at 07:00, 3.5 km from the finish. The shuttle needs advance booking. The return from Birgu is the drawback: the Sunday ferry does not run early enough for the start, though the post-race shuttle from Birgu serves Sliema.
St Julian's and St George's Bay
The Corinthia St George's Bay and the Radisson Blu Resort, both on the organiser's accommodation page, sit on this stretch of coast, about 5 km from the finish. It is not the finish side and not the start, so check the link between the hotel and the Sliema pickup.
St Paul's Bay and the northern coast
Staying near the start sounds sensible, but the exact start pin is still contested between the organiser's pages, so verify the pickup point before booking. The return to a northern hotel after Birgu is long.
A good address for this race needs more than a short straight-line distance. Check whether the entrance is at street level, whether the lifts work, whether the property keeps luggage after check-out and whether the walk home involves steps. March is not warm-sea weather, since the mean sea temperature is around 16°C, so a hotel's outdoor pool and beach service may not be available. Book a flexible room once the base is chosen, and reconfirm the shuttle and the collection sessions before making the trip fixed.
Recommended hotels
Race pack collection is held here, on Great Siege Road, and the recorded course passes about 0.3 km away at about km 29. The restaurant, Admiral's Landing, serves Sunday brunch and daily dinner. No start shuttle departs from the hotel, so allow for a road transfer to the start.
Listed on the organiser's accommodation page as a partner, on the coast between the start and Sliema. The route to the Exiles Beach Club shuttle pickup in Sliema was not measured, so check it before booking.
Also listed as a partner on the organiser's accommodation page. Do not confuse it with Golden Sands. The same Sliema shuttle question applies, and 2027 rates and any race package are not published.
Booking timeline
There is no ballot, so the date to anchor on is the entry close of 10 March 2027 at 23:59, which is the organiser's date and can change. Flights and hotels do not wait for that date, and the AIMS calendar confirms 21 March 2027, which is enough to hold a flexible room.
Book a refundable room once the base is chosen. The start location, cut-off and collection dates need to be settled by the organiser before travel is fixed, and the Sliema shuttle should be reserved when the booking link opens, because the guide says Sliema to Manikata transfers must be booked in advance. No sell-out history, hotel allocation release date or race-weekend price premium has been published, and the accommodation partner links on the organiser's site carry 2025 dates and a 2025 promotional code, so do not treat them as a current offer.
See & Do
Distances are from Fort St Angelo at the finish, in a straight line across the harbour, kilometres first.
St John's Co-Cathedral
Open Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 16:45, with last admission at 16:00, and closed to visitors on Sundays and public holidays. Adult tickets cost €15, and seniors and students pay €12. Plan it for Monday after the race, since it involves long periods standing, and leave the belfry climb for another trip. March exceptions are possible.
Fort St Angelo
Tickets cost €10 for adults, €6 for concessions and youth and €4 for children aged 6 to 11. The upper levels require steps. A race entry does not include a museum ticket, and March opening hours were not available, so check the Heritage Malta schedule before planning a visit.
Upper Barrakka Gardens
A short harbour-view stop in Valletta, listed by the national tourism authority. Opening times and cost were not available, so check them on the day. Choose a lift or step-free route and not the stairs.
After the Race
The race is held on a Sunday in March, and Monday is the first free day. The four trips below start from Valletta and need no hire car. Timetables are not checked for 2027, and sea conditions can disturb the ferries, so keep the last night on the main island.
A half-day on the bus network to the walled hill town of Mdina and neighbouring Rabat, with the Roman and early Christian sites. Keep the circuit short on tired legs.
Fast ferry from Valletta to Gozo, an afternoon in Victoria and a morning at the Ġgantija temples in Xagħra. March sea temperatures are too cold for swimming, so the stay rests on sights.
One base in Valletta, St John's Co-Cathedral on the first full day, then the Three Cities by ferry and Marsaxlokk by bus. The Sunday fish market falls on race day, so the visit is to a quieter waterfront.
Four nights split between the main island and Gozo, leaving the last night on Malta so ferry disruption does not threaten the flight home.