Maratón Internacional de Asunción

The Race

History

The marathon began in 2010 as a test event ahead of Paraguay's bicentenary of independence in 2011. Paraguay Marathon Club had built experience with an earlier half marathon, and AIMS credited that work to the club's founders. The full race joined AIMS soon after its first edition.

The bicentenary race ran on 7 August 2011. Kenya's Anderson Chirchir Kiprono won in 2:17:35 and his compatriot Chemtai Rionotukei took the women's race in 2:53:10, with more than 2,500 participants reported across the occasion. The third edition, on 26 August 2012, hosted the South American Half Marathon Championships, and its expo sat in a railway station. Neither arrangement has been repeated.

The date has moved. AIMS published a correction in February 2018 shifting that year's race from 12 August to 26 August, and the event has since settled in the last weekend of August. The pandemic broke the pattern: 2020 was run as a virtual edition and the scheduled August event was postponed.

In 2025 the marathon hosted the South American Marathon Championship. Paraguay's Derlis Ayala Sánchez won in 2:21:01 and Peru's Deysi Castro Huanan took the women's title in 2:43:37, with Brazil's José Márcio Leão third in 2:24:10.

The 17th edition, on 30 August 2026, offered a record 5,000 places across all distances and doubled as the Paraguayan national road championship over 42 km and 10 km. Paraguayans Alberto Pizarro and Fátima Romero won. The expo had moved from the old railway station to the Arena SND, away from the waterfront.

The race is one of five in the MegaFinisher series, which links marathons and half marathons in South American capitals.

The course

The Maratón Internacional de Asunción starts and finishes at the Muelle Deportivo on the Costanera, the waterfront on the Paraguay river, 59 m above sea level. The full distance is two laps of a loop of about 21 km, and the half marathon runs one lap from the same start line. Each lap leaves along Costanera José Asunción Flores and runs north-east on Avenida Costanera and Costanera Doctora Serafina Dávalos to a turn at km 6.2, the point furthest from the start, 5.4 km away in a straight line. The road returns past the start area at about km 11 and runs west to a second turn near km 14 beside Avenida Nuestra Señora de Stella Maris. From there the lap loops south through the city on Cristóbal Colón, Estrella and Avenida Mariscal Francisco Solano López, crests at km 17.7, and comes back down Avenida España to the Costanera at km 21.1. The second lap repeats the same roads, with the turns at about km 27, km 35 and the crest at km 38.8.

The first 12.7 km of each lap sit on the waterfront at 57 m to 61 m with no gradient above 0.2%. Then the lap climbs: 39 m over 3.1 km (1.3%) from km 12.7 to km 15.8, a short dip, and a further 20 m over 1.4 km (1.4%) to the 108 m high point at km 17.7. The descent takes 50 m over about 3 km (1.5%) back to 58 m at km 21. The second lap repeats the climb from km 33.8 to km 38.9 and the descent to the finish. The profile spans 51 m. No official elevation-gain figure has been published, and the surface is asphalt.

Kilometre by kilometre

Km 0 to 12: out and back on the waterfront. The marathon and half marathon leave the Muelle Deportivo together at 05:30, in the dark (sunrise comes after 06:00), so the first lap is crowded with runners who will finish in about half the distance. Follow the distance-specific signs and not the group in front of you. The road runs north-east on the Costanera to the turn at km 6.2 and back, all between 58 m and 61 m. It is the fastest ground on the course, and the temptation to bank time here is strong.

Km 12 to 21: west, then up and over. After passing the start area at about km 11 the course turns west to a turn near km 14 beside Avenida Nuestra Señora de Stella Maris, and the climb begins at km 12.7. The road gains 39 m over 3.1 km to km 15.8, eases for a kilometre on Estrella, then climbs another 20 m over 1.4 km on Avenida Mariscal Francisco Solano López to the 108 m crest at km 17.7. The descent falls 50 m over about 3 km on Avenida España and rejoins the waterfront at km 21. It is gentle but sustained, and it comes with no shade from the sun yet, so run the climb on effort, not pace.

Km 21 to 33: the second lap. The half-marathon field has finished, and the road is quieter. The loop repeats: the waterfront out-and-back to the turn at km 27 and the return past the start area at about km 33 are level again at 58 m to 61 m. A runner who ran the first lap too fast will feel it here, with the second climb still to come, and the temperature rising through the morning.

Km 33 to 42.2: the climb again. The second climb starts at km 33.8 and gains 39 m over 3.1 km to km 36.9, then 19 m over 1.4 km to the 107 m crest at km 38.9. From there the road falls 50 m over 3.3 km (1.5%) on Avenida España, and the final kilometres return along the level waterfront to the Muelle Deportivo. The finish approach and chute are not mapped.

The two laps pass the start area at about km 11, km 21, km 33 and km 42, so a supporter standing near the Costanera sees a runner four times.

Course Map

The 2026 course: two laps of a waterfront and city loop from the Muelle Deportivo, with the climb to Avenida Mariscal Francisco Solano López in each lap. 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.

Entry

Entry is direct through the organiser's ticketing page, listed under the Paraguay Marathon Club's online storefront at Gs. 230,000. The ticket page does not say whether that figure is the 42K price, the lowest distance price or a single sales band, so check the selected ticket and any fees at checkout. The 2026 final marathon fee was Gs. 250,000, with pre-sale prices from Gs. 150,000.

There is no ballot and no qualifying time. The organiser invites international runners, but the 2027 regulations are not yet published, so the minimum age, the identity documents a foreign runner needs, the deadline and the refund or transfer rules are unconfirmed. Ask the organiser before paying if you do not hold a Paraguayan document.

The 2026 marathon also served as the Paraguayan national road championship, with cash prizes paid to the first five finishers. Entering the race does not make a recreational runner eligible for those prizes, so check the rules for each category.

A commercial travel operator sold a 2026 package with entry, hotel and a race transfer. That is not an organiser-appointed allocation, so confirm the distance, the transport and the cancellation terms in writing if you consider one.

Fast runner standards

There is no qualifying time and no ballot, so no elite or guaranteed-entry standard applies to the general field.

Race Weekend

Expo and bib collection

The 2027 expo has not been announced, and the organiser's page marks the dates, hours and address as to be defined. In 2026 kit collection was at the Arena SND, on Avenida Eusebio Ayala, and ran from 13:00 to 21:00 on Thursday and Friday and from 10:00 to 17:00 on Saturday 29 August, the day before the race. The venue is well away from the Costanera, so a hotel chosen for the start still needs a separate trip to collect your number.

The 2026 registration text linked a signed authorisation form for a third party to collect a number. Take photo identification and your confirmation, and check the 2027 guide for what a proxy needs. A late Saturday arrival could leave no collection time if the schedule repeats, so do not plan a race-morning arrival.

Getting to the start

The organiser advertises a 05:30 start for both the marathon and the half. No pen system, gate or arrive-by time has been published. As a planning allowance, an hour to an hour and a half at the Muelle Deportivo is sensible, but that is advice and not an instruction.

Several hotels sit in the historic centre, and the Costanera is a short ride away. One central hotel puts the waterfront about 2 km away, the walk to the athlete gate is not measured, and road closures may force a detour. Check the route in daylight before race day. Hotels in Villa Morra and the Aviadores del Chaco area need a car, so agree a drop-off point outside the closures with your driver.

No race shuttle, free public transport or bib-based travel entitlement was found, and ordinary buses may not run early enough. A hotel airport shuttle is a different service from a race-morning transfer. A 2026 post on r/Paraguay asked about ride-hail drop-off the evening before the race and mentioned a municipal closure notice, which shows why the final notice matters.

A bag service ran in 2026, but the 2027 terms, the bag type and the retrieval hours are not published. Carry only what you can manage. After the finish, choose a reunion point outside the restricted area and keep a fallback if phone reception is poor.

Nutrition on course

The 2027 aid plan has not been published. In 2026 water was offered about every 2.5 km and sports drink every 5 km and at the finish, with medical support, toilets and a closing vehicle on the course. No gel or food was listed at the marathon stops.

A Powerade logo sits on the organiser's homepage, but it is undated and does not prove which drink the marathon serves. A 2025 half-marathon blogger found water plentiful, with bottles after the first cup stop, sports drink and fruit at the finish. That account describes the half, and nothing says the second lap of the marathon is stocked the same way. Bring the gels you have trained with.

Spectating

Supporters have a better race than usual, because the two laps pass the same area twice. Pick one authorised waterfront viewing point and a reunion spot outside the finish restrictions. The loop passes the start area near km 11 and again near km 33, but the public side and crossings are not mapped, so check the final map first.

For timing, a runner at an even four-hour pace reaches halfway at about 2 hours and the finish at about 4 hours, plus any start delay. A three-hour runner reaches halfway at 90 minutes. Those are examples, not predictions. Live tracking is not confirmed. The results service may publish results, which is not the same as GPS tracking.

Post-race food

El Bolsi, at Estrella 399 on the corner of Alberdi, serves pasta, surubí fish and vegetarian dishes, and lists Sunday opening from 08:00 to 01:00. Reservations have limited booking windows, so book ahead.

Lido Bar, in the Centro on Independencia Nacional at Paraguayo Independiente, is known for fish soup, empanadas and vori vori, a Paraguayan soup. Sunday hours are not confirmed.

Paraqvaria, at the La Misión hotel on Dr. Eulogio Estigarribia 4990, serves vegetable lasagne and surubí ravioli and opens seven days a week. It is across the city from the waterfront, so arrange a transfer.

Choose familiar food after the race and ask about dietary needs, as a menu label does not guarantee allergen safety.

Where to Stay

Asunción's hotels fall into a few clusters, and the Costanera start does not sit beside any of them in a measured way.

Recommended hotels

Booking timeline

The date is announced, so flexible travel can be compared now. Check the selected 42K ticket on the organiser's page, including fees and the refund terms, before paying for flights.

No hotel sell-out calendar, hotel block or entry closing date was found. A refundable room is sensible if the race is the reason for the trip. Compare the whole cost, including an early transfer, a Sunday night and the separate trip to the expo.

When the participant guide appears, recheck the start entrance, expo venue and hours, cutoff and baggage. In the final week, use the real forecast and the closure notices.

See & Do

Distances are from the finish, kilometres first, then miles.

After the Race

Late August is the end of Paraguay's winter, with mild days and cool mornings, and the Monday after the race is a good day to move slowly. The four options below run from a pottery town near the capital to the falls at Iguaçu. Check coach timetables and opening days for your dates.