The Race
| Next Race Date | 16 May 2027 |
|---|---|
| Course Type | Out-and-back from a shared start and finish |
| Registration | Online through Ticket Sports in 2026; 2027 entry not yet open |
| Ballot Opens | No ballot |
| Total Finishers | Not published |
| Avg Race Day Temp | Not published (May is in the regional wet season) |
| Cutoff Time | 6 hours |
| Free Race Day Transport | No |
| Course Certification | CBAt national permit (Ouro); measured-course list entry to 2028 |
History
The Olinda Marathon is run by a medical school. The Faculdade de Medicina de Olinda held the first Maratona Internacional FMO on 18 June 2023, with technical support from the Associação dos Corredores de Pernambuco. About 2,000 people registered across four distances, and the full marathon ran from Olinda towards Paulista and then to Recife. The reported winners were Marcos Antônio Pereira in 2:21:44 and Emily Chebet of Uganda in 2:44:41.
The race then moved to May. On 19 May 2024 Abraham Kiplino of Uganda won in 2:21:29 and Vivian Jeftanui Kiplagati of Kenya in 2:48:18, under a national Ouro permit. Maxwell Kortek Rotich of Uganda took the 2025 race on 18 May in 2:15:11, with Natalia Elisante Sulle of Tanzania winning the women's race in 2:49:32. A World Athletics list of measured courses carries the second-edition course to 2028.
The fourth edition, on 17 May 2026, changed the route. Instead of the northern leg towards Paulista, the full marathon ran south through Recife and turned near Shopping Recife and Via Mangue. Reported results differ on the winners: Michael Sanga in 2:14:31 and Adam Kidasi in 2:44:53 in one list, Michael Kishiba and Vaileth Adam Kidasi in another, with the men's times one second apart. The race was reported sold out, and the organiser said entry proceeds would support the Instituto Maria, a charity that works with children with Down syndrome.
A separate marathon, the Maratona Internacional de Olinda, is run by Acope in June from the same square. It is a different event.
The course
The 2026 marathon started and finished at Praça Duque de Caxias in Casa Caiada, on the Olinda seafront. The organiser's course graphic shows one orange corridor shared by all four distances, with each race turning at a different landmark: Fortim do Queijo for the 5 km, the Escola de Aprendizes Marinheiros de Pernambuco for the 10 km, the Ponte Giratória for the half marathon and Shopping Center Recife on Via Mangue for the full.
The route passes through the Recife Antigo and Marco Zero area on its way south and returns along the same corridor to Casa Caiada. The race reaches beyond the half-marathon turn, so it is not two laps of the half course.
No official climb figure has been published, and the graphic gives no kilometre values. Mineral water was promised about every 2 km. The tourist hills of the historic upper town are not on the route.
One corridor, four turns. All four distances run the same coastal corridor and turn at different landmarks. The 5 km turns at Fortim do Queijo, the 10 km at the naval apprentices' school, the half marathon at the Ponte Giratória and the full marathon beside Shopping Center Recife on Via Mangue.
Recife Antigo. The route runs through the old port and the Marco Zero, where Recife's historic waterfront begins.
Frevo at the finish. The 2026 release described a frevo orchestra and giant puppets at the event, a local touch that no other Brazilian marathon in this batch offers.
Kilometre by kilometre
Start: Praça Duque de Caxias. The race gathers on the seafront square in Casa Caiada and starts before dawn. Use this square and not the faculty's office address, which appears on the regulations as a letterhead. The 2026 full started at 04:30.
South along the coast. The route heads from Olinda towards Recife along the waterfront corridor, which the organiser's graphic draws as one common route for every distance. Casa Caiada, Carmo and Rio Doce are named in the preview of the race. The 5 km turns at Fortim do Queijo and the 10 km at the naval apprentices' school, so the early crowd thins as the shorter races peel away.
Recife Antigo and the half turn. The corridor reaches the Marco Zero and the old port area, and the half marathon turns at the Ponte Giratória. The full continues, which is the point where the field is smallest and the course is least familiar.
Cais José Estelita and Via Mangue. Beyond the half turn the preview describes the Cais José Estelita and Via Mangue, and the graphic places the full marathon's turn beside Shopping Center Recife. The race does not enter the shopping centre.
Home to Casa Caiada. The return runs back along the same corridor to the square in Olinda. No continuous shade, crowd peak or measured late climb has been published, so treat the last 10 km as unscouted and check the next course map.
The route turns at least four times and may share road with other distances at the start. No shortest-route line has been published.
The race starts in the dark on the Olinda seafront at Praça Duque de Caxias. All four distances share the first stretch, so the early road is busy.
The route follows the coast towards the Marco Zero and the old port area. The 5 km and 10 km runners turn back along this stretch.
The half marathon turns at the Ponte Giratória. The full carries on past the Cais José Estelita to a turn beside Shopping Center Recife.
The route returns along the same corridor to the square in Casa Caiada, where the finish is.
Course Map
The map shows the fixed points only: the start and finish square in Casa Caiada and the turns and landmarks named for the 2026 course. Each turn is labelled for the distance it serves, and none is a kilometre marker. No route line is drawn because the 2027 course has not been published. Tap a marker for details.
Pacers
Official pacers have not been announced; check the next athlete guide.
Olinda hosts two marathons that start from the same seafront square. The Maratona Internacional FMO, covered on this page, is run in May by the Faculdade de Medicina de Olinda. A separate marathon run by the runners' association Acope takes place in June. Check the organiser's name and the date before you buy a place or book a flight.
May falls in the Pernambuco rainy season, and the regional climate agency's outlook material points to substantial rain across the Recife area between May and July. No temperature normal for Olinda at 04:30 was found, and one runner's favourable June 2023 weather is not a forecast. Treat the start as warm and humid, with a real chance of wet roads.
Wear shorts, a light singlet and a cap. If rain is forecast, a thin waterproof is useful until the start, and shoes with a grippy sole matter on a wet seafront. A dry top for the journey back to the hotel is worth putting in the baggage drop.
No clothing-donation scheme was found, so assume anything left on the road is lost. Read the athlete guide for the bib rule before covering your bib with a layer.
Entry
Entry to the Olinda Marathon has not opened for 2027. The federation lists the race for 16 May, but the organiser has published no rules, fee or entry window. Watch the Faculdade de Medicina de Olinda's website and the federation's calendar, and do not buy a place from an old platform page.
In 2026 entry ran through Ticket Sports, and the event page opened registration on 18 February and closed it on 14 May. The signed amended regulations give 15 May, so the deadline was stated two ways. A pre-race preview reported a fixed fee of R$100 for every distance; the regulations say prices are set in platform lots, so treat that as a reported figure. The race was reported sold out before race day, with no marathon-only cap given.
The 2026 full marathon was open to men and women, with age categories from 20 to 24 in five-year bands, counted at 31 December of the race year. Elite entry was separate: an official result of 2:30 (men) or 2:40 (women) emailed to the organiser with a scan of current CBAt credentials. Para-athlete categories were limited to the 5 km.
Under the 2026 rules a place was personal. A formal transfer was possible for a fee, a seven-day withdrawal period applied, and refunds were excluded afterwards except for cancellation by the organiser. No overseas payment route, passport acceptance or deferral policy was found, so secure an accepted entry before booking non-refundable travel.
| Event | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Full marathon | 2:30:00 or faster | 2:40:00 or faster |
Fast runner standards
The elite standard above applies to a separate application route. It is not a guaranteed-entry standard for the general field.
Race Weekend
Expo and bib collection
There was no expo as such in 2026, only bib collection, and the venue is not confirmed. The written rules gave collection on 15 and 16 May from 08:00 to 18:00 at a place to be announced, while the timing platform lists collection from 10:00 on 15 May to 17:00 on 16 May. The faculty's office address is not a collection point, and Praça Duque de Caxias is the race base and not the expo.
Bring photo identification and your proof of entry. The rules did not describe a proxy process, Sunday collection or a late-arrival rescue. The 2026 kit included a shirt, a visor, a bib with a disposable timing chip, a drawstring bag and a finisher's medal.
The 2027 collection arrangements have not been published. If you fly into Recife, wait for the collection notice before booking a late Saturday arrival.
Getting to the start
The 2026 start and finish were both at Praça Duque de Caxias in Casa Caiada, and the full started at 04:30. The 2027 time and arena are not yet published. The organiser's graphic prints the half marathon with the 05:00 races while the regulations put it at 04:30, which means the first kilometres may be busier than the written rules suggest.
Recife's metro Aeroporto station opens at 05:00, so it cannot deliver a runner to a 04:30 start. No race shuttle and no free bib-based fare was found, and the ordinary metro fare is R$4.25. For a hotel in Recife, arrange a road transfer north to Olinda in advance and agree where the driver will wait. One Olinda historic-centre hotel gives 18 km to the airport, which at an assumed 20 to 30 km/h would take 36 to 54 minutes, plus pick-up time. That is arithmetic and not a measured transfer.
The rules promise chemical toilets at the start and free baggage storage that closes one hour after the race time limit. No bag size, token system or exact opening time was published. Keep valuables on you.
After the finish, the kit list establishes a medal, and the 2026 release mentions frevo music and giant puppets. No finish food, massage or shower service was confirmed. Agree a meeting point outside the controlled lanes.
The Recife ibis serves an early breakfast from 04:00, which is too late for a runner who must leave the hotel before then. Ask for a packed breakfast.
Nutrition on course
The 2026 rules promise mineral water about every 2 km. The organiser's course graphic adds symbols for isotonic drink at several points, without kilometre values, brand or quantity. Whether the drink was available at every water point is not known.
No information on cup size, gels, bananas or other food, sponges, ice, personal-bottle drop-off, course toilets or medical posts was published. The arena offers chemical toilets and medical support.
Carry the gels you train with, and treat an isotonic symbol as a possibility and not a promise.
Spectating
The simplest plan is to stay at the arena. The route starts and finishes at Praça Duque de Caxias, so a friend there sees the start and the finish, and the 04:30 start means the dawn light is poor for photographs. At a steady 6:00 per km, a 42.195 km race takes about 4 hours 13 minutes, so a runner starting at 04:30 finishes around 08:45. That is arithmetic and not a prediction, so add a buffer for the actual pace and for finish processing.
The out-and-back shape means a point on the corridor could give two sightings, but the organiser has published no kilometre positions, no pedestrian crossings and no live tracking. The Recife Antigo area is the obvious candidate, because the graphic shows the route passing through it.
- Stay in Casa Caiada or Bairro Novo, close to the square.
- Watch the start at 04:30 and wait for the finish.
- Agree a meeting point outside the controlled lanes.
- Arrange a car to Recife Antigo before the roads close.
- Watch from one permitted public point near the Marco Zero for the outward and return passages.
- Return to the hotel by car. Do not rely on a bus through the closures.
- Choose one cleared point near Via Mangue and Shopping Center Recife.
- Do not assume access through the shopping centre's car park or indoor areas.
- Wait for the 2027 mobility notice before planning a chase to the finish.
Post-race food
No finisher food menu was published. Plan a drink and a snack that you know, and eat a proper meal later.
Oficina do Sabor, at Rua do Amparo 335 in Amparo, is led by the chef César Santos. Its own page lists Tuesday to Sunday service from 12:00 to 16:00 and 19:00 to 23:00, though other listings differ on Sunday, so confirm when you reserve. The regional menu includes pumpkin filled with shrimp in coconut sauce and baião de dois. It is on a hill and needs a separate transfer from Casa Caiada.
Beijupirá Olinda, on Rua Saldanha Marinho in Amparo, sits on a hilltop reached by its bondinho, and its menu pairs shrimp with sugarcane molasses and passion-fruit rice. Opening hours are not confirmed, so book first and ask about steps.
Where to Stay
The race starts and finishes at the same square, so the useful question is how far a hotel is from Praça Duque de Caxias, not whether it is in Olinda. The 2027 arena is not yet confirmed.
Casa Caiada and Bairro Novo
These coastal districts are the first to check. Hotel Costeiro, on Avenida Ministro Marcos Freire in Bairro Novo, is a coastal base with breakfast included, but it has 82 rooms on four levels reached by stairs, and nobody has measured the walk to the square. Check breakfast time and late checkout.
Carmo and the historic centre
Hotel 7 Colinas, Pousada dos Quatro Cantos and Pousada São Francisco suit a runner who wants the old town. The municipal tourism page warns about slopes and paving, and a room on an upper floor can add stairs after the race. Plan a separate transfer to the coast.
Recife Antigo
This is the district for the Paço do Frevo and the Cais do Sertão, but no hotel here was verified with a practical race-morning transfer. Visit it as a day trip.
Pina and Boa Viagem
The ibis Recife Boa Viagem has lifts, accessible rooms and an early breakfast from 04:00, but it is in Recife, and a 04:30 start needs a pre-arranged road transfer north.
Book a refundable room while the organiser's date and collection venue are unresolved.
Recommended hotels
At Avenida Ministro Marcos Freire 681, with breakfast included and 82 rooms on four levels reached by stairs. Confirm the walk to Praça Duque de Caxias, the breakfast time and late checkout.
At Ladeira de São Francisco 307, with a restaurant, pool and 24-hour reception. The historic centre has slopes, and the airport is 18 km away. No race shuttle was found.
At Rua Prudente de Morais 441, in a historic building with a pool and breakfast. Second-floor rooms need a stair check.
At Rua do Sol 127, with breakfast, a restaurant and a pool. Confirm the transfer to Casa Caiada and the breakfast time.
At Avenida Domingos Ferreira 683, with lifts, accessible rooms and an early breakfast from 04:00. Arrange a pre-dawn car transfer north to Olinda.
Booking timeline
The federation lists the race for 16 May 2027, but the organiser has not announced entry. A refundable room preserves the option, and non-refundable flights are a risk while the organiser's evidence is incomplete. Nothing supports a fixed "book six months ahead" rule.
In 2026 registration opened in February and closed on 14 or 15 May, and the festival was reported sold out without a marathon cap or a date. Those dates do not predict 2027.
Before a hotel's cancellation deadline, recheck the date, the arena, kit collection and transfer rules. Reserve restaurant meals only after confirming Sunday opening. A day tour from Recife does not secure a one-way transfer to an overnight beach hotel, so book excursions separately.
See & Do
Distances are from the finish, kilometres first, then miles.
Paço do Frevo
A museum of frevo, the carnival music and dance heard at the race. The visit page lists Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 18:00 and Saturday and Sunday 11:00 to 19:00, with last admission 30 minutes before closing. It is closed on Mondays and free on Tuesdays, at R$10 full price and R$5 reduced otherwise.
Cais do Sertão
A museum of the Pernambuco interior and its music. The group page lists Tuesday to Friday 10:00 to 16:00 and Saturday and Sunday 13:00 to 18:00, closed Mondays, with free entry on Tuesdays. Large bags and food are restricted, so leave luggage at the hotel.
Olinda historic centre and Alto da Sé
The municipal tourism page lists the sites of the historic centre and warns about slopes and paving. Keep a visit short and outdoors, and check each church's hours separately.
After the Race
The Olinda Marathon is run in May, in the rainy season, and the Monday after is the day the museums of Recife are shut. The four options below run from a Tuesday in Recife Antigo to a few nights on the Alagoas coast. Leave race luggage at your hotel, and book transfers separately from day tours.
A cultural visit built around the Paço do Frevo, with the Cais do Sertão optional. Both close on Mondays, so a Tuesday is the better day.
A beach town south of Recife, known for reef pools reached by raft at low tide. Reef trips depend on the tide, and a day tour does not cover an overnight bag.
A quiet beach on the Tamandaré coast, with the Bora Bora day-use area and boat trips sold separately. Arrange a transfer and a room before you go.
A beach town across the state line in Alagoas, known for its offshore reef pools. A day tour from Recife does not become a one-way luggage service, so contract a transfer.