The Race
| Next Race Date | 25 July 2027 |
|---|---|
| Course Type | Point to point with western out-and-back sections |
| Registration | Online through the organiser; Early Runner entry open |
| Ballot Opens | No ballot |
| Total Finishers | About 6,600 (2026) |
| Avg Race Day Temp | Not published (winter mean about 15.7°C) |
| Cutoff Time | 6 hours 30 minutes, with intermediate cutoffs |
| Free Race Day Transport | No |
| Course Certification | World Athletics Label Road Races calendar (category E, 2026); CBAt national permit |
History
The São Paulo City Marathon began on 31 July 2016 as the ASICS SP City Marathon, a July race with an accompanying 15 km event and an international field from 18 countries. It joined Pacaembu and the Jockey Club, and early reports described the climb of Avenida Brigadeiro Luís Antônio. By the second edition in 2017 the route had switched from that avenue to Avenida 23 de Maio, a reminder that the start and finish have stayed constant while the roads between them have not.
The pandemic broke the annual run. The July 2020 race moved to October 2020, then to July 2021 and finally to 31 July 2022, with entries carried forward. That is why the 2026 race is counted as the ninth held edition and the tenth anniversary, and the 2027 race is billed as the tenth held edition.
The title sponsor has changed more than the course. ASICS gave way to On in 2025, and Nike took over for 2026. The 2025 marathon doubled as the Pan-American championship: Éderson Vilela Pereira won in 2:15:58 and Amanda Aparecida de Oliveira in 2:40:56. On 26 July 2026 Gilmar Silvestre Lopes won in 2:16:34 and Maria Aparecida Ferraz in 2:42:19.
The organiser reports 32,357 participants across all distances in 2026, from 32 countries and all Brazilian states. The full marathon is a fraction of that. An independent results compilation counts about 6,600 full finishers. The 2026 opening dropped the old Minhocão section and used the Pacaembu corridor instead.
The course
The São Paulo City Marathon starts at Praça Charles Miller, outside the Pacaembu stadium at 754 m above sea level, and finishes at the Jockey Club on the far side of the Pinheiros river, 5.4 km away in a straight line. The 2026 route runs north along Avenida Pacaembu, turns east on Avenida Rio Branco and crosses the historic centre by Avenida Ipiranga, Praça da República, the Viaduto do Chá (km 8) and Praça da Sé (km 9). It then follows Avenida 23 de Maio south through Bela Vista and Paraíso to Ibirapuera at km 14, turns west through Moema, Vila Olímpia and Cidade Jardim, and is on the university side of the Pinheiros river by km 22. A long loop through Butantã and the University of São Paulo campus fills km 23 to 40, with the westernmost point on Avenida Escola Politécnica at km 34.2, 7.7 km from the start. The course recrosses the river before km 41 and finishes on Rua Doutor José Augusto de Queirós.
The profile spans 97 m, from 724 m to 820 m, and the climbing is in the first 12 km. The road rises 41 m between km 3 and km 7 on Rio Branco and Ipiranga, dips 17 m through the Viaduto do Chá and Sé area, and climbs 56 m over 2.3 km (2.4%) on Avenida 23 de Maio from km 9.9 to the high point of 820 m at km 12.2. A descent of 94 m over 6.6 km (1.4%) follows to 726 m by km 19, and the last 23 km stay within 10 m of 730 m: the university loop is level. No official climb figure has been published.
Through the historic centre. The first third crosses the Viaduto do Chá and Praça da Sé on closed roads.
A point-to-point winter race. Start and finish are on opposite sides of the Pinheiros river, and the race begins before dawn in July.
Tunnels and a long western leg. The route runs through the Zerbini tunnel and then makes out-and-back extensions around the University of São Paulo campus.
Pacers. The 2026 app listed pacers from 3:00 to 4:30, which is a rare level of detail for a Brazilian marathon.
Kilometre by kilometre
Km 0 to 8: Pacaembu to the Viaduto do Chá. The 2026 waves left between 05:10 and 06:35, depending on pen, in front of the Pacaembu stadium. The route takes both carriageways of Avenida Pacaembu north to km 2, falls 26 m to 728 m at km 3 on Rua Norma Pieruccini Giannotti and Rua Rudge, then climbs on Avenida Rio Branco (733 m at km 4, 753 m at km 5) and Avenida Ipiranga to 769 m at the Praça da República at km 7. The Viaduto do Chá comes at km 8.
Km 8 to 13: the centre and the climb. Rua Líbero Badaró, Largo São Francisco and Praça da Sé lead to the easternmost point of the course at about km 9, 777 m. The route then turns south on Avenida 23 de Maio, dips to 763 m at km 10 and climbs 56 m over 2.3 km through Morro dos Ingleses to the course high point of 820 m at km 12.2.
Km 13 to 19: down to Ibirapuera and Vila Olímpia. The descent is 94 m over 6.6 km. The route passes Paraíso at km 13, reaches Avenida Pedro Álvares Cabral at Ibirapuera at km 14, and runs west on Avenida Moura Andrade through Vila Olímpia, joining Avenida Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek at km 18 and Avenida Professor Alcebíades Delamare in Cidade Jardim at km 19, at 726 m.
Km 19 to 23: the Jockey Club and the Zerbini tunnel. The course passes the Jockey Club area near km 19.6, where the half marathon finishes, runs north on Avenida Lineu de Paula Machado and uses the Zerbini tunnel at km 21. Avenida Afrânio Peixoto at km 22 and the Marginal Pinheiros at km 23 put a full-marathon runner on the university side of the river with 19 km still to run.
Km 23 to 40: the university loop. Avenida Pedroso de Morais at km 24 and 25 leads to out-and-back turns on Avenida Professor Fonseca Rodrigues at km 26 to 29. Rua Alvarenga and Avenida Professor Melo Moraes carry the course west at km 30 to 32, and Avenida Escola Politécnica holds the westernmost point at km 34.2. Runners enter USP through Gate 2 and leave through Gate 1. The return runs along Avenida Professor Melo Moraes at km 36 to 39, and the whole section stays between 724 m and 733 m.
Km 40 to 42.2: back to the river. Avenida Valdemar Ferreira at km 40 and Avenida Lineu de Paula Machado at km 41 lead back across the Pinheiros river to the Jockey Club. The finish is on Rua Doutor José Augusto de Queirós, and the runner entrance is Gate 1.
The 2026 waves left between 05:10 and 06:35 in front of the Pacaembu stadium. The route crosses the Viaduto do Chá at km 8 and Praça da Sé at km 9, climbing from 728 m at km 3 to 777 m.
A climb of 56 m over 2.3 km to the 820 m high point at km 12.2, then a 94 m descent over 6.6 km through Paraíso, Ibirapuera and Vila Olímpia.
The course passes the Jockey Club area near km 19.6, uses the Zerbini tunnel at km 21 and is on the university side of the Pinheiros river by km 22.
Out-and-back extensions around Pedroso de Morais, Fonseca Rodrigues and Escola Politécnica fill the long middle of the marathon, level within 10 m of 730 m, with the westernmost point at km 34.2.
The runner entrance in 2026 was Gate 1 on Rua Doutor José Augusto de Queiroz.
Course Map
The 2026 course, from Praça Charles Miller in Pacaembu through the historic centre, down Avenida 23 de Maio to Ibirapuera, west to the Jockey Club and across the Pinheiros river for a long loop of the university district, then back to the Jockey Club finish. 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.
Pacers
The 2026 event app listed these full-marathon pacers. The pace labels are rounded as published and should not be used to recompute a promised finish time. No 2027 roster, pen allocation or identification method was verified.
No pacers are listed beyond 4:30.
| Target finish | Pacer pace | Pacers available |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 4:15/km | Yes (2026) |
| 3:30 | 5:00/km | Yes (2026) |
| 3:45 | 5:20/km | Yes (2026) |
| 4:00 | 5:40/km | Yes (2026) |
| 4:15 | 6:00/km | Yes (2026) |
| 4:30 | 6:25/km | Yes (2026) |
São Paulo hosts more than one marathon. This one, covered here, is the July race organised by Iguana Sports, starting in Pacaembu. A separate April marathon, the Maratona Internacional de São Paulo, has its own organiser, date and course. Check the name and the month before you book.
July is winter in São Paulo, and the marathon starts in the dark. The IAG/USP station records a winter mean of 15.7°C for 1933 to 2011, and a July mean of 44 mm of rain. Those are seasonal averages and not a dawn reading, so check the forecast in race week. A first-half runner in 2024 described a cold, dark 05:30 start.
Wear shorts and a singlet or short sleeves, and keep a throwaway layer or a thin jacket for the wait in the pen. There is no official clothing-donation scheme, so give the layer to a supporter or put it in your bag. Cold fronts, wind and rain remain possible in any winter week.
Entry
Entry for 25 July 2027 is open through the organiser's own product page. The Early Runner price seen for the Essencial offer was R$329.90, shown against R$659.80. That is a dated promotion and not a guaranteed price, and no kit-price matrix or checkout total was confirmed. The organiser announced an initial allocation of 10,000 Early Runner places, which covers both the full and half marathon, so it is not a marathon cap. Choose 42.2 km in the sales flow and check the receipt.
There is no ballot and no qualifying time for ordinary runners. The minimum age for the marathon is 20 on race day. The sales form asks for a CPF (Brazil's tax number) and country details, and a passport-only purchase process is not confirmed. An overseas runner without a CPF should ask the organiser how to enter before paying.
Pens depend on pace. Pen A is for half-marathon pace of 4:30/km or faster, recorded at an Iguana event in the preceding 12 months, with about 300 places. Pens B to F use selected pace ranges. Elite entry is by application at least 15 days before the race: two official races in the preceding 12 months with 2:27:00 or faster for men and 2:59:00 or faster for women, 30 places for each.
Half-price concessions exist for seniors and students on eligible base prices, with proof and personal collection. The PCD free-entry quota is limited to 30 approved places. Cancellation is possible within seven calendar days of purchase. A change of shirt size or distance can be requested within 90 days, subject to availability. No transfer, injury deferral or next-year credit was verified.
| Event | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Marathon | 2:27:00 or faster | 2:59:00 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
No 2027 expo timetable has been announced. In 2026 kit collection was at the Bienal pavilion in Parque Ibirapuera, entered through Gate 3 on Avenida Pedro Álvares Cabral. It ran from 09:00 to 20:00 on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 July, and from 09:00 to 18:00 on Saturday 25 July. Do not book a flight on the assumption of Sunday collection.
Bring photo identification, and keep your order receipt as backup. A proxy needs a signed authorisation and a copy of the runner's identification. Senior and student concessions need personal collection. The organiser describes the Line 5 Lilac station AACD–Servidor as about a 20-minute walk from the venue access; other stations need their own plan. Allow time for the park gate and the pavilion approach.
Getting to the start
The 2027 start time is not settled. The race landing page says 05:20 and the product page says 05:00. In 2026 the event app released the waves from 05:10 for PCD athletes and 05:15 for the elite pen, then pen A at 05:20, B at 05:30, C at 05:40, D at 06:00, E at 06:20 and F at 06:35. An earlier PDF gave later times for several amateur pens. The regulations ask for arrival at least 30 minutes before the official start.
The start at Praça Charles Miller is 1.6 km from Clínicas station on Line 2 Green and 1.7 km from Paulista station on Line 4 Yellow. That is a 19 to 20 minute walk at an ordinary pace, before station exits and crowds. The Metro opens at 04:40, which is tight for an early pen. Avenida Pacaembu is closed, and the app suggests approaches through Doutor Arnaldo, Cardoso de Almeida or Higienópolis. Municipal buses are free on Sundays, but race diversions can disrupt them, and Metro and rail fares are separate.
The full bag plan has not been published. In 2026 runners described a long walk to the bag buses after the finish. Carry only what you can manage, and agree a meeting point outside the restricted running corridor. At the finish, the runner entrance in 2026 was Gate 1 at the Jockey Club, while the app sent the public to Gate 12 on Rua Doutor José Augusto de Queiroz beside Empório Varanda. Cidade Jardim station is 1.5 km away, Hebraica–Rebouças 2.5 km and Butantã 2.6 km. There is no parking near the finish.
Nutrition on course
The organiser advertises 15 support points for 2027, with water throughout, sports drink at a handful of them, gel at one or two and bananas, savoury food and gummies at several. Two sponge stops were listed for 2026. Medical points were marked at Ibirapuera and USP. No kilometre-by-kilometre grid was published.
Partner brands included Mombora, Aminovital and Danone YoPro. A sponsor list says nothing about serving sizes or what an ordinary runner can expect at their pace, so bring the gels you have trained with.
| Km | Water | Sports drink | Food / other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not published by kilometre | 15 stations advertised | Five points in the preview; four in the app | Gel at one or two points; banana, savoury food and gummies at several; two sponge points; medical points at Ibirapuera and USP |
Spectating
Choose one accessible viewing point and a meeting place outside the finish, since the start and finish are 5.4 km apart. A runner at an even 5:40 per km (a four-hour pace) reaches km 10 about 57 minutes after their own start, km 25 at about 2 hours 22 and km 32 at about 3 hours 01. Those are arithmetic examples, not predictions, and the waves leave over more than an hour. The app offers live tracking, but 2027 availability and update speed were not tested.
CET's road closures show where runners will be. They are not a map of spectator access. Avoid the tunnels and any plan that needs a crossing of closed roads.
- Watch the start from the public side of Praça Charles Miller without entering the pens.
- Travel independently to the Jockey Club public entrance, listed in the app as Gate 12.
- The rail walks from Cidade Jardim, Hebraica–Rebouças and Butantã are 1.5 km, 2.5 km and 2.6 km respectively. No dependable door-to-door time exists.
- Choose a pavement in the Ramos de Azevedo and Viaduto do Chá section and stay on one side.
- Use the tracking as a cue rather than a timetable.
- Check closures and the final gate instructions before heading to the finish.
- The western out-and-back legs around Praça Panamericana and Pedroso de Moraes offer repeat views in principle.
- Pavement access, crossing controls and the walk from the nearest station were not verified.
- A supporter based near the finish can instead pick one confirmed viewing point and a reunion place.
Post-race food
Iulia Jockey, at Rua Doutor José Augusto de Queiroz 93 beside Gate 1 of the Jockey Club, serves pasta, risotto and grilled dishes. Race enclosures may affect access to the entrance, and the app's public gate is a different one, so check Sunday service before planning to meet there.
QCeviche Faria Lima, inside the ibis Styles hotel at Rua Tavares Cabral 61 in Pinheiros, serves Peruvian food. D.O.K, the restaurant at the Radisson Blu on Avenida Cidade Jardim 625, suits a meal after a transfer. Neither has a verified walk from the finish, and the river and bridges matter. Race-day hours are not confirmed.
Book flexibly, and keep a snack. A full meal in the finisher's pack is not guaranteed.
Where to Stay
The start and finish are different places, so choose which end of the day to optimise. The river makes a map-near hotel less convenient than it looks.
Pacaembu and Higienópolis
These are the start-side areas. They avoid a reliance on the first train, but no five-minute walk to the pens has been verified, and Avenida Pacaembu is closed on race morning. Ask your hotel how it would send you to the start.
Perdizes
Transamerica Executive Perdizes, at Rua Monte Alegre 835, was one of three partner hotels named for 2026. It suits a start-side stay, and the return from the Jockey Club must be arranged separately.
Consolação and Paulista
Transamerica Executive Bela Cintra, at Rua Bela Cintra 1356, was another named partner. It is a good base if you want museums and rail, though the walk to Paulista station is not the 1.7 km measured from the station to the start.
Oscar Freire
Quality Suites Oscar Freire, at Rua Oscar Freire 1948, was the third partner. Standard checkout is at 12:00, which is early for a slower marathon finish.
Pinheiros and Itaim Bibi
ibis Styles Faria Lima and the Radisson Blu are on the western side. They suit recovery, although both need a start transfer and a bridge or road to reach the Jockey Club.
Recommended hotels
Named by the organiser as a 2026 partner. Suites of at least 30 m², a restaurant and breakfast. Standard checkout is 12:00.
2026 partner and a Paulista-area base. Station distance is from the station to the start, not from the hotel.
2026 partner on the start side. The return from the Jockey Club needs separate planning.
Economy-category hotel with check-in at 15:00 and checkout at 12:00. Needs a start transfer.
Larger rooms and a hotel restaurant. A bridge crossing separates it from the finish.
Booking timeline
Entry for 25 July 2027 is open now, so secure the 42.2 km place first. The announced allocation of 10,000 Early Runner entries covers both distances, and no sell-out date is known. Check the final amount and cancellation terms at purchase.
A refundable hotel booking is sensible once you decide between a start-side and a city-break base. No hotel sell-out calendar or 2027 partner rate has been announced. Allow time for the expo, which in 2026 ended at 18:00 on Saturday, and recheck the start timetable, intermediate gates, bag arrangements and public arena access when the final manual appears. Confirm Sunday checkout, because the standard 12:00 time can fall before a slower finisher is back.
See & Do
Distances are from the finish, kilometres first, then miles.
MASP, Avenida Paulista
Ordinary Sunday hours are 10:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:00, and Monday is closed. Tuesday is free under the current programme, with an online reservation required even for free entry. A short visit suits race Sunday afternoon; Monday is not a fallback.
Pinacoteca de São Paulo
The visitor guide currently lists Wednesday to Monday, 10:00 to 18:00, last admission 17:00, closed on Tuesdays. If that schedule holds, Monday 26 July 2027 could be a useful indoor recovery day. One ticket covers the three buildings, so choose one.
Museu do Futebol, Pacaembu
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:00, closed on Mondays, free on Tuesdays. Visit during expo days rather than adding a cross-city trip after the race. Race-morning closures take priority over ordinary visitor access.
After the Race
The São Paulo City Marathon is run on a Sunday in late July, when the city is in its dry winter and the coast and mountains are quiet. The Monday after is a day when many museums are shut, so the four options below start with a gentle town on the city's western edge and run as far as the colonial streets of Paraty. Book buses and check opening days for your dates.
A short arts-and-crafts town west of the city, planned around the Monday after the race when the weekend craft fair is not running.
A coastal night with the coffee museum on the Tuesday, better placed than a Monday visit.
A mountain town in winter with a music festival, suited to a slower recovery.
Four nights in a colonial coastal town, with optional boat trips towards Ilha Grande.