Marrakech Marathon 2027: your 12-week plan to January 31, sessions on your Garmin
Race day is Sunday, January 31, 2027 at 7:45 a.m., and training starts on Monday, November 9, so the holidays land mid-build. In two minutes, Running Workout sets the plan to that date; then your AI assistant (Claude, ChatGPT…) sends each week's sessions to your watch through Garmin Connect, and adjusts what follows after a holiday week.
Last updated: October 27, 2026
Marrakech International Marathon
Sun, January 31, 2027
94 days
to race day
- Distance
- 26.2 mi
- Edition
- 37th
- Start
- 7:45 a.m.
- Time limit
- 5 h 30
Plan starts: Mon, November 9 (12 weeks)
Train for January 31Free to start · official Garmin connection
Try it now
Ask your assistant
Once your Garmin is connected, paste one of these into Claude or ChatGPT:
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« I'm running the Marrakech Marathon on January 31, 2027: build my 12 weeks of training, with 4 runs a week. »
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« Send a session to my watch for the palm grove drags: 4 × 1.25 miles at marathon pace on a gentle climb. »
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« I barely ran over Christmas: review the week and adjust the rest of my build for Marrakech. »
Free to start · 4 workouts a month sent to your watch
Your training, timed for January 31
The plan lasts 12 weeks, starting on Mon, November 9. With more time, it can start on October 12 with 4 lead-in weeks.
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Weeks 1–3
Base
Nov 9 → Nov 29
Settle volume, wake threshold up
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Weeks 4–7
Development
Nov 30 → Dec 27
Marathon pace comes in, long runs get longer
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Weeks 8–10
Specific
Dec 28 → Jan 17
Long blocks at marathon pace, 2-hour-plus runs
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Weeks 11–12
Taper
Jan 18 → Jan 31
Two weeks to arrive fresh
A flat course, with drags in the palm grove
The Marrakech International Marathon is flat and fast, despite a few gentle uphill drags in the palm grove, according to the organizer. Start and finish are in the same place, on Avenue Prince Moulay Rachid (formerly Avenue de la Ménara), behind the Sofitel hotel. The course runs past avenues of palm, orange and olive trees, and along the city ramparts.
The time limit is 5 h 30: worth bearing in mind if you expect to take more than 5 hours. Aid stations every 5 km (about 3 miles) with water and orange slices, sponge stations every 5 km from km 7, and timing points at km 10 and km 30.
Three sessions for the flat and the drags
On a flat course, the key is holding marathon pace, including when the road rises slightly. Ask your AI assistant for these three sessions: it builds them and sends them to your Garmin watch, with paces worked out from your MAS.
- Drags: 15 min warm-up, 4 × 1.25 miles at marathon pace on a gently rising road, 2 min jogging recovery, 10 min cool-down.
- Marathon-pace blocks: 20 min warm-up, 3 × 2.5 miles at marathon pace (77–79% of MAS), 3 min easy jog between blocks, 10 min cool-down.
- Long run at race time: 2 hours with the last 30 minutes at marathon pace, starting around 7:45 a.m. on a Sunday, to rehearse your wake-up and breakfast for the start.
A build that runs through the holidays
Late-January race: with 12 weeks, training starts on Monday, November 9; if you start earlier, Running Workout adds lead-in weeks at the start of the plan. Christmas and New Year fall in weeks 7 and 8, in the heart of the build; the longest run (2 h 30) comes in the week of January 4, then the taper.
A lighter holiday week? Your assistant reviews it from your Garmin activities, decides whether to repeat the week or carry on, and sends the next one to your watch. For the trip, arrive in time to collect your bib on Place de la Koutoubia, during the two days before the race.
Entry and race day
Entries are open online, on the Sport Up platform, for runners coming from abroad; residents of Morocco enter through the Association du Grand Atlas. Minimum age: 17 for the marathon, 16 for the half marathon. The marathon starts at 7:45 a.m., the half marathon at 9:15 a.m. The organizer announces more than 15,000 runners.
Frequently asked questions
When is the 2027 Marrakech Marathon?
Sunday, January 31, 2027, with a 7:45 a.m. start, for the 37th edition, according to the official site. The half marathon starts the same day at 9:15 a.m.
What is the time limit?
5 h 30 for the marathon, according to article 8 of the race rules. You must be 17 or older for the marathon, 16 for the half marathon.
Marrakech or Seville for a winter marathon?
Two flat courses, three weeks apart: Marrakech on January 31, Seville on February 21, 2027. Marrakech starts earlier (7:45 a.m. versus 8:30 a.m.) and has a shorter time limit (5 h 30 versus 6 hours). The Running Workout plan is the same: only the date changes.
Is Running Workout free?
Free to start: Garmin connection, plans, reading your activities and 4 workouts a month sent to your watch. Running Workout Pro (€4.90 a month or €35 a year, no commitment) removes the limit.
Marrakech International Marathon
January 31 is 94 days away.
The plan is set to that date; your assistant does the rest, week after week.