The event reached a major milestone, receiving World Athletics Gold Label status
Big news for runners and fitness enthusiasts as the Abu Dhabi Marathon has reached a major milestone after being awarded World Athletics Gold Label Road Race status.
This latest development places the event among the most well-organised and internationally recognised road races in the world.
You can think of a ‘Gold Label’ as a kind of VIP certification in global distance running. It’s only given to races that meet strict standards including elite athlete participation, strong safety systems, accurate course measurement, broadcast quality, and a high-quality experience for both professional and amateur runners.
For Abu Dhabi, it signals that the marathon is no longer just a regional event, but one that sits firmly on the global athletics map.
What makes this achievement more impressive is how quickly the event has grown. When it launched in 2018, it welcomed around 10,000 participants.
By 2019, that number had risen to over 16,000, and after a pandemic pause, it returned with even stronger momentum.
You might also like: This new train will let you travel from Abu Dhabi to Oman in under 2 hours
In recent editions, participation has surged to tens of thousands, with the latest event attracting around 35,000 runners across all race categories, representing more than 150 nationalities.
That growth story matters because it shows a clear trajectory: Abu Dhabi is building a mass participation sporting event at scale, but also layering in elite international competition.
The race includes everything from the full marathon distance to shorter community runs, making it accessible to both serious athletes and casual runners.
To put this into perspective, the world’s biggest marathons are still ahead in scale and popularity:
- London Marathon, 2026: 60,000
- Boston Marathon, 2026: 30,000
- Abu Dhabi Marathon, 2025: 35,000
While Abu Dhabi is not yet at London’s scale in a single-race mass finish, its growth curve is what stands out.
View this post on Instagram
In less than a decade, it has moved from a new regional race to a globally recognised event attracting elite athletes and large community participation.
If this impressive growth continues, it’s not unrealistic to see Abu Dhabi positioning itself alongside the world’s major marathon cities in the coming years, especially as participation and prestige continue to rise together.
Follow Yalla for all the latest news
