My marathons

Marathon San Jose Costa Rica

San José
National Theatre of Costa Rica
National Theatre of Costa Rica. Photograph by Mariordo ((Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz), CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The course

The organiser describes the marathon as four laps of a certified base circuit through the main avenues of San José, with a water point every 2.5 km.

The course in short 2 lines
  • Four laps of an urban circuitFour laps of the base circuit through the main avenues, with water every 2.5 km.
  • AIMS certified, 3,000 places, in its 30th year42,195 m certified by AIMS; 3,000 places across all distances; relay limit of six hours.
Course notes 2 short reads on the course
km 0 to 42.2GeometryFour laps of an urban circuitFour laps of the base circuit through the main avenues, with water every 2.5 km.

The organiser calls the circuit a fast, flat urban route with gentle slopes through the main arteries of San José. The 42K is four laps of the AIMS certified base circuit and the half marathon two laps. Water and isotonic drinks are given every 2.5 km, with fixed and mobile medical assistance on the circuit.

Sourced

km 0 to 42.2TacticsAIMS certified, 3,000 places, in its 30th year42,195 m certified by AIMS; 3,000 places across all distances; relay limit of six hours.

The race on Sunday 6 December 2026 is run by a non-profit association founded in 1993, and the organiser counts 30 years of history. The marathon distance is 42,195 m certified by AIMS, and times are recorded and certified for every participant. Elite and Master entrants compete only in their own category, apart from the age groups. The marathon can also be run as a relay of four athletes, with a six-hour limit.

Sourced

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

5 gels for San José, plus 1 spare

Finish

One every 40 minutes, by the clock:

  1. km 7mile 4.4
  2. km 14.1mile 8.7
  3. km 21.1mile 13.1
  4. km 28.1mile 17.5
  5. km 35.2mile 21.8

Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side.

Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.

Order by 15 November to test them on two long runs first.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.

Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.

Anti-chafe
Compeed Anti-blister stick
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.

Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.

Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Number belt
A race number belt
Illustration · drag to turn

Compressport Race Belt

Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.

Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.

Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Electrolytes
A tube of electrolyte tablets
Illustration · drag to turn

SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20

One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.

One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.

Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Blister plasters
Compeed Blister plasters, medium, 6
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.

Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.

Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
distance
42.2 km26.2 mi

Trip

Getting a place

Entry through the organiser

Entry details on the organiser’s site →

The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.

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