Fourteen kilometres on the flat, then the JoáFlat along the shore for 14 km, then one climb of about 30 m over the Joá viaducts.
The high point at km 21.7, then two tunnels and a flat finishA second hill peaks at km 21.7. The Túnel Novo and Pasmado follow; the last 8 km are flat.
Course notes
2 short reads on the course
1km 0 to 19GradientFourteen kilometres on the flat, then the JoáFlat along the shore for 14 km, then one climb of about 30 m over the Joá viaducts.
From the start at Recreio the course runs beside the sea, and for the first 14.5 km it never
leaves a band between 3 m and 8 m above sea level. That is the fast part of the day. The low
point of the whole marathon comes at the end of it, 2.4 m at about km 14.5.
Then the road lifts. From km 14.5 it climbs about 30 m in 2.5 km, to roughly 32 m at km 16.3,
and it does so on structures: the Ponte da Joatinga at km 15.0, the Túnel do Joá at km 15.9 and
the Elevado do Joá from km 16.2 to km 17.7. The top is a plateau of about a kilometre at 32 m,
and by km 19 the road is back down at 8 m.
Anyone who has run the flat opening on feel meets it there, a third of the way in.
The course map the organiser has published is the 2026 one; the 2027 course is “em breve” on
the organiser’s page, so the kilometres above are those of the 2026 line.
Measured
2km 19 to 42.2GradientThe high point at km 21.7, then two tunnels and a flat finishA second hill peaks at km 21.7. The Túnel Novo and Pasmado follow; the last 8 km are flat.
The second hill comes just past the half. From 8 m at km 19.9 the road rises to 38.8 m at km 21.7,
the highest point of the course, and holds it to about km 22.3 before coming down to 6 m by km 24.
That is about 31 m in 1.8 km, a steeper lift than the one at Joá, and the runner reaches it
already past halfway.
The last third has two more smaller rises, both through tunnels. Past km 30.7 the road climbs
from 4 m to about 22 m at km 31.7, running through the Túnel Novo (km 31.6 to 31.9), and falls
again through the Túnel do Pasmado (km 32.8 to 33.0). By km 33.5 it is back at 4 m.
The final 8 km between the shore and the finish at the Monumento aos Pracinhas in the Aterro do
Flamengo are the flattest stretch after the start: a single bump of 11 m at about km 39.5, and
the finish at under 5 m. The whole course climbs about 110 m.
The organiser’s published map is the 2026 course; the 2027 course is announced as coming.
Measured
At a glance
distance
42.2 km26.2 mi
Point to point, asphalt
climb
110.4 m362 ft
Highest point 36 m above lowest
cut-off
6:00 h
6 hours
A point-to-point run along the coast from Recreio dos Bandeirantes to the Aterro do Flamengo, passing Barra da Tijuca, Ipanema and Copacabana.
The Maratona do Rio is a point-to-point course of 42.2 km with 110.4 m of climbing. Its lowest point is 2 m and its highest 39 m above sea level. Next race: Sunday 30 May 2027, starting at 05:30.
Race week
Timetable
Sunday 30 May Race day
05:305:30 AM
Marathon startStart time as published on the organiser's 2027 marathon page, in Recreio (the exact spot is still to be set). The finish is at the Aterro do Flamengo, by the Monumento aos Pracinhas.
Time not published
Overall time limitCut-off time of 6 hours for the marathon, as stated on the organiser's 2027 page and in its 2027 regulation.6:00 limit: 8:31/km for 42.195 km6:00 limit: 13:43/mi for 26.2 mi
Times as published by Dream Factory, in Rio de Janeiro time, checked .
Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Gamla stan, by Arild Vågen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Edinburgh Castle, by Stephencdickson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Parliament Hill, by David Samuel, User:Hellodavey1902, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Palacio Salvo, by Mx. Granger, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Schönbrunn Palace, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
Questions about the Maratona do Rio
Is the Maratona do Rio course flat?
Not entirely. It has 110.4 m of climbing over 42.2 km. The highest point is 36 m above the lowest.
When is the Maratona do Rio 2027?
Sunday 30 May 2027. The start is at 05:30.
How do I enter the Maratona do Rio?
The 2027 ballot has closed. It opened on 31 August 2026, closed on 13 September and the results came out on 25 September. There are 2 ways in: General ballot and Direct entry for runners from abroad. Entry fee: R$359 (for the 2027 race). Entry details on the organiser’s site
