--- title: "Everything you need to know about the Maratón Costa Rica" published: 2015-12-03 updated: 2026-08-04 source: "https://dev-abp.massivoai.com/en/articles/todo-lo-que-necesitas-saber-sobre-la-maraton-costa-rica" --- # Everything you need to know about the Maratón Costa Rica **The Maratón Costa Rica will celebrate its twentieth edition this Sunday, with its already traditional official distances of marathon and half marathon, as well as recreational distances of 8k and 4k. Loved and hated in equal measure, this is the country's oldest (current) marathon and every year Paseo Colón closes completely to make way for hundreds of runners who brave the heat and the challenging course.** Whether the time change is a point in favor or against is unclear. It depends on how you look at it. The thing is that due to Traffic Engineering's instructions, the start time changed from the traditional 1 p.m. to 6 a.m. This means that those running 4k and 8k will do so in cool weather, but those running half marathon and marathon will inevitably have to endure the strong morning sun. The first piece of advice is obvious: arrive very well hydrated and stay that way during the race, drinking water and electrolyte drinks every 15-20 minutes and splashing water on yourself when the sun is hottest. The marathon and half marathon courses are certified, which means the distance is exact: 21.0975 for half marathon and 42.195 for marathon. But they are difficult courses. Let's start with the marathon: it begins with almost 5k of climbing, slight but climbing nonetheless, where it will be very important to regulate your pace well to avoid falling apart later. Then come 4k of very favorable downhill, from the Gimnasio Nacional to the United States Embassy. But what follows requires a lot of mental strength and endurance: 7k of continuous climbing, as the climb to Bulevar de Rohrmoser combines with the (slightly gentler) climb of Sabana Norte and Paseo Colón. Since the course consists of three identical loops, the pattern continues the same: from kilometer 11 onward it's 7k uphill, 7k downhill, 7k uphill, 7k downhill, and the final 3k uphill to the finish. ![Alt maraton](https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/t31.0-8/s2048x2048/12314418_1003767589680566_175057671663547193_o.jpg "Alt maraton") The half marathon is similar and constantly alternates between uphill and downhill sections. As seen in the elevation profile below, the course starts with 5k of slight climbing followed by 7k of downhill. Then it's up and down: 3.5 kilometers of climbing, 4k of downhill, and the final 3k of climbing. ![Alt MM](https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/t31.0-8/s2048x2048/12308030_1003767586347233_7811725938849210749_o.jpg "Alt MM") The half marathon and marathon will have eight aid stations per lap. The stations alternate between water and electrolyte drinks only and water only. Those running the marathon will also have a couple of stations with fruit. The 4k will have only 1 aid station and the 8k will have 5 aid stations as shown in the official event map. Below you can see the elevation profile of the 8k: it starts with 1k of slight climbing, followed by 4k of downhill and finishes with 3k of climbing along Bulevar de Rohrmoser. ![Alt 8k](https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpt1/t31.0-8/s2048x2048/12339617_1003767563013902_2844910541074901909_o.jpg "Alt 8k") Although all starts are scheduled for 6 a.m., the organizers have told us that the start will be by distance order: marathon, then half marathon, and finally the mini-marathon distances (4k and 8k). It's a good idea to arrive early to get a comfortable spot at the start, as there will be no time-based corrals. **Other considerations:** - Streets will close starting at 5:40 a.m. There will be total closure of Paseo Colón, Avenida Segunda, and Bulevar de las Américas, partial closure (1 lane) from Gimnasio Nacional and the street toward Pavas, and closure of Bulevar de Rohrmoser in the west-east direction. - Packet pickup will be on Saturday, December 5 at the Estadio Nacional ticket office, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be no expo, you simply arrive to pick up your packet and that's it. - To pick up your packet you only need to bring your registration confirmation. - Those running the marathon will have a maximum of six hours to complete the course. - You can see more details about the race and detailed maps of each distance[**HERE**](../../../Race/detail/54/maraton-san-jose).     A Buen Paso uses [Massivo](https://massivoai.com), the event-registration platform that powers this article.