Buenos Aires Marathon: Nearly 17,000 Runners Close Argentina’s Capital on Sunday 20 September 2026

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The Buenos Aires Marathon runs on Sunday 20 September 2026, starting at 07:00 in Palermo. Closures follow the runners through Retiro, Puerto Madero and La Boca all morning.

At 07:00 on Sunday 20 September the corner of Figueroa Alcorta and Dorrego belongs to runners. The Buenos Aires Marathon has nearly 17,000 entries, and the streets shut as they pass.

From the corral at half past five to the gun at seven

The starting corrals open at 05:30 and close at 06:45. Runners are sorted into waves by the finishing time they expect.

The gun goes at 07:00 on Avenida Figueroa Alcorta, at the Dorrego corner in Palermo. The full 42.195 kilometres (26.2 miles) end on the same stretch of road.

El Monterizo counted nearly 17,000 entries on 9 September and called it the largest field the race has had. Organisers expect the number to keep climbing.

The race has been run since 1984 and carries a World Athletics label. That body governs track and road running worldwide.

More than 5,000 foreign runners are expected on top of the local field. They come from more than 45 countries.

Where the course goes, and what it takes with it

The route threads Palermo, Retiro, Puerto Madero and La Boca. It passes the Obelisco, the Teatro Colón and the Casa Rosada.

That is most of what a visitor wants to see on a Sunday. Plaza de Mayo, the Microcentro and the Costanera all sit beside the course.

The busiest piece of road in the city will be Figueroa Alcorta at Dorrego. Start, finish and bag drop share one block.

Organisers say the operational detail of the circuit can still change. The map on the race website is the one to check last.

The closures move with the runners

As of 13 September the city government had not published its street closure plan for this year. What follows is the shape of past years, not a timetable.

A street reopens once the last runner has gone through. That means it may be shut for four minutes or for four hours.

In 2025 the northern arm of Figueroa Alcorta was closed from 16:00 on the Saturday. It stayed shut until 18:30 on the Sunday.

The same plan closed the rest of the course in rolling fashion from 07:00 to 13:00. The 2019 notice shut the Illia, 25 de Mayo and 9 de Julio Sur ramps from 06:00 to 13:00.

August’s half marathon here ran its closures from 05:00 to 12:00, the day an Ethiopian rewrote the world record. Infobae called those closures total, momentary and successive.

If your flight leaves that morning

Aeroparque stands on the Costanera, minutes from the start line. Its code is AEP, and most domestic flights leave from there.

Palermo and the Costanera are precisely where the road space disappears. A late-morning flight out of Aeroparque needs a much earlier taxi than usual.

Ezeiza, code EZE, is the international airport 35 kilometres (22 miles) south-west of the centre. The road out to it runs away from the course.

The trouble there is the first few kilometres, not the motorway. Getting onto the Ricchieri can be slow while the ramps are shut.

Aeroparque has had one hard weekend already this year, when flights moved to Ezeiza for 55 hours. A road race is far smaller, but the lesson about spare time holds.

Buses, the Subte and the long way round

Bus routes that cross the course have to be diverted. No operator has published a list for this year, so read the notice at your stop.

The Subte, the city’s underground railway, is the one way across town that a closed street cannot block. It runs on Sundays, though it starts later than on weekdays.

Several lines reach Plaza de Mayo, the Obelisco and Retiro. All three stand on or beside the course.

Taxis and ride-hailing apps will cost more and take longer. A driver cannot cross a closed street, so a short trip becomes a long loop.

In 2019 the city kept the Metrobus lanes on Avenida Leandro Alem open. The 2025 course used Paseo del Bajo instead, so the published map settles it.

What a runner flying in has to do first

There is no bib collection on race morning. Kit is handed out at the expo in Parque Sarmiento, with the entrance on Avenida Triunvirato.

The official site lists Friday 18 September from 11:00 to 20:00. Saturday 19 September runs from 09:00 to 16:00.

Bring photo identification, your QR code and your bib number. Someone else may collect the kit for you if they follow the organisers’ rules.

The course is flat and certified, and the city calls it the fastest marathon in Latin America. That matters to anyone chasing a qualifying time.

Entry for foreign runners was listed at US$120 on the official site. September is early spring here, so a 07:00 start is usually cool rather than cold.

Three things still open in the final week

Exact closure times, bus diversions and the official cut-off are all unsettled. Each of them lands in the last few days before the race.

Race listings carry a six-hour limit. The organisers do not print one on their own site, so the expo is the place to ask.

The city usually posts its traffic notice shortly before a large race. Its website and the race site are where it will appear.

By Sunday lunchtime the barriers come down and the avenues fill with cars again. Until then, the centre of Buenos Aires belongs to people on foot.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What time does the Buenos Aires Marathon 2026 start?

The race starts at 07:00 on Sunday 20 September 2026. Starting corrals open at 05:30 and close at 06:45.

Which streets close for the marathon in Buenos Aires?

The course runs through Palermo, Retiro, Puerto Madero and La Boca, passing the Obelisco and the Casa Rosada. The city had not published its 2026 closure list as of 13 September.

Does the Subte run during the marathon?

The Subte runs on Sundays, although it starts later than on weekdays. No service changes have been announced for race day.

How do I get to Ezeiza airport on race day?

Ezeiza sits away from the course, so the motorway itself should be clear. Allow extra time to leave the centre while motorway ramps are closed.

Sources: Maraton de Buenos Aires, Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, El Monterizo, Infobae, Calendario de Carreras; see https://www.maratondebuenosaires.com/ and https://linda.buenosaires.gob.ar/eventos/42k-de-buenos-aires and https://elmonterizo.com/la-maraton-de-buenos-aires-vuelve-con-un-record-de-inscriptos-el-dato-que-sorprende and https://deportv.gob.ar/polideportivo/corren-maraton-aires-record-inscriptos-circuito-cortes-transito-nid:7246 and https://buenosaires.gob.ar/gcaba_historico/noticias/maraton-de-buenos-aires-42k-te-contamos-cuales-son-las-afectaciones-al