SPORT · SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA
Key Facts
- —Date Sunday 6 December 2026, in the race’s 30th year, with a half marathon, a 10K, a 5K and a relay on the same morning.
- —Venue Estadio Nacional in the Parque Metropolitano La Sabana, San José, Costa Rica, on closed city streets.
- —Distances Marathon of 42.195 km run as four laps of the base circuit, half marathon of 21.097 km, 10K, 5K and a four-person marathon relay.
- —Start time 6:00 a.m. local time on Sunday 6 December (7:00 a.m. US Eastern) for every distance, the same hour as in 2025; no printed race-day schedule has been published yet.
- —Tickets Online entry through the organiser’s registration site, with Sport WENS for Costa Rican residents and World’s Marathons for foreign runners, open until Sunday 22 November 2026 or until all 3,000 places are sold.
- —Prices ₡30,000 (about US$66) for the marathon, ₡25,000 (about US$55) for the half marathon, ₡20,000 (about US$44) for the 10K, ₡15,000 (about US$33) for the 5K and ₡80,000 (about US$176) for a relay team.
- —How to watch No live broadcast or stream has been announced, and official results are due online after the race.
- —For US visitors No visa is needed for stays under 180 days with a return ticket, and the State Department rates Costa Rica at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution.
- —Power Index Costa Rica ranks 9th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 36.5 points (October 2026 edition).
The San José Marathon Costa Rica, a road race that the organiser says is certified by the international marathon association AIMS, takes place on Sunday 6 December 2026 in the Costa Rican capital. Entry is open at ₡30,000 (about US$66) for the full 42.195 km distance, and the organiser caps the field at 3,000 athletes.
For US readers this is a short trip with no visa for a race with a 30-year history and a fast city course, and the organiser says times run in San José are valid for Boston qualifying. The organiser has published prices and a closing date but no printed race-day schedule or spectator plan, so this guide separates what is confirmed from what is not.
A 30-Year-Old Race Beside the Estadio Nacional
The Asociación Marathon Internacional Costa Rica, a non-profit founded in 1993, organises the race and says it is celebrating 30 years of history in 2026. Regional outlets counted the race on Sunday 7 December 2025 as the 29th edition, which makes 2026 the 30th.
The organiser says the race is certified by AIMS and World Athletics and endorsed by the Costa Rican athletics federation. It also says that times run in San José are valid for qualifying for the Boston Marathon and other elite events.
In 2025 the newspaper CRHoy listed runners from countries including the United States, Canada and Mexico, with start and finish at the Estadio Nacional. That stadium stands inside La Sabana, the large metropolitan park that is the city’s main green space.
The Course and the Four Distances
The official course page describes a fast urban circuit through the main avenues of San José, with gentle slopes and AIMS certification. The marathon is four laps of that base circuit and the half marathon is two laps, while the 10K is a single fast circuit and the 5K is a non-competitive family run through the centre.
The 2025 route, as CRHoy described it, left the north side of the Estadio Nacional, climbed Boulevard Las Américas to the León Cortés statue and ran along Paseo Colón and Avenida Segunda to a turnaround. It then came back past the Gimnasio Nacional, took the Próspero Fernández highway toward Pavas and returned along Boulevard Ernesto Rohrmoser to the stadium.
The 2026 route map is on the organiser’s site, but its text does not list the start street or the order of the avenues, so assume a similar layout until the organiser says otherwise. The relay uses the same circuit, with four runners each completing one full lap, and teams that have not reached Paseo Colón within six hours are picked up by sweep vehicles.
The organiser promises water and isotonic drinks every 2.5 km, fixed and mobile medical posts and full street closures along the route. Entry includes a finisher medal, an official shirt, a snack, bag check, an insurance policy and an AIMS-certified time.
Race Weekend and Start Time
The organiser’s visible pages give the date, 6 December 2026, but no start time, expo address or bib-pickup hours, although the event data embedded in its home page lists a 6:00 a.m. start in Costa Rica time. The international registration platform also lists 6:00 a.m. local for every distance, the same hour as the 2025 race, which is 7:00 a.m. US Eastern time.
Costa Rica does not change its clocks, and US clocks went back on Sunday 1 November, so the capital is one hour behind the US East Coast on race day. A 6:00 a.m. start in San José is therefore 7:00 a.m. in New York and 4:00 a.m. in Los Angeles.
The same platform says bibs can be collected on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 December from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Estadio Nacional, and that someone else may collect a pack with the confirmation and a passport photo. The organiser has not confirmed those hours, so check its site or its WhatsApp line before you plan your Friday.
The organiser’s travel page suggests a visitor weekend with arrival on Thursday, a Poás volcano or Cartago excursion on Friday, kit pickup and an early night on Saturday, and the race on Sunday. December is the start of the dry season, with mornings of 16 to 20 degrees Celsius (61 to 68 F) and afternoons up to 26 degrees Celsius (79 F), according to the same page.
Entry, Prices and Deadlines
Entry costs ₡30,000 (about US$66) for the marathon, ₡25,000 (about US$55) for the half marathon, ₡20,000 (about US$44) for the 10K and ₡15,000 (about US$33) for the 5K. A relay team of four pays ₡80,000 (about US$176) per team, with all conversions at the central bank’s reference sell rate of 453.56 colones per dollar on 20 October.
Registration closes on Sunday 22 November 2026 or when the 3,000 places are gone, and the organiser warns that amounts may change, so confirm the price at checkout. The 2025 marathon fee was the same ₡30,000 (about US$66), while the relay team fee rose from ₡75,000 (about US$165) to ₡80,000 (about US$176) at today’s rate.
Costa Rican residents register on the Sport WENS platform, and the organiser sends foreign runners to World’s Marathons, an English-language platform. That platform lists the marathon at 54 euros (about US$61), the half marathon at 45 euros (about US$50), the 10K at 36 euros (about US$40) and the 5K at 27 euros (about US$30), with all euro conversions at 0.8917 euros per dollar on 20 October and a refund possible within 24 hours of registering.
That platform shows a closing date of 1 December, nine days later than the organiser’s 22 November, so treat 22 November as the deadline. Race Roster, a third-party site, lists a Friday 4 December date that matches no official page and should be ignored.
Elite and Master runners compete only in their own General category and are not ranked in age groups, and the category chosen at registration is final. Age groups for the marathon run from 18 to 24 up to 75 and older, and there is also a tricycle category for men and women aged 75 and older.
Watching and Following the Race
The organiser has announced no live television or streaming, and its site says official results, photos and diplomas go online immediately after the race on 6 December. There is no US broadcaster to name, so followers in the United States should plan to check the organiser’s results page once the race ends.
No spectator tickets or fan zones are mentioned by the organiser, and the street circuit is closed to traffic. The regional race listing A Buen Paso calls the entry onto the stadium track before the finish one of the most spectacular moments of the day.
CRHoy reported that in 2025 the street closures began at 4:30 a.m. and that roads stayed fully closed until 10 a.m., then reopened gradually as runners finished. Drivers and visitors staying near Paseo Colón should expect a similar pattern on 6 December.
Getting to San José From the US
Most US visitors will fly into Juan Santamaría International Airport, which the organiser’s travel page lists as the main gateway together with Daniel Oduber airport in Liberia. Breeze Airways began Tampa to San José flights on Saturday 3 October, as our report Five US Cities Get New Flights to Costa Rica explains, and other US airlines have added seasonal routes to the country.
The organiser suggests hotels along Paseo Colón, steps from the circuit, or around La Sabana park, with the historic centre for museums and theatres. Getting around is by Uber, official red taxis, buses and an urban train between Sabana and the centre, and a rental car is useful mainly for day trips.
Our San José City Guide for Expats and Visitors covers neighbourhoods and costs, and What to Do in San José in October 2026: Iron Maiden and Tango shows the capital’s current events calendar. Visitors who stay on can see the San José Festival of Light Parade on 12 December 2026 on the Saturday after the race.
What It Means for US Readers
US citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays of under 180 days, but Costa Rica requires a return or onward ticket and a passport valid for the length of the stay, according to the State Department country page opened on 20 October 2026. The same page says travellers may carry up to US$10,000 in cash in or out of the country and that proof of yellow fever vaccination is required only from travellers arriving from certain countries.
The State Department rates Costa Rica at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, because of crime, in an advisory issued on 2 April 2026. It says petty crime is common throughout the country, that armed robbers often target smartphones, wallets or purses, and that violent crime also affects tourists.
It advises against walking alone on poorly lit streets or in isolated areas, especially at night, against leaving valuables in an unattended vehicle and against resisting a robbery, and it lists 911 for police and +506 2519 2000 for the US Embassy. Because the 2025 closures began at 4:30 a.m., plan to reach the stadium area well before the start, using a pre-booked ride or a walk from a Paseo Colón hotel.
Not the June Marathon
Do not confuse this race with the Maratón San José BCR, which took place on Sunday 7 June 2026 and was run by the San José municipal sports committee with sponsorship from Banco de Costa Rica. AmeliaRueda.com described that race as the eighth edition, with its start and finish at the Parque Central in the city centre.
The December race is run by the independent Asociación Marathon Internacional Costa Rica, starts and finishes at the Estadio Nacional and has its own entry site. Check the date and the organiser on any registration page before you pay, because both events carry the San José name.
What Is Not Confirmed Yet
The organiser’s pages do not print a 2026 race-day schedule beyond the 6:00 a.m. start in their embedded event data, and they do not confirm the bib-pickup hours, the written route, the start corral or any spectator plan. They also do not say whether all 3,000 places are still available or whether prices change before the 22 November deadline.
No live broadcast or list of elite starters has been announced in the sources opened on 20 October 2026. We will not guess at details that the organiser has not published.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the San José Marathon in Costa Rica in 2026?
The San José Marathon is on Sunday 6 December 2026, with the Estadio Nacional in San José as the venue. The 6:00 a.m. start (7:00 a.m. US Eastern) appears in the organiser’s event data and on the international registration platform, but no printed schedule has been published.
How much does it cost to enter and how do I register?
The marathon costs ₡30,000 (about US$66) and the half marathon ₡25,000 (about US$55), with the 10K at ₡20,000 (about US$44) and the 5K at ₡15,000 (about US$33). Foreign runners register through the English-language World’s Marathons platform, and registration closes on 22 November 2026 or when the 3,000 places are sold.
Can I watch the race live from the United States?
No live broadcast or stream has been announced by the organiser. Official results, photos and diplomas are due on its website immediately after the race.
Do US citizens need a visa to run in Costa Rica?
No, US citizens can stay in Costa Rica for under 180 days without a visa, but a return or onward ticket is required, according to the State Department. The State Department rates Costa Rica at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, because of crime.
Sources: Organiser, entry and prices · Organiser, courses · Organiser, categories · Organiser, certifications · Organiser, travel page · World’s Marathons listing · CRHoy, 4 December 2025 · A Buen Paso, 2025 edition · AmeliaRueda.com, 5 June 2026 · State Department, Costa Rica · State Department, advisory · Costa Rica Finance Ministry, central bank reference rate 20 October 2026 · Delfino.cr, 7 May 2026
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
Living in or visiting San José? See this month's events and our San José city guide with rents, safety and upcoming concerts.