A city discovered by running
It’s seven in the morning and Buenos Aires is still waking up.
At Figueroa Alcorta and Dorrego, however, movement has already begun. Thousands of runners wait for the start. Some arrive seeking a personal best, others trained for months simply to cross the finish line, and professional athletes are capable of covering the same 42.195 kilometers at an almost unimaginable speed.
On Sunday, September 20, the Buenos Aires International Marathon once again takes over the city’s streets. The start and finish will be at the same point, in Palermo, beginning a circuit that crosses different neighborhoods and landscapes.
But there is something that sets this race apart: Buenos Aires also runs.
42 kilometers of Buenos Aires landmarks
The circuit works almost like a guided tour at another pace.
From Palermo, runners move through green areas, cross Recoleta and reach downtown. Along the way appear the Law School, Floralis Genérica, Teatro Colón, Corrientes Avenue, the Obelisk, the Cabildo and Plaza de Mayo.
Then the race continues towards La Boca and Puerto Madero before returning to Palermo. The Hippodrome, the Planetarium and Parque Tres de Febrero are also part of the 42K landscape.
They are familiar places, but that Sunday they look different.
Without the usual traffic and with thousands of people filling the avenues, Buenos Aires’ scale changes. Streets stop connecting points on a map to become kilometers conquered.
A race with more than four decades of history
Buenos Aires’ relationship with long-distance races began long before this marathon.
In 1903, a competition of about 40 kilometers was organized between downtown and Flores. In 1910, during the Centennial of the May Revolution, a race was held over the Olympic distance.
The first edition of the current Buenos Aires International Marathon took place in 1984. Since then it has been held every year, except in 2020.
Today it is one of the major events on Buenos Aires’ sports calendar. The organizers present it as the fastest marathon in Latin America, and the race is part of the international calendar. In 2025, more than 15,000 runners participated.
Running against oneself
In a marathon there are winners, records and times.
But among thousands of runners, many other races coexist.
There is the one who wants to beat their record. The one debuting at 42K. The one returning after an injury. The one who traveled thousands of kilometers to run in Buenos Aires. And the one whose only goal is to finish.
Completing a marathon involves months of training and a particular negotiation between body and mind. At a certain point, each kilometer can become a small goal.
Perhaps that is why the finish line has such special energy.
No matter if the clock shows just over two hours or many more: behind each person crossing the arch there is a different story.
Also lived from the sidewalk
You don’t need to run 42 kilometers to be part of it.
Family, friends, neighbors and onlookers accompany from different parts of the circuit and turn some stretches into true corridors of encouragement. In previous editions, music, DJs and artistic interventions added to the race’s landscape.
For visitors in Buenos Aires that weekend, it can also be an opportunity to approach a point along the route and experience a different morning.
Of course, the event implies traffic cuts and modifications on numerous avenues, so it is advisable to check updated information before moving around the city.
Before the 42K
The experience begins a few days earlier.
On Friday 18 and Saturday 19 of September, Parque Sarmiento hosts the Expo Running, where participants collect their kits. Friday from 11 am to 8 pm, Saturday from 9 am to 4 pm. Entrance via Triunvirato Avenue.
It is that moment when months of training start to feel real: bib, shirt, final preparations and a countdown now measured in hours.
Buenos Aires to the finish line
Running a marathon always implies covering a distance.
But doing it in a city adds another dimension.
Over 42.195 kilometers, neighborhoods, architecture, landscapes and people cheering from outside change. The Obelisk appears and is left behind. Then comes Plaza de Mayo. Later, La Boca. Puerto Madero. And finally Palermo again.
On Sunday 20, thousands of people will make that journey.
Some will seek a record. Others, simply to finish.
USEFUL INFORMATION
🏃 What
Buenos Aires International Marathon – 42K
📅 When
Sunday, September 20, 2026
🕖 Start
7 am
📍 Start and finish
Av. Figueroa Alcorta & Dorrego, Palermo
📏 Distance
42.195 km
🗺️ Route
Through Palermo, Recoleta, downtown, La Boca and Puerto Madero, passing landmarks such as the Planetarium, Floralis Genérica, Teatro Colón, Obelisk, Cabildo and Plaza de Mayo.
🎟️ Participation
Paid registration required. Registration remains open according to the organizers’ website.
👟 Expo Running & kit pickup
Friday 18: 11 am – 8 pm
Saturday 19: 9 am – 4 pm
Parque Sarmiento, entrance via Av. Triunvirato
🚦 For non-runners
The race generates traffic cuts and modifications along the route. Check updated official information before moving around that Sunday.
