The Dansoman Keep Fit Club has launched the sixth edition of the First National Bank Accra Marathon, announcing a return to the full 42.2-kilometer distance and a brand-new route that will showcase more of the capital on November 14, 2026.
The launch, held at the Dansoman Keep Fit Club in Accra was addressed by the club's chairman, Benjamin Ahulu, who outlined an ambitious vision for this year's event, which marks the 35th consecutive marathon organized by the club.
Speaking to Graphic Online, Mr. Ahulu explained that after two years of focusing on shorter distances to identify and nurture talent, the race is reverting to the international standard.
"For the past two years, we have focused on adding talents for the marathon. For that reason, we have been running the 15 kilometers to 21 kilometers. This year we are back to what we introduced in Ghana, that is the 42.2 kilometers, that is the full marathon," he stated.
He noted that the change was part of efforts to elevate the Accra Marathon to international standards.
New route
A major highlight of this year's edition is the change in the race route and venue. The marathon will now start and end at the Independence Square, taking runners through previously unused parts of the city.
"The start point and the finishing point has also been changed as well, and a lot more improvements," Mr. Ahulu said.
He detailed the new route: "This year the marathon is starting at Independence Square, going through the Osu Cemetery, the Ridge Hospital, through the Nima Highway to 37, through the airport streets, down to East Legon, Abedi Pele Street, to American House, the flowerpot flyover to Spintex Road, to Teshie, the Kofi Annan Center, Osu, and back to Independence Square."
Mr. Ahulu emphasized the significance of the new course, stating, "For the past 34 years, we've been doing a marathon in Accra in Dansoman here... We're going to take the marathon to the other parts of Accra."
3 categories
The marathon will feature three distinct races. The premier race will be the full 42.2km marathon, which includes the professional athletes competing for prizes. A 10-kilometer race will be held for the "Rising Stars," a category designed to unearth future talent in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES).
"We collaborate with the Ghana Education Service... We have the primary school, the JSS and the SHS. We bring them together for this race, and through this we are able to attract talents, we are able to train them and are able to rise as international stars," he explained.
The third category is the Open Race, a community event open to everybody. Mr. Ahulu also revealed a new incentive for all participants.
"We want to reward every athlete that crosses the finishing line. So, every athlete is going to have a medal. Apart from the big prizes for the top runners, we're also going to have a medal for every athlete that finishes the race," he announced.
Prizes
Organisers are expecting a significant turnout, with a minimum of 5,000 athletes anticipated. "Last year we had about 4,000 plus... This year we're looking at about 5,000 at least," Mr. Ahulu said.
He broke down the expected numbers: about 3,000 for the Rising Stars race, 1,000 for the premier race, and another 1,000 for the open race. This, combined with volunteers and officials, means close to 8,000 people are expected to be involved.
On the prize package, the chairman stated that while the exact figures were not yet finalized, the rewards would be substantial. "The prize package is going to be cash... we're also going to sponsor athletes to international events and for us, that is the beauty of our prize package. Our very last three years we sponsored the top athletes to the Cape Town Marathon, and that is how you develop an athlete," he noted.
