The Dansoman Keep Fit Club has launched the sixth edition of the First National Bank (FNB) Accra Marathon, scheduled for November 14, 2026.

This year’s event will return to the full 42.2-kilometre marathon distance, with a new route through parts of Accra and finisher medals for all eligible participants.

The launch was held at the Dansoman Keep Fit Club in Accra and was attended by FNB Brands Specialist Slyvia Adadey, who pledged the bank’s continued support for the marathon.

The event, themed “Go The Distance – Run Accra,” will mark the 35th consecutive marathon organised by the club.

Return to full marathon

Speaking at the launch, Chairman of the Dansoman Keep Fit Club, Benjamin Ahulu, said the decision to return to the full marathon distance was part of efforts to raise the standard of the event.

“For the past two years, we have focused on adding talents for the marathon. For that reason, we have been running the 15 kilometres to 21 kilometres. This year we are back to what we introduced in Ghana, that is the 42.2 kilometres, that is the full marathon,” he said.

New route

The marathon will start and end at the Independence Square, with the new route passing through several parts of Accra.

“The start point and the finishing point has also been changed as well, and a lot more improvements,” Ahulu said.

He said the route would pass through Osu Cemetery, Ridge Hospital, the Nima Highway, 37, the Airport area, East Legon, Abedi Pele Street, American House, the Flowerpot Flyover, Spintex Road, Teshie, the Kofi Annan Centre, Osu and back to Independence Square.

“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,” he said.

Finisher medals

Organisers have also announced medals for athletes who complete the race within the official cut-off time.

“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,” Ahulu said.

Three race categories

The event will feature three categories: the Premier Race, the 10-kilometre Rising Stars Race and the Open Race.

The Premier Race will be the full 42.2-kilometre marathon and will feature professional athletes competing for prizes.

The 10-kilometre Rising Stars Race will target young athletes 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,” Ahulu said.

The Open Race will be open to the general public.

Ahulu said the prize package would include cash prizes and opportunities for selected athletes to participate in international competitions, although the exact amounts had not been finalised.

“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 said.

Organisers are expecting at least 5,000 athletes to participate this year, compared with more than 4,000 recorded last year.

Ahulu said about 3,000 participants are expected for the Rising Stars Race, 1,000 for the Premier Race and another 1,000 for the Open Race.

With volunteers and officials included, he said the total number of people involved in the event could reach about 8,000.