Everything you need to know about the Makkah Marathon

You may have run a race before. London, Dubai, Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur. Or you may never have run one at all. Either way, Makkah has never been an option at this scale. On 19 December it is.

It isn't a full marathon, and it doesn't go near Masjid Al Haram. Instead, it runs between Muzdalifah and Arafat, the ground millions of pilgrims cross on foot every Hajj. For a city known for its mountains, this is also some of the flattest ground there is, which makes it a natural place for a race.

That leaves fewer than 50 days to decide, register, book a flight and find a hotel. We've been through everything the official site has published. Here's how to decide whether you're going, which distance to enter, and what to sort out first.

What the rules say

When we first posted about the race, many of you raised the same concern: Makkah is a place of worship, and an event like this needs to respect that. Two questions came up again and again. What will people wear, and will men and women run together.

The organisers have published rules on both. Clothing must be modest: nothing transparent or tight, and men's shorts must reach below the knee. The three main races are open to men only. The rules also state that the event is to be conducted with respect for the sanctity of Makkah.

The dates

Saturday 19 December is race day for the 5 km, 10 km and 21 km. The Marathon Village is open from Thursday 17 to Saturday 19 December, where you register, collect your race pack and bib, and find first aid, food and drink and the official store.

For many families the timing works. 19 December sits inside the school holidays in the UK, Malaysia and Indonesia. If you were already planning Umrah over the winter break, the race falls into the same trip.

Pick your race

Never run before? The 5 km, ⃁50 (about £10). Flat, out and back, with a generous 90-minute limit. Ages 10 and up, so it's the one to do with a teenager.

You run a couple of times a week? The 10 km, ⃁75 (about £15). Further out towards Arafat and back, two-hour limit. Ages 14 and up.

You want the one worth flying for? The 21 km, ⃁100 (about £20). All the way to Arafat, past Namirah Mosque, round the ring road and back past Jabal Al Rahmah. Three and a half hours to finish. Ages 16 and up. That's the route you'll tell people about.

Bringing children? Friday 18 December has a 2 km kids race for ages 4 to 11 (⃁30, about £6), and a free 200 m race for participants with physical disabilities, ages 4 and up.

If you're quick, there's ⃁69,000 in prize money, nearly £14,000, split across Professionals, Seniors and Children. The site hasn't said yet how much goes to each category or each race.

The time limits are provisional until the organisers confirm them.

The routes

All three Saturday races start and finish in Muzdalifah. During Hajj, this is where pilgrims spend the night after Arafat. In December it will be quiet.

5 km

The shortest race stays within Muzdalifah. Out along the pedestrian route and back from the first turnaround point.

10 km

Further along the same route to the bridge area, then back on a parallel path.

21 km

This is the Arafat route. You run to the plain where the Hajj stands on its most important day, and back. It heads towards Namirah Mosque, turns onto the Arafat Ring Road and returns past Jabal Al Rahmah to the finish. The official distance is 21.1 km.

Sort the hotel before the race

There's no registration deadline yet, so the race entry can wait a few days. Your hotel can't.

19 December falls in one of the most expensive stretches of the year for Makkah hotels. Our team tracks prices across every month, and the average in December is around £330 a night, or about ⃁1,600, well above the months either side. Every week you wait, the cheaper rooms go first.

Fewer than 50 days is not much time to do this from scratch. So use what we've already built. Search hotels for 17 to 20 December on our hotel tool and see the prices before you commit. And if you're flying in, our airline status page is updated daily.

How to register

Registration is open on the official site, makkahmarathon.com, where you'll also find the full terms and clothing rules. Group bookings are available for tour operators, campaigns and organisations.

The site has not published a registration deadline yet. We will update this page as more details are announced.

Seven weeks from now, the first runners will cross a finish line in Muzdalifah with the Arafat plain behind them. Whether you're one of them is your call. If you are, the hotel comes first.