Larnaka Marathon 2026: tracking, the road back from Dhekelia and the Foinikoudes finish

The Radisson Hotels Larnaka Marathon runs on Sunday 15 November 2026, starting at 06:55 on Foinikoudes, in front of Larnaka Town Hall (official marathon page). The course is flat and stays by the sea: out and back on the Larnaka–Dhekelia road, through the old town past the castle, a last leg towards the Salt Lake, and the finish back on Foinikoudes where it started. If someone you care about is running it, here's how to know where they are right now and how to get your voice to them when they need it.

Independence notice: Cheerlify is an independent service. It is not affiliated with the Radisson Hotels Larnaka Marathon organisers or sponsors, and it is not the event's official application.

The race at a glance

Before the event the organisers email runners a race guide, and they post parking information on social media and in the newsletter (FAQ). Look at both in race week.

Mind the clock: Cyprus is on UTC+2 in November. The 06:55 start is 05:55 in Central Europe, 04:55 in the UK, Ireland and Portugal, and the same time in Finland. Europe's clocks went back on 25 October, so nothing changes on race weekend.

1. Official tracking: the #LarnakaRun app and the chip

Timing is electronic, with a tag that comes with the bib, and the organisers list a mobile app with live tracking among the race-day services (official marathon page). That app is #LarnakaRun, published by the organiser, Eleven Blue Events, and free on the App Store and Google Play. The listing mentions race maps, start times, live tracking for runners "and their friends and families", and unofficial and official results. It still carries the race's old name (Radisson Blu Larnaka International Marathon), so check for an update before Sunday.

The organisers don't say where the timing mats are. Most marathons put them every 5 or 10 km, which at a recreational pace means a new reading every 30–60 minutes. Install the app before race day and find your runner by name or bib number.

What the chip gives you is the most precise data there is. Unofficial results go out after the race and the official ones follow within 10 working days (FAQ). What it can't give you is the stretch in between: you see the last mat they crossed, and nothing tells you when they'll pass the castle where you're standing. More on that difference: chip timing vs GPS tracking.

2. Live GPS on the map, between the readings

For a dot that actually moves, the runner's own phone has to share its GPS, through Strava Beacon, Garmin LiveTrack, plain location sharing or Cheerlify. We compared the options in marathon tracking apps compared. Cheerlify snaps the dot to the course, so you see which kilometre they're on and get an arrival estimate for any point. Larnaka's course runs along the same seafront several times, and on a plain map you can't tell whether they're heading out to Dhekelia or coming back. On the course you can, and you know when they'll reach the castle.

Tip: keep the #LarnakaRun app for the official splits and the GPS dot for everything between the mats.

The course, stage by stage

The kilometres below come from the course map embedded on the official marathon page, which is also the course in the Cheerlify race catalog. They're approximate: the map file measures about 41.9 km, while the race itself is the full 42.195 km on a course measured by an official measurer (FAQ).

There's one thing that doesn't add up. The organisers' written route description gives a different layout: runners repeat the route east "up to the 28.5 km mark", and the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque, on the far side of the Salt Lake, is named as a turning point. The map on the same page turns on the Dhekelia road at about km 26 and makes its last turn on Artemidos Avenue at about km 38, before reaching the mosque. The table follows the map. If the race guide sent out in race week shows something different, go by the guide.

There are no hills to speak of. What wears runners down is the second trip along the Dhekelia road. They turn round at about km 26 and then face roughly 8 km of the same straight road back to town, hotel after hotel, with the end of the road never seeming to get closer. A voice in their ear helps most on that stretch.

Where to watch

There are no official cheering zones. These are our suggestions:

• Foinikoudes and the castle (start, about km 15–19, about km 33–35, the last kilometre): the course keeps coming back to the old-town seafront. Stand near the castle and you'll see your runner around km 16 and km 18, again around km 34, and in the last kilometre, without walking far. Use the arrival estimate to know when to be back in place.
• Piale Pasa (about km 17–18, then again in the last 2–3 km): a quieter piece of seafront south of the castle.
• The Dhekelia road (about km 5–14 and km 20–33): long and a fair way from the centre. If you're staying on the hotel strip anyway, a familiar face around km 28–30 goes a long way.
• The finish on Foinikoudes: shared with the shorter races. The 10 km starts nearby at 10:30 and the 5 km at 11:20 (week program), so the promenade fills up during the marathon's second half. Agree on a meeting point away from the finish area. There's an info desk near the finish line (FAQ).

You can walk between all the old-town spots. Followers at home see the same dot on the Dhekelia road and can send the same cheers, so not being in Cyprus doesn't cut you out.

Weather

The race starts just after sunrise, and on a clear day the seafront warms up by mid-morning, which matters most for runners still out at 11:00 or 12:00. Bring sun protection plus a layer for the cool early hours, and check the forecast on Saturday. If conditions are extreme, the organisers will make an announcement before the event (FAQ).

Be in their ears on the road back from Dhekelia

The turn comes at about km 26 on the Dhekelia road. After it, they have about 8 km back into town on the road they ran out on, with the sun climbing and the castle still a long way off.

With Cheerlify you can send a voice or video cheer while they're running, and it plays in their earbuds right away. You can also record one in advance and pick the kilometre where it plays. Their music dips, your voice comes in, then the music comes back. Some spots that work:

• km 30, on the Dhekelia road: "Halfway down the long road. Town gets closer with every hotel."
• km 38, the last turn on Artemidos Avenue: "That's the last turn. Four to go, all of it by the sea."
• km 41, past the castle: something only you can say to them.

We found no headphone rule on the organisers' pages. One earbud or open-ear headphones let them hear a cheer clearly and still hear the marshals and the runners around them.

For the runner: in the Cheerlify app, pick Radisson Hotels Larnaka Marathon from the race catalog. The official course is already loaded, so you don't need a GPX file. Share the link and the code with your supporters. Running the half? Pick Radisson Hotels Larnaka Half Marathon instead: it has its own course, so the map, the kilometres and the arrival times follow the 21.1 km.

Your supporters open the link, type the code, and they're in, straight from the browser with no app or account. A group can split the race up, each person recording one for a different kilometre, and anyone watching the dot turn at km 26 can send one live on the spot. If you're stuck for words, try these 30+ cheering lines for every stage of a race.

Race-week checklist for supporters

1. Your runner's bib number saved, the #LarnakaRun app installed and your runner found in it.
2. The start time in your own time zone: 06:55 in Cyprus is 05:55 in Central Europe and 04:55 in the UK. Runners are asked to be at the start an hour early.
3. Your runner has sent you their GPS tracking link, and you tested it on Friday or Saturday, for example on the way back from bib pick-up.
4. Their phone starts fully charged, battery saver off, location permission set to "Always".
5. Cheers ready: at least one for the road back from Dhekelia (km 26–34) and one for the finish, plus your phone at hand to send one live.
6. If you're there: your spot picked (the castle covers several passes), the organisers' race guide read, and a meeting point agreed away from the finish area.

Frequently asked questions