LifeStar Malta Marathon and Half Marathon Route Description

Due to extensive roadworks being carried out, there has been a delay in finalising and publishing the 2024 LifeStar Malta Marathon and Malta Half Marathon routes. Now that the routes have been finalised and measured in accordance to the World Athletics regulations, the routes are now being published.

Both routes have been measured using the calibrated wheel method (Jones Counter), the only method recognised by the World Athletics.

You can see the entire 2024 routes on the map attached to this page.

Although not traffic free, the numerous traffic officers manning every key junction, enables participants to run or walk their event with little traffic around them for most of the time. Over the years changes to the route have been made to avoid areas notable for traffic congestion. There are still minor adjustments that can be implemented to the way traffic is managed during the event, with the usual cooperation given by Transport Malta, these adjustments could ease the traffic congestion that motorists face at particular junctions.

The Full Marathon which starts at 0630 from outside the bastions of Malta’s old capital Mdina, heads through the main road of Rabat, down through Nigret and onto the Mtarfa bypass to get to 5k in Ta’Qali.

The route will take the athletes round Ta’ Qali and exits Ta' Qali at 10k, down to Attard to 11k, through Mosta and it's outsirts 13k to 21k, back into Ta' Qali, round Ta’ Qali again till 25k and back again on to the main road which will take the participants down again to Attard but this time right through the centre of the village 26k to 28k.

The route from the 30th km to the 31st km will follow the old aqueducts from Mriehel to Birkirkara and back to the Mriehel bypass.

From the Mriehel bypass, the route continues on to the Hamrun/Marsa bypass and goes down on to Triq Dicembru 13 and then on to Blata L-Bajda. The last 5km of the route passes along the Sa’ Maison, Pieta, Msida, Ta’ Xbiex and Gzira waterfronts up to the finish in Sliema.

The Half Marathon and 'Endo' Walkathon also start from outside Mdina but at 0745 and will head straight towards the Roman Villa and will bypass Nigret to go on to the Mtarfa bypass, down to the Military cemetry and into Ta' Qali.

The route will then turn right at the edge of the Crafts Village to join the Full Marathon route at the exit/entrance to the Crafts Village. The route will from there (4.6km), will join the Full Marathon till the finish.

A 2.5 metre lane along most of the roads from the 32nd Km to the 40th Km of the Full Marathon (10th Km to the 19th Km of the Half Marathon), will be cordoned off with traffic cones for runners.

Both the Marathon and Half Marathon routes are predominantly downhill, with the start being at 190metres and the finish at sea level. Whereas the Half Marathon heads directly to the finish from the start, the Marathon deviates from this direction with a small loop within Ta’ Qali (6th to 10th Km), followed by a larger loop from the 11th Km to the 25th km, that takes the athletes from Attard, through Mosta, Attard again and back to Ta’ Qali.

Marathon

Start - 5km. Mdina – Rabat – Nigret – Mtarfa – Ta’ Qali.

6km – 10km. Ta’ Qali loop going by the National Stadium, Pitkali vegetable market and the American embassy – Attard

11km – 24km, Attard – Mosta – Ta’ Qali- BOV Park, National Stadium and American embassy.

25km – 42km. Attard - Mriehel - Mriehel bypass - Hamrun/Marsa bypass – Marsa - Blata L-Bajda - Sa’ Maison – Pieta – Msida - Ta’ Xbiex – Gzira – Sliema - Finish.

Half Marathon

Start - 4km. Mdina – Nigret - Mtarfa Bypass – Ta' Qali.

5km – 21km. Attard - Mriehel - Mriehel bypass - Hamrun/Marsa bypass – Marsa - Blata L-Bajda - Sa’ Maison – Pieta – Msida - Ta’ Xbiex – Gzira – Sliema - Finish.