Caracas, VE · Sunday 16 February 2025
Caracas, Venezuela's capital, sits high in a mountain valley at roughly 900 metres elevation, surrounded by lush tropical highlands. The city's urban landscape gives way to natural terrain on the outskirts, where the Marathon CAF makes its home. Runners will experience the character of Venezuela's geography firsthand, with the course taking them through areas that showcase both the region's natural beauty and its elevation. Coming to race here means adapting to altitude, as the starting elevation sits well above sea level and remains consistently high throughout the event. The course itself is a trail marathon that rolls gently across terrain with modest elevation change, gaining around 180 metres over the full 42.2 kilometres. Expect a mix of trail surfaces rather than pavement, which means softer footing but also variable conditions depending on weather and recent maintenance. The terrain is neither flat nor mountainous, sitting in that middle ground where runners must manage consistent undulation without facing serious climbing. The gently rolling nature of the course, combined with the high-altitude setting, makes pacing strategy important. This isn't a race where you can simply cruise at your goal pace and expect even splits; the elevation and trail surface demand respect and smart energy management from start to finish.
Adjusted Time
4:37:10
Time difference: +37.2 minutes compared to a flat, road, temperate course.
Maratón CAF Caracas is a full marathon held in Caracas, VE, scheduled for Sunday 16 February 2025. The course is run on trail surface with 179m of total elevation gain, reaching a maximum altitude of 910m above sea level. For registration and full race details, visit the official Maratón CAF Caracas website.
With 179m of elevation gain, this is a moderately undulating course. The route ranges from 833m to 910m above sea level (77m total range). While not completely flat, the elevation changes are manageable for most runners and shouldn't significantly impact pacing strategy.
Maratón CAF Caracas is a trail race, meaning the course includes unpaved surfaces such as dirt, gravel, or forest paths. Trail surfaces are inherently slower than road courses due to uneven footing, technical sections, and often steeper gradients. Trail-specific shoes with good grip are recommended, and runners should expect a finish time 10-20% slower than their equivalent road marathon time.
Our difficulty rating for Maratón CAF Caracas is calculated using a model that combines elevation gain, temperature impact, and surface type. Use the difficulty calculator above to enter your target finish time and see exactly how many minutes this course would add or subtract compared to a perfectly flat, cool, road-based marathon. Faster runners and slower runners are affected differently by the same course conditions, so the difficulty is personalised to your pace.
Looking for an easier marathon or a tougher challenge? You can also compare Maratón CAF Caracas against other marathons to find the right race for your goals.