The verified 2026 answer
The 12th Gulf Bank 642 Marathon is scheduled for Saturday, November 28, 2026 in Kuwait City. The official FAQ and Gulf Bank's announcement agree on the date and four categories: 5K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon.
The event website's early-bird prices have been replaced by its current displayed prices. The exact start venue, route and kit-collection arrangements remain unpublished in the FAQ checked October 18. Those gaps should guide your travel decisions rather than being filled with last year's information.
Prices come from the official event homepage. They are displayed category prices, not a guarantee of remaining places or the total after optional extras. Use its organizer-linked Suffix registration page to verify the final terms. The registration application did not expose its checkout details during this review, so availability is not claimed.
Minimum ages: the official pages disagree
The FAQ lists minimum ages of 10, 14, 16 and 18 for the 5K, 10K, half and full marathon respectively. Gulf Bank's July announcement gives 11 for 5K, 16 for 10K and 18 for the half marathon. That is a real source conflict, not a reason to silently choose the more permissive version.
Before entering a younger participant, ask the organizer which rule applies to the exact category and retain the answer with the entry confirmation. The figures are eligibility rules; they do not establish an individual's physical readiness.
Route, start and kit collection: what is still unknown?
The official FAQ marks the start location and kit collection as to be confirmed and says the detailed route will be shared closer to race day. It does not provide the current course elevation or cutoff schedule. A familiar Kuwait landmark or an older map should not be substituted for the missing 2026 start.
This checklist is a planning aid. None of the missing items is presented as an organizer promise. Review the final participant email as well as the website before committing to non-refundable arrangements.
Six weeks remain: choose from completed training
October 18 is 41 days before November 28, or five weeks and six days. A 12-week build would have started September 5, a 16-week build August 8 and a 20-week build July 11. The calendar is not a reason to squeeze a longer plan into the remaining weeks.
Write down your recent consistent weeks, typical running frequency and longest comfortable session. Compare those with the opening workload of the plan you are considering. If the gap is large, a later goal or a shorter distance may be more realistic; a category change still needs organizer approval. Do not add missed long runs to the same week to repair a calendar mismatch.
The training start-date calculator provides current date arithmetic, and the marathon training hub explains how to compare plan lengths. For an established entrant, the immediate tasks are sustaining an appropriate plan, rehearsing equipment and resolving the remaining logistics.
A short entry decision
Before paying, record the selected category, current quoted price, age-rule answer and which logistics remain unresolved. Decide in advance what would make you choose a later race. That turns an attractive event listing into a decision you can revisit when the route and participant instructions arrive.
Start training now for training structure around a suitable goal. An app or printable plan cannot confirm entry terms, replace current organizer instructions or create fitness that the remaining calendar does not allow.
Sources checked October 18, 2026. No course-certification, record-eligibility, forecast or live checkout-availability claim is made here.