Dublin Marathon 2026: A Race Guide for UK Runners

The Dublin Marathon 2026 takes place on Sunday 25 October 2026, with wheelchair racers starting at 8:40am and the first running wave at 8:45am from Leeson Street Lower in the city centre. The race finishes on Mount Street Upper by the Pepper Canister Church, and you collect your race number at the expo at RDS Simmonscourt on the Friday or Saturday before.

Officially called the Irish Life Dublin Marathon, this is the 45th edition of a race first held in 1980. It is one of the easiest overseas marathons to reach from the UK: no time difference, a short flight or ferry, and big crowds along much of the route. This guide pulls together the confirmed 2026 details from the organisers' own site, plus practical advice on travel, pacing the hills and your final fortnight. Edge is not affiliated with the Dublin Marathon or its organisers.

When is the Dublin Marathon 2026, and what are the key details?

Here are the race-weekend essentials, taken from the official race information at the time of writing. The organisers say start times are subject to change, so check your e-ticket and the official site in race week.

Your wave was allocated from the finish time you estimated when you entered, and your race number colour matches it (orange, green, blue or purple). You can drop back to a later wave on the day, but you cannot move forward. The organisers say the race is sold out, and the transfer window closed in September, so this guide assumes you already have your place.

How do you get to Dublin from the UK?

You have two main options, and both are straightforward.

• Fly. Dublin Airport has direct flights from many UK airports, and most are short hops. From the airport, buses and taxis run into the city centre. Allow extra time on the Saturday, as race weekend is busy.
• Ferry. Sailings run from Holyhead in North Wales into Dublin Port, and a standard crossing usually takes around three and a quarter hours. It is a good choice if you want to bring a car, or if you prefer not to fly before a race.

On ID, do not rely on what a friend did last year. UK and Irish citizens should check what ID their airline or ferry company asks for before booking, and anyone with a different nationality should check the rules for entering Ireland. Separately, the organisers list a passport, driving licence, student photo ID or other government-issued photo ID as accepted forms of ID, so pack one.

Two small things catch UK runners out. Ireland uses the euro, so check your card works abroad without heavy fees. And Ireland is on the same time as the UK, but the clocks go back an hour in the early hours of race day. Your phone should update on its own, but check any separate watch or travel alarm before you go to bed on Saturday night.

Where do you collect your race number?

Race numbers are collected at the Dublin Marathon Expo at RDS Simmonscourt in Ballsbridge. It opens on Friday 23 October from 12pm to 7pm and again on Saturday 24 October, and the official cut-off for collecting your race pack is 6pm on the Saturday. Bring your e-ticket, which was emailed to you with your wave details.

The organisers ask runners to collect their own number, so plan to land in Dublin by Saturday lunchtime at the latest. Your pack includes your number, timing chip, pins, a kit bag and a baggage tag. The organisers say only the clear plastic bags provided at collection are allowed into the baggage area on race day, so do not plan on using your own bag. There is no parking at the expo, but it is served by bus and DART trains. Fill in the medical and emergency contact details on the back of your number as soon as you get it.

What is the Dublin Marathon course like?

The organisers describe the course as a mix of flat sections and challenging climbs, and the shape of it matters for pacing. In brief:

• Start to 6K. A downhill start from Leeson Street past St Stephen's Green, through the Liberties and past St Patrick's Cathedral. The first small incline comes on Patrick Street towards Christchurch, then you drop to the River Liffey and cross to the Northside.
• Phoenix Park. You enter the park at around 6K, passing Dublin Zoo and running along Chesterfield Avenue. There is a short climb after you exit near Castleknock, then you re-enter at Knockmaroon Gate and head downhill towards Chapelizod and Inchicore.
• Halfway to 30K. Past Kilmainham Gaol the road gently undulates towards Dolphin's Barn and Crumlin Road, around halfway. The next stretch through Cromwellsfort and Fortfield Roads is flatter, with a downhill on Templeogue Road into Terenure.
• The final 10K. This is where the course bites. After a downhill on Dartry Road comes an incline on Milltown Road, then a climb of around 3K along Clonskeagh and Roebuck Roads. The organisers call the hill around 35K the race's Heartbreak Hill and its toughest challenge.
• The run-in. A downhill along Fosters Avenue, then Stillorgan Road, Nutley Lane by RTÉ at around 38K, and a long straight along Merrion Road past the RDS to the finish by the Pepper Canister Church.

On course, the organisers list water (bottles at some stations, cups at others), a sports drink in cups, and gels at two stations. If you have never tried the gels they hand out, carry your own. Trying something new on race day is a common cause of stomach trouble.

How should you pace Dublin's hills?

Dublin rewards patience. The downhill start and the noise in the city centre make it very easy to run your first 5K far too fast, and the bill arrives in the final 10K, right when the climbs do. Treat the first half as a warm-up at your planned pace, or a touch slower.

• Pace by effort on the climbs. Keep your breathing steady and accept a slower kilometre or two on Clonskeagh and Roebuck Roads. Chasing your goal pace uphill costs far more than it saves.
• Shorten your stride uphill. Quick, short steps and a slight forward lean from the ankles, with your arms driving.
• Use the downhills to recover, not to race. Let gravity do the work on Fosters Avenue, then settle back into rhythm for the flat run-in along Merrion Road.
• Consider the pacers. The organisers say official pacers carrying balloons will run target times from 3:00 to 5:00, grouped by wave. Pacers aim for an even effort, so they can be a calm reference point early on.

For a full breakdown of how to set your goal pace and split the race, read our marathon day pacing strategy guide. The same principles apply here, with a little extra patience built in for the last 10K.

What will the weather be like, and what should you pack?

Late October in Dublin is usually cool and changeable. Long-term averages for the month sit at roughly 13°C by day and 6°C overnight, and rain is common, though recent Octobers have swung both warmer and wetter than that. With an early start, expect a chilly wait in your wave and possibly some wind. Check the forecast from the Wednesday of race week and pack for both.

• Race kit you have already worn on long runs, including socks and shoes.
• An old top or a bin bag to wear in your wave and discard before the start.
• A cap if rain is forecast, and thin gloves you can tuck into your shorts.
• Anti-chafe balm, plasters and your own gels.
• Warm, dry clothes for your clear baggage bag, because you will cool down fast after the finish.

How do you get to the start on race morning?

The official wave allocation page asks runners to be at their wave no later than 8am, and each colour enters from a different street. Orange and green waves enter via Merrion Square East and Fitzwilliam Street Lower. Blue enters via Mount Street Lower, Herbert Street and Baggot Street, and purple via Mount Street Lower, Herbert Place and Baggot Street. Check your e-ticket for your own instructions.

If you stay within walking distance of St Stephen's Green or Ballsbridge, you can walk to the start and skip the transport worries altogether. If you plan to use the tram or a bus, check the Sunday morning timetable in advance, because early Sunday services can be limited. Eat breakfast around three hours before your wave starts, and leave plenty of time for the toilet queues.

Friends and family cannot enter the course or the finish, but they can follow you on the live tracker in the official race app, and the race is on TG4 from 8am. The finish area by the Pepper Canister Church is where supporters gather, so agree a meeting point nearby before the day.

What should race week look like?

By race week the fitness is banked. Your job now is to arrive rested, fuelled and calm. As a general guide:

• Keep moving, but less. Short, easy runs with a few minutes at marathon pace early in the week keep your legs sharp. Skip heavy lifting and hard HIIT sessions.
• Shift your food towards carbohydrate for the last two or three days, with familiar meals such as rice, pasta, potatoes, bread and porridge. Our guide to what to eat the week of a marathon has a day-by-day plan.
• Protect your sleep. The night before a race is often restless, so the nights earlier in the week matter more. The extra hour on Saturday night helps too.
• Do not try anything new. New shoes, new gels and unfamiliar restaurant food can all wait until after the race.

What should your final fortnight look like?

Here is a simple countdown that blends training with logistics. Treat the training column as a rough guide and adjust it to what your own plan says. If you want the reasoning behind each step, our complete guide to tapering for a marathon explains it in detail.

What happens after the finish?

Collect your medal and bag, get warm layers on quickly, and eat and drink something within the first hour or so. Walking around Dublin for the rest of the day will feel slow, and that is fine. If you are flying or sailing home on the Monday, book a seat where you can stretch your legs, keep drinking, and get up and move when you can.

Plan at least a week of easy walking and very light movement before you run hard again. If you are already thinking about your next race, a structured plan helps you return without rushing. Edge Pro builds a fully personalised plan across running, strength, HIIT and mobility, ready within 24 hours, and you can message a real coach anytime to talk through your recovery and your next goal. Edge is free to download, and Edge Pro comes with a 7-day free trial.

Race details are taken from the official Irish Life Dublin Marathon information at the time of writing and may change. Always check the official race site and your e-ticket before you travel. Edge is not affiliated with the Dublin Marathon or its organisers.

This article is general guidance, not medical advice. If you are new to exercise, returning from injury, pregnant, or managing a health condition, speak to your GP before starting, and see a physio for any niggle that does not settle.