PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONIE / RACE GUIDE

Irish Life Dublin Marathon

Name: Dublin Marathon 2025 Race Vlog | Heartbreak Hill, Huge Crowds & Sub 4 Hour Battl
Uploaded: 2025-10-28
Description: Before 2016, Dublin's marathon was held on a Monday because it was an Irish public holiday. It is now run on the last Sunday in October. Course is generally flat. The course starts at Fitzwilliam Squ

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Dublin
IE

Michal Osmenda · CC BY-SA 2.0Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Race date in 20 days: Oct 25, 2026 Sun
City · Distance: Dublin · 42.195km
Entry fee: €110Varies by event and entry period
Status: ClosedSee how to enter ↗

2027Date Oct 24, 2027 · Entry Nov 12, 2026 ~

2026Date Oct 25, 2026 · Entry Nov 12, 2025 ~ Nov 17, 2025

2025Date Oct 26, 2025 · Entry Nov 21, 2024 ~ Nov 27, 2024

Official website ↗

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D-day as of Oct 5, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

Before 2016, Dublin's marathon was held on a Monday because it was an Irish public holiday.

It is now run on the last Sunday in October.

Course is generally flat.

The course starts at Fitzwilliam Square, loops anticlockwise through the city,

passes through Phoenix Park, heads into the southern suburbs and finishes at Merrion Square.

The inaugural race in 1980 attracted 2,100 starters, of whom 1,420 finished.

In 2019, 22,500 runners registered, including more than 5,000 from outside Ireland.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

#IrishLifeDublinMarathon#Dublin#Overseas Marathon#October Marathon#Full marathon Marathon

Stories from those who ran it first.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 3

David PowerRan in 2025 · Finish time 2:30:02

“I came in over 2 minutes ahead of schedule, nearly 4 minutes faster than my PB.”

David Power ran with teammates at the 2025 Dublin Marathon, changed his plan to race more aggressively, and endured late-race pain to set a personal best of 2:30:02 net.

Read the original on David Power Blog – Silence is the Question

segola92Ran in 2025 · Finish time 3:58:26

“I made conscious efforts to fuel regularly and maintain form through the rolling sections.”

The runner changed the pace plan because of congestion at the start and found a rhythm after Phoenix Park. The runner shortened their stride on the later hills and, encouraged by the crowds, finished in 3 hours, 58 minutes, and 26 seconds—faster than originally expected.

Read the original on Reddit

Ger EnrightRan in 2024 · Finish time 3:47

“The first few miles are lovely, and it is not long before we enter the Phoenix Park.”

The runner passed through several Dublin neighborhoods and received cheers from colleagues and family. They felt tired in the final few miles, but with the strong support, they set a personal best in 3:47.

Read the original on Sportsworld Running Club

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Finisher vlog

Ireland Running Adventures · Finisher vlog

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

Lottery entry has closed

It ran Nov 12, 2025–Nov 17, 2025.
Check separately whether other entry routes are open and spots remain.

Next edition entry · Thu, November 12, 2026

Lottery

Entry cost €110

General applicants are allocated entries through a lottery (ballot).

A €5 administration fee is charged when applying.

If selected, it is deducted from the total Entry fee of €110;

it is non-refundable if you are not selected.

Each person may enter the ballot only once.

Organizer's page

Qualifying time

Entry cost TBD

You may receive a guaranteed entry (Good For Age) by meeting the age- and gender-based qualifying standard with a marathon finish time from the past two years.

You must meet the age- and gender-specific standard with an official marathon time from the past two years;

club membership is not required.

Registration for 2026 runs from May 1–19.

Organizer's page

Charity

Entry cost TBD

You can secure an entry through the program of an official charity partner, of which there are approximately 150.

The registration fee and minimum fundraising target vary by participating charity.

Select an organization and apply through the official charity partner page.

Organizer's page

Transfer

Entry cost €20

An official transfer window is available for existing participants to transfer their entry to another person.

The 2026 transfer window runs from July 22 to September 23 and is processed through Eventmaster;

the €20 fee is paid by the transferee.

Organizer's page

About Resale · International travel agency

Resale

Entry cost €110

Entries returned through the refund window are resold on a first-come, first-served basis.

The 2026 resale starts at 12:00 noon on July 15 on a first-come, first-served basis.

Entries purchased through resale cannot be transferred again.

Organizer's page

International travel agency

Entry cost TBD

You can apply through an officially designated international tour operator for a package that includes entry and accommodation.

Official partners include Sports Tours International and Destiny2Sport, among others.

These packages are for runners living outside the host country, and the official tour operator varies by region.

Organizer's page

Official tour operators

Official tour operators listed by the race organizer. Check whether race entry is included and confirm the application requirements with the operator.

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

The 42.195km I'll run

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 08:40

Time limit6 hours and 30 minutes

Event	Start	Entry fee
Marathon42.2km	08:45	€110

Ballot entry fee: €5 (deducted from Entry fee if successful; non-refundable if unsuccessful) + separate €5.50 processing fee

not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet.

START

Leeson Street

starts downhill past St Stephen's Green

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Merrion Square, Dublin

Finish · Google Maps

Cut-off
Official chip timing ends at 16:55 GMT — roads reopen 7 hours after the last runner starts

Original course map · raceroutes.ie

Runners start · local time — Wheelchair 08:40 · full marathon 08:45 · 09:05 · 09:25 · 09:45 (25 October 2026)

Start line is south of the city centre at Fitzwilliam Square, while finish is at Merrion Square.

The most recent race follows a course route running anticlockwise around the city centre.

The race starts downhill on Leeson Street and passes St Stephen’s Green.

It then goes through the Liberties district, past St Patrick’s Cathedral, before reaching the first climb on Patrick Street and continuing towards Christchurch.

The route then descends towards the River Liffey, crosses the river and enters Dublin’s northside.

Course passes through Phoenix Park before heading towards the southern suburbs of the city centre.

The race was founded in 1980 by a group led by Noel Carroll.

At the inaugural race, 2,100 runners started and 1,420 finished.

The number of finishers rose to 8,700 in 1988 and 19,500 in 2016.

From 2016, race day was moved from Monday to Sunday to attract more international participants.

Field size: 22,500 people
World Athletics Label: Label Label
AIMS Certified: Member race of the AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races)
Typical race-season temperature: around 11°C (52°F): Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Pacers

Water stations

Aid stations

Finisher medal

Event T-shirt

Bag drop

Race expo

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2025 edition

10/23 Fri – 10/24 Sat

Pick up your bib at the expo

Packet Pickup is until 18:00 on Saturday.

RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin

Google Maps Directions

10/23 Fri: 12:00~19:00
10/24 Sat: 11:00~18:00

Oct 24, 2026

Shakeout run

A relaxed group run to loosen up before race day. No pace pressure — everyone's welcome.

realbuzz Shakeout Run

Dublin Marathon Group × realbuzz · 5 km

When: Sat, October 24, 2026 09:00
Where: Phoenix Park, Dublin
Entry fee: €20 + fees
How to join: Ticket required

Sign-up & details Google Maps

Check this year's announcement

Stations & transport near the venue

Simply tap a foreign-issued contactless Visa/Mastercard (or Apple Pay/Google Pay) directly on the reader for Dublin Bus, Luas, and DART — no card purchase needed — though buying a multi-day Leap Visitor Card is cheaper if taking more than 2-3 rides per day.

Getting to the start

Leeson Street Lower

Marathon starts at Leeson Street Lower at 8:40am.

Road closure there runs 03:30-13:00 on race day.

Q-Park St Stephen's Green offers 25% parking discount for race weekend.

Getting to the finish

Mount Street Upper

Finish line on Mount Street Upper, open until 5pm.

Nearby dublinbikes stations closed from 2pm Friday to 10am Monday of race weekend.

More details

Luas both lines run Sunday service 7am-11:30pm every 10 min on race day.

DART: no service Connolly-Howth/Malahide;

extra 07:05 DART from Greystones.

Road closures begin 03:30 at Leeson Street Lower, extend along Chapelizod Road, South Circular Road, UCD Flyover until 5pm.

IC card

Leap Card (including the Leap Visitor Card for tourists)

Dublin Airport Spar shops (Terminal 2), most Spar/Centra/Mace/Maxol/Circle K/PayZone shops across central Dublin,

the Dublin Bus head office on Upper O'Connell Street, or online at leapcard.ie

Works directly at the gates

Alternative: Leap Visitor Card 1-day €8, 3-day €19, 7-day €40 —

Worth buying if making more than 2-3 trips per day or want unlimited rides on Dublin Bus, Luas, DART, and the Airlink 747 airport bus;

for occasional trips, tapping a contactless bank card is simpler though it's charged at the higher cash-equivalent rate.

More details

Dublin Bus, Luas, and DART all accept contactless bank cards and mobile wallets directly at readers —

contactless fares run at the higher 'cash rate' tier, still cheaper than a paper ticket but more than a standard Leap card fare.

Leap card fares offer meaningful savings (roughly 35-65% versus cash) for frequent riders.

Source · checked Aug 20, 2026 Source · checked Aug 17, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

Pacer is divided into four waves.

Wave 1 is 3 hours, 3 hours 10 minutes, 3 hours 20 minutes, Wave 2 is 3 hours 30 minutes, 3 hours 40 minutes, 3 hours 50 minutes,

Wave 3 is 4 hours, 4 hours 10 minutes, 4 hours 20 minutes, and Wave 4 is 4 hours 30 minutes, 4 hours 40 minutes, 4 hours 50 minutes, and 5 hours.

In pacer, you run with a large balloon with the expected completion time written on it, and in start line, you have to stand behind that time zone.

In course, there are 10 aid station locations, 3 Lucozade sports drink supply stations, and 2 High Five Gel supply stations.

The average temperature in Dublin at the end of October is 13.6°C during the day and 7.1°C at night.

The average monthly precipitation is 78.4 mm,

and the number of rainy days is 11.6, making it a weather worthy of consideration for raincoats or waterproof outerwear.

The men's course record is 2 hours, 8 minutes and 6 seconds set by Otman El Gumri in 2019, and the women's record is 2 hours, 26 minutes and 13 seconds set by Tatyana Ariyasova in 2010.

The 2019 competition had approximately 22,500 registered participants, about a quarter of whom participated from overseas.

Times are local to Dublin. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Hotels that make race morning easy

7 places

Distances are straight-line from the start/finish area.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

The start and finish are in the same place
We picked stays around that one spot.

The Alex

Hotel · 730m

9.2/10(1230)

View on Booking.com

The Fitzwilliam Hotel

Hotel · 756m

9.1/10(1416)

View on Booking.com

The Wilder

Hotel · 610m

9.1/10(382)

View on Booking.com

Kilronan Guesthouse

Hotel · 575m

9.0/10(3275)

View on Booking.com

Stauntons On The Green

Hotel · 526m

9.0/10(1186)

View on Booking.com

Trinity Townhouse Hotel

Hotel · 788m

8.9/10(2093)

View on Booking.com

Dylan Hotel

Hotel · 683m

8.7/10(320)

View on Booking.com

Swipe sideways to see more hotels.

View on map →

Time for you, before and after the finish

47 experiences

Rest a little, wander a little.
Pick what suits you and whoever you're with.

RECOVERY & SPA1SIT-DOWN TOURS7CARB LOADING7LOCAL TRANSIT7FAMILY PASS7TRAIL & OUTDOOR7CITY TOURS7EASY WALKING4

Glendalough Sauna and Riverside Plunge Experience

Glendalough sauna + river cold-water immersion experience · €19

View on GetYourGuide

Dublin: Original Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour with Live Commentary

€36

View on GetYourGuide

Dublin City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

€33

View on GetYourGuide

Dublin Bay: Cruise Tour from the City Center to Dún Laoghaire

€32

View on GetYourGuide

Howth Coastal Boat Tour from Dublin

€25

Irish Life Dublin Marathon

About Irish Life Dublin Marathon — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run