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Irish Life Dublin Marathon
25 October 2026 · Dublin, Ireland
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The Dublin Marathon is a loop through the city with no repeating sections, like a grand tour done at running pace: Trinity College, Phoenix Park, the Liffey quays. Dubliners turn out to cheer even in pouring rain — one runner counted nearly four hundred dogs along the course, brought out by their owners to support the field. The toughest climb waits around kilometers 33-35, which many call "Dublin's version of Heartbreak Hill" — annoyingly placed for already-tired legs.
Course records
Men
2:06:52
2023 · Kemal Husen
Women
2:26:13
2010 · Tatyana Aryasova
Weather in October
Late October brings 7–14°C and a real chance of sustained rain — even in cold, wet years, runners note surprisingly warm support from locals.
Starter pack 2025
- Race bib and timing chip
- Finisher medal with Dublin views (Beckett Bridge, Ha'penny Bridge)
- Finisher t-shirt and a snack bag
The finish-line snack is modest — crisps and an energy drink; don't expect a big spread.
Pacers & bib pickup
3:003:103:203:303:403:504:004:104:204:304:404:505:00
Bib pickup
RDS, Ballsbridge (expo)
day before the race only
The expo runs Friday and Saturday — there's no pickup point on Sunday, race day.
Course map
Route not added yet
What’s nearby
Walking
National Gallery of Ireland — Right by Merrion Square.
Trinity College — A ten-minute walk, home to the Book of Kells.
30 minutes
Howth — A fishing village on a peninsula, reachable by DART train.
Guinness Storehouse — A classic post-marathon stop.
2 hours
Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough — A monastic site by two lakes, about an hour's drive.
Dinner before the race
Cirillo'sAn Italian restaurant by The Merrion hotel, near the start and finish — one runner's personal pick, not an established tradition.
After the finish
Medal, shirt, and snack pack at Merrion Square; bag collection is on the north side of the square.
Reviews
Jessie Benson (The Right Fits)2023
One of my favorites out of more than forty marathons — the course loops without repeats, like a grand tour of the city. Even in pouring rain, Dubliners came out to support, some with dogs — I counted nearly four hundred.
Barry Smyth (Running with Data)2023
I've run this marathon every year since 2013. 2023 wasn't easy weather-wise — plenty of rain, though at least calm and cool — about the worst I remember.
Registration closed
42.2