The Irish Life Dublin Marathon will be staged for the 45th time on Sunday 25 October, with around 22,500 registered runners and organisers describing the race as sold out. First held in 1980 with 1,300 participants, the event has grown into one of the biggest mass-participation marathons in the British Isles. The two virtual editions held during the Covid-19 pandemic are not counted in the numbering.
The race begins and ends in central Dublin, starting on Leeson Street Lower and finishing on Mount Street Upper by the Pepper Canister Church. The wheelchair start is at 8:40am, with Wave 1 following at 8:45am and further waves at 9:05, 9:25 and 9:45. Runners are placed by the finish time they estimated at entry, identified by orange, green, blue or purple bibs, and may drop back to a later wave on the day but cannot move forward. There is a seven-hour limit from the moment the last runner crosses the start line.
The course offers a downhill start and passes through Phoenix Park at around 6km, before a gently rolling middle section and a demanding final 10km. Organisers call the climb around 35km “Heartbreak Hill”. Water and sports drink are available on the course, with gels at two stations, and official pacers carrying balloons cover target times from three to five hours. The expo is at the RDS Simmonscourt on Friday 23 October from 12pm to 7pm and on Saturday 24 October, with collection closing at 6pm. The clocks go back on the morning of the race in both Ireland and the UK.
Looking ahead, organisers have launched a Road to 50 campaign built around the race's history and its runners, including an #EveryBibHasAStory initiative inviting participants to share their journeys. Emmett Dunleavy has been named official group coach to provide training guidance, and the transfer window this year ran for more than two months, up from just over one month in 2025. Race director Jim Aughney said the focus “remains on delivering a high-quality experience for runners of all abilities”.
For visitors, Dublin is a short trip from many UK airports, with a ferry from Holyhead to Dublin Port taking about three and a quarter hours; identification such as a passport or driving licence should be checked with the carrier. Late October averages about 13°C by day and 6°C overnight, with frequent rain, though recent years have varied. TG4 will broadcast the race from 8am. A sold-out field this size is another sign of the sustained demand for marathon places that has marked 2026.