The cost of entering the Dublin City Marathon is set to increase from €110 to €130 next year.
This year's Dublin Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 25, with 22,500 runners expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race around the capital.
The entry price will rise by €20 for the 2027 marathon, marking the first increase in five years. Organisers say the decision is due to the rising cost of running the event, with inflation over the past five years estimated at between 18% and 20%.
CEO of Dublin Marathon Group Seán Ó Ríain said the organisers were aware that runners would not be happy with the increase.
“People are not going to be incredibly comfortable with the entry increase,” he said.
“But when we looked at our financial sustainability piece for the next number of years, and when we look at the cost of putting on the event, cumulatively over the last five years inflation has been somewhere between 18 and 20%.”
Ó Ríain said there had been significant increases in the cost of infrastructure, security, medical services and traffic management. He said the organisers want to maintain the standard of the event and put money back into the runner experience.
Demand for places has also increased significantly. More than 47,000 people applied for this year's marathon, meaning a ballot was required to allocate the 22,500 available places.
From 2027, the €4 ballot fee will automatically be refunded to unsuccessful applicants. For successful applicants, the €4 will instead be taken off the cost of their marathon entry.
Organisers have also confirmed that the official transfer window, which was extended for this year's marathon following runner feedback, will be extended again for 2027.
The Dublin Marathon first took place in 1980, when just over 2,100 runners competed. The event is now part of the Dublin Marathon Group's Irish Life Dublin Race Series, alongside the Fingal 10k, Frank Duffy 10 Mile and Dublin Half Marathon.
Entry fees for those races will also increase in 2027, with the Fingal 10k costing €35, the Frank Duffy 10 Mile €40 and the Dublin Half Marathon €55, plus applicable fees.
