The 2026 Irish Life Dublin Marathon takes place on Sunday, October 25, with more than 22,500 runners preparing to take on one of Ireland’s biggest mass participation sporting events.
Now in its 45th year, the sold-out event has grown considerably since its first race in 1980, when just 1,300 participants took part.
It is now one of the five largest marathons in Europe, attracting runners from Ireland and around the world.
International athletes, club runners, wheelchair participants, charity fundraisers and first-time marathoners will all take on the 26.2-mile challenge, with thousands of spectators expected to line the streets to cheer them on.
Here is everything runners and supporters need to know ahead of race day.
The race will start on Leeson Street Lower, with the finish line on Mount Street Upper. The wheelchair race begins at 8.40am, followed by Wave 1 at 8.45am, Wave 2 at 9.05am, Wave 3 at 9.25am and Wave 4 at 9.45am.
The course has a seven-hour cut-off, with tail walkers available to support participants finishing close to that time.
Before race day, runners must collect their race numbers at the Irish Life Dublin Marathon Expo at RDS Simmonscourt. The two-day event takes place on Friday, October 23, from noon to 7pm, and Saturday, October 24, from 9am to 6pm.
Runners must present the e-ticket in their Eventmaster profile and a form of identification to collect their number. Saturday collections must be completed by 6pm.
Getting to the start line will require some planning. Summer Time ends on the morning of the marathon, with clocks going back one hour at 2am on Sunday, October 25.
Parking will be available at Q-Park St. Stephen’s Green, Q-Park Setanta and Q-Park Christchurch.
A discount code, RACE2026, can be used when pre-booking parking through the Q-Park website between Friday, October 23, and Sunday, October 25. The discount applies to city-centre Q-Park car parks, excluding Q-Park Four Courts and Q-Park Grand Canal.
Parking is prohibited in the immediate vicinity of the start and finish areas, and runners and spectators are advised to check opening times and charges at nearby multi-storey car parks before travelling.
Four baggage areas will be located at Merrion Square North, with access via Merrion Square West or Lincoln Place. Only bags displaying the official baggage label with the runner's race number will be accepted. Clear bags for personal items will also be provided at the Expo.
Baggage drop times depend on each runner's allocated wave. Orange Wave 1 runners can drop bags between 7.15am and 8am, while Green Wave 2 runners can do so between 7.35am and 8.20am. Blue Wave 3 baggage drop runs from 7.55am to 8.40am, and Purple Wave 4 runners can drop bags between 8.05am and 9am.
Runners should allow 15 to 20 minutes to walk from the baggage areas to their start locations, depending on their wave. Participants are asked to arrive at the start area between 8am and 8.30am to ensure they have enough time to enter their allocated wave.
The marathon uses staggered starts to allow runners to enter the course safely. Participants can move down to a later wave but cannot move up to an earlier one, and start times may change.
The Official Sports Direct Pacing Team will help runners target specific finish times.
Wave 1 will have pacers for three hours, three hours and 10 minutes, and three hours and 20 minutes. Wave 2 will have pacers for three hours and 30 minutes, three hours and 40 minutes, and three hours and 50 minutes. Wave 3 will include pacers for three hours and 50 minutes, four hours and four hours and 10 minutes. Wave 4 will have pacers for four hours and 20 minutes, four hours and 30 minutes, four hours and 40 minutes, four hours and 50 minutes, and five hours.
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The course takes runners past some of Dublin's best-known streets and landmarks. Starting on Leeson Street, the route passes through St Stephen’s Green, the Liberties and Christchurch before crossing the River Liffey and heading north towards Phoenix Park.
Runners will continue through Castleknock, Inchicore and Kilmainham before passing the halfway mark and travelling through Terenure and Milltown. At the 35-kilometre point, they will face the notoriously challenging Irish Heartbreak Hill.
The final stretch takes runners along Stillorgan Road and Merrion Road, past the RDS, before the finish on Mount Street Upper near Pepper Canister Church.
There will be plenty of support available along the route. Official Water Supplier Ishka will provide 250ml bottles at water stations one, three and seven, with cups available at stations two, four, five, six, eight, nine and 10.
Official Hydration Partner Lucozade Sport will provide drinks at the 9.5, 13, 19 and 22-mile marks. Energy gels from Official Gel Partner High5 will be available at miles 16 and 22. Runners are asked to dispose of bottles, cups and gel wrappers responsibly using the facilities provided along the course.
First aid stations will be located at the finish area and at miles three, five, 9.5, 11, 13, 16, 19, 21 and 24. Anyone withdrawing from the race should do so at one of these stations and inform medical personnel so their withdrawal can be recorded.
Toilets will be available in each start wave, beside the baggage drop areas and along the course at designated stations.
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With more than 20,000 participants expected, runners are being asked to follow the instructions of race marshals and volunteers, particularly around the start, hydration stations and finish area. Participants should also avoid stopping suddenly on the course and keep moving through busy areas where possible.
The organisers have also issued a reminder about finish-line safety.
Runners must not bring children, family members or friends onto the course or across the finish line with them. Designated meeting areas will allow participants to reunite with loved ones once they have exited the finish area.
A strict zero-tolerance policy also applies to race-number swapping outside the official transfer window. Anyone found to have transferred, sold or swapped a number outside the permitted period will be disqualified from Dublin Marathon Group events. Accurate participant information is essential for runner safety, particularly in the event of a medical emergency.
Every runner who completes the marathon will receive the 2026 finisher medal, which celebrates the event's 45th running and its history since 1980. The design features the number 45 enclosed by an Olympic laurel wreath, symbolising sporting achievement and the marathon's heritage.
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Finishers will also receive a souvenir race T-shirt from Official Apparel Partner Ronhill and a goody bag containing Ishka water, Lucozade Sport and a Grenade bar. Prizes for the top three individual elite and national women and men will be presented at the finish line.
After crossing the finish line, runners should follow the one-way system out of the finish area before collecting their bags from the baggage areas at Merrion Square North. A post-race meeting area will be located near the baggage areas at Lincoln Place.
For supporters, there will be 15 designated support zones along the route. These include Wood Quay at around two miles, the Phoenix Monument at five miles, Castleknock at 6.8 miles, Phoenix Park at 8.3 miles, Chapelizod Road at 10 miles and Kilmainham at 11.5 miles.
Further support zones will be located near the junction of South Circular Road and Crumlin Road at 12.8 miles, Walkinstown at 15 miles, KCR Garage at 17 miles, Terenure Village at 17 miles, Milltown at 19 miles, Roebuck Road and Foster's Avenue at around 21.5 miles, Nutley Road and Merrion Road at 24 miles, and Northumberland Road at 25.3 miles.
Accessibility Officers wearing blue tabards will be available at the baggage areas to help anyone who needs additional support preparing for the start. A sensory-friendly zone will also be available in Phoenix Park in partnership with AsIAm.
Major road closures will be in place across Dublin city and county on Sunday, October 25, from early morning until late evening. Some streets will also close from Friday, October 23, to allow the event to be set up and dismantled.
Drivers, commuters and residents are advised to check the official Dublin Marathon road-closure information before travelling.
Spectators will be able to follow runners' progress and view live results through the official race tracker. There will also be two designated viewing access points near the finish line: Herbert Street for southside viewing, and Stephen's Lane, Power's Court and Mount Street Crescent for northside viewing.
Further information about race-day arrangements, the course, road closures and runner support is available on the official Irish Life Dublin Marathon website.
