SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon
Dublin, Ireland · October · Independent
Why people love it
- Crowds are the standout: runners describe support along nearly the whole route.
- Flat, fast city loop with its start and finish in the centre.
- Course stays open 7 hours after the last of four waves starts.
- Ballot entry since 2026 is open to first-time marathoners.
Watch out for
- Entry is by ballot: about 47,000 applied for 22,500 places.
- Hills at 32 to 35 km (20 to 22 mi) on Roebuck Road come late.
- Late October is often damp and windy in Phoenix Park.
- Shirts ran out in 2016 and 2025; the start and finish can be chaotic.
- No parking near the start or finish.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Moderate
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.1
Runners rate it about 3.9 of 5 on one site and 5 of 5 on another. Crowds are the standout; complaints are swag and weather. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.7
Four waves and enough toilets in 2022. Shirts ran out in 2016 and 2025, aid closed early in 2016, corral entry was hard in 2025. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly4.0
Course stays open 7 hours after the last starter, mostly flat, with friendly crowds. Late hills at 32 to 35 km (20 to 22 mi). · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast3.7
Reviewers call it fast and flat, and two set PRs by about 20 minutes. Hills at 32 to 35 km (20 to 22 mi). · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful3.6
RaceRaves scenery 3.9 of 5. Georgian streets, Phoenix Park in autumn and Dublin Zoo, then suburbs. One 2018 reviewer found the park unremarkable. · Medium confidence
- Room to runRoomy3.7
22,500 runners in 4 waves from a Georgian city street; start and finish described as chaotic in one 2016 review. Phoenix Park offers width. · Low confidence
- Road surfaceGood3.8
No reviewer mentions road problems, but there is little direct evidence for it. · Low confidence
- Road closuresFully closed4.6
City-centre roads closed with traffic diversions and no parking near start or finish; some residential access sections not confirmed. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessMostly flat3.8
Mostly flat, with a 5 km (3 mi) incline in Phoenix Park and a testing stretch at 32 to 35 km (20 to 22 mi). · Low confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Looped city course ending about 1 km (0.6 mi) from the start. Boston qualifier: yes, no net drop. · Medium confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth3.7
Four waves from 08:45 to 09:45 and plenty of toilets in 2022. Corral entry was hard in 2025; no parking near the start. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingGood3.9
Waves allocated by predicted time and pace groups run. Chip clock starts when you cross the line. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportElectric4.9
Nearly every source praises crowds as the standout: constant support, no stretch without spectators, locals shouting encouragement. Known as the friendly marathon. · High confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.6
Aid was good in 2015 but closed early in 2016. One runner got no electrolytes until 14 km (9 mi). Toilets plentiful in 2022. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindSome wind2.9
Phoenix Park is open and windy at times. 2026 forecast showed winds up to 34 km (21.1 mi)/h (21 mph). · Medium confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant4.1
Late October averages about 9 °C (48 °F), cool and good for racing, but damp. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable2.9
Rain fell in about 6 of 26 recent years (23 percent). 2017 had drizzle and 2025 was cold, wet and windy. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy4.3
Compact city, Luas lines running, and designated cheering areas. Parking is banned and some DART services were limited in 2025. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
Dublin is at sea level, in a coastal city. · Medium confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early3.0
Bank holiday weekend and 22,500 runners fill many hotels. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal2.5
Dublin hotel prices rise on marathon weekend; no price data collected. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable4.2
Start near St Stephen's Green and finish near Merrion Square are in the city centre, within walking distance of many hotels. · Medium confidence
- Travel easeEasy4.2
Dublin Airport has wide international links. Transit to the centre is straightforward. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.9
Wave allocation by email, clear plans published. Expo described as solid. Parking banned means public transport or walking. · Low confidence
- Town and foodGreat4.6
Pubs and restaurants in a walkable capital; no direct evidence from reviews. · Low confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inRegister early2.7
Ballot since 2026: about 47,000 applied for 22,500 places. Roughly half of applicants succeeded. · High confidence
- Value for moneyFair3.4
Praised medal; reviewers mixed on shirts (missing in 2016 and 2025, ill-fitting in 2024). Fee not confirmed. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Dublin, Leinster, Ireland
- Typical month
- October
- Latest or next date
- 25 October 2026
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 17,732 athletes
- First held
- 1980
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- loop
- Start time
- 08:45
- Cutoff
- 7 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- City roads and Phoenix Park paths
- How to get in
- lottery
- Sells out
- Yes
- Air temperature
- 7–12 °C (45–54 °F)
- Humidity
- Damp
- Altitude
- 20 m (66 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Dublin Airport (DUB)
- Where to stay
- St Stephen's Green, Merrion Square, Ballsbridge
- Booking
- Bank holiday weekend; book as soon as the ballot result is in.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRaves: Dublin MarathonRaced 2015 to 2025 · aggregator · Positive
Rated 3.9 of 5. Crowd support is the standout. The course is fast and fairly flat with a few climbs. Swag was inconsistent: shirts ran out in 2016 and 2025. Weather ranged from ideal to cold and rainy. Start and finish can be chaotic.
“off the charts”
- MarathonGuide: Dublin runner reviewsRaced 2022 and 2026 · aggregator · Positive
Both gave 5 of 5. David R. called it a favourite among 16 marathons: huge crowds, a well-organised expo and logistics, four corrals with enough toilets, hills only around 32 to 35 km (20 to 22 mi), mid 50s F (about 13 °C) weather.
“best supported run crowd wise”
- Moray Road Runners: Dublin Marathon 29/10/2017Raced 2017 · blog · Positive
Strong spectator support, only gentle inclines before halfway, about 16,000 runners. A few minutes to reach the start line. Praised the medal and recommends it for an autumn marathon.
“Dublin is a great course and the atmosphere is excellent.”
- The University Times: friendly marathon previewRaced 2025 · article · Positive
Describes about 22,000 runners, lottery entry open to first-timers, a roughly 5 km (3 mi) early incline in Phoenix Park, and Roebuck Road at 34 to 36 km (21 to 22 mi). Community spirit and spectator zones.
“Heartbreak Hill”
- The Irish Times: 2025 start times, route and rulesRaced 2025 · article · neutral
Four waves from 8:45, course open 7 hours after the last starter, parking banned near start and finish, reduced DART service, sold out at 22,500. Names 32 to 35 km (20 to 22 mi) around Clonskeagh and Roebuck as the most testing section.
Show 1 more
- Marathon Handbook: Dublin Marathon 2023 reportRaced 2023 · article · Positive
Rain made conditions less than ideal but thousands lined the streets for what it calls the friendly marathon. Course record 2:06:52 set by Kemal Husen.
“Friendly Marathon”
Raced SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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