Antrim Coast Half Marathon 2026

10-14 weeks is a solid window for a first half marathon; 8-10 weeks is enough if you're already maintaining a baseline mileage. Build your long run up gradually rather than jumping straight to race distance.

This is a largely flat course, so most of your long runs can mirror that — flat and steady, building time on feet rather than hill strength.

Reduce overall mileage across the final 7-10 days while preserving short race-pace bursts. Arrive at Larne Town Centre / Glenarm Road area, Larne, Co. Antrim BT40 1JS fresh, energized, and primed — not fit, fresh.

Lock in your target pace using the interactive splits calculator below — no official pacers are confirmed for this event, so a pace band on your watch is the more reliable option.

Test your race-day fuel and hydration plan on your long training runs, not for the first time on race day — check the Race Day Checklist below for what's actually on this course.

A modest increase in carbohydrate intake over the 2-3 days before the race — not one huge pasta dinner the night before — is the usual approach to topping up glycogen stores for a half marathon.

Eat 2-3 hours before the start — carbohydrate-focused, and nothing you haven't already tried in training.

On-course water/gel station details were not published at the time of writing — carry your own fuel if you have specific needs.

Recovery starts with what you eat in that first hour — a mix of carbohydrate and protein is what the evidence supports.

Larne

Belfast

Larne has its own railway stations (Larne Town and Larne Harbour) with connections to Belfast — exact race-day guidance was not confirmed in sources checked.

The official site has a dedicated car parking page — check it directly for current details.

Rolling closures, which is the part that matters if you are driving rather than running: each road reopens behind the last runner rather than at a fixed time. The A2 Coast Road closes between the Black Arch and Ballygally, and in Larne itself the closures cover Curran Road, Coastguard Road, Fleet Street, Olderfleet Road, Victoria Road, Agnew Street, Main Street, High Street, Pound Street and Grace Avenue. Emergency services have access throughout. Those roads are taken from the closure notice for a previous edition — the same course is used each year, but the exact times are published by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and the organiser in the fortnight before race day, and it is those you want if you are timing a journey.

The Larne harbour/town area and the Chaine Memorial Tower finish give strong, accessible viewing points along the coastal route.

The shorefront route gives spectators a scenic, if spread-out, course to follow between viewing points.

No dedicated live-tracking app confirmed for this event.