Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Running · Ultra Marathons
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon 2026
- Race day
- Saturday, 12 September 2026
- Location
- Portballintrae, County Antrim, UK
- Distance
- 39.8 mi / 64.1 km
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon: 12 September 2026, from Portballintrae, County Antrim. Entry, route, a pace chart and the race-day forecast.
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon Race Timeline
2 days to go
Mileage is right down. Focus on sleep, hydration, and getting your kit and travel plan sorted rather than any last-minute training.
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon 2026: quick answers
When is Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon 2026?
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon 2026 takes place on Saturday, 12 September 2026, starting at 07:00.
What time does Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon start?
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon starts at 07:00 from Portballintrae, County Antrim.
Where does Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon start and finish?
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon starts at Portballintrae, County Antrim and finishes at Portballintrae, County Antrim.
How many miles is Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon?
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon is 39.8 miles (64.1km).
How much elevation gain does Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon have?
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon has approximately 1473ft of total elevation gain. 1,473ft (449m) of ascent across 39.8 miles, per the organiser — that works out at roughly 37ft of climb per mile. The going: antrim coast — clifftop path, sandy beach, seaweed-strewn cove and the shepherd's steps.
How much does Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon cost to enter?
Entry direct through 26 Extreme — check the official site for current pricing.
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Saturday, 12 September 2026
- Distance
- 39.8 miles / 64.1km
- Location
- Portballintrae, County Antrim, UK
- Start Point
- Portballintrae, County Antrim
- Finish Point
- Portballintrae, County Antrim
- Start time
- 07:00
- Elevation gain
- 1473 ft (449m)
- Surface
- Antrim coast — clifftop path, sandy beach, seaweed-strewn cove and the Shepherd's Steps
Not published by the organiser at the time of writing: cut-off time, age requirement, tracking app. Verus records these as unconfirmed rather than estimating them — check the official race website closer to race day.
Direct Entry Summary
Entry direct through 26 Extreme — check the official site for current pricing.
Ballot Policy
No ballot — entry is direct through 26 Extreme.
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon Race Day Weather
Fetching today's forecast for race day…
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon Route Map & Elevation Profile
Starting at Portballintrae, County Antrim and finishing at Portballintrae, County Antrim. 1473 ft of total elevation gain across 39.8 miles.
Is Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon flat?
1,473ft (449m) of ascent across 39.8 miles, per the organiser — that works out at roughly 37ft of climb per mile. The going: antrim coast — clifftop path, sandy beach, seaweed-strewn cove and the shepherd's steps.
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon Course Profile
1473 ft total elevation gain.
Tap a point on the course for details.
Portballintrae, County Antrim
Start line.
Where Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon starts and finishes
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon starts at Portballintrae, County Antrim and finishes at Portballintrae, County Antrim. We haven't been able to place those on a map accurately enough to show one — a pin in the wrong place is worse than no pin.
These are the start and finish points, not the route. Verus doesn't hold course files for this race, and drawing a line between two pins would be a guess you might end up training on.
Full Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon Route Breakdown
A rugged out-and-back along the Antrim coastline from Portballintrae, roughly 64km with 449m of climb. The route passes Runkerry Head, the Giant's Causeway itself and the steep Shepherd's Steps, then runs on over clifftops, sandy beaches and seaweed-strewn coves to Ballintoy and back.
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon Pace Calculator & Splits
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon Pace Calculator
Enter a target finish time to see your pace and projected splits.
Average pace / mile
6:02
Average pace / km
3:45
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon Pace Chart
Split markers calculated for standard checkpoints — no official pacers are confirmed for this event.
| Target | Pace /mi | Pace /km | 5K | 10K | Half Marathon | 30K | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 4:31 | 2:49 | 14:03 | 28:06 | 59:17 | 1:24:18 | 3:00:00 |
| 3:15 | 4:54 | 3:03 | 15:13 | 30:27 | 1:04:14 | 1:31:20 | 3:15:00 |
| 3:30 | 5:17 | 3:17 | 16:24 | 32:47 | 1:09:10 | 1:38:21 | 3:30:00 |
| 3:45 | 5:39 | 3:31 | 17:34 | 35:08 | 1:14:07 | 1:45:23 | 3:45:00 |
| 4:00 | 6:02 | 3:45 | 18:44 | 37:28 | 1:19:03 | 1:52:25 | 4:00:00 |
| 4:15 | 6:24 | 3:59 | 19:54 | 39:49 | 1:24:00 | 1:59:26 | 4:15:00 |
| 4:30 | 6:47 | 4:13 | 21:05 | 42:09 | 1:28:56 | 2:06:28 | 4:30:00 |
| 4:45 | 7:10 | 4:27 | 22:15 | 44:30 | 1:33:52 | 2:13:29 | 4:45:00 |
| 5:00 | 7:32 | 4:41 | 23:25 | 46:50 | 1:38:49 | 2:20:31 | 5:00:00 |
| 5:30 | 8:17 | 5:09 | 25:46 | 51:31 | 1:48:42 | 2:34:34 | 5:30:00 |
| 6:00 | 9:03 | 5:37 | 28:06 | 56:12 | 1:58:35 | 2:48:37 | 6:00:00 |
| 6:30 | 9:48 | 6:05 | 30:27 | 1:00:53 | 2:08:28 | 3:02:40 | 6:30:00 |
| 7:00 | 10:33 | 6:33 | 32:47 | 1:05:34 | 2:18:20 | 3:16:43 | 7:00:00 |
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon Finish Time Estimator
Enter a recent 5K, 10K or Half Marathon time to estimate your Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon finish time.
Your 5K time
Estimated Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon finish
6:13:13
An estimate only, based on Pete Riegel's race-time prediction formula. Real marathon performance depends on endurance, training specificity, pacing and race-day conditions — not just your speed over a shorter distance.
Training for a different distance? Try the full pace calculator, race time predictor or pace chart.
Got your target time? Save it to your profile.
Tag Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon, set your goal pace, and let Verus track your countdown, training and fundraising in one place.
Start Your Verus JourneyCauseway Coast Ultra Marathon Race Day Checklist
Tap items to mark off your race-day readiness.
- Race number attached, and any timing chip fitted per your race pack instructions
- Weather-appropriate kit, plus something warm and disposable to discard before the start
- A plan for reaching Portballintrae, County Antrim
- A meeting point agreed with family and friends for after the race
Training Strategy for Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon
20-24 weeks is the realistic window for a first 39.8-mile ultra, assuming you already have a marathon's worth of base behind you. The block that matters is back-to-back long weekends — a long run on Saturday followed by a second, slower one on Sunday — which builds time on feet and teaches you to run on tired legs without the recovery cost of one enormous day. Practise your race-day nutrition on every one of them; at this distance the stomach fails before the legs do.
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.
Drop volume hard across the final three to four weeks — further out and steeper than a marathon taper, because a 30-mile training day costs weeks of recovery, not days. Keep some easy running and a little terrain-specific work in, but the goal is to reach Portballintrae, County Antrim with fresh feet and a rested gut rather than one more long run in the bank.
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.
39.8-Mile Ultra Nutrition & Fueling Plan
A deliberate increase in carbohydrate over the two to three days before the race is the well-established approach at marathon distance.
Eat a carbohydrate-focused breakfast two to three hours before the start, and stick to something you've already tested in training rather than trying anything new.
Most runners take on carbohydrate every 30 to 45 minutes from about an hour in, alongside fluid at the on-course stations.
A mix of carbohydrate and protein in the hour or so after finishing supports recovery.
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon Charity Places 2026
No formal charity-place scheme published — runners commonly fundraise for a charity of their own choosing.
Lead with your personal story — explain why the charity matters to you. Personal connection generates 3x more support than a generic link broadcast.
Share key training milestones on Instagram (first 10-miler, peak week, race week) with your fundraising link in bio. Publicly thanking donors prompts secondary gifts!
Running Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon for charity?
Link your JustGiving page to Verus and show up right here alongside other Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon fundraisers — goal, progress and story, all in one place.
Add Your Fundraiser to VerusTravel & Logistics
No road closures — the Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon is run off-road (Antrim coast — clifftop path, sandy beach, seaweed-strewn cove and the Shepherd's Steps), so local traffic is unaffected.
Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know for race weekend.
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Race details independently compiled and fact-checked by Tommo against the official Causeway Coast Ultra Marathon site , last verified August 2026. Always confirm official timings and policies directly prior to race day.