Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Running · Marathons
Connemarathon 2027
- Race day
- Sunday, 25 April 2027
- Location
- Connemara, County Galway, Ireland
- Distance
- 26.2 mi / 42.2 km
Connemarathon: 25 April 2027. The Connemara International Marathon through Lough Inagh and the Hell of the West — date, start times, entry prices.
Connemarathon Race Timeline
227 days to go
More than 84 days out — a good window to build a consistent base before marathon-specific training ramps up.
Connemarathon 2027: quick answers
When is Connemarathon 2027?
Connemarathon 2027 takes place on Sunday, 25 April 2027, starting at 11:00, from Lough Inagh. The ultra starts at 09:00 from Recess and the half at 11:00 from Leenane..
What time does Connemarathon start?
Connemarathon starts at 11:00, from Lough Inagh. The ultra starts at 09:00 from Recess and the half at 11:00 from Leenane. from Lough Inagh, Connemara, County Galway.
Where does Connemarathon start and finish?
Connemarathon starts at Lough Inagh, Connemara, County Galway and finishes at Maam Cross, County Galway.
How many miles is Connemarathon?
Connemarathon is 26.2 miles (42.2km).
How much does Connemarathon cost to enter?
Entry is direct through the organiser, at €70 for the half marathon, €75 for the marathon and €80 for the ultra, plus a small online processing fee. No ballot and no qualifying time.
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Sunday, 25 April 2027
- Distance
- 26.2 miles / 42.2km
- Location
- Connemara, County Galway, Ireland
- Start Point
- Lough Inagh, Connemara, County Galway
- Finish Point
- Maam Cross, County Galway
- Start time
- 11:00, from Lough Inagh. The ultra starts at 09:00 from Recess and the half at 11:00 from Leenane.
- Surface
- Closed and semi-closed mountain road through Connemara — tarmac, exposed, and rarely level
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 is direct through the organiser, at €70 for the half marathon, €75 for the marathon and €80 for the ultra, plus a small online processing fee. No ballot and no qualifying time.
Ballot Policy
No ballot — entry is direct, first come first served.
Connemarathon Race Day Weather
A real forecast appears here once one exists for race day — usually about a week to ten days out. Nothing is shown until then, because a made-up forecast is worse than none.
Connemarathon Route Map & Elevation Profile
Starting at Lough Inagh, Connemara, County Galway and finishing at Maam Cross, County Galway. Total elevation gain is not published for this event, and Verus does not estimate one.
Is Connemarathon flat?
No official elevation figure is published, so Verus does not state one. What can be said plainly is that this is not a flat marathon and is not sold as one: it runs on mountain road through a glaciated valley, and the defining feature is a sustained climb in the final miles known as the Hell of the West. Runners consistently record times well outside their road-marathon bests here, and that is the point of the race rather than a flaw in it.
Connemarathon Course Profile
Elevation change not published for this event.
Tap a point on the course for details.
Lough Inagh, Connemara, County Galway
Start line.
Where Connemarathon starts and finishes
Connemarathon starts at Lough Inagh, Connemara, County Galway and finishes at Maam Cross, County Galway. 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. The official course map is the one to use: view it on the organiser's site .
Full Connemarathon Route Breakdown
A point-to-point through the mountains and loughs of Connemara on the west coast, in one of the emptiest landscapes in western Europe. The marathon starts at Lough Inagh and runs through the Inagh valley between the Twelve Bens and the Maumturks, then along Killary Harbour country to the finish at Maam Cross. The closing miles include the climb the race is known for — a long drag locally christened the Hell of the West, which arrives at exactly the point in a marathon where you least want it.
Connemarathon Pace Calculator & Splits
Connemarathon Pace Calculator
Enter a target finish time to see your pace and projected splits.
Average pace / mile
9:10
Average pace / km
5:42
Connemarathon 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 | 6:52 | 4:16 | 21:21 | 42:41 | 1:30:04 | 2:08:04 | 3:00:00 |
| 3:15 | 7:27 | 4:37 | 23:07 | 46:15 | 1:37:34 | 2:18:44 | 3:15:00 |
| 3:30 | 8:01 | 4:59 | 24:54 | 49:48 | 1:45:05 | 2:29:25 | 3:30:00 |
| 3:45 | 8:35 | 5:20 | 26:41 | 53:22 | 1:52:35 | 2:40:05 | 3:45:00 |
| 4:00 | 9:10 | 5:42 | 28:28 | 56:55 | 2:00:05 | 2:50:46 | 4:00:00 |
| 4:15 | 9:44 | 6:03 | 30:14 | 1:00:29 | 2:07:35 | 3:01:26 | 4:15:00 |
| 4:30 | 10:18 | 6:24 | 32:01 | 1:04:02 | 2:15:06 | 3:12:06 | 4:30:00 |
| 4:45 | 10:53 | 6:46 | 33:48 | 1:07:36 | 2:22:36 | 3:22:47 | 4:45:00 |
| 5:00 | 11:27 | 7:07 | 35:34 | 1:11:09 | 2:30:06 | 3:33:27 | 5:00:00 |
| 5:30 | 12:36 | 7:50 | 39:08 | 1:18:16 | 2:45:07 | 3:54:48 | 5:30:00 |
| 6:00 | 13:44 | 8:32 | 42:41 | 1:25:23 | 3:00:08 | 4:16:08 | 6:00:00 |
| 6:30 | 14:53 | 9:15 | 46:15 | 1:32:30 | 3:15:08 | 4:37:29 | 6:30:00 |
| 7:00 | 16:02 | 9:58 | 49:48 | 1:39:37 | 3:30:09 | 4:58:50 | 7:00:00 |
Connemarathon Finish Time Estimator
Enter a recent 5K, 10K or Half Marathon time to estimate your Connemarathon finish time.
Your 5K time
Estimated Connemarathon finish
3:59:36
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 Connemarathon, set your goal pace, and let Verus track your countdown, training and fundraising in one place.
Start Your Verus JourneyConnemarathon 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
- Full weather cover — Connemara in April is Atlantic weather on an exposed mountain road, and it can turn within an hour
- Warm dry clothes for the coach to the start and for the finish at Maam Cross
- Your own gels: this is remote country and the aid stations are the only provision
- Euro rather than sterling if you are travelling from the UK
- Accommodation booked well ahead — Connemara has very little of it, and the race fills what there is
Training Strategy for Connemarathon
16-20 weeks is the target window for first-time marathoners; 12-16 weeks is solid if you're already maintaining a baseline mileage. Arrive with your longest run behind you in training, not on race day itself.
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 2-3 weeks while preserving short race-pace bursts. Arrive at Lough Inagh, Connemara, County Galway 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.
Marathon Nutrition & Fueling Plan
A modest carbohydrate increase over two or three days. Book somewhere to eat in advance — Connemara has few options and they fill up.
An 11:00 start is late for a marathon, which changes the plan: eat a normal breakfast and then a second small carbohydrate top-up two to three hours before, rather than trying to survive on a 06:00 meal.
Aid stations are the only provision on open mountain road. Carry what you need and do not count on finding anything between them.
Eat at the finish area and again properly that evening. The Hell of the West empties people.
Connemarathon Charity Places 2027
No formal charity-place scheme is published. Many runners fundraise on their own entry.
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 Connemarathon for charity?
Link your JustGiving page to Verus and show up right here alongside other Connemarathon fundraisers — goal, progress and story, all in one place.
Add Your Fundraiser to VerusWhere to Stay for Connemarathon
Clifden
The main town of Connemara and the natural base, with the most accommodation and places to eat in the region.
Still a drive from the start areas, and it fills completely on race weekend.
Leenane and Maam
Closest to the half marathon start and the finish, deep in the mountains and spectacular.
Barely any rooms at all — a handful of hotels and B&Bs for the whole valley.
Galway city
By far the widest choice, with a station, an airport nearby and a proper night out afterwards.
Around an hour from the course on winding roads, which makes a very early race morning.
Travel & Logistics
Galway city is the nearest railhead, around an hour from the start area by road, and connects to Dublin Heuston in about two and a half hours. There is no rail access into Connemara itself.
The point-to-point course means organiser coach transport between the finish area and the three start lines is effectively compulsory — check the timetable and book it with your entry.
Managed road closures on the mountain roads through the Inagh valley and towards Maam Cross for the duration of the event.
Spectator & Cheer Guide
Maam Cross for the finish, and the Hell of the West climb before it if you can reach a lay-by — that is where the race is decided and where the photographs come from.
Difficult. This is single mountain road through open country with almost nowhere to stop, and the race is on it. Pick one point and stay there.
Connemarathon 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 Connemarathon site , last verified August 2026. Always confirm official timings and policies directly prior to race day.