Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Running · Marathons
Dublin Marathon 2027
- Race day
- Monday, 25 October 2027
- Location
- Dublin, Ireland
- Distance
- 26.2 mi / 42.2 km
Dublin Marathon: 25 October 2027. The ballot, the date, the Phoenix Park and Georgian city-centre route, elevation, charity places, a pace calculator.
Dublin Marathon Race Timeline
410 days to go
More than 84 days out — a good window to build a consistent base before marathon-specific training ramps up.
Dublin Marathon 2027: quick answers
When is Dublin Marathon 2027?
Dublin Marathon 2027 takes place on Monday, 25 October 2027.
Where does Dublin Marathon start and finish?
Dublin Marathon starts at Fitzwilliam Square West, Dublin 2 and finishes at Merrion Square North, Dublin 2.
How many miles is Dublin Marathon?
Dublin Marathon is 26.2 miles (42.2km).
How much elevation gain does Dublin Marathon have?
Dublin Marathon has approximately 682ft of total elevation gain. Reasonably flat and fast: around 208m (682ft) of ascent across the 26.2 miles, which is comparable to Brighton and rather less than most British city marathons. The climbing that does exist is concentrated in the Phoenix Park section in the first half and the drag through Chapelizod and Kilmainham afterwards — front-loaded, which is the useful arrangement. The closing miles along the Grand Canal and into Merrion Square are genuinely flat.
How much does Dublin Marathon cost to enter?
Entry is by ballot rather than first come, first served. The ballot typically opens in January or February with results a few months later, and it is heavily oversubscribed against a field of roughly 20,000. Details for the 2027 race are announced later in the preceding year. Charity places are the other main route in.
How can I track a runner at Dublin Marathon?
Live runner tracking is provided through the official event app, with supporters able to follow athletes across the timing points on the loop.
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Monday, 25 October 2027
- Distance
- 26.2 miles / 42.2km
- Location
- Dublin, Ireland
- Start Point
- Fitzwilliam Square West, Dublin 2
- Finish Point
- Merrion Square North, Dublin 2
- Elevation gain
- 682 ft (208m)
- Surface
- Closed public roads, tarmac throughout
- Tracking app
- Live runner tracking is provided through the official event app, with supporters able to follow athletes across the timing points on the loop.
Not published by the organiser at the time of writing: start time, cut-off time, age requirement. Verus records these as unconfirmed rather than estimating them — check the official race website closer to race day.
Direct Entry Summary
Entry is by ballot rather than first come, first served. The ballot typically opens in January or February with results a few months later, and it is heavily oversubscribed against a field of roughly 20,000. Details for the 2027 race are announced later in the preceding year. Charity places are the other main route in.
Ballot Policy
A genuine ballot: all general entries are allocated by lottery rather than sale, which makes Dublin one of the few marathons outside London where entering early confers no advantage at all. Enter, then wait.
Dublin Marathon 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.
Dublin Marathon Route Map & Elevation Profile
Starting at Fitzwilliam Square West, Dublin 2 and finishing at Merrion Square North, Dublin 2. 682 ft of total elevation gain across 26.2 miles.
Is Dublin Marathon flat?
Reasonably flat and fast: around 208m (682ft) of ascent across the 26.2 miles, which is comparable to Brighton and rather less than most British city marathons. The climbing that does exist is concentrated in the Phoenix Park section in the first half and the drag through Chapelizod and Kilmainham afterwards — front-loaded, which is the useful arrangement. The closing miles along the Grand Canal and into Merrion Square are genuinely flat.
Dublin Marathon Course Profile
682 ft total elevation gain.
Tap a point on the course for details.
Fitzwilliam Square West, Dublin 2
Start line.
Where Dublin Marathon starts and finishes
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 Dublin Marathon Route Breakdown
A single loop of the capital. It starts among the Georgian terraces of Fitzwilliam Square, tracks north across the Liffey and out into Phoenix Park — at 1,750 acres one of the largest enclosed city parks in Europe, and the quietest, greenest stretch of the race. From there it runs south through Chapelizod, Kilmainham and Crumlin, passing the Royal Hospital and following the Grand Canal back towards the centre, before a fan-lined finish on Merrion Square North.
Dublin Marathon Pace Calculator & Splits
Dublin Marathon Pace Calculator
Enter a target finish time to see your pace and projected splits.
Average pace / mile
9:10
Average pace / km
5:42
Dublin 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 | 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 |
Dublin Marathon Finish Time Estimator
Enter a recent 5K, 10K or Half Marathon time to estimate your Dublin Marathon finish time.
Your 5K time
Estimated Dublin Marathon 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 Dublin Marathon, set your goal pace, and let Verus track your countdown, training and fundraising in one place.
Start Your Verus JourneyDublin 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
- Something warm and disposable for a late-October morning in Dublin, to discard at the start
- A plan for reaching Fitzwilliam Square that accounts for city-centre road closures
- Your own gels if you would rather not rely solely on what is on the course
- Euro rather than sterling if you are travelling from the UK — a small thing that catches people out
- A meeting point agreed with family and friends near Merrion Square for afterwards
Training Strategy for Dublin Marathon
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 Fitzwilliam Square West, Dublin 2 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 increase in carbohydrate across the two or three days before, and nothing new. If you are travelling from the UK, plan the Sunday food rather than improvising it in a strange city the day before a marathon.
A carbohydrate breakfast two to three hours before your wave, of something you have already used on long runs. The bank-holiday Monday date means cafes may open later than you expect — bring your own.
Drinks stations run throughout the course. Carry the gels you have trained with rather than relying on what is handed out, particularly if you are used to a specific brand at home.
Eat within the hour, and keep eating through the evening. Merrion Square puts you a few minutes from everywhere in the city centre.
Dublin Marathon Charity Places 2027
Charity places are widely available and are how a large share of the field gets in when the ballot does not go their way. Each charity sets its own registration fee and fundraising minimum, so check directly with the charity rather than assuming a standard figure.
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 Dublin Marathon for charity?
Link your JustGiving page to Verus and show up right here alongside other Dublin Marathon fundraisers — goal, progress and story, all in one place.
Add Your Fundraiser to VerusWhere to Stay for Dublin Marathon
Dublin 2 — Merrion Square and Baggot Street
Walking distance to both the start at Fitzwilliam Square and the finish at Merrion Square. The best possible race-morning logistics.
The most expensive part of the city, and it books out for marathon weekend well in advance.
Temple Bar and the north quays
Central, well connected by Luas, and the widest choice of places to eat afterwards.
Noisy at night, which matters the evening before a marathon.
Ballsbridge and Donnybrook
Quieter, greener and often better value, a short walk or tram from the start.
Further from the finish-line atmosphere, and you will be walking back after 26.2 miles.
Travel & Logistics
Dublin is served by Connolly and Heuston stations, the DART along the coast, and the Luas tram network through the centre. Fitzwilliam Square and Merrion Square are both a short walk from the Luas Green Line. Flying in from the UK, Dublin Airport is around 40 minutes from the city centre by Airlink or taxi.
No dedicated race Park & Ride. Public transport is strongly preferable given the extent of the closures — the route loops through the entire city centre.
Extensive closures across central Dublin, Phoenix Park, Chapelizod, Kilmainham and Crumlin for the duration of the race. The organiser publishes full detail ahead of race weekend.
Spectator & Cheer Guide
Merrion Square for the finish, and the Grand Canal stretch in the closing miles, which is flat, open and easy to reach on foot from the centre. Phoenix Park is the scenic option earlier on.
Central Dublin is compact and walkable, and the Luas runs across the middle of the loop. Because the course is a single circuit through the city rather than an out-and-back, seeing a runner twice takes planning — the canal and the finish are the easiest pair.
Live runner tracking is provided through the official event app, with supporters able to follow athletes across the timing points on the loop.
Dublin 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 Dublin Marathon site , last verified August 2026. Always confirm official timings and policies directly prior to race day.