Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Running · Half Marathons
Edinburgh Half Marathon 2027
- Race day
- Sunday, 30 May 2027
- Location
- Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
- Distance
- 13.1 mi / 21.1 km
Edinburgh Half Marathon: 30 May 2027. Entry, the downhill Old Town to Musselburgh course, charity, a pace calculator.
Edinburgh Half Marathon Race Timeline
262 days to go
More than 56 days out — a good window to build a consistent base before half-marathon-specific training ramps up.
Edinburgh Half Marathon 2027: quick answers
When is Edinburgh Half Marathon 2027?
Edinburgh Half Marathon 2027 takes place on Sunday, 30 May 2027, starting at 8:00am.
What time does Edinburgh Half Marathon start?
Edinburgh Half Marathon starts at 8:00am from Potterrow, Edinburgh (near McEwan Hall, University of Edinburgh).
Where does Edinburgh Half Marathon start and finish?
Edinburgh Half Marathon starts at Potterrow, Edinburgh (near McEwan Hall, University of Edinburgh) and finishes at Pinkie School playing fields, Musselburgh.
How many miles is Edinburgh Half Marathon?
Edinburgh Half Marathon is 13.1 miles (21.1km).
How much does Edinburgh Half Marathon cost to enter?
Standard entry from £47.75; charity entries from £0 (subject to the partner charity's own fundraising terms) — these are starting prices, and actual tiers vary by when you book.
How can I track a runner at Edinburgh Half Marathon?
No dedicated live-tracking app confirmed for this event.
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Sunday, 30 May 2027
- Distance
- 13.1 miles / 21.1km
- Location
- Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
- Start Point
- Potterrow, Edinburgh (near McEwan Hall, University of Edinburgh)
- Finish Point
- Pinkie School playing fields, Musselburgh
- Start time
- 8:00am
- Surface
- Closed road
- Cut-off time
- Reported around 3 hours 15 minutes by third-party sources — not independently confirmed on the official site.
- Tracking app
- No dedicated live-tracking app confirmed for this event.
Not published by the organiser at the time of writing: age requirement. Verus records these as unconfirmed rather than estimating them — check the official race website closer to race day.
Direct Entry Summary
Standard entry from £47.75; charity entries from £0 (subject to the partner charity's own fundraising terms) — these are starting prices, and actual tiers vary by when you book.
Ballot Policy
No ballot — entry is direct via the Edinburgh Marathon Festival, though the race sells out every year since 2012.
Edinburgh Half 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.
Edinburgh Half Marathon Route Map & Elevation Profile
Starting at Potterrow, Edinburgh (near McEwan Hall, University of Edinburgh) and finishing at Pinkie School playing fields, Musselburgh. Total elevation gain is not published for this event, and Verus does not estimate one.
Is Edinburgh Half Marathon flat?
Net downhill — around 90m of descent from the Old Town start to near-sea-level finish, flat for the second half. Marketed by the organizer as one of the fastest half marathon routes anywhere, though that specific claim isn't independently verified.
Edinburgh Half Marathon Course Profile
Elevation change not published for this event.
Tap a point on the course for details.
Potterrow, Edinburgh (near McEwan Hall, University of Edinburgh)
Start line.
Where Edinburgh Half 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 Edinburgh Half Marathon Route Breakdown
Descends around 90m from Edinburgh's Old Town down to near sea level, flat for the back half. Passes Greyfriars Kirkyard, the Royal Mile, St Giles Cathedral, near Edinburgh Castle, Princes Street Gardens, the Scott Monument, the Scottish Parliament, Arthur's Seat/Salisbury Crags, Holyrood Palace, Portobello promenade, historic Musselburgh Golf Course (established 1672), and Prestonpans before finishing at Pinkie School in Musselburgh.
Edinburgh Half Marathon Pace Calculator & Splits
Edinburgh Half Marathon Pace Calculator
Enter a target finish time to see your pace and projected splits.
Average pace / mile
18:19
Average pace / km
11:23
Edinburgh Half Marathon Pace Chart
Split markers calculated for standard checkpoints — no official pacers are confirmed for this event.
| Target | Pace /mi | Pace /km | 5K | 10K | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 13:44 | 8:32 | 42:41 | 1:25:23 | 3:00:00 |
| 3:15 | 14:53 | 9:15 | 46:15 | 1:32:30 | 3:15:00 |
| 3:30 | 16:02 | 9:58 | 49:48 | 1:39:37 | 3:30:00 |
| 3:45 | 17:11 | 10:40 | 53:22 | 1:46:43 | 3:45:00 |
| 4:00 | 18:19 | 11:23 | 56:55 | 1:53:50 | 4:00:00 |
| 4:15 | 19:28 | 12:06 | 1:00:29 | 2:00:57 | 4:15:00 |
| 4:30 | 20:37 | 12:48 | 1:04:02 | 2:08:04 | 4:30:00 |
| 4:45 | 21:45 | 13:31 | 1:07:36 | 2:15:11 | 4:45:00 |
| 5:00 | 22:54 | 14:14 | 1:11:09 | 2:22:18 | 5:00:00 |
| 5:30 | 25:11 | 15:39 | 1:18:16 | 2:36:32 | 5:30:00 |
| 6:00 | 27:29 | 17:05 | 1:25:23 | 2:50:46 | 6:00:00 |
| 6:30 | 29:46 | 18:30 | 1:32:30 | 3:04:59 | 6:30:00 |
| 7:00 | 32:04 | 19:55 | 1:39:37 | 3:19:13 | 7:00:00 |
Edinburgh Half Marathon Finish Time Estimator
Enter a recent 5K, 10K or Half Marathon time to estimate your Edinburgh Half Marathon finish time.
Your 5K time
Estimated Edinburgh Half Marathon finish
1:54:55
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 Edinburgh Half Marathon, set your goal pace, and let Verus track your countdown, training and fundraising in one place.
Start Your Verus JourneyEdinburgh Half 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 Potterrow, and separately for getting from the Musselburgh finish back into the city
- A meeting point agreed with family/friends at Pinkie School, Musselburgh, for after the race
Training Strategy for Edinburgh Half Marathon
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 Potterrow, Edinburgh (near McEwan Hall, University of Edinburgh) 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.
Half Marathon Nutrition & Fueling Plan
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.
2-3 hours before the start, eat something carb-heavy that you've already used in training — race morning is the wrong time to try something new.
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.
Edinburgh Half Marathon Charity Places 2027
Charity places are available via multiple partners, including Marie Curie — contact each directly for current fundraising terms.
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 Edinburgh Half Marathon for charity?
Link your JustGiving page to Verus and show up right here alongside other Edinburgh Half Marathon fundraisers — goal, progress and story, all in one place.
Add Your Fundraiser to VerusWhere to Stay for Edinburgh Half Marathon
Edinburgh city centre / Old Town
Closest to the start, with the widest hotel choice in the city.
Not close to the Musselburgh finish — plan onward transport.
Musselburgh
Closest to the finish.
Far fewer hotel options than central Edinburgh.
Travel & Logistics
Musselburgh railway station is near the finish; Edinburgh Waverley serves the city-centre start area.
Closed-road event from central Edinburgh out to Musselburgh — exact closure times not published at the time of writing.
Spectator & Cheer Guide
The Royal Mile and Holyrood Palace area give strong, central viewing points; Portobello promenade covers the later, coastal stretch.
Edinburgh's city-centre public transport is dense near the start, though the point-to-point route to Musselburgh spreads spectators out along the way.
No dedicated live-tracking app confirmed for this event.
Edinburgh Half Marathon Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know for race weekend.
People Also Search For
Similar races
Edinburgh Marathon
Edinburgh, UK
Peppers Silo Launceston Half Marathon
Launceston, Tasmania
Great Manchester Run Half Marathon
Manchester, UK
Hackney Half
London, UK
St Albans Half Marathon
St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK
Great Bristol Run Half Marathon
Bristol, UK
Race details independently compiled and fact-checked by Tommo against the official Edinburgh Half Marathon site , last verified August 2026. Always confirm official timings and policies directly prior to race day.