All you need to know as 25,000 runners prepare to descend on Dublin.
Launched in 1980, the Dublin Marathon is the fourth largest in Europe, with the 26.2 mile course spanning residential and city areas both north and south of the Liffey.
This year's marathon takes place on Sunday, October 29th of the bank holiday weekend with participants from all over the world competing for the Noel Carroll Memorial Trophy and €12,000 prize money, running for charity or for personal achievement.
This year's marathon will also mark the first year that participants can register as non-binary as well as male and female, as part of a move by Irish Life Dublin Marathon to be more inclusive in their events.
Whether you're participating in the race or heading along as a spectator, here's all you need to know ahead of this Sunday.
Start times
The Dublin Marathon will have five start times, starting with the wheelchair participants at 8:40 am. They will be followed by wave 1 at 8:45 am, wave 2 at 9:05 am, wave 3 at 9:25 am and wave 4 at 9:45 am.
Participants and spectators are reminded that the clocks go back by one hour at 2am on the morning of the marathon.
Start line / finishing line
The race begins on Fitzwilliam Square Upper and ends at Merrion Square North, close to Trinity College.
Full route
After starting at Fitzwilliam Square Upper, the race will move towards St Stephen's Green and then onto Usher Quay, over the James Joyce Bridge and through Stoneybatter before reaching Phoenix Park.
Participants will then pass through Chapelizod, Inchicore, Dolphin’s Barn, Crumlin, Terenure, Busky Park and UCD, before arriving back in the city centre and crossing the finish line at Merrion Square North.
Via irishlifedublinmarathon.ie
How long will the course be open for?
The course will be open for seven hours from when the last person crosses the start line. After this time, participants will be asked to move to the footpath to allow the roads to reopen again.
Road closures and diversions
The following roads will be closed on Sunday 29th October to facilitate the marathon:
- Merrion Square West - 3:30am to 7:30pm
- Merrion Square East - 3:30am to 7:30pm
- Fitzwilliam Street Lower- 3:30am to 7:30pm
- Fitzwilliam Street Upper - 3:30am to 1pm
- Fitzwilliam Square North - 3:30am to 1pm
- Fitzwilliam Square South - 3:30am to 1pm
- Fitzwilliam Square East - 3:30am to 1pm
- Fitzwilliam Square West - 3:30am to 11am
- Fitzwilliam Place- 3:30am to 1pm
- Fitzwilliam Lane - 3:30am to 5pm
- Holles Street - 3:30am to 9pm
- Merrion Street Upper - 3:30am to 5pm
- Mount Street Lower - 3:30am to 7:30pm
- Mount Street Upper - 3:30am to 7:30pm
- Stephen's Place - 3:30am to 7:30pm
- Stephen's Lane - 3:30am to 7:30pm
- Verchoyle Place - 3:30am to 5pm
- Grattan Street And Grattan Court - 3:30am to 5pm
- Wilson’s Place & Grant’s Row - 3:30am to 5pm
- Clare Street - 3:30am to 6:30pm
- Kildare Street - 3:30am to 11am
- Merrion Row - 3:30am 11am
- Pembroke Street Lower - 4am to 11am
- Baggot Street Lower - 3:30am to 12pm
- James Street East - 3:30am to 7:30pm
- Herbert Street - 3:30am to 12pm
- Herbert Lane - 3:30am to 12pm
- Herbert Place- 3:30am to 12pm
- Clanwilliam Place - 3:30am to 12pm
- Warrington Place - 3:30am to 12pm
- Warrington Lane - 3:30am to 12pm
- Powers Court - 3:30am to 5pm
- Cumberland Road - 3:30am to 11am
- Lad Lane - 3:30am to 11am
- Hagan's Court - 3:30am to 5pm
- Pembroke Row - 3:30am to 5pm
- Leeson Street lower - 7:45am to 10:15am
- St Stephen's Green South - 8:15am to 10:15am
- Cuffe Street - 8:15am to 10:15am
- Kevin Street Lower and Upper - 8:15am to 10:15am
- Patrick Street - 8:15am to 10:15am
- Nicholas Street - 8:15am to 10:15am
- High Street - 8:15am to 10:15am
- Bridge Street - 8:15am to 10:15am
- Ushers Quay - 8:15am to 10:15am
- Blackhall Place - 8:15am to 12:45pm
- Stoneybatter - 8:15am to 12:45pm
- Manor Street - 8:15am to 12:45pm
- Aughrim Street - 8:15am to 12:45pm
- North Circular Road - 8:15am to 2pm
- Chapelizod Road - 8:15am to 1pm
- St Laurence Road - 8:30am to 2:45pm
- Sarsfield Road- 8:30am to 2:45pm
- South Circular Road - 8:45am to 1:45pm
- Dolphins Barn - 8:45am to 1:30pm
- Crumlin Road - 8:30am to 2pm
- Walkinstown Road - 8:45am to 1:45pm
- Cromwells Fort Road - 9am to 2:30pm
- Kimmage Road West - 9am to 2:45pm
- Fortfield Road - 9:15am to 2:30pm
- Terenure Road East - 9:15am to 2:45pm
- Orwell Road - 8:45am to 3:30pm
- Orwell Park - 8:45am to 3:30pm
- Dartry - 9:30am to 3:15pm
- Milltown Road - 9:35am to 3:15pm
- Clonskeagh Road - 9:30am to 4pm
- Stillorgan Road - 9:30am to 4pm
- Nutley Lane - 9:45am t0 4:55pm
- Northumberland Road - 9:45am to 4:45pm
Dublin Bus have posted a full list of their routes which will be affected on their
website.
Marathon participants and those heading into town to support should also bear in mind that DART services will not be running at Connolly, Howth, Portmarnock, Malahide, Rush and Lusk, Skerries, and Balbriggan due to engineering works.
Iarnród Éireann tweeted: “DART/Northern Commuter/Enterprise alterations 28th Sat /29th Sun Services will not operate between Connolly and Belfast. 30th Mon Services will not operate between Connolly and Drogheda.”
Where to collect your race number
If you're participating in this year's marathon you can collect your race number at the Irish Life Dublin Marathon Expo in the Main Hall of the RDS Dublin 4 from 12-7pm on Friday, October 27th and 9-7pm Saturday, October 28th. The official race number must be worn on your front for the race and is coloured according to your time zone.
Header image via Instagram/dublinmarathon
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