Dublin Marathon 2023: start times, road closures and race route

Fiona Frawley

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.

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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.”

?Engineering Work

Sat 28th & Sun 29th October
❌DART/Commuter/Enterprise services will not operate between Connolly and Belfast

Mon 30th October
❌DART/Commuter/Enterprise services will not operate between Connolly and Drogheda

ℹ️ For further info https://t.co/o5iOcUHYA2
-CL

— Iarnród Éireann (@IrishRail) October 25, 2023

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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