Belfast Marathon

The organiser’s event page says the race “starts at Stormont and finishes in Ormeau Park, running through all four areas of the City; North, South, East and West”. The 26.2 mile course is AIMS certified, and the FAQ asks every runner to start at the official start line and complete the whole officially measured course. In 2023 it became the first and only marathon in Northern Ireland to join the World Athletics Label Road Race Series.

The team relay has five legs, from the Stormont Estate to Montgomery Road, on to Boucher Road, the Falls Road and Duncairn Gardens, and then to Ormeau Park.

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The organiser dates the 2027 race Sunday 2 May, with a 9am start. The FAQ answers the walking question directly: “Yes, but it must be completed in under 6 hours.” Six hours over 42.195 km is 8:32 per kilometre.

Behind the field there is “a tail vehicle to transport runners who are failing to keep with required pace”, and a runner who refuses to board it when asked is, in the organiser’s words, “no longer part of the race”. The FAQ also promises tail runners who “run at the relevant time limit pace” to encourage and support the runners at the back.

In-ear headphones are not permitted; bone conducting headphones are. Dogs and wheeled devices are not allowed on the course, apart from wheelchairs agreed with the organiser in advance.

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Of the 2026 race the organiser’s event page says it “was the largest ever, with over 23,000 participants across the Marathon & Team Relay, continuing the streak of being the largest mass participation sporting event in Northern Ireland”.

It describes the Belfast race as “renowned for the incredible local support and crowds to cheer you on throughout your 26.2 mile journey”. The same page lists a wheelchair race and a team relay alongside the marathon.

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