My marathons

Edinburgh Marathon

10:0010:00 AM Edinburgh
Edinburgh Castle
© OpenStreetMap Edinburgh Castle. Photograph by Stephencdickson, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons . Course line © OpenStreetMap contributors

The course

Pick a place, or drag along the profile

Downhill to km 8, then flat home.

StartFinish

© OpenStreetMap contributors

  2. Photo: RGuy02, CC0
  3. Photo: rboed*, CC BY 2.0
  4. Photo: Peulle, CC BY 4.0
  5. Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Schatir assumed (based on copyright claims)., Public domain
  6. Photo: Darren J. Prior, CC BY 4.0
  7. Photo: Saffron Blaze, CC BY 3.0
  9. Photo: Renata ( talk ), Public domain
  10. Photo: Unoquha, CC0

km 2.6mile 1.6

Scottish Parliament

Photo: Darren J. Prior, CC BY 4.0

Height drawn many times taller than life. Heights: GEDTM30.

Course elevation profile, 8× vertical exaggeration Elevation along the course from km 0 to km 42. The trace runs between 3 and 91 metres, a range of 88 metres, drawn at 8 times vertical exaggeration so the shape is legible. Smoothed over 1 km before this profile was derived. An unsmoothed urban surface carries the buildings and would assert a climb that is not there. The dashed stretches are bridge decks: George IV Bridge, km 0.4 to 0.5; Waverley Bridge, km 1.4 to 1.5; Fillyside Road, km 7.8 to 7.8; (unnamed span), km 14.2 to 14.3. A bare-earth model reads the ground or the water beneath a bridge, not the deck the runner is on, so those runs are interpolated between the ground either side rather than measured, and they under-report the real climb across a span.
0 10 20 30 40 km
0 10 20 26.2 mi

Dashed: bridge

  • downhill to 8
  • flat home

Your 5 gels, at the orange marksFor a 4:00 finish, one every 40 minutes

  1. km 7mile 4.4
  2. km 14.1mile 8.7
  3. km 21.1mile 13.1
  4. km 28.1mile 17.5
  5. km 35.2mile 21.8

Get them on AmazonAmazon partner link

The course in short 3 lines
  • Eighty-five metres down in the first 10 kmThe start is the high point; after km 10 the road stays between 3 and 11 m above the sea.
  • A measured course, so the time counts elsewhereAIMS-measured; other races decide for themselves whether to accept the time.
  • No pacers, a strict 6:30 and a sweeper bus6:30 is counted from when the back of the field crosses the start line.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
km 0 to 10GradientEighty-five metres down in the first 10 kmThe start is the high point; after km 10 the road stays between 3 and 11 m above the sea.

Most of what this course has in the way of hills is in its first few kilometres, and all of it is downhill. The elevation profile starts at 89.7 m in the Old Town, is at 35.6 m by km 5 and at 4.3 m by km 10. From there to the finish on the Musselburgh shore the road stays between 3.1 m and 11.4 m above sea level, and it finishes at 5.0 m, 84.7 m below where it began.

In total the course climbs 38.8 m, which is all in small steps along the coast. The organiser calls it “fast & flat” and says Runners World voted it the fastest marathon in the UK.

Measured

Whole courseConditionsA measured course, so the time counts elsewhereAIMS-measured; other races decide for themselves whether to accept the time.

From the organiser’s FAQ: “The Marathon and Half Marathon courses has been measured by an AIMS certified measurer and meets all domestic and international measure criteria. Therefore, times from the Marathon and Half Marathon can be submitted as qualifying times for other international marathons with full confidence.” The same answer adds that the organisers of the other marathons have the final say on whether they accept a qualifying time.

Sourced

km 0 to 42.2TacticsNo pacers, a strict 6:30 and a sweeper bus6:30 is counted from when the back of the field crosses the start line.

The FAQ is plain on three points. “No. There are no pacers at this event.” The marathon has “a strict maximum cut off time of 6 hours 30 minutes”, counted “from when the back of the race crosses the start line”. And a sweeper bus follows the back of the race at the pace of the course time limit: a runner passed by it is asked to get on and is taken back to the finish area. A runner who misses the limit gets no result and no finisher’s pack or medal.

Sourced

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

5 gels for Edinburgh, plus 1 spare

Finish

One every 40 minutes, the orange marks on the profile, by the clock:

  1. km 7mile 4.4
  2. km 14.1mile 8.7
  3. km 21.1mile 13.1
  4. km 28.1mile 17.5
  5. km 35.2mile 21.8

Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side.

Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.

Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.

Anti-chafe
Compeed Anti-blister stick
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.

Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.

Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Number belt
A race number belt
Illustration · drag to turn

Compressport Race Belt

Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.

Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.

Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Electrolytes
A tube of electrolyte tablets
Illustration · drag to turn

SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20

One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.

One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.

Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Blister plasters
Compeed Blister plasters, medium, 6
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.

Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.

Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
distance
42.2 km26.2 mi
climb
38.8 m127 ft
cut-off
6:30 h
finishers
6,596
first held
2003

A point to point course from Edinburgh's Old Town past the Castle and Holyrood Park, then east along the coast to a finish on the Musselburgh shore, on one of the flattest routes in the UK.

The Edinburgh Marathon is a flat point-to-point course of 42.2 km with 38.8 m of climbing. Its lowest point is 3 m and its highest 91 m above sea level. Next race: Sunday 30 May 2027, starting at 10:00.

Race week

Timetable

Sunday 30 May Race day

  1. 10:0010:00 AM

    Marathon start Start time as published for the 2027 marathon. The half marathon starts at 08:00 the same morning.

  2. Time not published

    Marathon cut-off Strict limit of 6 hours 30 minutes, counted from when the back of the race crosses the start line. Standing rule from the organiser's FAQ, not restated for 2027. 6:30 limit: 9:14/km for 42.195 km6:30 limit: 14:52/mi for 26.2 mi

Times as published by GSi Events Ltd, in Edinburgh time, checked .

Add to calendar .ics file, times in Edinburgh time

Trip

Getting a place

Entry through the organiser

Entry details on the organiser’s site →

GSi Events Ltd, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.

Make your postcard

Keep exploring

Same weekend

  • Gamla stan, Stockholm

    Stockholm Marathon

    Stockholm, Sweden

    Sat 29 May 202742.2 km138 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Gamla stan, by Arild Vågen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro

    Maratona do Rio

    Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Sun 30 May 202742.2 km110 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Sugarloaf Mountain, by Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • Parliament Hill, Ottawa

    Ottawa Marathon

    Ottawa, Canada

    Sun 30 May 202742.2 km99 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Parliament Hill, by David Samuel, User:Hellodavey1902, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Same month, nearby

  • Nyhavn, Copenhagen

    Copenhagen Marathon

    Copenhagen, Denmark

    Sun 9 May 202742.2 km69 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Nyhavn, by kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • Jet d'Eau, Geneva

    Geneva Marathon

    Geneva, Switzerland

    Sun 9 May 202742.2 km79 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Jet d'Eau, by Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
  • Charles Bridge, Prague

    Prague Marathon

    Prague, Czechia

    Sun 2 May 202742.2 km98 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it. Photo: Charles Bridge, by Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

A course like this

  • A frame from our Beijing Marathon filmImagery: Google Earth0:59

    Beijing Marathon

    Beijing, China

    Oct 202742.2 km41 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
  • A frame from our Elche-Alicante Marathon filmImagery: Google Earth1:16Entry open

    Elche-Alicante Marathon

    Alicante, Spain

    Sun 13 Dec42.2 km41 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.
  • A frame from our Berlin Marathon filmImagery: Google Earth4:01Entry closes 12 Nov

    Berlin Marathon

    Berlin, Germany

    Sun 26 Sep 202742.2 km36 m

    Climb summed after smoothing the heights over 1 km. The edge is this course's height profile on one scale for every race: 250 m above its lowest point fills it.

Questions about the Edinburgh Marathon

Is the Edinburgh Marathon course flat?

Yes. It has 38.8 m of climbing over 42.2 km. The highest point is 88 m above the lowest. It finishes 85 m lower than it starts.

When is the Edinburgh Marathon 2027?

Sunday 30 May 2027. The start is at 10:00.

How do I enter the Edinburgh Marathon?

Entry is through the organiser. Entry fee: £84.50 (for the 2027 race). Entry details on the organiser’s site

2 more questions
What is the time limit at the Edinburgh Marathon?

Runners have 6 h 30 min to finish.

How many runners finish the Edinburgh Marathon?

6,596 runners finished in 2016.

Sources and licence

Last checked.

Course line matched onto OpenStreetMap road geometry: (c) OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database License 1.0 (ODbL). Elevation sampled from GEDTM30, Global Ensemble Digital Terrain Model at 30 m (v1.2): Elevation: GEDTM30 (Ho & Hengl, OpenGeoHub), CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).

Elevation gain computed by us from that line, smoothed over 1 kmsmoothed over 0.6 mi.

The line follows the road down its middle, so it measures 1.53% longer than the certified distance, which is measured on the shortest legal line through every bend.

Date and entry information from GSi Events Ltd.

Every source and licence behind them →

More races in the United Kingdom and in May