Dublin Marathon 2026: Start Time, Road Closures, TV, Tracker
The 2026 Irish Life Dublin Marathon is on Sunday, October 25, and starts at 8:45 a.m. on Leeson Street Lower. The finish is on Mount Street Upper. It's sold out, with 22,500 runners. Roads around the start and finish close from 3:30 a.m., some until 8 p.m., while roads along the route close in stages from about 7 a.m. and reopen between 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. TG4 shows the race live and free from 8 a.m., and you can follow any runner on the official tracker. One thing to remember: the clocks go back an hour at 2 a.m. that morning, so all times on race day are winter time.
Race day at a glance
- Date: Sunday, October 25, 2026, the 45th Dublin Marathon
- Start: 8:45 a.m., Leeson Street Lower, in waves. Runners must be in their wave by 8 a.m.
- Finish: Mount Street Upper
- Distance: 42.195 km (26.2 miles), with a 7-hour cut-off
- Clocks: summer time ends at 2 a.m. on race morning, when the clocks go back to 1 a.m. Phones change automatically; other clocks and watches may not
- Expo and race numbers: RDS Simmonscourt, Friday, October 23 (12 p.m. to 7 p.m.) and Saturday, October 24 (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.). Bring the e-ticket from your wave email. There's no number collection after 6 p.m. on Saturday
Details from the organisers' race day guide and wave information.
How to watch and track runners
- On TV: TG4 has live, free-to-air coverage from 8 a.m., presented by Gráinne McElwain. Outside Ireland, you can watch live on the TG4 Player (Dublin Marathon).
- Tracker: follow a runner's progress on the official race tracker, linked from the organisers' race day page. You'll need their name or race number.
- Results: live progress and final results are published by the timing company, TDL Event Services, and later on the marathon's results page.
Road closures on Sunday, October 25
These are the confirmed closures from the organisers' road closures page, grouped by area. They can still change, so check before you drive.
| Area | Main roads | Closed |
|---|---|---|
| Start area | Leeson Street Lower, Baggot Street Lower, Hatch Street, Fitzwilliam Square, Fitzwilliam Street Upper | 3:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Finish area | Merrion Square North and West, Nassau Street, Kildare Street, Clare Street, Herbert Street, Herbert Place, Holles Street (no through traffic) | 3:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Herbert Street and Merrion Square East from 6 a.m. Saturday) |
| Merrion Square South | Merrion Square South | 10 a.m. Friday, October 23 to 2 p.m. Monday, October 26 |
| St Stephen's Green | St Stephen's Green South and North, Earlsfort Terrace | 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. |
| The Liberties | Cuffe Street, Kevin Street Lower and Upper | 8:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. |
| Christchurch and the quays | Patrick Street (from 7 a.m.), Nicholas Street, High Street, Bridge Street, Merchants Quay, O'Donovan Rossa Bridge, Inns Quay, Arran Quay, Ellis Quay | 8:15 a.m. to 11 a.m. |
| Stoneybatter, North Circular Road | Blackhall Place, Stoneybatter, Manor Street, Aughrim Street, North Circular Road, North Road | About 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. |
| Phoenix Park, Castleknock | Chesterfield Avenue, Castleknock Road (from 7:40 a.m.), College Road, Knockmaroon Road, Upper Glen Road | 8:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
| Chapelizod, Inchicore | Chapelizod Road and Bridge, St Laurence Road, Sarsfield Road, Inchicore Road | 8:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. |
| Dolphin's Barn, Crumlin, Walkinstown | South Circular Road, Dolphin's Barn, Crumlin Road, Drimnagh Road (from 7 a.m.), Walkinstown Road | About 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or 3 p.m. |
| Kimmage, Templeogue, Terenure | Cromwellsfort Road, Kimmage Road West, Fortfield Road, Templeogue Road, Terenure Road East, Orwell Road | 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or 4 p.m. |
| Milltown, Clonskeagh | Dartry Road, Milltown Road, Clonskeagh Road, Roebuck Road, Foster's Avenue | 8 a.m. or 9:10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. |
| N11 and Merrion Road | Stillorgan Road (bus lane only), UCD flyover, Nutley Lane, Merrion Road (inbound only) | About 8:40 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Merrion Road to 5:30 p.m.) |
| Northumberland Road | Haddington Road to Mount Street Lower | 3:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. |
Some streets near the finish close from Friday, October 23 so the organisers can build the finish area. With this many roads closed, bus routes are diverted, so check with Dublin Bus or Transport for Ireland before you travel.
The route
The course starts downhill from Leeson Street, passes St Stephen's Green and goes through the Liberties to Christchurch, then crosses the Liffey to the northside. At about 6 km, runners enter Phoenix Park, past Dublin Zoo and along Chesterfield Avenue, then loop out through Castleknock and back in through Knockmaroon Gate down to Chapelizod. The halfway point is near Dolphin's Barn and the Crumlin Road. After flatter roads through Kimmage and Terenure, the last 10 km is the hardest: a 3 km climb up Clonskeagh and Roebuck Roads, and the "Irish Heartbreak Hill" at about 35 km. The finish is a straight run along Merrion Road and Northumberland Road to Mount Street Upper. The organisers have a course map and route profile.
Where to cheer
The organisers have 15 support zones along the course. Approximate distances:
| Support zone | Mile |
|---|---|
| O'Donovan Rossa Bridge and Wood Quay | 2 |
| Phoenix Monument, Phoenix Park | 5 |
| Castleknock | 6.8 |
| Furze Road and Upper Glen, Phoenix Park | 8.3 |
| St Patrick's School, Chapelizod Road | 10 |
| Kilmainham | 11.5 |
| South Circular Road and Crumlin Road | 12.8 |
| Walkinstown | 15 |
| Kimmage Cross Roads (KCR) | 17 |
| Terenure Village | 17 |
| Milltown | 19 |
| Roebuck Road and Foster's Avenue | 21.5 |
| Nutley Road and Merrion Road | 24 |
| Northumberland Road | 25.3 |
Near the finish there are two viewing points: Herbert Street on the southside, and Stephen's Lane, Power's Court and Mount Street Crescent on the northside. Runners meet family and friends after the race at Lincoln Place, next to the bag collection in Merrion Square North.
For runners: the morning plan
| Wave | Bag drop open | Walk to start |
|---|---|---|
| Wave 1 (orange) | 7:15 a.m. to 8 a.m. | 15 minutes |
| Wave 2 (green) | 7:35 a.m. to 8:20 a.m. | 15 minutes |
| Wave 3 (blue) | 7:55 a.m. to 8:40 a.m. | 15 minutes |
| Wave 4 (purple) | 8:05 a.m. to 9 a.m. | 20 minutes |
- Bag drop is in Merrion Square North. Only bags with the official label from your race number are accepted.
- Getting into your wave: orange and green waves enter from Merrion Square East and Fitzwilliam Street Lower; blue from Mount Street Lower, Herbert Street and Baggot Street; purple from Mount Street Lower, Herbert Place and Baggot Street. You can drop back to a later wave, but you can't move up.
- On the course: 10 water stations, Lucozade Sport at miles 9.5, 13, 19 and 22, and gels at miles 16 and 22. First aid is at the finish and at miles 3, 5, 9.5, 11, 13, 16, 19, 21 and 24.
- Your race number must be worn on the front, with the timing chip left in place on the back.
Source: the organisers' race day guide.
Quick answers
What time does the Dublin Marathon start?
8:45 a.m. on Sunday, October 25, 2026, on Leeson Street Lower. Clocks go back at 2 a.m. that morning, so it's 8:45 a.m. winter time.
Is the Dublin Marathon on TV?
Yes. TG4 shows it live and free from 8 a.m., and it streams worldwide on the TG4 Player.
When do the roads reopen?
In stages, as the last runners pass. City-centre streets on the route reopen from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Phoenix Park at 1 p.m., the western and southern suburbs between 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., and Merrion Road at 5:30 p.m. Streets around the finish stay closed until 8 p.m. or 8:30 p.m., and Merrion Square South until 2 p.m. on Monday.
How do I track a runner?
Use the official race tracker linked from the organisers' race day page, and search by name or race number. Results are posted by TDL Event Services.
Can I still enter?
No. The 2026 race is sold out at 22,500 runners. Entry details for 2027 are on the organisers' site.
