Dublin Marathon - Race Reviews

I was signed up for this marathon as well as Virginia Beach in 2020, but Covid came along so they both became 2022 runs. My 16th marathon, and I have to say it was probably my favorite. Dublin is a great international city to visit, great restaurants and fun things to do, and it felt like the whole city came out for the run. The best supported run crowd wise that I've ever been in. It felt like there was someone cheering for me every step of the way, and it really made a difference the last mile when people were calling out my name. Solid expo, good logistics for the race, and 4 well spaces out corrals with ample port-o-pottys. The course had some hills including M 20-22, but nothing too dramatic. The weather was perfect (mid 50s). There is a lottery to get in, but I think that they take into account where runners are coming from (international helps) and also consider where you might finish (I was at 4:35) to balance out the field. Post race was basically a pub crawl. The race is always run before a bank holiday so everyone was off the next day, and it is also run on the sunday that the clocks are turned back, which helped a little. The only thing I struggled a little with is being a little foggy at the start from jet lag (I landed in IR thursday morning). I've run London and Liverpool as comparisons, both great events but this one was superior. If you are thinking international for next year, sign up for the lottery now (I think they notify runners by the end of January).

I really enjoyed the Dublin Marathon. As others have noted, the fan support is truly spectacular. I enjoyed the Haribo candy and took advantage of the oranges and drinks on the course. This was my 19th Marathon, and second outside North America. The support was unrivaled. The crowd was enthusiastic, and the Irish take running seriously. The course was not spectacular, and had some awkward pinch points that led to frequent and sudden constriction for those of us running a 3:20 pace. I wish that there were more frequent water and sports drink locations on the course. The course also had more turns and twists than would be ideal, and as a result most runners including me covered significantly more than 26.2 miles. There are no major hills, but the course rolls significantly throughout. Definitely not a PR course. The delays for entrance to the corals and bag drop added unnecessarily to the race day anxiety, and detracted from what otherwise would have been flawless organization. We really enjoyed the opportunity to run in Dublin, and took full advantage to add an Irish vacation. For 2020 this marathon is going to a lottery. I think that is a shame, as it doesn't sell out overnight, and frankly, why not let the early bird have the worm?

The best and most notable aspect of my Dublin marathon experience was the people. They really know how to welcome you and cheer you on. It began at the expo, where, when they learn this is your first Dublin marathon or perhaps simply first marathon, they loudly announce your name and the room erupts with cheers and applause. At least 2 or 3 times on the course I heard my name and that I was from the U.S. on a loud speaker as I approached a timing mat; again spectators cheered. All through the course the crowd support was just amazing, so 5 out of 5 is given. It was well organized and everything ran smoothly. The only niggle I had was that the security check points were not opened till about 8 am. Our bag drop, which was inside the security perimeter, was to be from 7:15-8:15 according to the race info, with the race starting at 8:45. Race morning is an anxious time for runners, and I think we like to make sure we're on time and to the corrals, etc. So 4 of 5 for that. For me, and that's an important caveat, the course was just average. This marathon was THE race this year. I went there with a time goal. As a result, during the race I was focused on my pace, my nutrition, the running surface, etc. To me, it was a typical/average big city marathon course.

Dubliners are super friendly. The crowd support at the race and the general excitement throughout the city was the best part. The expo was small for the size of the race and didn't have everything I normally buy. It's also in Ballsbridge so I needed to get a taxi from and then back to city center. The start area was OK, but they restrict access to only runners long before the start corrals and even before bag check. It is easy to get to though and you don't need to be there super early. The shutting off of streets was confusing and my wife missed both the start and finish trying to get there. The course was way too crowded at the start. The roads were too narrow for the amount of runners and I didn't get any space to really run until the 5th mile. I was pushed, elbowed and bumped more than any other marathon I've run. I even saw a profanity laced argument between two runners over shoving. They need to consider more corrals to space out the runners more. The course was great after that, quite lovely with a large, loud crowd and super support. If they fix the crowding its a 4 course with PR and BQ potential. I also would have liked to go through some of the city center. The finish line was blah with a long lonely walk after the medals to the bag check and then a large crowd waiting at the exit one had to push through. Make sure you hit the local pubs after the finish to meet other finishers. The course would be better if less crowded, but this was a great destination race for me with a great crowd and friendly city.

I ran the Dublin City Marathon in 2016. The good: Pretty much everything! Beautiful fast course, great support, cool expo, great organisation, beautiful finisher medal. The only race I have run that gives out a long sleeved t-shirt at the finish line (so you have to earn the t-shirt, you can't just buy one with an entry). The bad: ehm...why is the ribbon on the finisher medal blue? It's dublin - it should be green! No seriously, no real complaints. It's a race to run!

I ran the 2016 Dublin Marathon and out of 17 marathons it was my favorite (my 17 includes NYC, Chicago, Paris, Marine Corps, WDW). The course was excellent with spectators cheering the entire way. There were minimal spectators in the Park but the park was so gorgeous especially with the leaves change colors, and the sites looking over into Dublin, it didn't matter. What a wonderful course through the city and the support. The energy was truly amazing throughout the course. I had tears of joy running because it was that amazing. I can't wait to run it again. The temperature was ideal too. There were just a few 'inclines' which to me seemed no larger than an on-ramp or small bridge on a highway in USA. My fellow runners were great too. The only negative comment I have is that they ran out of the race gear in the smaller women's sizes super fast. I went the second day to the marathon and everything was sold out. So maybe increase the stock on women's small sizes. I loved the water bottles on the course. I ran Paris earlier in the year and this marathon was night and day comparison for the better. Paris was extremely boring to me and the crowd support was first rate in Dublin.

This was my first marathon and I can honestly say I loved it even tho I was running with an injury. Crowds were fantastic and a lot of us runners would not complete it without the encouragement and support of the crowds and fellow runners.

Ran my first Marathon last Sunday 4hrs 12mins in Dublin and it was excellent. Makes such a difference when baggage organised properly- so efficient to drop and collect when have nerves and after exhausted. Great course although you have to collect number bibs day before and the course on the day not as flat as was told by husband ha. The banter is great from fellow runners. The spectators and atmosphere was Ace! Might even do again once legs stop aching! Drinks and gels handed out at certain mileage points. Lovely medal and nice tshirts. Everyone friendly and chatty. Treated like heroes at the airport same day with shirts on ha

Loved the Dublin Marathon! I had heard that the support would be good but I had not expected such numbers of cheering, fun loving and motivating people along the whole course! There were plenty of sweets and fruits on offer, lots of fun posters and if anyone saw you struggling they would be very quick in getting you back on your feet! The expo was fine, no issues with the start line or bag drop, the course is a bit hilly but manageable. Only issue is the area after the finish line is a bit crowded and difficult to navigate. Nice t-shirt and medal to remember this race. So much love to the people of Dublin!

This was my 5 marathon and the best yet. The spectators were the best part, they were out in the wind and rain cheering! The water bottles were perfect for a grab and go and carry if you want. I was disappointed no one handed out Guinness at the finish nor did I hear bag pipes or see any kilts at all. During their National Anthem everyone just kept on about their business no one showed any sign of respect or honors, I thought that was a little strange. It was so cold at the end that emergency warm blankets would have been really nice. But absolutely worth doing. The only bad part was our hotel room was robbed the night of the marathon.

There is a reason (many actually) that this was voted World's best international event. Great city, good organization, great spectators, perfect course to mention a few. This was my 55th marathon and it is rare to say I really want to do the same race again. If you are from out of the area - there are many excellent hotels very close to the start / finish area. There are also many friendly Pubs very close to the finish to celebrate with family, friends and other runners.

4 of us from Cape Cod Mass, USA ran this marathon on 10/26/15. All of us had ran Boston and other marathons in the US and we all said this was probably our favorite one. Everything about it made for a fantastic experience. Loved the 9:10 start time, temps were perfect, very well organized, loved the cheering zones, fans the best in the world, loved the hand held water bottles given at water stops, route was great- especially Phoenix Park- Expo center number pick up was a breeze, the Friendship Run day before was great. We stayed at Spencer Hotel, fab location close to start and finish. Our partners rented bikes and were able to watch us a few times along the route. I wish every marathon was as enjoyable! Suggestion: use smaller sports drink bottles, like the water bottles- there was SO much waste as most only take a few sips.

My first marathon outside of Denmark and it was a pleasant experience. I love that the route is a 'one-time-only' route and that the route takes us well around in Dublin. Complete chaos after the finish line where runners meet family, but I guess that is hard to avoid with everybody wanting to go to their loved ones as soon as possible :)

Despite an increasing number of marathon participants each year, the Dublin marathon doesn't seem to be experiencing any growing pains. Can't fault this race at all. It is easy get into compared to other big city marathons, you can register quite close to race day. Dublin has all of the crowd support and benefits of a larger marathon, yet without the issues such as an overcrowded race route. Number pick up at the expo is well organised and simple. Tip - if you aren't interested in purchasing anything attend at an off-peak time. I went at 5pm and was in and out in 15 minutes. The route is fabulous, it starts and finishes in the city centre and takes in so many Dublin neighbourhoods. There are no long, boring sections sending runners out into the middle of nowhere to keep city streets clear. The route is a really good mix between historic city areas, lovely Phoenix Park (you might spot some deer), and family neighbourhoods. It's not a flat course, expect a few challenging inclines but nothing to extreme. The support of the Irish spectators has to be the best thing about this marathon. There are no gaps - you won't go more than 50 feet without someone cheering you on. Several neighbourhoods have 'cheer zones' where the support is phenomenal and really gives runners a boost. True Irish generosity is reflected In the funny home made signs, people handing out jellies, fruit, candy and unrelenting verbal support. T-shirt and medal are both high quality and very, very, nice. As for the weather, I've run Dublin 6 times, sometimes it rains, sometime it doesn't - that's Ireland for ya!

I have run this race twice, the expo is very good easy to get around and lots to buy!! Race organization is very good, although there are 10,000 plus runners there is enough room for everyone. The course brings you through a good variety of districts in the city. It is definitely not a flat course with some tough hills at the 18 mile mark. The best thing about this race are the spectators, the encouragement never stops. If your looking for an overseas marathon other than the big city one's, I would highly recommend it.

My wife and I ran this through marathontours.com. First, kudos to our host - Kelly McLay for putting together and executing such an awesome 8-day trip! As for the race itself, the expo was nicely done, the course was both scenic and varied, and the start/finish areas were easy to navigate and clearly marked. The course had a few rollers, but would provide a good PR opportunity on a cooler day (it was about 64F - a bit warm for this runner). But we ran it at an easy pace, together, to maximize the scenery and overall experience, so that was not an issue. If you run it, you should also do the 'breakfast run' the day before - it was a hoot!

This is the best marathon course I've ever run. It's gentle and fast and a great course for attempting a PR. I found myself marvelling at the fact that there were obvious downhill sections without similar uphill portions. For a race without an elevation loss this is quite an accomplishment. Runners doing this for the first time should gun for a PR. The use of bottled water, cool temps and wide open course meant that it was easy to run a fast time and keep it up. Fan support was the best that I've experienced on a race of this size. Yes there were sections without spectators, but these were surprisingly far and few between. The *ONLY* complaint that I have was that the organizers failed to include a map of the finish area for runners and supporting family. Unbeknownst to me there were two exits (one to the East and one to the West) from the bag drop-off area and many families (including mine) were waiting at the other exit. I think this is easy enough to solve and a minor complaint to what really is one of the best marathons out there.

Having the expo at the RDS provided a lot of space for vendors and participants alike. Queueing to go up the stairs to pick up race bibs was a clever way to force us to come back downstairs into the main exhibition area, though admittedly the tactic resulted in longer wait times. While not a perfect marathon course, there was a nice mix of old and new Dublin. Relatively flat but for one section going towards Phoenix Park, and another section towards the finish. Spectators were phenomenal, and came out in great numbers even on a cool cloudy day. Distributing water and sports drink in recyclable sports bottles probably led to excess waste and perhaps a detriment to other runners. However, the spacing of water stops was more than adequate. Garda were well prepared for pedestrian ailments such as cramps and exhaustion, as well as more urgent triages.

Congratulations to the city of Dublin for putting on such a well supported event. The spectators were so great for my first marathon. The organizers, police and ems were always present and willing to help if needed. It felt like the whole city was involved in this event.

My favorite of all time. Irish fans yelling 'WELL DONE' every step of the way. Nice parks and great neighborhoods made this a wonderful day for me. 5 stars!

Of all the international marathons I've run (11 so far) this is by far the best prepared and organized. It felt like an event for the runners. They even had a a FREE breakfast 5k the morning prior which had music and dancing. Had a great time, the City is beautiful and the spectators were never ending sharing lots of candy and great spirits. I'm still traveling around the Island and I'm loving every minute.

I combined my marathon with a week of site seeing afterward, so I did not compete for a PR. In fact when I knew that I wouldn't break 5 hours I slowed down more and walked some. But almost at the end, when I was walking I saw a man in the crowd and he saw me - he stepped toward me and said it is only 300 meters - you want to run. I was in that fog and just looked at him as I walked - so he came closer and said, 'you want to run' - then he put his arm around my shoulder and said, 'run' and started running a bit with me, then he pushed me along and I was relaunched. That gesture of kindness filled me with inspiration and I ran the rest of the way, feeling great! I will never forget that man's kindness - it was one of the most random, kind, and gentle gestures that I have had in my life. It made me love Ireland and it made me want to visit again - I wish I could tell him how much that meant. He will never know.

Other than a bad racing stratagy, I really enjoyed this race. I went to fast at the start and really paid for it. The Pace groups where great and easy to spot. I prefer more water on the course(water every 5km) is too far later in the race. Great city to run through. If you are from out of town I would recommend that you spent a few extra days to sight see I did and really enjoyed it.

I have run the Baltimore marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, Frederick marathon and Boston marathon. Dublin marathon was my favorite! The spectators were amazing. Organization was fantastic. Loved having water bottles supplied along the course, I'm use to caring a water bottle. It could be a little dangerous when runners would drop the bottles on the course. It was not a hilly course, I'm use to training on hills. I prefer a rolling course, but altogether a 5 star marathon!!!

This race is simply great. The course, the weather, the organization and the enthusiasm of the Dubliners lining the route all contribute to the wonderful atmosphere that prevails. The 4K breakfast run the day before, followed by Irish music and dancing in the convention center was a treat for overseas runners like me and the race expo was also very complete. I appreciated the exhibit covering the history and evolution of the Dublin marathon since it demonstrated to me that the organizers value what they are offering. I had a great run- negative split. For once I did it right. I arrived a week early to get adjusted to the food and the clock. I had a massage three days before the race and I did some wonderful dune running on Bull Island, minutes from the city center. Every race is different and all offer great memories but Dublin is exceptional and for runners on the US East Coast in particular this really presents a wonderful cultural opportunity. The only oddity was getting drinks in plastic bottles at the water stops instead of paper cups.

This was my third and by far my BEST marathon experience. My husband and I ran this race and had such a great time. The people of Dublin are AMAZING! This is truly the 'Friendliest Marathon' in Europe. We couldn't go a mile without a crowd of well-wishers shouting 'Well Done.' There was plenty of water and some type of ionic Powerade-type drink along the way. The course was a little hilly during the first 15 miles and then flattened out. Our favorite part was running through the magnificent Phoenix Park - Autumn in Dublin is truly beautiful and you'll see all the colors running through the park. We were so lucky with the weather, it was 48 degrees F and sunny. Thanks to all the organizers and volunteers for an incredible experience. We want to come back!!

Ran it for the second time in 2012, and the spectator support was just as good as the first time (which is to say excellent) and the drinks etc were even better than the previous year's. On mile 26 the public were great but maybe, just maybe caused a bit of a bottlekneck on Westland Row and the bottom of Grafton St by crowding in- - definitely slowed a few people around me down- easily fixed with better marshalling

Overall - I loved the marathon and would do it again. Pros: -The people of Ireland are fantastic -The course is very nice. I liked the zoo. -Organization was SUPER CONS: -it was 60 degrees and humid at the start. I expected much cooler. -Way too crowded in the first 2-3 miles -My fault - I arrived on Saturday from the US after flying all night and was screwed up for 2 days. I should have come a day earlier It is worth doing this one - great experience.

To visit Ireland was fantastic. Everything was great. I felt connected to the country and the people. The marathon itself was great. Why don't they post the finishers by net result. I finished faster than many others with a net time higher than mine. Also can I get a breakdown of split times. I could not find the site. Thank you Bill Mccabe

Great course. I ran it in 1983 When I was in college in Dublin and it is still as friendly. The organizers need to get rid of the plastic bottles at every water stop and use paper cups. What a waste of plastic and a major tripping hazard. Also the mile markers were not obvious and time clocks non existent . The spectators were great braving a wet dreary day. Great conditions for running. The course is rolling hills with a few nice climbs thrown in for good measure. This was my 13th marathon and nice to be home again

This was my second time running Dublin, the first being in '03 or '04. The course itself is nice, but the downtown finish cannot accommodate the number of people now allowed to enter. With many streets closed off, runners feel like rats in a maze, given a basic bag of goodies then forced on, with very little in terms of support. I found it very difficult to find my spouse, or even how to get out of the maze. This would be bad enough in good weather, but if it rains, which it did in '11 and which is not unlikely any time in the fall in Dublin, it is miserable. If one is to travel across the pond for an October race, better to run Loch Ness, which provides warm food, covered seating, and is wise enough to cap the race at a reasonable number. Other big city marathons, like New York and Chicago, finish in parks that can accomodate large numbers. Dublin should either move the finish away from the downtown core, or set a reasonable cap on entrants. Big is not always better.

i run to keep fit and i get a buzz from doing races, i'm 52 and the longer races are great fun, especially because most people are in for the enjoyment. i have great admiration for the organisers, well done your efforts are appreciated . . !

Great organization, course and spectators. There are some hills including one at mile 8 that really caught me by surprise and took a mile to recover from. Coming from the U.S. the participants were a little fella heavy. Come on Irish women, get out there.

My 5th marathon and the first back at home and it didn't disappoint- brilliant public and great course, especially through the Phoenix Park. Only slight flaw was a bit of a crush through the finish line...found it hard to make that final sprint due to the number of runners around me and the bag drop was a bit too far from the end-line after 26 miles of slogging- could it be swapped and put onto Merrion Sq East instead of South next year maybe? Apart fom that, very minor comment, everything was great- I'd really reccommend it. Major respect to the crowd and the volunteers- a universe away from the usual bemusement/annoyance you get from most of the public at some events in Europe.

This was my fifth marathon. The last was 13 years ago, so my course rating was for the way it was laid out, the organization, and just for the overall enjoyment of the run. I will be doing it again this year - 2011.

I ran Dublin again this year, and I was delighted to do so. The race is very well organized, and the support from the spectators along the way is incredible, with people of all ages out there cheering you on. The weather on the day was ideal. I would recommend this marathon, both for the event itself, and for the opportunity to visit Dublin, a wonderful city, with a rich cultural heritage and lively social life.

This was my first European race and I thought it terrific. I stayed within walking distance of the start/finish and the expo, which allowed me to leave my hotel 10 minutes before the start. The course itself was ever-changing and virtually flat with some lovely downhill sections. The run through Phoenix Park was a highlight. It must have taken a great deal of work to make the day so seamless for the runners. Thank you for that. Loved it. And I had a PB! My spouse had signed up as a water station volunteer and was presented with an Adidas jacket and ball cap for the effort. Classy.