Dublin Marathon 26 Oct 2026 – Road Diversions 3am-9pm (Irish Life) @ Merrion Square Dublin

• Date 25/10/2026
• Location Merrion Square, Merrion Square East, Dublin, Ireland

Dublin Marathon Sunday, Sunday 25th October 2026 at 8:45am.

Exact Times are subject to change for 2026.

Diversions from 3:00am to 9:00pm

Event times:  It will take place on Sunday 25th October 2026 @ 8:45am

The course will be open for 7hrs

This event 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.

The race will start on Leeson Street Lower.

• The race will start on Leeson Street Lower.
• The race will start on Leeson Street Lower and finish on Mount Street Upper and will follow a similar route to previous years.

Tranport Disruptions

Please take note below

• of the tram/LUAS delays and stops,
• Dublin Bus diversions,
• Road closures,
• and Train updates this weekend with no rail services between Connolly and Howth / Malahide / Dundalk.

Route maps:

The course begins with a downhill start from Leeson Street through St Stephen’s Green, before continuing through the historic Liberties and past St Patrick’s Cathedral. The first incline begins on Patrick Street, heading towards Christchurch, followed by a downhill section to the River Liffey and onto Dublin’s Northside. The first hydration station is located around Aughrim Street.

At the 6K point, runners enter Phoenix Park — Europe’s largest enclosed park — passing Dublin Zoo and Chesterfield Avenue with strong crowd support. Exiting near Castleknock, a short climb is offset by local support and music, before the route re-enters the park at Knockmaroon Gate, descending towards Chapelizod and on to Inchicore.

After passing Kilmainham Gaol, the terrain becomes slightly undulating as it approaches Dolphin’s Barn and the Crumlin Road, marking the halfway point. The next stretch offers flatter ground through Cromwellsfort and Fortfield Roads, with a downhill along Templeogue Road into Terenure, completing the third 10K segment.

The final 10K features both descents and testing climbs. After a downhill on Dartry Road, runners tackle an incline on Milltown Road, followed by a 3K climb along Clonskeagh and Roebuck Roads. Around the 35K mark, the well-known “Irish Heartbreak Hill” presents the most formidable challenge before a downhill along Fosters Avenue.

The route then follows Stillorgan Road, crosses a flyover, and turns onto Nutley Lane at RTÉ, reaching the 38K mark. From there, it is a straight run along Merrion Road, past the RDS, to the finish line at Pepper Canister Church, where supporters gather to cheer runners home.

• Dublin City Marathon START-FINISH- map ( 2025 version linked here-  pdf, downloadable and printable)
• Dublin City Marathon ROUTE MAP (pdf, downloadable and printable)
• Use the TFI Journey Planner / TFI Live App to plan your route.

Irish Life Dublin Marathon website

Road Closure & Transport management information will be provided closer to the event date.
Details will be available at Traffic Information – Irish Life Dublin Marathon

Phoenix Park