SEPTEMBER 29, 2026
Entry Dates and Details Announced for 2027 Irish Life Dublin Marathon and Irish Life Dublin Race Series
- Full 2027 Irish Life Dublin Marathon and Race Series dates announced together for the first time
- Refundable ballot fee and expanded transfer options introduced following runner feedback
- 2027 Marathon entry fee confirmed at €130
- Not-for-profit model reinvests surplus in the runner experience, give-back programmes and the long-term future of its events
Dublin Marathon Group has today announced the dates and entry details for the 2027 Irish Life Dublin Marathon and Irish Life Dublin Race Series. For the first time, the complete calendar is being released together, helping runners plan their 2027 running season.
The 2027 Irish Life Dublin Race Series will begin with the Irish Life Fingal 10k on Sunday 11th July, followed by the Irish Life Frank Duffy 10 Mile on Saturday 14th August and the Irish Life Dublin Half Marathon on Sunday 19th September. The 46th running of the Irish Life Dublin Marathon will take place on Sunday 24th October.
The 2027 plans reflect Dublin Marathon Group’s continued focus on listening to runners, continuing to invest in the runner experience and ensuring the long-term future of the races.
Refundable ballot fee introduced for the 2027 Irish Life Dublin Marathon
In 2026, Dublin Marathon Group introduced a ballot for all general entries to the Irish Life Dublin Marathon. The approach was designed to provide a fairer balance between first-time Dublin Marathon runners and previous participants.
The ballot will remain in place for general entries in 2027, with an important change following feedback from runners. The €4 ballot fee will be refunded automatically to unsuccessful applicants, while successful applicants will have it offset against the Marathon entry price.
The 2027 Irish Life Dublin Marathon will have an overall capacity of 22,500 runners, with 17,200 general entry places available through the public ballot, the same number as in 2026. The ballot will continue to provide a balance between first-time Dublin Marathon runners and those who have previously taken part.
Alongside the general entry places, places will also be available for elite athletes, Good for Age qualifiers, participants taking up charity places through the realbuzz Official Charity Programme, individuals and groups accessing places through the Community Programme, runners booking through approved official international tour operators, and through sponsor and partner allocations.
Expanded transfer options across the Irish Life Dublin Race Series
Following runner feedback, the official transfer window for the 2026 Irish Life Dublin Marathon was extended to more than two months. This longer transfer window will be in place again for 2027.
Official transfer options will also be introduced for the Irish Life Fingal 10k and Irish Life Frank Duffy 10 Mile for the first time in 2027, creating a more consistent approach to transfers across Dublin Marathon Group events.
An official transfer process ensures the person taking part is properly registered, emergency and medical information is accurate, and results are recorded against the correct participant.
2027 Entry Prices
The general entry fee for the 2027 Irish Life Dublin Marathon will be €130 (plus platform and payment processing fees). This is the first increase in the Marathon entry price in five years, during which inflation has significantly increased the cost of delivering the event.
Entry fees for the three Irish Life Dublin Race Series events will also increase in 2027, with the Irish Life Fingal 10k at €35, the Irish Life Frank Duffy 10 Mile at €40 and the Irish Life Dublin Half Marathon at €55, plus applicable fees.
Seán Ó Riain, CEO of Dublin Marathon Group, said: “The Irish Life Dublin Marathon entry price has remained unchanged for five years. Over that period, the cost of delivering all our events has increased significantly across areas including medical and safety provision, infrastructure, staffing and technology.”
“The marathon is effectively a temporary 26-mile event venue. It must be secured, staffed, supplied and managed across an entire city, and much of the investment required to deliver it is deliberately unseen when everything works as it should. Runners invest months of training, time and commitment in reaching our start line, and we have one opportunity to deliver for them. We take that responsibility seriously and want to continue investing in safe, high-quality runner experience.”
Not-for-profit, Investment and Financial Resilience
Seán continued: “We know runners may look at the surplus Dublin Marathon Group has generated in recent years and ask why entry prices are increasing. As a not-for-profit organisation, any surplus generated is invested in three key areas: our events and the runner experience; our give-back programmes, including Marathon Mission, participation and community initiatives; and building the financial reserves needed to ensure we can continue to deliver events for runners into the future.”
He added: “That investment is already visible in 2026, we are improving the Irish Life Dublin Marathon Expo experience following runner feedback and investing in live television coverage through our new partnership with TG4 and continuing to invest in the core race-day operation.”
“Covid demonstrated why financial reserves matter. They helped us navigate an unprecedented period of disruption, return our events to the road and honour runners’ places when restriction lifted. We must be prepared for future circumstances outside our control, including severe weather or other unforeseen disruption that could affect our events. Continuing to build appropriate reserves will give us the financial resilience to respond when the unexpected happens and help ensure our events can continue to take place for runners in the years ahead.”
Looking to the future
Seán added: “As we mark the 45th running of the Irish Life Dublin Marathon this year, we are also looking towards its 50th edition. Our ambition is to continue investing in and raising the standard of what we deliver, learning from leading international events while protecting the character, community and runner experience that make Dublin special.