Dublin Marathon is off and running

The 43rd Dublin Marathon– Ireland’s most prestigious and Europe’s fifth-largest marathon event will take place this Sunday, October 27th.

The 2024 marathon will kick off on Leeson Street Lower and finish on Mount Street Upper with the route winding through the city centre streets, passing through the Liberties.

“Running the marathon is a momentous occasion for participants and being in the heart of the capital city makes that moment even more special for them and their families and friends who come to support them,” director of Irish Life Dublin Marathon, Jim Aughney, said.

On the 27th of October, Dubliners may expect difficulties and changes in both traffic and public transport, with the course being open for seven hours, accompanied by traffic measures being in effect throughout the duration of the race.

This year’s event will have five start times, with the wheelchair participants going first at 8:40 am, and last wave of people beginning their run at 9:45 am.  

Marathon participants must be over 18 years of age to take part, as the event is run under World Athletic rules, however, entries for the 2024 Irish Life Dublin Marathon are already closed.

“The event has grown so much over the years, resulting in 22,500 runners entering in the marathon this year and over 2,000 volunteers from Athletic Clubs or Park Run Groups helping in the city out on race day,” race director Jim Aughney told The Liberty.

Among those 22,500 participants will be people with amazing stories and inspirations behind their decision to take the challenge in running a marathon, especially in what could be a cold October afternoon.

One of the great examples might be the Hollywood A-lister and the Oscar nominee Irish actor Colin Farrell, who will take part in the Dublin Marathon in honour of his close friend Emma Fogarty, the longest-surviving person with severe skin condition, epidermolysis bullosa. The run will celebrate Emma’s incredible milestone of reaching her 40th birthday, with Farrell ready to push the survivor in her wheelchair for the last 4km of the marathon. But Colin’s story is far from the most spectacular –

Hugh Armstrong, who, after sweeping the Irish Life Dublin Race Series by winning the 5km, 10km, 10 miles and half-marathon event, wants to win Irish Life Dublin Marathon and complete a magnificent quintuple.

Dundalk’s amazing marathon runner, 74-year-old Colette O’Hagan, will complete her 1,000th marathon on the day.

Numerous prominent foreign athletes will compete as well, including Ayad Lamdassem of Spain, who placed fifth at the Tokyo Olympic Games, along with Ethiopia’s Sorome Negash, the winner of the 2023 Irish Life Dublin Marathon.