The Irish Life Dublin Marathon’s organisers have proclaimed that this year’s race, scheduled for October 27th, will start on Leeson Street Lower and finish on Mount Street Upper, right within the hub of Dublin. The updated course will take participants down the city centre’s roads, with only slight amendments from previous marathon routes. In previous seasons, the marathon kicked off on Fitzwilliam Street Upper and concluded on Merrion Square North.
Race director Jim Aughney voiced his excitement about the confirmation of the marathon’s location, highlighting the significance of running the race within the capital city’s core. Collaborating with Dublin City Council to finalise the details of the event’s logistics, he stressed the importance of creating a safe environment for all involved and expressed appreciation for the council’s support.
Last October, the Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority (NTA) contemplated moving the marathon from Merrion Square North, citing the “exaggerated negative influence” it had on public transportation. The recently appointed CEO of Dublin City Council, Richard Shakespeare, noted the pride the city takes in hosting Europe’s fifth-largest marathon. He acknowledged the positive social and economic impact the occasion brings to Dublin, whilst also emphasising the extensive planning required to ensure its execution.
When suggestions to move the event arose, Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for Sport, argued with RTÉ that public transport issues were “somewhat exaggerated”. He was of the belief that the Dublin Marathon should remain an inner-city event, as is the norm in most other major global cities.
Amendments to the operational components for the Dublin Marathon were disclosed by the organisers, which incorporate an expanded transfer period and a reimbursement provision for the current year’s event. The previous October’s marathon saw roughly 16,540 competitors reach the starting line from the originally sold-out tally of 22,500, with 16,347 completing the race. This implies around 6,000 paid runners did not participate, leaving over a fourth of the Dublin Marathon entries unutilised, a rate significantly surpassing standard attrition expectations of up to 20% in majority of large city marathons. Even with an early reimbursement option, the option to transfer an entry, and a decreased entry limit, it was considerably higher than the 25,000 count set for the 2022 event.
In light of the current year’s marathon, a new transfer window will become effective from the 24th of July to the 26th of August. Contrarily, in 2023, it was set a month earlier, in July. The reimbursement period is scheduled from the 3rd to the 16th of July, to facilitate resale of entries. Consequently, places made available through the return provision will be sold from the 22nd of July, on a first-come, first-serve basis.