Belfast City Marathon Set to Begin
The Belfast City Marathon is scheduled to commence with runners aiming to complete the 26.2-mile course.
The 44th edition of the marathon will start at Stormont and conclude in Ormeau Park, with just under 24,000 participants registered to take part.
Competitors will traverse the city, passing notable landmarks including City Hall and Parliament Buildings before finishing at Ormeau Park.
Numerous road closures and public transport adjustments will be in effect throughout Sunday as the event unfolds.
The Team Relay event features five legs of varying distances with designated changeover points along the route.
The inaugural Belfast City Marathon took place on this date in 1982, with over 3,000 runners starting from the former Maysfield Leisure Centre near the city centre.
At the 43rd Belfast City Marathon in 2025, Tilahun Nigussie set a new event record. The Ethiopian athlete won the race with a time of 2:13:37.
Race Start Times and Expected Finish
The race begins at the Stormont estate in east Belfast.
The wheelchair race will start at 08:59 BST, followed by the elite race one minute later. All other participants will begin at 09:01.
Runners will start on Prince of Wales Avenue, proceed downhill onto the Upper Newtownards Road.
The first runners are expected to cross the finish line shortly after 11:00, though many participants will continue running across the city for several hours thereafter.
Roads are scheduled to reopen after six hours. Organisers have advised that anyone remaining on the route after this time should move onto the footpath and adhere to road safety regulations.
Belfast Marathon Route Details
The course covers the city, beginning at Stormont in east Belfast and heading south.
It passes along Boucher Road, then turns west onto Falls Road.
From there, the route heads north past the Waterworks and through the city centre before finishing in Ormeau Park.
This year, the route includes minor changes in east Belfast. It now turns left off Beersbridge Road onto Clara Street, then left again onto Castlereagh Road.
In north Belfast, the course remains on Oldpark Road and turns right at the roundabout onto Cliftonville Road, continuing along the established route.
Road Closures During the Marathon
For a comprehensive list of road closures and reopening times, please refer to the official marathon resources.
Some disruption is expected throughout the event. For example, Upper Newtownards Road will be closed at the Comber Road junction from approximately 06:00 until 11:00.
Road closures will be staggered as runners pass. Boucher Road, between Tates Avenue and Stockmans Lane, will be closed from 08:30 to 13:30. Duncairn Gardens in north Belfast will be closed from 09:30 to 14:45.
The final road to reopen will be Ravenhill Road from the Rosetta Roundabout to Ormeau Embankment, which closes at 09:00 and remains closed until 15:45. Local access will be maintained in this area.
Additional Public Transport Services
To facilitate access to the marathon, special early morning trains will run from Londonderry, Larne, Bangor, and Newry to Belfast Lanyon Place.
Details of all special departure times are available on official transport websites. These additional services do not require advance booking, and standard fares apply.
Public transport within Belfast will experience delays and disruptions due to road closures.
Ulsterbus, Metro, and Glider services in the city will be affected.
Shuttle buses will operate from Belfast City Hall and Lanyon Place Station to the starting line, beginning at 07:00 BST and 07:30 BST respectively.
Additional shuttle buses will transport spectators from Massey Avenue to Ormeau Park after the race starts at Stormont. Extra buses will also ferry runners to their designated relay changeover points.
A bus service will run from Ormeau Embankment to Belfast City Centre between 11:45 BST and 16:00 BST. Every shuttle bus departing Ormeau Embankment will also transport spectators back to Stormont.
Viewing the Belfast Marathon
Mark Simpson and Nicola McCarthy will present live coverage from various points along the course. The race will be broadcast live on BBC and the BBC NI Sport website, with Radio Ulster providing audio coverage starting at 08:45 BST on Sunday.
Viewers watching from home can submit messages of support and good luck via the official marathon website.
