Entry fee for Dublin Marathon to increase to €130 in 2027

THE ENTRY FEE for next year’s Irish Life Dublin Marathon will increase by €20 to €130, organisers have confirmed.

It will be the first increase in the marathon entry fee in five years, with Dublin Marathon Group citing inflation and the rising costs associated with staging the event as the reasons for the change.

The 46th edition of the race will take place on Sunday 24 October 2027, with a capacity of 22,500 runners.

A total of 17,200 places will be made available through the public ballot, the same number as this year.

Increase

Dublin Marathon Group chief executive Seán Ó Riain acknowledged that the increase would be significant for runners but said it was necessary to maintain the event at its current standard and ensure its long-term financial sustainability.

“I do want to acknowledge that we are fully aware that going from €110 to €130 is an increase, and that people are not going to be incredibly comfortable with that,” Ó Riain said.

“But when we looked at our financial sustainability piece for the next number of years, and when we look at the cost of putting on the event, cumulatively over the last five years inflation has been somewhere between 18 and 20 per cent.

“We’re seeing a significant increase in costs across infrastructure, security, medical and traffic management.”

Dublin Marathon Group expects its surplus this year to be less than €70,000. Ó Riain said that figure reflected investment in the new Dublin City Half, as well as increased costs across the marathon, which requires infrastructure, medical provision, security and traffic management across the 42-kilometre route.

He also pointed to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, when the organisation’s financial reserves were depleted.

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Dublin Marathon Group operates as a not-for-profit organisation, with any surplus reinvested in its events, runner experience, community and participation programmes and reserves.

“We want to retain that standard. We’re very proud of what we produce as a marathon for our runners,” Ó Riain said.

“We are a not-for-profit and what we do is put all of our money back effectively into that runner experience piece.”

There will also be changes to the marathon ballot process for 2027. A €4 fee will apply when the ballot opens on 12 November, with applications closing on 17 November.

However, unsuccessful applicants will now automatically receive the ballot fee back. For those who secure a place, the €4 will instead be deducted from the final marathon entry fee. The change follows criticism from runners after the ballot fee was introduced.

“A ballot is necessary when you’ve got over 47,000 people looking for an entry,” Ó Riain said. “We feel that it’s a fair process now where we make that refund, we think that’s what the customer wants and we’re here to do it.”

There will also be greater flexibility for runners who are unable to compete. The extended official transfer window introduced for the 2026 marathon, which runs for more than two months, will continue next year.

For the first time, official transfer options will also be available for the Irish Life Fingal 10k and Irish Life Frank Duffy 10 Mile.

Transfer System

Organisers said the official transfer system will ensure participants remain correctly registered, with medical, emergency and race-result information accurately recorded.

There will also be changes around the wider race experience. The Dublin Marathon Expo has moved to the RDS this year following feedback from participants, while a new partnership with TG4 will provide live television coverage of the marathon.

The 2027 Irish Life Dublin Race Series will begin with the Fingal 10k on Sunday 11 July, with entry costing €35. The Frank Duffy 10 Mile will follow on Saturday 14 August, at a cost of €40.

The Dublin Half Marathon will then take place on Sunday 19 September, with entry priced at €55. Entries for the three race-series events will open in February 2027.