The Belfast City Marathon is taking place, with just under 24,000 participants ready to tackle the 26.2-mile course. The 44th marathon started at Stormont and will finish in Ormeau Park. Participants will race across the city, passing landmarks including City Hall and Parliament Buildings.
The event may cause disruption, with numerous road closures and changes to public transport expected throughout Sunday.
Race Start Times at Stormont
The race gets under way at the Stormont estate in east Belfast.
- Wheelchair race: 08:59 BST
- Elite race: 09:00 BST
- All other participants: 09:01 BST
Participants start on Prince of Wales Avenue, and proceed down the hill, on to the Upper Newtownards Road.
The first of the runners are expected to cross the finish line shortly after 11:00. However, the rest of the runners will still be making their way across the city for a number of hours after that.
Marathon Route and Road Closures
The course traverses the city, starting off in Stormont in east Belfast then heading south. It takes in the Boucher Road, before going west onto the Falls Road. From there, it’s north, past the Waterworks, as well as through the city centre, before ending in Ormeau Park.
The route has minor alterations in east Belfast this year. It will now turn left off Beersbridge Road onto Clara Street, and then left again onto Castlereagh Road. In north Belfast, this year the route will remain on Oldpark Road and turn right at the roundabout onto Cliftonville Road and continuing on the route.
There will be some disruption for the duration of the marathon, with the Upper Newtownards Road closing at the Comber Road junction from about 06:00 until 11:00. Roads along the route will open and close on a staggered basis as runners pass, so for example the Boucher Road, from Tates Avenue to Stockmans Lane, will be closed between 08:30 and 13:30 while Duncairn Gardens in north Belfast will be closed between 09:30 and 14:45.
The last road to reopen will be the Ravenhill Road from the Rosetta Roundabout to the Ormeau Embankment (where local access is being maintained) which closes at 09:00.
Team Relay Details
The Team Relay consists of five legs, of varying distance, with changeover points across the route.
A Look Back at Previous Races
The first Belfast City Marathon was held on the same date in 1982, with more than 3,000 participants starting at the former Maysfield Leisure Centre near the city centre.
Tilahun Nigussie broke the record at the 43rd Belfast City Marathon in 2025. The Ethiopian won the marathon with a new event record of 2:13:37.
Roads will reopen after six hours, and organisers have asked anyone continuing along the route after that time to move onto the footpath and follow road safety laws.