What to do in Dublin on marathon weekend?

Friday and Saturday: how do you keep leprechaun legs before the start? 🍀

First must-do stop: the expo village, set up at the RDS Simmonscourt, in the Ballsbridge neighborhood. Bib pickup opens on Friday October 23 from 12pm to 7pm and closes on Saturday October 24 at 6pm. No parking on site: you’ll hop on a bus or the DART, the suburban train that runs along the bay 🚆 .

Bib in hand, head to Phoenix Park for your shakeout run. This green lung, one of the largest enclosed urban parks in Europe, is home to a herd of free-roaming deer 🦌 . You’ll run through it on Sunday: twenty minutes of easy jogging is enough to scope out the terrain.

On Saturday, spare your calves. Rather than an early tourist marathon, go for a short visit: the Book of Kells and the Trinity College library, or a break on a bench in St Stephen’s Green. In the evening, it’s pasta party time 🍝 . Book your table early: half the field will have had the same idea as you. Irish stew can wait until the finish line.

Sunday: what to do in Dublin on marathon day when you’re running (or cheering)? 🏁

Early wake-up: the Dublin Marathon starts at 8:40am for wheelchairs, then at 8:45am for the first wave, from Leeson Street Lower On this loop of 42.195 km and 205 m of elevation gain, you’ll treat yourself to an express tour of the capital: the Kilmainham Gaol, Phoenix Park, the Grand Canal, then the University College Dublin campus. The course looks fast on paper. In practice, the climb on Roebuck Road, around km 35, wakes up a wall at 30 that showed up late.

Your supporters? They’ll post up in Phoenix Park or along the Grand Canal, the official live tracking app in hand. The nickname Friendly Marathon isn’t by chance: pubs open from the morning, snacks handed to runners, costumes everywhere a week before Halloween. You can even join in on the costume side 🎃 .

Finish line on Mount Street Upper, a stone’s throw from Merrion Square. For the record, the reference time belongs to Ethiopian Kemal Husen in 2:06:52 for the men and Asmarech Nega in 2:24'13" for the women. With your medal around your neck, head to Temple Bar for a well-deserved pint of stout, in moderation 🍻 . The festive atmosphere spills late into the night, and Dubliners love raising a glass with finishers.

Bank holiday Monday: the best day of the weekend to (re)discover Dublin? 🌊

Good news: the last Monday in October is a public holiday in Ireland. On October 26, 2026, the city is still living to the weekend’s rhythm—ideal for an active recovery.

Outdoor option: the DART takes you in about thirty minutes to Howth, a small fishing port at the foot of cliffs. The coastal path offers an easy walk to loosen up your quads, with fish and chips at the harbor when you’re done.

At-home cryotherapy option: the Forty Foot, in Sandycove, where locals swim year-round in water around 13°C. Right next to it stands the Martello tower where James Joyce’s Ulysses begins—another epic that can’t be wrapped up in a day 📚 .

Heritage option: cross the Ha’penny Bridge, then continue on to Dublin Castle 🏰 . Thrill-seekers will note that Ireland gave birth to the festival of Samhain, Halloween’s ancestor: in late October, the city dresses up with pumpkins and events in every neighborhood.

To recap

Expo on Friday, legs at rest on Saturday, 42 km of fervor on Sunday, and a sea-air stroll on Monday: your Irish weekend fits on a shamrock leaf 🗓️ . The Dublin Marathon, ranked Label Elite World Athletics and counted among the Boston qualifiers, often sells out as soon as the lottery is drawn. Book your bib as soon as registration opens, then your flight, and we’ll meet on the start line!