The 2026 Belfast City Marathon has officially sold out and it’s not even Christmas yet!. Entries closed yesterday, a full three months earlier than last year’s sell out in January.
It seems the post-Dublin surge has struck again. Thousands of newly minted marathoners clearly decided that hobbling down Merrion Square last weekend wasn’t enough punishment and have already signed up for round two in Belfast. The rest of us, meanwhile, were still trying to walk downstairs without crying.
Once again, it’s proof that races across Ireland and Ulster are filling faster than a pint at the finish line. If you snooze, you lose. And judging by the timing, a lot of runners didn’t even bother snoozing – they went straight from the post-marathon recovery pint to the Belfast entry page.
If you missed out on the full marathon, don’t panic entirely. Relay entries are still open for those who want to be part of the big day without running the whole thing, and charity places remain available through official partners. Check the Belfast City Marathon website for updates before they vanish too.