United Kingdom
Edinburgh Marathon 2027
Sunday 30 May 2027 · confirmed date
219 days to go
Key facts
- Race day
- Sunday 30 May 2027
- Confirmed by the organisers
- Start
- 10:00
- local time
- Course
- Flat · Point to point
- Potterrow, by the University of Edinburgh's McEwan Hall to Musselburgh, East Lothian
- Course record, men
- 2:13:33
- Joel Kiptoo, 2018
- Course record, women
- 2:33:36
- Zinaida Semenova, 2005
- Time limit
- 6h30
- First held
- 2003
The race
About the Edinburgh Marathon
The Edinburgh Marathon is the centrepiece of the Edinburgh Marathon Festival, held each May since 2003, and Scotland's best-known road marathon. It starts in the old heart of the capital and then leaves the city behind for the East Lothian coast, which gives it a character quite unlike a city-loop race.
The route drops almost 90 metres to near sea level and is often described as one of the fastest in the UK, so it draws PB hunters as well as first-timers. The flip side is exposure: the coastal half can be windy, and late May can turn warm, as it did in 2026, when temperatures reached 21 °C around lunchtime.
Course
The Edinburgh Marathon course
The race starts on Potterrow beside McEwan Hall and quickly takes in Greyfriars, the Royal Mile and the Mound, with views of the Castle and the Scott Monument. It then passes the Scottish Parliament and Holyrood, beneath Arthur's Seat and Salisbury Crags, and runs down to the promenade at Portobello.
From there the course follows the coast east through Musselburgh into East Lothian, out to a turn near Gosford House, and back along the shore to the finish in Musselburgh. The descent from the city makes the opening fast; the real test is the long coastal section, where a headwind on the way out or back can cost more time than any hill.
Race-day weather
At the 10:00 start in late May it is usually around 10–15 °C, often with a breeze off the Firth of Forth; warm, sunny days do happen, as in 2026.
Train
Training for the Edinburgh Marathon 2027
31 weeks to go. A marathon plan runs 12 to 24 weeks and ends on race week. Here is when each one starts.
| Plan | Starts on |
|---|---|
| 24 weeks | Monday 14 December 2026 |
| 20 weeks | Monday 11 January 2027 |
| 16 weeks | Monday 8 February 2027 |
| 12 weeks | Monday 8 March 2027 |
For this course
Most of Edinburgh's elevation change is downhill in the first part of the race, so include some downhill running in training to prepare your quads, and resist banking time early. The second half is flat and exposed: practise holding effort rather than pace on windy days, and do some long runs on open roads or seafronts. A late-May race means a spring block built through a dark northern winter, and it is worth watching the forecast in race week, since the coast can be warm and sunny.
See the marathon pace chart or a sample sub-4 plan.
Print a pace band for the Edinburgh Marathon, with the race clock at every kilometre.
Entry
How to get a place
Entry is by online registration on the official site, already open for 2027, or through a charity place. The festival also offers a team relay over the marathon course.
Every marathon lottery date for 2027 → Which marathons have no lottery? →Organised by GSi Events Ltd
Official websiteQuestions
Frequently asked
When is the Edinburgh Marathon 2027?
The Edinburgh Marathon 2027 is on Sunday 30 May 2027. The organisers have confirmed the date.
When should I start training for the Edinburgh Marathon?
Count back from race day: a 16-week plan for the 2027 edition starts on 8 February 2027, a 20-week plan on 11 January 2027. Most runners need 16 to 20 weeks; 12 is the shortest block worth doing.
Is the Edinburgh Marathon course fast?
Yes, by UK standards. It drops almost 90 metres to near sea level and the coastal second half is flat, though wind along the shore can slow you down.
What is the time limit for the Edinburgh Marathon?
Six hours 30 minutes from when the back of the field crosses the start line. A sweeper bus follows the last runners.
Where does the Edinburgh Marathon finish?
In Musselburgh, on the East Lothian coast east of the city, so plan your journey back to Edinburgh in advance.
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