2026 Dingle Half-Marathon sells out in two hours

Entries for the 2026 Dingle Marathon & Half-Marathon went on sale on Tues 30th Sept 2025 and both events sold out in two hours. The 2025 event on the 6th of September had a total of 2558 finishers across the two events.

The entry fees for this event certainly weren't cheap...

Half Marathon price €74 + 7% booking fee = €79.18

Full Marathon €84 + 7% booking fee = €89.88

There are however some exceptional costs for this event like organising coaches to transport the half-marathon finishers from Dún Chaoin back to Dingles as well as the various road closures including Slea Head.

For many people, the trip to Dingle is a weekend away with family and friends and once the costs of accommodation, traveling, food and refreshments are factored in, the entry fee for the race itself may not be an issue.

The 2026 Dingle Marathon will be held on Saturday 5th September.

Cork runner John Meade wins 2025 Dingle Half-Marathon

(L-R) Race director Ken Dunne presenting the winners trophy to John Meade

The 2025 edition of the Dingle Marathon was held on Saturday 6th of September on what turned out to be a windy day with a lot of showers, in marked contrast to the sunshine in 2024.

There were 739 finishers in the 42.2 km full marathon while an impressive 1816 runners completed this 21.1km half-marathon course which took in the iconic Slea Head.

John Meade of St Finbarr's AC was the first man home in the half-marathon with a time of 1h 13m 45s.

Half- Marathon - Top 3 men & women...
 1 John MEADE 1:13:45 3076 M M45 St. Finbarrs A.C.
2 Shane FITZGERALD 1:14:31 4020 M MS
3 Matthew MCCULLAGH 1:14:49 3004 M MS
1 Lisa MADDEN 1:24:58 2932 F FS Sportsworld A.C.
2 Susan GLENNON 1:25:30 2562 F FS Mullingar Harriers A.C.
3 Gillian CLYNE 1:26:56 2193 F F40

Marathon - Top 3 men & women...
1 Terence SHANLEY 2:34:43 765 M MS Clane A.C.
2 Evan DINGLE 2:38:42 986 M MS
3 Matt DOHERTY 2:39:39 987 M MS
1 Tatyana STEIS 3:17:42 1310 F F50
2 Laura ROONEY 3:21:51 740 F F45 Watergrasshill A.C.
3 Esmé NANDORFY-FISCHLIN 3:22:32 1205 F FS

Full results of both events HERE

Results & photos of the Dingle marathon - Sat 7th Sept 2024

 

Top 3 women in the half (L-R) Edel Gaffney 2nd, Aoife Cooke 1st & Susan Glennon 3rd

One of the main running events in Munster last weekend was the 2024 Dingle Marathon held on Sat 7th of September. Between the marathon & half-marathon events, there was a total of almost 2,500 finishers.

In the half-marathon, Cork runner Aoife Cooke finished first in the women's race in a time of 1h 24m 48s. In the men's race, another Cork runner John Meade finished in second place.

Top 3 men & women in the half-marathon...

1 Daire FINN 1:13:22 2485 M MS
2 John MEADE 1:13:43 3024 M M40 St. Finbarrs A.C.
3 Oliver HILL 1:14:42 4019 M MS Watford Joggers
1 Aoife COOKE 1:24:48 2267 F FS Eagle A.C.
2 Edel GAFFNEY 1:28:25 2557 F F40 Trim A.C.
3 Susan GLENNON 1:29:57 2579 F FS Mullingar Harriers A.C.

Top 3 men in the half (L-R) Oliver Hill 3rd, Daire Finn 1st & John Meade 2nd

In terms of numbers, there were 1771 finishers in the half which actually makes it the 6th largest half-marathon of the 70 or so in Ireland so far this year.

As can be seen from the chart below, the numbers in the half are recovering since the drop for the pandemic.

In the full marathon, there were 718 finishers which is a pretty decent number as far as marathons in Ireland go. The big problem with some of the smaller marathons with lets say 200 runners is that the gaps in the second half of the race can be huge and people can end up running on their own. With just over 700 finishers, the gaps are much smaller and it feels more like a race.

Top 3 men & women in the marathon...

1 Ian VANDERVEN 2:44:09 1343 M MS
2 Evan DINGLE 2:54:09 997 M MS Central Park Track Club - Tracksmith
3 Matt DOHERTY 2:56:27 999 M MS
1 Niamh O'RIORDAN 3:28:19 1226 F FS Galway City Harriers A.C.
2 Natalie CAPITO 3:30:37 944 F FS
3 Aoife O'BRIEN 3:36:44 580 F FS

The chart below shows the recent history of Dingle marathon finishers...

For the full marathon, the numbers have recovered really well post pandemic and have passed the figure for 2019.

Full results of the marathon & half-marathon... https://www.myrunresults.com/events/dingle_half_marathon__full_marathon_2024/5082/results

Photos... The organisers have a large selection of photos on their Facebook page HERE

Entries for the 2025 event open at the end of September.

Dry-Fit top for the Dingle Marathon...Sat 6th Sept 2014

The Dingle Marathon is coming up on Saturday the 6th of September and there are a choice of 3 courses...half (13.1 miles), full (26.2 miles) and ultra (50 miles).

This is the dry fit top that will be given out at the finish line...

The full and ultra will have different colours....see below. The main advantage of this particular top compared to others is the fact that it's long sleeved. The majority of dry fit tops given out at races are short sleeved which tend to be fine if worn in mild weather. In the middle of winter when it's a few degrees above zero, the long sleeve top comes into it's own. If you're out for a long run in cold weather, your arms generally aren't doing much work and your hands can get very cold. I know myself that during the Winter and Spring, all my long sleeve tops are in constant use whereas I have an assortment of short sleeve ones buried away in a drawer that I have never worn.

As a location, the whole Dingle peninsula is a stunning area especially for anyone who wants to make a weekend away out of it. One of the best websites to find out about local attractions and where to stay is http://www.dingle-peninsula.ie/index.html

You can find out more about entries on the race website... http://www.dinglemarathon.ie/

There is also more info including a preview of the course in this earlier post.

Event notice...Dingle Half and full Marathon - Sat 6th Sept 2014

As the summer comes to an end, there is no shortage of Half-Marathons coming up on the race calendar. One of the most scenic is the Dingle Half-Marathon in the far west of Kerry. Starting in Dingle, the route goes through Ventry before making it's way around Slea Head to the finish line in Dunquin. Those doing the full return to Dingle to complete the 26.2 mile loop. Considering that the roads by Slea Head are closed then it really is one of the most spectacular events in the country.

Both the full and half marathon start at 9AM from Strand St. in Dingle town.

All runners receive: chip timing, packs sent to your door (ROI only), quality finishers top, quality medal, goody bag, music & entertainment, after party, reduced entry to following year.

Pacers as follows for Dingle: Half: 1.30, 1.45, 2.00, 2.15 /// Full: 3.30, 3.45, 4.00, 4.15

Please note that entries close on the 28th of August. To enter and for more info, go to http://www.dinglemarathon.ie/

You can see more info about the half-marathon and full marathon courses HERE

Report on the 2012 Dingle Marathon...

There was a huge turnout of roughly 2,300 runners for this years Dingle Half, Full and Ultra Marathon. The last time I took part in this event was back in 2009 when I ran the inaugural Marathon. This year, I was back again as one of the pacers for the full Marathon (3:45) and it allowed me to make a direct comparison.

First off, some stats.....back in 2009, the numbers for the half and full were 1355 and 348. In 2012, it was 1750 and 496 which is up 29% and 42% respectively. When you consider the increase in the number of other events on offer, it has shown a healthy growth in numbers despite the competition.

For the town of Dingle itself with a resident population of roughly 2,000 people, having so many people in the area obviously has a significant economic impact on the area. Between the 2,300 runners and the additional friends and family, a significant amount of money was no doubt spent locally on accommodation, meals, etc.

So what of the course? It was a lot tougher that I had remembered! There seemed to be no end to the amount of small pulls even for the first half of the race. It's certainly not a course for running a fast Half-Marathon time but anyone who does set a personal best time on that course can be justifiably proud of it. What sets the course apart of course is the scenery. There really is something magical about running around Slead Head and looking across to the Blasket Islands. The weather was a bit overcast and windy and a small bit of sunshine would have made things all the more spectacular however by the same token, it could have been a lot worse. The strong south-westerly breeze made things a bit challenging on the early uphill sections.

At the 13 mile mark, the Half-Marathon runners peeled off to their finish line while the full Marathon runners continued on. Back in 2009, I can remember that the course seemed to get very quiet when that happened. This year with the extra numbers, there was still plenty of company. It wasn't just the fact that I was pacing 3:45 and there were people trying to stay with me but up ahead, I could see that the road was full of runners. Even at the out and back section around 20 miles, the gaps between runners seemed pretty small.

The big test in the full Marathon is of course the hill at roughly 21 miles. Even though I had built up a cushion of two minutes going into the hill and gave it back by slowing down on the uphill section, it was still a challenging section for most runners. At one section where there was a bad bend, there hardly seemed to be much difference between the people running and walking. A really tough section and was no doubt the most testing part of the course. Once over the hill, there was of course a payback in the long downhill section towards Dingle.

In terms of organisation, it seemed to go pretty well. They had plenty of those small water bottles that people seem to like although it is a bit disappointing to see some dope up ahead throwing them over ditches into fields when all they have to do is leave them at the side of the road so that the organisers could pick them up. In the second half of the race, there did seem to be a lack of any energy drinks. In that respect, the Longford Marathon the previous week was better organised. The finish line was well organised with water, tea, coffee, biscuits, etc available for anyone that wanted them, a change from some other big events where you get a bottle of water and that's it.

Overall.....how was it? Comparing it to the Longford Marathon the previous week, it really is a different type of event. Longford was a bit more like a very long road race. People went there for the race and the race only. Dingle was one for the scenery and the area in general. The whole event in Dingle seemed to go well and it is now a firm favourite with many runners. As long as they continue to get things right and improve, then it should continue from strength to strength.

Did you take part in the Half? Full? or Ultra? What did you think of it? Leave a comment below...

Dingle Half-Marathon
Pl.    Name     Club     Cat.    Subcat.    #    Net    Gross   
1 John Meade             M     MS    (1:14:38)     1:14:38   
2 Gary Hynes             M     MS    (1:15:19)     1:15:19   
3 Donal White             M     MS    (1:19:16)     1:19:16   
31 Gillian Cotter             F     FS    (1:31:16)     1:31:20   
43 Fiona Devane             F     FS    (1:31:27)     1:33:39   
67 Caitriona Barry             F     F40    (1:36:30)     1:36:37   
Dingle Marathon
Pl.    Name      Cat.    Subcat.    #    Net    Gross   
1  Eoin Sugrue     M     MS    (2:48:13)     2:48:18   
2   Roman Soltys   M     MS    (2:50:26)     2:50:35   
3  Jeremy Curran   M     MS    (2:52:11)     2:52:13   
34  Nora Barry      F     F40    (3:22:21)     3:22:29   
40  Aisling O'Donnell   F     FS    (3:22:18)     3:23:58   
48  Marion Buechner    F     FS    (3:26:21)     3:26:37   

Dingle 50 mile Ultra-Marathon
Pl.    Name        Cat.    Result   
1   Keith Whyte             M    5:59:25   
2   Raymond Lanigan         M    6:11:57   
3   Ivan Slovak             M    6:23:07   
14  Amy Masner             F    7:36:33   
16  Caroline Cahill             F    8:03:36   
18  Jenny Gough             F    8:06:01   

Results for all three events can be seen HERE

Photos......
1) Mick Hanney has a gallery HERE

Looking ahead to the Dingle Half & Full Marathon...Sat 1st Sept 2012

 Following on from an earlier post about the upcoming Dingle Half and Full Marathon, it's time to have a quick look at the course.

Starting in the town of Dingle, both Half and Full Marathon runners run on the road west towards Ventry. While the roads are closed, it can be a little congested for the first mile or so until the field begins to thin out.

While there are no big hills for the initial few miles, there are plenty of small hills like the one below...

This is typical of the roads in the area......narrow with the hedgerows of Fuchsia due to the mild climate. As you head west, you will catch sight of Mount Eagle way off in the distance.

Around 3 miles, Ventry harbour comes into view...

After Ventry, the road heads south-west and begins to climb around the 6 mile mark. By the time you hit 7 miles, you are on a coastal road well above the sea. This is the view around 7 miles looking back over Dingle Bay and the Iveragh peninsula to the south...

This is one of the main attractions of this race, especially for the Half-Marathon. Here with the coastal road so high above the sea, you have more or less uninterrupted views all of the way to the finish of  the Half in Dunquin.

From here, the road rises and falls a bit but there are no serious hills. At around 10 miles, you approach Slea Head...

...and the Blasket Islands beyond come into view. Once you get around the corner, the views are equally spectacular...

For the Half-Marathon runners, the finish awaits them in Dunquin with a bus to transport them back to Dingle.

As Half-Marathons go, it's probably not the fastest but then again, most people don't come to Dingle to try and run a record time. In terms of scenery, it is easily the most scenic route in Ireland.

For the Full Marathon runners, they continue on and start the second half with a long climb out of Dunquin. If you have a target time in mind then you will probably lose some time here.

Pretty soon, you start changing direction as you head back east towards Dingle. Around 17 miles, Mount Brandon and the Three Sisters on the coast are clearly visible as you approach Ballyferriter.

For the next few miles, there are plenty of straight flat sections with the occasional small climb.

As you get near 21 miles, there is an out and back section of road to make up the correct Marathon distance. You run out this road, around a point and return again. As you can see, it is mostly flat.

Once you re-join the main road, you begin the toughest part of the race.....the long hill up to the 23.3 mile mark.

Once you go over the highest point, it's downhill all the ways to Dingle and the finish line...

Overall, it is certainly not a fast Marathon course but in terms of a setting for a Marathon, it's hard to beat. It is a complete contrast to say the usual city Marathon and on a national basis, it is probably the most scenic Marathon in Ireland.

Note that the closing date for entries is the 22nd of August.

More details on the race website

Race notice...Dingle Half, Full and Ultra Marathon - Sat 1st Sept 2012

This event is coming up on Saturday the 1st of September and must be one of the most scenic routes in Ireland. Starting in the town of Dingle at 9am..........

........the race travels west passing through the village of Ventry before heading out towards Slea Head...

What really makes this Half and Full Marathon special is the fact the roads are closed. Normally, there is a lot of tourist traffic on this narrow road and it wouldn't be really suitable for running or walking.
The road here is high above the sea and you have an incredible view out over Dingle Bay to the Iveragh Peninsula to the south with the Skelligs in the distance.

Once you pass the grotto around the 10 mile mark, the Blasket Islands come into view...

....and then the twisting coastal road...

Soon, the Half-Marathon finishes in Dunquin and there are a fleet of buses to take the runners back to Dingle. The full Marathon runners continue on towards Ballyferriter with Brandon Mountain now coming into view. From here, the route is on quiet narrow roads as it heads towards Dingle...

An incredible location for a Marathon and probably the most scenic in Ireland.

For  those that are really ambitious, there is a 50 mile Ultra-Marathon as well.

Entries....The closing date for entries is Wednesday, the 22nd of August.

More details on the Dingle Marathon website

This YouTube clip from TG4 in Irish gives a good feel for what it is like...

Results of Dingle Marathon...Sat 3rd Sept 2011

Over 2,000 runners turned out for the Dingle Half-Marathon and Marathon on Saturday, the 3rd of September. The winner of the mens Half-Marathon was John Meade of St.Finbarrs AC in a time of 1:16:33. Seen below receiving his prize from race director Ken Dunne.

There seems to have been a problem with the timing equipment during the day resulting in some people being omitted. If you are not included and you have your time, you should contact the organisers to be included.

Links to results and photos on the Running in Munster website.

Entries for the Dingle Half & Full Marathon close on Wed 24th Aug...

For anyone interested, the entries for the Dingle Half and Full Marathon close next Wednesday, the 24th of August. The event itself takes place on Saturday, the 3rd of September.

There is a full preview now on the Running in Munster site now if you want to see what the course is like.

More details also HERE

One week left for Dingle Half & Full Marathon entries...

The final closing date for entries to the 2011 Dingle Half and Full Marathon (Sat 3rd Sept) is now just one week away (Wed 24th Aug 2011). The orgainsers have released the following info recently.....

Ray Darcy from Today FM recently presented his show from Dingle and as many of you will know, Ray is a keen runner himself and takes part in lots of running events. While there, Ray ran the Half-Marathon course with race organiser Ken Dunne.

Newstalk..........This Friday, 19th August, the Tom Dunne Show on Newstalk will broadcast live from Killarney and the Dingle Marathon will feature at 10.50am.

Pacers.....There will be pacers for various target times in the Half and Full Marathon. In the Half-Marathon, there will be pacers for 1:30, 1:45 and 2:00. In the full, there will be pacers for 3:30, 4:00 and 4:30. In most events like this, the pacers will run at an even pace with the aim to finish just ahead of the target time according to the chip timing. In the full, it's likely that they may build up a small cushion before the hill near the end but essentially, it's a steady even pace all the way.

Accommodation.....From the organisers...."Most of Dingle town itself is full at this stage but plenty of availability exists outside of this. Roads are not closed until 8.45AM so you will have plenty of time to get in to town. Ventry, Ballydavid, Dunquin, Ballyferriter, Lispole, Annascaul etc all still have plenty to offer and its great value!"

It's easy to underestimate the impact that an event like the Dingle Marathon has on an area like Dingle. In September, the tourist numbers are dropping away rapidly and the influx of runners on the Marathon weekend give a welcome boost to many businesses in the region....no bad thing in the current climate.

Charity..........The official partner charity for the Marathon is Blue September . The newspaper cutting on the left is from the Evening Echo.

Race Packs.......Race packs will not be sent out until the end of August. This applies to Irish addresses only. Non Irish addresses will be available for collection in Dingle on the Friday evening.

Tech Top.......Details in an earlier post
More details with pictures and links in this earlier post HERE

Technical Top for the Dingle Half & Full Marathon...

The organisers of the Dingle Marathon have just released a photo showing what the technical top for the Half and Full Marathon will look like.

Looks like a big improvement on the original white cotton t-shirts of previous years.

For those of you interested, the Dingle Half and Full Marathon is coming up on Saturday, the 3rd of September and the closing date is Wednesday, the 24th of August. More details about this event in an earlier post HERE

Accommodation for the Dingle Half & Full Marathon...

For those of you interested, the Dingle Half and Full Marathon is coming up on Saturday, the 3rd of September and the closing date is Wednesday, the 24th of August. More details about this event in an earlier post HERE

If you need to book accommodation then you can find a wide choice on this website....http://www.dingle-peninsula.ie/accom.html

Looking ahead to the autumn...Dingle Half & Full Marathon Sept 2011

This post is a reminder of an event that is coming up in September which might involve a bit of planning ahead.

The Dingle Half-Marathon and Full Marathon is on Saturday the 3rd of September. The closing date for entries is Wednesday, the 24th of August. That gives you over a month to enter, get accommodation organised, etc.

As a race, it is different from a lot of other events in that many people will use it as part of their weekend away. They will spend a few days in Dingle and the race will be part of that break rather than just travelling down just for the race alone.

In comparison to other races, it is probably one of the most scenic in the country. The main feature is the fact that the roads are closed. I ran this back in 2009 and the route is nothing short of spectacular. Starting in Dingle town, the route goes through Ventry and then out the coastal road to Slea Head with views to the south across Dingle Bay and the Skelligs in the distance. At the end of the peninsula, you are looking across at the Blasket Islands with the open ocean beyond which stretches all the ways to North America. Someone said you can see Boston on a clear day but I have my doubts ;o)

If you are interested, you can find more info on the Running in Munster site or directly on the Dingle Marathon website.

Dingle Marathon organisers cancel 50 Mile Ultra event for 2011

The organisers of the Dingle Marathon have announced that they are going to cancel the 50 Mile Ultra-Marathon due to the current low number of entries. They issued the following....."Bit of bad news RE 50 mile ultra. This race will not be going ahead this year. The numbers for this distance are just too low, the demand is simply not high enough. We would need at least 100. We got 70 last year but this year is has been well down. It is a great pity as it was very successful last year and was an amazing experience for all involved."

The 50 Mile Ultra was introduced for the first time in 2010. It started near Castlegregory.....went up and over the Connor Pass....through Dingle...and then followed the 26.2 mile Dingle Marathon route. The organisers are currently looking at the option of holding it every 2 years.

The Dingle Marathon and Half-Marathon will be going ahead next September as normal.

Next Marathon in Dingle, Kerry next September...

There will be a new Half-Marathon and Marathon in Dingle, Kerry next September. It seems to be on the same weekend that the Cork Half Marathon in Blarney usually takes place.

More details on the Running in Munster website.