A year after the online entry for the Dublin City Half Marathon repeatedly crashed, such was the unexpected rush to secure a starting place, the new lottery-based ballot entry has opened for seven days from Friday morning.
There is also a new date for 2026, the event pushed back to the May Bank Holiday weekend, starting at 8.30am on Sunday, May 3rd. Like last year’s event, which took place on March 30th, the race entry is capped at 12,500.
So how exactly does the ballot work?
The general ballot will decide 11,200 of the 12,500 entries and is open for seven days from Friday, January 16th until midnight on Thursday January 22nd via the event website. See www.dublincityhalfmarathon.ie
The remaining 1,300 places will be allocated to elite runners, charity groups, and other event partners.
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Does entering the ballot early give me a better chance of securing an entry?
No, definitely not, the ballot-based entry is designed to give all interested runners an equal opportunity to take part. After the ballot entry closes on January 22nd, the entries will then be selected at random, allowing for a balance between male and female entrants.
Such was the sprint to gain a place among the 12,500 entries during the live online registration last year the system crashed several times once it opened on January 8th before all entries sold out in just under two hours.
What about the race entry fee?
There is an increase in the entry fee to €75 (up from €68 in 2025), which the organisers state “reflects the scale, quality and significant logistical costs involved in staging a major road race in Dublin city centre, which operates on a similar city-centre footprint and delivery scale to the Dublin Marathon”.
Does it cost anything to enter the ballot?
Yes there is a €4 ballot entry fee (plus another €1 booking), similar to what was applied to the Dublin Marathon entry fee for 2026, but which in that case was non-refundable, successful or not.
However for the Dublin City Half Marathon, organised by the same Dublin Marathon Group, the €4 will this time be refunded in full to all runners who are unsuccessful in their ballot entry. For successful entrants, it will be set against the full entry fee (meaning another payment of €71), which includes a finisher’s T-shirt, a medal, and the postage of race numbers.
When will the successful entrants be known?
All entrants will be notified of their ballot outcome by email in batches between Wednesday, January 28th and Thursday, January 29th.
What if circumstances change in the meantime?
There will be an entry transfer window available for the half marathon, which will take place from Thursday, April 2nd to Wednesday, April 8th. This also means additional entry opportunities may become available after the official transfer window closes.
There is a €10 transfer fee charged to the recipient of a transferred entry.
Why the change in date this year?
According to the event organisers this is designed “to better balance the needs of runners, organisers, and the wider city community”.
However, it does mean the event clashes with the Belfast Marathon and also the Great Limerick Run, both of which also take place on Sunday, May 3rd. The Great Limerick Run has a series of race distances including the marathon, half marathon, and 10km.
Is it the same course as last year?
The expectation is the same course will remain in place for 2026, with only minor adjustments, once again starting on O’Connell Street, heading northside towards Raheny, and finishing back in the Northwall.
Will there be pacers on the day?
Yes similar to the Dublin Marathon, designated race pacers will run on the day, set to finish at specific half marathon times including 90 minutes, two hours, etc.
