Dublin Marathon

I was signed up for this marathon as well as Virginia Beach in 2020, but Covid came along so they both became 2022 runs. My 16th marathon, and I have to say it was probably my favorite. Dublin is a great international city to visit, great restaurants and fun things to do, and it felt like the whole city came out for the run. The best supported run crowd wise that I've ever been in. It felt like there was someone cheering for me every step of the way, and it really made a difference the last mile when people were calling out my name. Solid expo, good logistics for the race, and 4 well spaces out corrals with ample port-o-pottys. The course had some hills including M 20-22, but nothing too dramatic. The weather was perfect (mid 50s). There is a lottery to get in, but I think that they take into account where runners are coming from (international helps) and also consider where you might finish (I was at 4:35) to balance out the field. Post race was basically a pub crawl. The race is always run before a bank holiday so everyone was off the next day, and it is also run on the sunday that the clocks are turned back, which helped a little. The only thing I struggled a little with is being a little foggy at the start from jet lag (I landed in IR thursday morning). I've run London and Liverpool as comparisons, both great events but this one was superior. If you are thinking international for next year, sign up for the lottery now (I think they notify runners by the end of January).

I really enjoyed the Dublin Marathon. As others have noted, the fan support is truly spectacular. I enjoyed the Haribo candy and took advantage of the oranges and drinks on the course. This was my 19th Marathon, and second outside North America. The support was unrivaled. The crowd was enthusiastic, and the Irish take running seriously. The course was not spectacular, and had some awkward pinch points that led to frequent and sudden constriction for those of us running a 3:20 pace. I wish that there were more frequent water and sports drink locations on the course. The course also had more turns and twists than would be ideal, and as a result most runners including me covered significantly more than 26.2 miles. There are no major hills, but the course rolls significantly throughout. Definitely not a PR course. The delays for entrance to the corals and bag drop added unnecessarily to the race day anxiety, and detracted from what otherwise would have been flawless organization. We really enjoyed the opportunity to run in Dublin, and took full advantage to add an Irish vacation. For 2020 this marathon is going to a lottery. I think that is a shame, as it doesn't sell out overnight, and frankly, why not let the early bird have the worm?

The best and most notable aspect of my Dublin marathon experience was the people. They really know how to welcome you and cheer you on. It began at the expo, where, when they learn this is your first Dublin marathon or perhaps simply first marathon, they loudly announce your name and the room erupts with cheers and applause. At least 2 or 3 times on the course I heard my name and that I was from the U.S. on a loud speaker as I approached a timing mat; again spectators cheered. All through the course the crowd support was just amazing, so 5 out of 5 is given. It was well organized and everything ran smoothly. The only niggle I had was that the security check points were not opened till about 8 am. Our bag drop, which was inside the security perimeter, was to be from 7:15-8:15 according to the race info, with the race starting at 8:45. Race morning is an anxious time for runners, and I think we like to make sure we're on time and to the corrals, etc. So 4 of 5 for that. For me, and that's an important caveat, the course was just average. This marathon was THE race this year. I went there with a time goal. As a result, during the race I was focused on my pace, my nutrition, the running surface, etc. To me, it was a typical/average big city marathon course.