Belfast Marathon 2025: Everything you need to know
Thousands of people are taking part in the 43rd Belfast City Marathon on Sunday.The 26.2 mile route will take participants across the city, past landmarks including City Hall and Parliament Buildings, before finishing in Ormeau Park.There will be numerous roads closed and changes to public transport for much of Sunday as the run progresses through Belfast.Organisers say 6,500 full marathon runners have signed up, as well as 2,750 relay teams (which have between two and five people in them), with a further 1200 walkers. Chairman John Allen said the marathon team was "delighted to welcome over 22,000 participants of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds".Some are running it professionally, while others are running or walking for charity.
What date is the Belfast marathon?
The race is on Sunday 4 May and kicks off at 09:00 BST at Stormont estate.Participants start in the Stormont Estate on Prince of Wales Avenue, and run down the hill, on to the Upper Newtownards Road.
Is there going to be extra public transport?
To help people going to the marathon there will be special early morning trains from Londonderry, Larne, Bangor, and Newry to Belfast Lanyon Place.For a list of all special departure times click here.These additional services cannot be booked in advance and standard fares will apply.Public transport around the city will be affected due to several road closures. Ulsterbus, Metro and Glider bus services within Belfast will be subject to delay or disruption.
What is the marathon route?
The course takes in all parts of the city, starting off in Stormont in east Belfast and heads south, taking in the Boucher Road, west, taking in the Falls Road, then north, past the Waterworks, as well as through the city centre, before ending in Ormeau Park.So if you're in Belfast, wherever you are based, you'll never be too far away from the action.There are some slight changes to the route in 2025 compared to previous years.The route has minor alterations at the City Hall, this year remaining on Chichester Street, directly onto Wellington Place before turning left onto Fisherwick Place and continuing on the route.A further change takes place on the Falls Road, turning left onto North Howard Street, left onto Cupar Way, right onto Lanark Way, right onto the Shankill Road, left onto Tennent Street, across the Crumlin Road onto Hillview Road and left onto the Oldpark Road and continuing the route.
What are the relay changeover points?
The Team Relay consists of five legs, of varying distance, with changeover points across the route.LEG 1: Stormont Estate - Montgomery Road, 4.2 milesLEG 2: Montgomery Road - Boucher Road, 6.8 milesLEG 3: Boucher Road - Falls Road, 4.5 milesLEG 4: Falls Road - North Queen Street, 5 milesLEG 5: Duncairn Gardens - Ormeau Park 5.7 miles
What roads are closed?
For a full comprehensive list of what roads are closed and when they reopen you can click here.There will be some disruption for the duration of the marathon, with the Upper Newtownards Road closing at the Comber Road junction from about 06:00 until 11:00.Roads along the route will open and close on a staggered basis as runners pass. Organisers say roads will reopen as quickly as possible one runners pass key routes. The last road to reopen will be the Ravenhill Road from the Rosetta Roundabout to the Ormeau Embankment (where local access is being maintained) which closes at 09:00 and does not reopen until 16:00. Marathon organisers have asked that motorists please follow the traffic diversion signs and take direction from stewards. "These traffic management measures are set up to prioritise safety for participants and road users," said Chairman John Allen.
I'm running in the marathon - when can I pick up my pack?
If you've taken part in the marathon before then where you pick up your pack has changed.Participants now get their race packs at the ICC Riverside entrance of the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, instead of the old location on the Queens Road.These can be collected any time between 09:00 -17:00 on Friday and Saturday.Belfast Marathon Chief Executive Claire O'Neill said organisers had planned lots of events at the ICC to get runners ready for the big day."There will be a quiet time between 15.30 and 17:00 on Friday, a live stage on the Saturday, with Q&A sessions as well as our route measurer John Glover, coaches and pacers," she told BBC Talkback.She added that participants should check their emails for any additional details or updates.
What are the rules?
Entrants can walk the main event, but runners cannot be part of the eight-mile walk event.Participants are required to complete the marathon run, wheelchair race, or team relay within six hours and the eight-mile walk event within two hours and 30 minutes.In-ear headphones are not permitted but bone-conducting headphones are allowed.Participants can be disqualified for:Urination in any area other than that of designated toilets on the routeSwapping numbersDeviation from run routeTampering with timing chipRefusing to obey the instructions of race officialsUnsportsmanlike conductOffensive actions or language to race officials, volunteers, participants or spectators
Can I watch the marathon from the comfort of my living room?
You can watch live coverage of the race on the BBC iPlayer and the BBC NI Sport website or listen on Radio Ulster from 08:45 BST on Sunday.Mark Simpson and Nicola McCarthy will present live coverage from around the course.There will also be updates here on the BBC News NI website.If you would like to have your good luck message to friends and family included in the TV and radio coverage you can click here to add a message of support.
What will the weather be like on the day of the marathon?
Things are looking good for our runners. Conditions are to be dry, with sunny spells, winds will not be too strong, with temperatures between 8C and 11C at the time of the race.
Good luck
To everyone competing - whether professionally, for a cause close to your heart, or just for fun, good luck!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Top holiday resort approves huge fines for public sex and nudity in major crackdown on badly-behaved Brit tourists
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A TOP holiday resort has approved huge fines for public sex and nudity in a major crackdown on badly-behaved Brit tourists. The Algarve party resort of Albufeira has gone to war against boozy tourists and slapped new rules to curb alcohol-fueled debauchery. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Going topless at night in Algarve will now lead to a fine Credit: Olivia West 9 Badly behaved tourists who go starkers in public will now be fined Credit: Olivia West 9 A group of Brits stripped naked and mounted the bar in Algrarve 9 A reveller pours fruity punch into a young lad's mouth Credit: Olivia West Enraged City Hall officials on Friday approved huge new penalties of up to £3,375 for holidaymakers flouting a strict new 'good behaviour' code. Hefty fines will now be imposed for everything from urinating in the street to getting naked. The rules will kick in within weeks, in time for the summer season, aiming to curb anti-social behaviour. And locals hope they will turn the tide, with nakedness, vomiting in the street and having sex in public all now coming at a heavy price. Badly behaved tourists who go starkers in public, or get caught bonking or simulating sex, face paying anything from £1,685 to £3,375. Spitting or urinating in the street will be punished with fines of between £125 and £630. And entering bars and other businesses topless could lead to a £1,250 levy. Bars and cafes which let customers in without the proper dress code will also be fined. Brit tourists were first warned about the new get-tough rules in February when Albufeira's mayor Jose Carlos Rolo announced the "Code of Conduct" plans. Last summer, a group of partying Brit tourists put on a shocking display of public nudity, leaving the locals fuming. 'Can't believe it' cry locals as 'tourist' filmed cycling NAKED through Lanzarote amid anti-visitor fury plaguing Spain Footage of their drunken antics, showing them starkers on their knees in a line on top of a bar counter, went viral. Rolo called the display 'deeply negative' and said he would call for police reinforcements. He said last night: "Tourists who fall down drunk aren't needed here at all." Predictably, Albufeira is fast becoming the go-to spot for young revellers looking for a boozy break. During The Sun's investigation into tourist revelry in the town, we saw how cops and medics are already patrolling the mile-long strip — nicknamed 'The Chaos' by locals — to keep a firm eye on the crazy, drunken antics of holidaymakers. Little wonder some end up in a terrible state, as girls are plied with free drinks at many pubs in a bid to lure in paying lads, while every bar offers shots from £1.70. Local taxi driver Guilherme, 25, told The Sun: 'Stay here more than one night and you'll see tourists having sex in the street. Sometimes it's groups of naked men on balconies. It's shocking.' Furious locals decided to bring in the new code of conduct after a group of British louts got naked on a bar top and proceeded to crawl around in broad daylight last year. 9 Tourists throw up on the streets Credit: Olivia West 9 Couple caught getting frisky at the roadside Credit: Olivia West 9 Tourists lying on pavement Credit: Olivia West 9 Topless youths clamber clumsily up a stone wall Credit: Olivia West It comes as a 21-year-old Brit was found dead at the foot of a set of steps in Albufeira's old town last Wednesday. Cops are said to believe booze is behind the tragedy. The news, which emerged on Saturday, came days after reveller Greg Monks, 38, from Glasgow, was found dead in a ravine near Albufeira. He was there on a stag do and had left the party early to return to his hotel when it is thought he jumped over a wall while drunk, unaware there was a steep drop on the other side. He was missing for a week. The fatalities shine an unwelcome light on the more dangerous and seedier side of the Algarve resort. Once marketed as a family-friendly getaway, now a much younger crew of holidaymakers is descending on the cobbled streets, turning it into a nocturnal party town.
The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
Top holiday resort approves huge fines for public sex and nudity in major crackdown on badly-behaved Brit tourists
A TOP holiday resort has approved huge fines for public sex and nudity in a major crackdown on badly-behaved Brit tourists. The Algarve party resort of Albufeira has gone to war against boozy tourists and slapped new rules to curb alcohol-fueled debauchery. 9 9 9 9 Enraged City Hall officials on Friday approved huge new penalties of up to £3,375 for holidaymakers flouting a strict new 'good behaviour' code. Hefty fines will now be imposed for everything from urinating in the street to getting naked. The rules will kick in within weeks, in time for the summer season, aiming to curb anti-social behaviour. And locals hope they will turn the tide, with nakedness, vomiting in the street and having sex in public all now coming at a heavy price. Badly behaved tourists who go starkers in public, or get caught bonking or simulating sex, face paying anything from £1,685 to £3,375. Spitting or urinating in the street will be punished with fines of between £125 and £630. And entering bars and other businesses topless could lead to a £1,250 levy. Bars and cafes which let customers in without the proper dress code will also be fined. Brit tourists were first warned about the new get-tough rules in February when Albufeira's mayor Jose Carlos Rolo announced the "Code of Conduct" plans. Last summer, a group of partying Brit tourists put on a shocking display of public nudity, leaving the locals fuming. 'Can't believe it' cry locals as 'tourist' filmed cycling NAKED through Lanzarote amid anti-visitor fury plaguing Spain Footage of their drunken antics, showing them starkers on their knees in a line on top of a bar counter, went viral. Rolo called the display 'deeply negative' and said he would call for police reinforcements. He said last night: "Tourists who fall down drunk aren't needed here at all." Predictably, Albufeira is fast becoming the go-to spot for young revellers looking for a boozy break. During The Sun's investigation into tourist revelry in the town, we saw how cops and medics are already patrolling the mile-long strip — nicknamed 'The Chaos' by locals — to keep a firm eye on the crazy, drunken antics of holidaymakers. Little wonder some end up in a terrible state, as girls are plied with free drinks at many pubs in a bid to lure in paying lads, while every bar offers shots from £1.70. Local taxi driver Guilherme, 25, told The Sun: 'Stay here more than one night and you'll see tourists having sex in the street. Sometimes it's groups of naked men on balconies. It's shocking.' Furious locals decided to bring in the new code of conduct after a group of British louts got naked on a bar top and proceeded to crawl around in broad daylight last year. 9 9 9 9 It comes as a 21-year-old Brit was found dead at the foot of a set of steps in Albufeira's old town last Wednesday. Cops are said to believe booze is behind the tragedy. The news, which emerged on Saturday, came days after reveller Greg Monks, 38, from Glasgow, was found dead in a ravine near Albufeira. He was there on a stag do and had left the party early to return to his hotel when it is thought he jumped over a wall while drunk, unaware there was a steep drop on the other side. He was missing for a week. The fatalities shine an unwelcome light on the more dangerous and seedier side of the Algarve resort. Once marketed as a family-friendly getaway, now a much younger crew of holidaymakers is descending on the cobbled streets, turning it into a nocturnal party town. 9
ITV News
5 days ago
- ITV News
Hull KR snatch victory and end 40-year-run without a trophy
Hull KR will celebrate their Betfred Challenge Cup Final 2025 win with a parade through the city on Sunday 8 June. Mikey Lewis held his nerve to kick the conversion that ended 40 years of Hull KR hurt in a dramatic finish to the Betfred Challenge Cup final at rain-lashed Wembley. The Super League leaders looked set to extend the agony as opponents Warrington entered the last three minutes with a four-point lead, before Tom Davies flopped onto Tyrone May's kick to haul the Robins level. Lewis then stepped up to boot his side into the history books, completing an 8-6 win. The team will be celebrating with an open top bus parade tomorrow from Sewell Group Craven Park to the city centre. The players and staff will set off from their home ground at 5pm, arriving at the City Hall approximately an hour later. The parade route will be Sewell Group Craven Park, Preston Road, Marfleet Lane/Maybury Road, Holderness Road, Freetown Way, Ferensway, Carr Lane, finishing on Paragon Street alongside Hull City Hall The event outside the City Hall in Queen Victoria Square will get underway from 5pm, hosted by Neil Rudd, with the celebrations featuring a range of music and entertainment, ahead of the team appearing on the City Hall balcony at 6:15pm. A big screen will show highlights of the team's journey in reaching the final, along with footage of their win over Warrington Wolves. The event will finish at 7:30pm, with the crowd joining in with a big sing-song of the 'Red Red Robin'. An accessible viewing area for wheelchair users will be available to the front of the stage area. This area will be clearly indicated on the day. No bookings are necessary, though numbers will be limited to 25 people, to include wheelchair users and one helper, which will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. A small number of road closures will be in place on Sunday to allow for the event including Paragon Street which will be closed from 8am to 8pm, while Carr Lane will shut from 4-8pm. Bus users are advised to check with local operators to find out any changes to routes.
