Half marathonCompleted

Belfast City Half Marathon

September 20, 2026 · 9:00 AMBelfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

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Race snapshot

Race Day

57°F

52–61°F · Feels mild

Total elevation gain

197ft

Relatively flat course · Net elevation change +0 ft

Participants

9,000

Large field

Crowd Rating

8/ 10

Excellent spectator turnout

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Entry

Completed

Half Marathon Entry (Athletics NI / Athletics Ireland registered)

£48

Final-rate price for runners registered with Athletics NI, Athletics Ireland, or another national federation. Public entry for the 2026 edition is sold out.

Official Website

Key Dates

1. Race Expo & Pack Collection
  Sep 19, 2026
  Saturday 19 September 2026 - Belfast City Half Marathon Expo and race pack collection at ICC Belfast. Race packs are not posted; collection in person is required.
2. Race Day
  Sep 20, 2026
  Sunday 20 September 2026 - Belfast City Half Marathon, starting and finishing at Ormeau Embankment, Belfast.

Found in

Half Marathons in Northern Ireland Marathons in the United Kingdom Half Marathons in the United Kingdom Marathons in Europe

The Lowdown

Northern Ireland's largest half marathon, launched in 2013 as a standalone September addition to the Belfast City Marathon race weekend (the full marathon runs each May, as a separate 42cal record). The Belfast City Half Marathon starts and finishes on Ormeau Embankment, tracing a single flat, fast loop through all four quarters of the city - South, East, North and West Belfast - combining city-centre streets around Custom House Square, High Street and Cornmarket with riverside stretches along the River Lagan. Currently title-sponsored as the Phoenix Energy Belfast City Half Marathon, the race has sold out its public entry field in recent years; once the standard price tiers close, charity-fundraiser places are the only remaining route to a bib. Race-pack collection takes place at the Half Marathon Expo at ICC Belfast on the Saturday before race day.

Minimum Age: 17 years
Entry Methods: Online registration via EventMaster (belfastcitymarathon.com) while public tiers remain open
Charity fundraiser allocation once public entry sells out
Eligibility: Minimum age 17 on race day
Must complete the course within the 3-hour time limit
Required Documents: Photo ID for race pack collection (typical for UK/NI mass-participation road races; no organizer-published document checklist found)
Cancellation & Refund Policy: No organizer-published refund/cancellation policy found; UK mass-participation road races of this type typically do not refund entry fees but often allow deferral to the following year's edition.

01: Launched in 2013 as a standalone September event within the Belfast City Marathon race weekend family; celebrated its 10th running in 2023.
02: Single-loop course touching all four quarters of Belfast (South, East, North, West); course tweaks are made most years, including the first two miles and parts of East Belfast for the 2026 edition.
03: Race pack collection is in-person only at the ICC Belfast expo the day before the race.

Prepare for This Race

Pace CalculatorPlan splits for half marathon Race PredictorPredict your half marathon time BQ CalculatorCheck BQ time for half marathon Fuel PlannerPlan nutrition for half marathon, moderate weather Difficulty Analyzer197ft gain, 57°F avg, half marathon Training PacesTraining zones for half marathon

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