Belfast City Half Marathon
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.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
Large field
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Excellent spectator turnout
Ormeau Embankment (start/finish)
Custom House Square
High Street and Cornmarket
Falls Road
River Lagan riverside stretch
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
GB
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
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)
Entry Methods
- Online registration via EventMaster (belfastcitymarathon.com) while public tiers remain open
- Charity fundraiser allocation once public entry sells out
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.
Launched in 2013 as a standalone September event within the Belfast City Marathon race weekend family; celebrated its 10th running in 2023.
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.
Race pack collection is in-person only at the ICC Belfast expo the day before the race.
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