Run Galway Bay
The Lowdown
Run Galway Bay is a flat, waterfront road race along the shores of Galway Bay in Galway, Ireland, offering a full marathon, a half marathon, and a 10K on the same out-and-back course. The race starts at Nimmo's Pier in the Claddagh and follows the promenade through Salthill and Blackrock before returning to a crowd of supporters at the finish line, back in the Claddagh. Race Director Ray O'Connor oversees the annual event, which draws roughly 3,000 combined finishers across its three distances. Because the course narrows at points along the Salthill seafront, organizers have eliminated official pacing groups. The marathon starts at 8:30 AM, the half marathon at 9:30 AM, and the 10K at 11:30 AM. Entry fees for the 2026 edition were EUR 70 for the marathon, EUR 55 for the half marathon, and EUR 40 for the 10K; all three distances are now sold out. Entries are non-refundable and non-transferable, though registered runners can request a deferral by emailing the organizer before September 1, 2026. Race packets, including the timing-chip bib, are posted to entrants ahead of time rather than collected on-site. The 2026 edition takes place on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
Medium-sized race
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Good crowd energy
Nimmo's Pier, the Claddagh - race start and finish
Salthill Promenade - the course follows Galway Bay along Salthill
Blackrock - the marathon route's turnaround point along the bay
The Claddagh - crowds gather along the waterfront finish
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Galway, County Galway, Ireland
IE
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
Eligibility
- Estimated minimum age 18 for the marathon and half marathon, consistent with standard Athletics Ireland road race guidance (not explicitly published by the organizer for this event)
Required Documents
- None published by the organizer; bibs are posted to entrants in advance rather than collected in person
Entry Methods
- Online via the official rungalwaybay.com website; all three distances are sold out for the 2026 edition
- Bibs, including the timing chip, are posted in advance to entrants; there is no in-person race-day packet pickup
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Entries are non-refundable and strictly non-transferable per the organizer's FAQ
Distance-change requests are accepted via the confirmation-email link, but only into distances that remain open; changing into the half or full marathon is no longer possible once those distances sell out
Deferral requests must be emailed to the organizer by September 1, 2026
All three 2026 distances (marathon, half marathon, and 10K) sold out ahead of race day, per the organizer's own FAQ.
Race Director Ray O'Connor leads the event, which draws up to roughly 3,000 combined finishers across its three distances each year.
The course is deliberately narrow at points along the Salthill promenade, which led organizers to eliminate official pacing groups.
Water and aid stations are placed roughly every three miles: the 10K has stations at mile 3 and the finish; the half marathon at miles 1, 4, 7, 10 and the finish; the marathon at miles 1, 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23 and the finish.
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