Thoroughbred Run Kildare Marathon
The Lowdown
The Thoroughbred Run Kildare is an annual road race held every Father's Day in Kildare Town, County Kildare, on Ireland's flat horse-racing plain. Now in its 13th-plus year, the event offers four distances -- 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, and Marathon -- all starting and finishing in Kildare Town and routed through the Irish National Stud, home to some of Ireland's most celebrated thoroughbred sires. The Half Marathon extends further into the surrounding stud farms for a longer tour of the region's horse country, while the Marathon (42.2 km) traces the full course past paddocks, stud walls, and the wide training gallops that give the event its name. Every finisher receives a specially designed medal, with a new design revealed each year. The 2026 edition ran on Sunday, 21 June, drawing roughly 1,300 finishers across all four distances. With no break in the race's annual cadence, the next edition is projected for Father's Day, 20 June 2027, though the organisers, Just Runs Events, had not yet opened registration or published entry fees for that date at the time of writing. Recent editions have used rolling wave starts by predicted finish time, with the Marathon starting earliest in the morning and the shorter distances following through mid-morning.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
Medium-sized race
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Moderate spectator support
Irish National Stud -- the race's namesake and centrepiece, home to Ireland's champion thoroughbred sires; all four courses pass through its grounds.
Kildare Town Square (The Square) -- traditional start/finish area for the event in Kildare Town.
Surrounding stud farms -- the Half Marathon route extends further into the neighbouring stud land for a longer tour of the region.
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Kildare, County Kildare, Ireland
IE
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
Eligibility
- Minimum age 18 for the Marathon distance is the norm for Irish marathons of this size (estimate; not separately confirmed on the official site).
Required Documents
- Photo ID for race-pack collection is standard practice at Irish road races of this size; not itemised on the official site (estimate).
Entry Methods
- Online registration via Just Runs Events, linked from the official race site.
Cancellation & Refund Policy
No official cancellation/refund policy text was available at research time; typical Irish road races of this size are non-refundable close to race day (estimate).
The event is now in its 13th-plus year, with results archived on the official site back to 2015.
Organised by Just Runs Events; the 2026 edition drew about 1,300 finishers across all four distances.
Community
Stories, tips, and race-day snapshots from runners who have tackled this course.
Community Reviews
Learn from fellow runners and share insights that will help the next person toe the line.

