Youghal Bay Half Marathon
The Lowdown
The Youghal Bay Half Marathon is an annual road race through the medieval seaside town of Youghal in County Cork, Ireland, organised by Youghal Athletic Club. First run in 2024, the event pairs a two-lap Half Marathon with a single-lap 10K over the same course, both starting and finishing near the town's historic Clock Tower and Town Hall. The route winds through Youghal's Medieval Streets, the scenic Front Strand seafront, and the Greenway, with full road closures in place; the course is largely flat, gaining only about 10-15 meters, with the sole notable rise leading up toward Youghal Lighthouse. The race has grown quickly since its 2024 debut: 10K finishers jumped from 653 in 2024 to almost 900 in 2025, and the combined Half Marathon and 10K field reached roughly 1,877 finishers in the 2026 edition, held Sunday, August 9, 2026. The event has run on the second Sunday of August in each of its first three years (2024, 2025, 2026); the 2027 Youghal Bay Half Marathon is projected for Sunday, August 8, 2027, though the organiser has not yet opened registration or published details for that edition. Entry to the 2026 Half Marathon cost EUR 40, which included a EUR 2 per-entry contribution to charity; every finisher received a medal and a finisher's t-shirt. The minimum age to compete in either race is strictly 16. Online entries are handled through Eventmaster, with a limited allocation of race-day entries also typically available.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
Medium-sized race
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Good crowd energy
Clock Tower, Youghal -- historic 18th-century tower straddling Main Street, near the half marathon start.
Youghal Town Hall -- civic building in the medieval town centre, near the race start.
Front Strand -- Youghal's Blue Flag seafront beach, part of the course.
Youghal Lighthouse -- clifftop lighthouse overlooking Youghal Bay; the course's one notable climb.
Youghal Greenway -- traffic-free walking/cycling path forming part of the route.
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Youghal, County Cork, Ireland
IE
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
Eligibility
- Minimum age strictly 16 years to compete in either the Half Marathon or the 10K, confirmed on the 2026 event listing.
Required Documents
- Photo ID for race-day bib collection (estimate, standard practice for Irish club-organised road races; not separately confirmed on an official FAQ page).
Entry Methods
- Online entry via Eventmaster
- Limited race-day entry (subject to availability)
Cancellation & Refund Policy
No confirmed refund/transfer policy found published for this event; treat as an estimate pending confirmation from the organiser.
Organised by Youghal Athletic Club (Youghal AC); first run in 2024 and has run every year since on the second Sunday of August.
2026 edition (Aug 9, 2026) drew roughly 1,877 combined finishers across the Half Marathon and 10K, per Leggit.ie's race listing; no half-marathon-only finisher count was found.
10K finishers grew from 653 (2024) to almost 900 (2025), per Cork Athletics results coverage.
As of this record's creation (Aug 29, 2026), the 2026 edition had already taken place and the 2027 edition's registration was not yet open, so the date shown (Aug 8, 2027) is a projection from the event's consistent second-Sunday-of-August cadence in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
EUR 2 of every entry is donated to charity; finishers receive a medal and a finisher's t-shirt.
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