Edinburgh Marathon Festival
Edinburgh, United Kingdomsince 2003Choose the distanceTap a distance: the course, fees, times and rules below update for that race.
At a glance
Edinburgh Marathon Festival 2027 takes place on 29 May 2027 – 30 May 2027 in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Distances: 42.195 km, 21.098 km, 10 km, 5 km, 2 km, 1.5 km, 1 km. Start at 08:00 from Potterrow (University of Edinburgh, McEwan Hall).
- Date
- Saturday, 29 May 2027 – Sunday, 30 May 2027
- Location
- Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Start
- Potterrow (University of Edinburgh, McEwan Hall)
- Finish
- Pinkie St Peter's Primary School, Musselburgh
- Distances
- EMF Hairy Haggis Team Relay · 42.195 km · Competitive
- Marathon · 42.195 km · Competitive
- Half marathon · 21.098 km · Competitive
- 10 km · Competitive
- 5 km · Competitive
- EMF Junior 5K · Non-competitive
- EMF 2K Junior · Non-competitive
- EMF 1.5K Junior · Non-competitive
- EMF Kids Kilometre · 1 km · Non-competitive
- Start times
- EMF Hairy Haggis Team Relay 10:00 · Maratona 10:00 · Mezza maratona 08:00 · 10 km 09:00 · 5 km 11:00 · EMF Junior 5K 12:00 · EMF 2K Junior 13:00 · EMF 1.5K Junior 13:30 · EMF Kids Kilometre 14:00
- Entry fees
- EMF Hairy Haggis Team Relay £156 · Marathon £84.50 · Half marathon £47.75 · 10 km £37.75 · 5 km £25
- Registration
- Registration open · Register now ↗
- Organiser
- GSI Events Ltd ↗
- Official website
- edinburghmarathon.com ↗
- Edition
- since 2003
- Series
- Boston qualifier
Last updated: 19 October 2026
The race
The Edinburgh Marathon Festival is Scotland's big running weekend: first held in 2003, it draws tens of thousands of participants every year from more than 40 countries (around 35,000 in 2018). The 2027 edition takes place on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 May.
Sunday is for the long distances. The marathon starts at 10:00 on Potterrow, in front of the university's McEwan Hall, runs through the historic centre and heads down to the sea to finish in Musselburgh. Runner's World readers voted it the fastest marathon in the UK; it is the country's second-largest marathon after London and has sold out every year since 2008.
The half marathon starts at 8:00 on the same fast, flat route and has sold out every year since 2012. At 10:00 the EMF Hairy Haggis Team Relay sets off: the marathon split into four legs for teams of four.
On Saturday the action moves to Holyrood Park, starting and finishing near Dynamic Earth:
- 10K at 9:00
- 5K at 11:00
- junior races (Junior 5K, 2K, 1.5K and Kids Kilometre) from 12:00
The marathon and half marathon courses are measured by an AIMS-certified measurer, so times count as qualifying times for other international marathons. The men's course record is 2:13:33, set by Kenya's Joel Kipkemboi Kiptoo in 2018.
The marathon and half marathon start together on Potterrow, with McEwan Hall behind them, and are point-to-point courses that are almost entirely flat: from start to finish you drop almost 90 metres to sea level.
Edinburgh city centre
After the first corner you pass Greyfriars Kirkyard and the statue of Greyfriars Bobby, then cross the Royal Mile with St Giles' Cathedral on one side and the castle on the other. The route descends the Mound into the New Town, runs through Princes Street Gardens below the Scott Monument and climbs back to the Royal Mile, past the Scottish Parliament and the Palace of Holyroodhouse at the foot of Arthur's Seat and Salisbury Crags.
The East Lothian coast
Leaving the park, the route heads east to Portobello promenade and Musselburgh, passing the oldest golf course in the world (golf was played there as early as 1672).
- Marathon: continues east on the flat to Gosford House, the neo-classical mansion designed by Robert Adam, then returns along the coast to the finish.
- Half marathon: after Musselburgh heads towards Prestonpans, turns and comes back.
The finish is on the playing fields of Pinkie St Peter's Primary School in Musselburgh. Water and energy gels are available on the course, with drinks and food at the finish.
The relay
The EMF Hairy Haggis Team Relay uses the marathon course in four legs:
- The Royal Leg (about 8.3 miles): from the city centre to the changeover at Fisherrow Links, Musselburgh
- The Cock & Pan Leg (5.5 miles): across the River Esk and past Prestonpans to Port Seton Links
- The Gosford Leg (8 miles): along the golf coast to Gosford House and back to Port Seton
- The Glory Leg (4.4 miles): the final stretch to the finish line
Saturday's races
The 10K starts on Queen's Drive and circles Arthur's Seat, the ancient volcano, clockwise, climbing on the east side with views over the city and Duddingston Loch, then passes the Commonwealth Pool and finishes downhill towards Holyrood Gait. The 5K stays entirely inside Holyrood Park.
Entry fees
What's included
- Race pack
- Technical shirt
- Finisher medal
- Chip timing
- Cronometraggio
- Aid stations
- Ristoro finale
- Bag drop
- Shuttle bus
Rules and requirements
Who can take part
The races are open to everyone, including overseas and unaffiliated runners. No medical certificate is required, although anyone with a medical condition should get clearance from their doctor. Minimum ages on race day:
- Marathon: 18
- Half marathon: 17
- Team relay: 17 (15 for legs 2 and 4, which are under 10K)
- 10K: 15
- 5K: 11
Wheelchair and handbike users are welcome in the mass field, provided they are self-propelled and stay within the time limits.
Fees and entry
Entry is online only through the MyRunning platform while places last: there are no entries on the day and no waiting list. Current minimum standard prices:
- Marathon: from £84.50
- Half marathon: from £47.75
- Team relay (team of 4): from £156
- 10K: from £37.75
- 5K: from £25
Charity places with partner charities start from £0 with a fundraising pledge. British runners can apply for free Top Club places (marathon under 2:40 for men and 3:00 for women) and for Good for Age places with times run since 1 January 2026 (for example under 3:05 for men and 3:45 for women aged 18-40).
Time limits and start
The time limit is 6 hours 30 minutes for the marathon and 3 hours 15 minutes for the half. Runners start in waves, with pens allocated by predicted finish time, which can be changed up to one month before the race.
Bib collection
Runners with a UK address receive their number by post in May. Overseas entrants in the Sunday races collect it at the Event Number Station on the Saturday of race weekend; a reduced service runs in the start area on Sunday until 10:00. A forgotten bib can be replaced for £5.
Refunds and transfers
Entry fees are non-refundable and entries cannot be deferred. Until the transfer deadline (usually March/April) you can transfer your place to another runner through Manage My Entry: the new runner pays a £20 fee. Switching events is not allowed, and running with someone else's number leads to disqualification.
