Photo: © Caledonian Group Events / Baxters Loch Ness Marathon▶Baxters Loch Ness Marathon
Inverness, United Kingdomsince 2002Choose the distanceTap a distance: the course, fees, times and rules below update for that race.
At a glance
Baxters Loch Ness Marathon 2027 takes place on 26 September 2027 in Inverness, United Kingdom. Distances: 42.195 km, 10 km, 5 km, 0.8 km. Start at 09:30 from Brughiera tra Fort Augustus e Whitebridge (sponda sud di Loch Ness).
- Date
- Sunday, 26 September 2027
- Location
- Inverness, United Kingdom
- Start
- Brughiera tra Fort Augustus e Whitebridge (sponda sud di Loch Ness)
- Finish
- Bught Park, Inverness
- Distances
- Marathon · 42.195 km · Competitive
- River Ness 10K · Competitive
- River Ness 5K · Competitive
- Wee Nessie · 0.8 km · Non-competitive
- Start times
- Maratona 10:00 · River Ness 10K 10:30 · River Ness 5K 09:30 · Wee Nessie 09:45
- Entry fees
- Marathon £80 · River Ness 10K £35 · River Ness 5K £18 · Wee Nessie £6
- Registration
- Registration open · Register now ↗
- Organiser
- Caledonian Group Events ↗
- Official website
- lochnessmarathon.com ↗
- Edition
- since 2002
Last updated: 19 October 2026
The race
The Baxters Loch Ness Marathon is regarded as one of the most stunning marathons in the world: a point-to-point course in the Scottish Highlands that starts on the moorland, follows the south-eastern shore of Loch Ness and finishes in Inverness, the capital of the Highlands. Founded in 2002, it attracts more than 6,000 runners from over 80 nations.
The 2027 edition takes place on Sunday 26 September with a 10:00 start. On the same day, all finishing at Bught Park, there are:
- River Ness 10K (10:30), fast and flat along the River Ness, also run as a team Corporate Challenge;
- River Ness 5K (9:30), open to all, including wheelchair users and buggies;
- Wee Nessie (9:45), 800 metres for children aged 5 and under.
Marathon runners reach the start on the organisers' coaches from Inverness Ice Centre: you cannot make your own way there. The marathon entry costs £80, or £40 if you commit to fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support or Samaritans. The Event Village with the Expo is at Bught Park on Saturday and Sunday.
Videos
The course is point to point and, as the organisers point out, net downhill. The start is on remote moorland between Fort Augustus and Whitebridge, on the south side of Loch Ness, reachable only by coach.
Stages of the route:
- the first 6 miles cross Highland scenery to the village of Foyers, with the first view of the loch;
- from mile 6 to 17 you run along the shores of Loch Ness;
- from mile 17 the course leaves the loch for open countryside, with an uphill section of a couple of miles;
- from mile 19 it levels off and enters Inverness along the River Ness;
- you cross the Ness Bridge and finish at Bught Park.
There are 7 water stations with 330 ml bottles and 4 High5 gel stations. The River Ness 10K starts at Inverness Royal Academy and follows the river to Bught Park, with a water station at halfway; the 5K starts on Bught Road.
Entry fees
- Final feeNowGeneral Entry (+5,72 £ di commissione Let's Do This)£80
- Final feeCharity Entry: con l'impegno di raccogliere almeno 400 £ per Macmillan Cancer Support o 500 £ per Samaritans£40
What's included
- Technical shirt
- Finisher medal
- Chip timing
- Aid stations
- Shuttle bus
- Bag drop
- Race expo
Rules and requirements
Who can take part
- marathon: from 18 years;
- River Ness 10K: from 15 years;
- River Ness 5K: no minimum age, manual wheelchairs and buggies allowed (starting at the back);
- Wee Nessie: children aged 5 and under.
The website does not ask for a medical certificate or licence. The marathon has no wheelchair category and walking poles are not allowed; only bone-conduction headphones may be used. Runners with a disability can apply for a free place for a support runner.
2027 fees
- marathon: £80 (plus £5.72 fee), or £40 as a Charity Entry with a minimum of £400 for Macmillan or £500 for Samaritans;
- River Ness 10K and Corporate Challenge: £35;
- River Ness 5K: £18;
- Wee Nessie: £6.
There are no race-day entries for the marathon and the 10K.
Cut-off and collection
The cut-off is 7 hours (finish closes at 17:00); runners expecting more than 6 hours 30 must use the pavement in Inverness, and a sweep bus picks up those who stop. Marathon runners collect their pack on Saturday 25 September 2027, 10:00-18:00, at the Event Village in Bught Park, with photo ID.
Refunds and transfers
No refunds, deferrals or transfers: entries cannot pass to another person or another race, and anyone swapping bibs is disqualified. Details can be updated until 15 August 2027.
