Dublin Marathon 2027 ballot opens: 17,200 places, entry fee rises to €130
By Tanishq BhattEntertainment Writer, Peepals Global
Representative image: PIX1861 / Pixabay
The Dublin Marathon 2027 ballot runs from 12 to 17 November 2026 for 17,200 places; entry rises to €130 after 47,000 applied last year.
What Happened
The ballot for the 2027 Dublin Marathon opened on Thursday, 12 November 2026, and runners have until midnight on Tuesday, 17 November to apply. There are 17,200 general entry places in a total field of 22,500 for the race on Sunday, 24 October 2027. The entry fee rises by €20 to €130, the first increase in five years, and it costs €4 to enter the ballot. Last year's ballot drew a record of about 47,000 applications, so most applicants are again likely to miss out.
Key Facts
- Ballot window: 12 November 2026 to midnight on 17 November 2026; reports differ on the exact opening hour, so applicants are advised to check the official site.
- Race date: Sunday, 24 October 2027; capacity 22,500 runners.
- General ballot places: 17,200, the same number as for 2026.
- Entry fee: €130, up from €110; booking and processing fees are extra.
- Ballot fee: €4; it is refunded automatically to unsuccessful applicants and deducted from the entry fee for successful ones.
- Results are expected on Wednesday, 25 November, with the balance charged to successful runners between 1 and 3 December, according to race guides.
- For the 2026 race, about 47,000 people applied and 17,200 won places.
Why It Matters
Getting into the Dublin Marathon now depends largely on luck. For the 2026 race, organisers reported about 47,000 ballot applications, a record, for the 17,200 general places, which meant roughly two out of every three applicants were turned away. The organisers had also scrapped the old priority entry system, saying they wanted more women and more first-time marathon runners in the field. They reported that the successful entrants were split almost evenly between first-timers and returning runners.
Last year's ballot was also controversial. Each application carried a €5 fee that was not refunded, so the nearly 30,000 people who missed out still paid, which drew complaints. This year the ballot fee is lower, €4, and it is returned automatically to anyone who does not get a place. That change answers one of the main criticisms of the 2025 process.
The fee increase to €130 is the first in five years. The race remains popular despite it, and the number of applications for 2027 is not yet known. Organisers have kept the general ballot at 17,200 places, so any rise in demand will make the odds longer.
Ballot systems like Dublin's, and the fees attached to them, decide who gets to take part in big-city races. Anyone outside Ireland who wants to run in 2027 has to apply through the same ballot.
Peepals calculation: Last year 17,200 of about 47,000 applicants won a place, a success rate of about 37% (17,200 ÷ 47,000 ≈ 0.366), or a little better than one in three. The new €130 fee is about 18% higher than the old €110 (20 ÷ 110 ≈ 0.18). Under last year's non-refundable €5 ballot fee, the roughly 29,800 unsuccessful applicants paid about €149,000 between them (29,800 × 5); under this year's refundable €4 fee, unsuccessful applicants pay nothing. Our calculation from the reported figures.
| Item | 2026 race | 2027 race |
|---|---|---|
| General ballot places | 17,200 | 17,200 |
| Entry fee | €110 | €130 |
| Ballot fee | €5, not refunded | €4, refunded if unsuccessful |
| Applications | About 47,000 | Not yet known |
Impact
Short-term: Runners have six days to enter the ballot. Those who win a place will be charged the balance in early December.
Long-term: If applications keep rising while places stay fixed, the Dublin Marathon will become even harder to enter, and organisers may face more pressure over how places are shared between ballot, charity and other entries.
Who is affected: Amateur runners in Ireland and abroad hoping to run in 2027, charities that rely on marathon places for fundraising, and race organisers.
What to watch next: The ballot closes at midnight on 17 November 2026, results are expected on 25 November, and successful runners will be charged between 1 and 3 December.
Key Takeaway
The 2027 Dublin Marathon ballot is open until 17 November for 17,200 places, with a higher €130 entry fee but a refundable €4 ballot charge after last year's record 47,000 applications.
Questions and Answers
When does the Dublin Marathon 2027 ballot open and close?
It opened on Thursday, 12 November 2026 and closes at midnight on Tuesday, 17 November 2026.
How much does it cost to enter the 2027 Dublin Marathon?
The entry fee is €130 plus booking and processing fees. The €4 ballot fee is refunded if you are unsuccessful and deducted from the entry fee if you win a place.
What are the chances of getting into the Dublin Marathon?
For the 2026 race, about 47,000 people applied for 17,200 ballot places, a success rate of roughly 37%. The number of applicants for 2027 is not yet known.
When is the 2027 Dublin Marathon?
The race is on Sunday, 24 October 2027, with a field of 22,500 runners.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Tanishq Bhatt, Entertainment WriterCovers Entertainment and more for Peepals Global. All stories by Tanishq Bhatt
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Tanishq Bhatt is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
