Edinburgh Marathon

This was an epic adventure and such a different experience to running a marathon in New Zealand! I've put together a bit of info from my experience of taking part in the 2026 Edinburgh Marathon, if you get the chance I would definitely put it on your wish list.

I stayed at Yotel, which is in town - great for looking at tourist spots and it meant I was able to walk to the start of the event. I also walked to the race registration (you could take a bus instead) held at Dynamic Earth on the Saturday, which was a little further away but still close enough and good to keep the legs ticking over before the marathon.

The marathon event had about 9,500 participants, so it is a busy event compared to anything we have in NZ! It took about 45min to queue up at registration and I would recommend picking up your bib the day before if you need to (the bibs get sent to residents, so you only need to pick up if you are a late entry or living outside of the UK).

You will be given a wave start when you register, this is based on your finish time estimate that you put in when you register. There is a map and instructions of where each wave lines up given in the event portal information in the lead up to the event - so you know where to go at the start line. I started in one of the last waves and it took me about 25min to cross the start line, that's how busy it is! It also took about 30min to line up for a pre event toilet stop, there are people everywhere. Your event time doesn't register till you cross the start line, so no need to worry about how long it takes you to get to the start and it is quite fun just being part of the atmosphere.

The marathon starts in Potterrow in the old town which means you get a fun downhill to start, plus some cobblestones and then you wind your way into town and then out to the coast. You run past the Scottish Parliament building, Arthurs Seat, along Portobello promenade, through Musselburgh and out to Gosford House, where you turn and head back along the coast finishing at Musselburgh. This event is so well supported by the community, there are people cheering on all along the course and it is a really fun atmosphere. The 2026 event was a very warm day and there were lots of people with their garden hoses along the course spraying onto the street which was much appreciated! There is no shelter on the course, so if it is a warm day then make sure to put sunscreen on, there were loads of sunburnt people post event.

The aid stations had bottled water and there were gels available at some of the stations too. As a trail runner usually, I found the amount of mess out on the course crazy, the bottles just ended up everywhere. I used a running vest for the marathon and had my own nutrition onboard, but I did grab water from the aid stations as it was a very warm day.

You are never on your own during the event due to the numbers and there is a large section where there are people running in each direction, so combined with the supporters it is a really fun event. There was even a beer station from a local business if you can handle a little bit of alcohol mid marathon.

The event finishes at Musselburgh, so you have to factor in transport back to town. There are buses you can hop on - I lined up for about 30min and then the ride back took about 45min. it could take longer, depending on when you finish and are trying to get back. There were some food carts at the finish and a huge park area to hang out, so if it is a nice day it is a good spot to rest up and soak up the finish vibes.

If you are in Edinburgh when the festival is on then I recommend entering, there are loads of event options, including kids events too.