What are the best UK marathons to run in 2026 and 2027? Here we’ve listed some of the most popular road marathons in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, all suitable for first-timers to those chasing fast times.
Why not the London Marathon? Well, the London Marathon is biggest marathon in the UK and everyone already knows about it, and as much as we love the London Marathon, it can be difficult to get into, so these are great alternative UK road marathons for you to consider.
If you’re looking for trail runs then here are some of the best UK trail races.
BEST SPRING MARATHONS IN THE UK
Great Welsh MarathonDate: Sunday 7 March 2026Start line: Pembrey Country Park, Burry Port
If you’re looking for a flat and fast race that’s also scenic, then the Great Welsh Marathon could be a good choice for you, though watch out that it can be exposed to the wind in much of the course (and it’s an out and back so that means a headwind as well as a tailwind). There’s a 10K, half marathon and marathon on the same day.
Brighton MarathonDate: Sunday 12 April 2026Start line: Preston Park, Brighton
Running up and down Brighton’s seafront, and looping through the town, you pass the Pavilion and the pier before finishing by the beach. It’s put on by London Marathon Events and has over 12,000 finishers (which makes it the third-largest marathon in England). The first half is undulating, and the second half is pretty flat, but being a seafront race the coastal winds could be a factor. Still, it’s a fun race with a lot of great support. It sells out quickly, so sign up early if you want to run Brighton.
From 2026 there’s also an adjacent Brighton Trail Marathon. It starts on the trails north of the city and has the same finish line as the marathon.
Boston UK MarathonDate: Sunday 12 April 2026Start line: Market Place, Boston
Didn’t get into the Boston Marathon? How about running the other Boston Marathon which takes place in Boston, Lincolnshire?
It’s run the day before the US Major and while it might not be quite as famous there’s one big benefit to this one over the race in Massachusetts: the race website calls this the flattest marathon in the UK (there’s no Heartbreak Hill in Lincolnshire!). There’s a 5km, 10km and half marathon on the same day as the marathon. And you can still tell all your running buddies that you’re doing the Boston Marathon.
Newport MarathonDate: Sunday 19 April 2026Start line: Usk Way, Newport
The Newport Marathon is a festival of running with junior races, a 10km and half marathon as well as the marathon, so the town is an exciting place to be on race weekend. The route is flat and fast (a lot of runners achieve a PB at Newport) with plenty of support cheering the 2,000 marathoners on. It’s a great spring marathon to get signed up for and is good for beginners and those looking for a fast time.
Manchester MarathonDate: Sunday 19 April 2026Start line: Old Trafford, Manchester
Manchester hosts the second-largest marathon in the UK with 36,000 runners. It’s flat, fast and friendly and people love running this race around the streets of Manchester. It’s ideal for runners who want a larger race with good crowd support. It sells out quickly, so plan ahead if you want to run in 2027.
Blackpool MarathonDate: Sunday 26 April 2025Start line: Blackpool Promenade, Blackpool
The Blackpool Festival of Running features a 2km, 5km and 10km on Saturday, then a half marathon and marathon on the Sunday. The marathon is a flat two-lap out-and-back road run that’s always parallel to the sea on one side, with Blackpool’s sights on the other, and it’s a good race for crowds to follow you and cheer along.
Southampton Marathon Date: Sunday 3 May 2026Start line: Southampton city centre
There’s a new route coming for 2026 but it promises to be a tour of Southampton from the city to river shore, through parks and inside St Mary’s Football Stadium, and back through the city. It has a few hills but nothing too steep or long. There’s a marathon, half marathon, 10km and 5km on the same day, with around 10,000 runners taking part on race day.
Belfast City MarathonDate: Sunday 3 May 2026Start line: Stormont Estate, Belfast
Northern Ireland’s biggest marathon had more than 5,500 finishers in 2024, and it’s one of the oldest in the UK having started in 1982. There’s a super start on Stormont Estate as the route runs around Belfast, with a lot of people out cheering and creating a great atmosphere. The race has an expo (not too many UK marathons have one – most mail you your race bib) and there’s decent prize money, so it attracts some good runners (the men’s course record is 2:13 and it’s 2:35 for women). There were around 6,500 finishers in 2025.
Milton Keynes Marathon Date: Monday 4 May 2025Start line: Stadium MK, Milton Keynes
Fancy a bank holiday Monday marathon? Then get yourself to Milton Keynes! The race begins outside Stadium MK and takes runners around a mix of tree-lined city streets and old villages before coming back and ending inside the stadium, which is a great finish line experience. There’s a half marathon and team marathon relay on the Monday, plus there’s a 5km run on the Sunday.
Rob Burrow Leeds MarathonDate: Sunday 10 May 2026Start line: Headingley Stadium, Leeds
Thousands of runners take on the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon. It begins at Headingley Stadium, heads towards Leeds city centre, and then out to Otley. It’s not a flat race, and it undulates a lot and has some longer climbs, but don’t let that put you off (the final 5km is basically downhill!) as it’s a marathon that’s well-organised and has a lot of support out on the course (just practise hills in training). There’s a half marathon on the same day.
Edinburgh Marathon Date: Sunday 24 May 2026Start line: Potterrow, Edinburgh
It’s the biggest marathon in Scotland and it sells out every year, with runners heading from Edinburgh old town, along the famous Royal Mile, and then out towards the sea (with a nice rolling downhill for a few miles to help you out), before a long out and back along the coast to a finish in Musselburgh (so you need to get back to the city after the finish). The latter part of the race can be a quiet, and the turnaround can feel like a slog if you’re struggling, especially if it’s a windy day. There are junior races and a 5km and 10km on the Saturday, with a half and marathon on the Sunday, and a total of 35,000 runners take part over the weekend.
BEST AUTUMN MARATHONS IN THE UK
Richmond RUN-FEST MarathonDate: Sunday 13 September 2026Location: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
A scenic marathon in London, the Richmond RUN-FEST Marathon goes through beautiful parks, along the Thames, past Royal Palaces
Loch Ness MarathonDate: Sunday 27 September 2026Location: Inverness, Scotland
Certainly one of the most scenic marathons in the UK, and one of the most popular and well-regarded. The race begins in the moorlands of the Scottish Highlands and follows alongside Loch Ness from miles seven to 17 as you head into a fun finish line in Inverness. It’s an undulating route with a lot of downhills, especially in the first few miles, but watch out for the uphills as well. One consideration is that runners need to be bussed out to the start line to then run back, but it’s all well organised (and the start line is pretty special). There’s a 10km run on the same day which is all in Inverness.
Chester Marathon Date: Sunday 4 October 2026Start line: Chester Racecourse, Chester
Consistently a very popular autumn marathon with 4,500 runners passing some of the Chester’s iconic landmarks, like the Roman Walls, Cathedral and Amphitheatre. Seven of the middle miles of the race are actually in Wales, before returning back to England, and there’s a lot of crowd support in the city and in the surrounding villages. You can also run the Chester Metric Marathon, a 26.2km race.
There’s free elite entry for men under 2:45 and women under 3:15, plus prize money for the first five male and female runners, plus for age age group category winner. That means it encourages faster runners to Chester and makes it a good alternative for a quicker autumn marathon.
Yorkshire Marathon Date: Sunday 18 October 2026Start line: University of York, York
Run through the handsome streets of York and then out on scenic and well-supported roads beyond the city into nearby villages, before finishing back in the city. This popular race has plenty of pacers to help you achieve your time goals, and there’s a 10 mile race on the same day, with around 10,000 people taking part across the two races.
FAQ on Best UK Marathons
The London Marathon is the fastest marathon in the UK, but there are many other races which are flat and fast and suitable for runners chasing PBs including Newport Marathon, Manchester Marathon and Chester Marathon.
Experienced runners who can already comfortably run more than 10k should aim for around 16 weeks to train for a marathon. If you aren’t able to run 5k then start by training to comfortably run for 10k (8-12 weeks) and then move into marathon training.
The Eryri Marathon, which runs on roads around Snowdon, is one of the hardest (but most scenic) road marathons in the UK. The Langdale Marathon is also one of the hardest UK road marathon taking place in the Lake District.
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