UK Marathon Calendar 2026–2027: Find Your Next Race

Start by comparing Manchester, Chester and Abingdon. Their road courses deserve a place on a PB shortlist. Elevation is only part of the decision, so also check turns, congestion, field size and likely weather.

The TCS London Marathon is the obvious answer, but entry is the hard part. The 2027 event is planned for 24 and 25 April as a one-off two-day edition. Secure a ballot, charity, qualifying or tour operator place before making an expensive travel booking.

Loch Ness Marathon is a point-to-point road race finishing in Inverness. The setting is the draw. Race transport matters more than it does at a city loop, so read the bus instructions before choosing where to stay.

Marathon Eryri starts and finishes in Llanberis and comes with serious climbing. Pick it for the mountains and the challenge, not for an easy PB. Training should include long climbs and controlled descents.

Belfast City Marathon offers a large city event. Causeway Coast Marathon is the contrasting choice, with trails and coastal terrain. They are not interchangeable, even though both cover the marathon distance.

Beachy Head Marathon, Gower, Glencoe and the Jurassic Coast races are better starting points than a flat city marathon. Compare elevation, underfoot conditions, navigation and checkpoints. Road pace will not tell you much about the finish time.

A measured 42.195 kilometre road course is the usual starting point for a PB or qualifying attempt. Certification still matters, so check the current race information rather than relying on the name alone.

Distance, elevation and surface can make a trail result impossible to compare with a road marathon. Some routes also require mandatory kit or have checkpoint cutoffs.

You may be able to stop at marathon distance during a multi-hour event, but that is a different format from a fixed marathon course. This calendar does not automatically include every challenge that permits 26.2 miles.

Do not assume that every UK road marathon qualifies. Confirm the current course status with the organiser, the B.A.A. and the Association of UK Course Measurers certificate search.

A ballot application is not a race place. Charity, qualifying and tour operator entries also have their own costs and conditions. Confirm the entry before building the trip around it.

Point-to-point races can finish far from the start. Check bag drop, shuttle buses, road closures and the earliest Sunday train. That information should guide the hotel choice.

Some races require collection on the previous day. Others allow race morning pickup. Find the deadline and identification requirements before fixing your arrival time.

Look at the final limit and any earlier checkpoint closures. Trail races may also have kit rules, fewer aid stations and long gaps without easy spectator access.