Marathon 2026 - Alternatives to London

[xsquared]

In theory, I can enter London with a GFA time. However, my training partner and I want to do one together next year, after she forgot to defer this year.

Our next choice would have been Manchester, and we naively thought there would still be spaces left, given we entered on New year's eve a few years ago. That has sold out already, probably because filled up with London ballot rejectees!

Brighton has been mentioned, but again that has sold out too.

Edinburgh seems to be the likeliest option at the moment, although a few people have said negative things about it.

We are ultimately looking for a flattish road marathon in order to get a qualifying time for our age.

If you've done a few, which ones would you recommend, and if you've done Edinburgh, how did it compare to say, London?

Thank you in advance.

Belfast is just after London and has a good big city marathon atmosphere. It's not completely flat but it has the potential to be a fast course.

Edit to add: Shakespeare, on the same day as London, is also a good option. Newport is flat and fast and well organised.

You made me panic about Brighton and I’ve just booked it, so not sold out yet!

Ah, I must have mistook it for another distance or something as I'm sure I saw it was sold out! Okay, I'll add that to the short list.

@NotMyRealAccount Thanks for suggestions. I did look at the Shakespeare one as well, but I'm in two minds about ones that have two laps for a marathon. Would that somehow male it mentally tougher because you think "I have to do this all over again!"

I've not done Shakespeare but a friend has and she wouldn't do it again.

I've done a different 2 lapper and I didn't enjoy it.

I personally preferred Edinburgh to London - less crowded (depends on your views of crowds though!) and a fast, flat course with some downhill at the start. As a wildcard suggestion how about Loch Ness? While it’s not flat I thought it was quite fast, with the exception of a long hill at around mile 20. Previously it’s taken place before the GFA cut-off, it’s point-to-point and it’s stunning!

York?

Another vote for York!

I did it in 2024 and think it could be my favourite. I’d have got a GFA time had it not been for a storm that came in for the last 15km, but I still managed a marathon PB by 15 minutes.

Edinburgh was awful…… once you get out of Musselburgh there’s….. nothing! No spectators or anything, totally soul destroying for me. It was a hot day too, thank god for the guy in his garden spraying people with his hosepipe!

I did it with the goal of a PB…… it was my slowest ever marathon!!

The walk back to the shuttle is is also 1/1.5km up a big hill - not what you need after running a marathon!

I like Shakespeare and have run GFA times there, but the option of turning off towards the finish at the halfway point is definitely a temptation and the long section of Greenway late in the second lap is a bit Marmite. I don't mind two-lappers. First lap, I know what to expect next time round. Second lap, I don't have to do this bit again, it's done. More than two laps and I might struggle.

I only mentioned spring marathons because presumably you want to get GFA times for 2027, but Chester (first weekend in October) is excellent too. Some say it's "hilly", but in reality it's mostly lightly undulating and potentially fast.

i was going to suggest Chester or York - they both get good reviews but are in the autumn. However, if you are going to do one in the autumn you could do Abingdon which is aimed at fast times.

Otherwise if you want to do spring, I've heard good things about Newport.

Boston U.K.

cheap to enter. cheap to stay. Support isn’t great on course as very rural but friendly and SO flat, I think only Valencia is a flatter course in Europe?

Amsterdam. Easy enough to get to. Flat and a capital city. Nice course - or it was when I ran it, not sure if they've changed it since. Friendly supportive locals.

I’m doing my first at York this October. Also look at Chester, two weeks earlier, course is not terribly interesting but it’s flat apart from one hill. Very well organised and friendly.

I did Dublin and that’s been my fastest course, but I’m guessing Autumn isn’t what you’re after! Also not very exciting but Boston (Lincs) and Halstead (Essex) are fast courses

Another vote for Dublin!

Essex has a few flat options. Probably on account of it being a pretty flat county!

People have said good things about Portsmouth and Newport. I was considering Southampton but that’s two Laps, which im also not sure about.

im doing a random little marathon between bath and Bristol in October. It won’t be big crowds, but it’s flat, with the return being mostly down hill. I thought it might be a good one to see if I can try for a GFA place for London 2027.

Some excellent suggestions. Thank you.

Yes, we are primarily looking for a spring marathon rather than an autumn one, although we haven't ruled it out completely.

Boston UK could be a good one to try, having done Boston USA this year! Logistically Edunburgh makes the most sense, bit we are open to travelling a bit further afield.

Shame you were too late for Manchester as that really is the best!

Edinburgh a good call as it's very fast. Same for Boston UK. Both dull in parts but if this is GFA business then that doesn't really matter.

I like Brighton but it is busier and not as fast.

Do not do York. It's not fast and it is boring as hell.

Thanks.

I spoke to someone earlier today who suggested Belfast as she's done it as part of the relay.

Says the atmosphere and crowd support was very good.

It’s not the most attractive but Newport marathon is flat and is becoming more and more popular amongst the running community for those wanting to get a PB.

My son ran Newport last year , it was well organised and had a good atmosphere.
you’d get pretty cheap accommodation as well!
https://newportwalesmarathon.co.uk/register-marathon/

I haven't run Belfast myself @xsquared but friends who have say excellent things about it. Great city too. If you do it, report back!

I've done Belfast twice and I think it's my favourite UK spring marathon now. It's an interesting course with good crowd support all the way round. The start area at Stormont is majestic, the finish area in a fenced-off corner of Ormeau Park is a little disappointing but there are plenty of good eating places just a short walk away (you pass a lot of them on Ormeau Road a couple of miles from the finish). If you're looking for a marathon to enjoy rather than just to do the business of getting a GFA time, it would be a good choice.

Paris is brilliant! Got my PB there. A massive event but no ballot. You start on Champs Élysées and finish Arc de Triomph. Loved it (well aside from at 20 miles. I never like any marathon at 20 miles). It’s also in April so great for training (week after London usually IIRC).

I wouldn't recommend Edinburgh. It's not really in Edinburgh, you've got about 2 miles through the city centre then it's out through some suburbs and along the East Lothian coast. You run past the finish line at 10miles then have 8 miles out along one side of the coast road and back down the other! It's a nightmare for getting back into the city centre after the race and not easy for spectators to come and support you. It's also late in the spring and has a tendency to be a weekend of some sort of extreme weather - heatwave, gales, torrential rain, it's never just a nice calm ideal running temperature sort of weather! And if it's windy it usually comes from the west and will be in your face for the last 8 miles.

My son also did Barcelona in March, that was pretty flat, and a lovely temperature.