The 2026 Irish Life Dublin Half Marathon will take place on Sunday, September 20, with 8,000 runners taking part in the 13.1-mile event.

The event, starting at 9am, will mark the completion of the Irish Life Dublin Race Series, while also giving some runners a step towards next month’s Irish Life Dublin Marathon.

Competitors of all levels, from first-timers to elite-level athletes, are set to take part on the day.

The 2026 Dublin Athletics Half Marathon Road Championships will also be taking place, adding to the competitive environment for local athletes.

Road closures

To facilitate the event, there will be several road and gate closures in the area surrounding Phoenix Park.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) will temporarily close Chesterfield Avenue, which will serve as the starting point of the event.

This area from Phoenix to Mountjoy Roundabout will be closed from 9pm on September 19 until 2pm on September 20.

The Ordnance Survey Road will be closed from 7am to 2pm on September 20, with access to Farmleigh House available only after 12pm.

Wellington Road will be closed from 10pm on September 19 until 11.30am on September 20.

Both Acres Road and Upper Glen Road will be closed from 7am until 2pm on September 20. While Military Road will be closed from 8am until 11.30am.

Fingal County Council has ordered three temporary same-day road closures. Castleknock Road, the area between Phoenix Park and the junction with College Road, the College Road area to the junction with Whites Road, and the area from Tower Road to Phoenix Park will all be closed from 8.30am to 9.45am on September 20.

There are expected to be diversions to public transportation, but information is not yet available. These will be posted on Transport For Ireland’s website closer to the event.

Gate closures

There have also been several gate closures ordered by the OPW; both the Chapelizod Gate and Islandbridge Gate will be closed between 11pm on September 19 and 11.30am September 20.

There will be uninterrupted access to St Mary’s Hospital and Cara Cheshire Home through the Chapelizod Gate.

Also, the Knockmaroon Gate will be closed from 11pm on September 19 to 2pm on September 20. The Castleknock Gate will be closed from 7am until 12.30pm on September 20.

Getting to Phoenix Park

As there will be no parking in Phoenix Park for the event, those taking part are being told to plan their journey in advance.

Between 7.30am and 8.30am, there will be shuttle buses running from Parkgate Street, bringing runners to the starting point.

Organisers are encouraging participants to access the event by public transport, the shuttle bus service, walking or cycling to reduce the impact on the area.

As there are thousands of people attending the event, organisers are asking runners to leave well ahead of time to make it to the start point. There will be a baggage drop available on Furze Road that will open from 7.30am. 

After the race, there will be shuttle buses operating to return the runners from the Phoenix Monument to Parkgate Street.

Runners’ information

The race will begin at 9am on Sunday, September 20, on Chesterfield Avenue in Phoenix Park.

From there, runners will go through Castleknock Gate towards Castleknock, before returning to Phoenix Park via White Gate. The runners will then follow a loop through the park before doing a U-turn at Castleknock Gate.

The runners will return via Chesterfield Avenue and Ordnance Survey Road with a final turn onto Furze Road to mark the finish. The cut-off point of the event is 12.15pm.

There will be a series of hydration stations available throughout the race, with stations located at miles 2.5, 5.5, 7.5, and 11.5.

There will be medical stations set up at mile 9 and at the finish line. Meanwhile, toilet facilities will be near the starting point.

Everyone who crosses the finish line will be given the 2026 Irish Life Half Marathon finisher medal, which features Phoenix Park’s Wellington Monument and a pair of deer.

There will also be prizes for the top three men and women, which will be presented at the finish line.

At the moment, Sunday’s race is expected to see mostly cloudy conditions, with a low chance of rain.

Temperatures are forecast to be around 14C at the start of the race, potentially rising to 17C by the event’s cut-off point