Over 250 UK marathons are organised each year and we have compiled a great list of marathons in the UK taking place in 2024. Organised by date order, scroll down to find your perfect race!
Choose your next marathon from the UK’s best providers and charities. We list top events such as Virgin Money, London Marathon, Manchester Marathon, Loch Ness Marathon and more! Lots of events to add to your marathon training plan.
Table of contents;
- Marathon List UK
- Best UK Marathons
- How To Train For A Marathon
- What Is The Average Marathon Time?
- Top Marathon Running Tips
- How long is a marathon?
- How to run a marathon faster
- What to eat before a marathon
- Calories burnt running a Marathon
Marathon List UK 2024
A marathon is often seen as the ultimate challenge for long-distance runners. Covering 26.2 miles, a marathon will challenge your fitness, endurance, pace, and grit, but reward you with an amazing sense of accomplishment at the finish line! Marathons take place all over the world but we have a comprehensive list of the marathons taking place in the UK below;
January 2024
21st – South Downs & Arundel Marathon
March 2024
3rd – Running GP Oulton Park
9th – Battersea Park Marathon
TBC – The Steyning Stinger Marathon & Half Marathon
April 2024
7th – Brighton Marathon
14th – Adidas Manchester Marathon
14th – The Kent Spring Marathon & Half Marathon
21st – Blackpool Marathon
21st – The London Marathon
21st – The Tissington Trail Marathon
TBC – April Fool Frollick Marathon
TBC – Roche Abbey Trail Running Festival
May 2024
4th – The Mid Sussex Marathon Weekend
4th – The Maverick Adidas Terrex X-Series Exmoor
5th – Belfast Marathon
6th – Milton Keynes Marathon
18th – TEC Wye Valley Trail Running Challenge
26th – Edinburgh Marathon
June 2024
30th – North Devon Marathon
TBC – Shropshire Marathon
July 2024
TBC – Running GP at Goodwood Motor Circuit
August 2024
4th – Running GP Bedford Autodrome
TBC – Gameboy Marathon
September 2024
October 2024
6th – MBNA Chester Marathon
13th – Bournemouth Marathon
6th – Run Dorney Marathon
20th – Yorkshire Marathon
13th – The Chelmsford Marathon
November 2024
3rd- The Wendover Woods Marathon
24th – Running GP Oulton Park
December 2024
TBC – Running GP at Goodwood Motor Circuit
Why run a marathon?
For many runners, once they’ve trained up from completing a 5k, 10k or haIf marathon, completing a full marathon is the big race that will be in their sights. A marathon is no easy feat, but if you’ve already completed a few longer races such as 10k or half marathon distance, you should be able to increase your training and take on a marathon as the next natural progression in your running journey. That being said, even If you’ve never run competitively before, many beginners often choose to take on a marathon as a way to encourage a change in fitness and lifestyle and to have a real challenge to work towards. You’re sure to feel a great sense of achievement after running your first marathon, regardless of your time, and you might just catch the running bug too!
Aside from being a great form of cardiovascular exercise, there are plenty of other great benefits to running too. Firstly, if you’re thinking of taking up running as a way to lose some weight, running a marathon is a big commitment, and through your training, you’ll work on getting your heart rate up and burning calories.
Another reason to sign up for a marathon is that it’s a great way to raise money for charity. Marathons are really popular events for fundraising and there are hundreds of marathons in the UK every year. Some people even choose to so the whole race in fancy dress to make fundraising that bit more interesting!
Finally, running your first marathon is a great way to really challenge yourself and improve your long-distance running ability. Once you’ve finished one marathon you’ll be looking for your next race to beat your PB. If you’d rather start with a shorter distance to ease into running, why not check out a 5k or 10k race first?
Marathons near me
Whilst you’ll have no doubt heard of some of the most popular marathons out there such as the London Marathon, did you know that there are dozens of local marathon events that take place every year in the UK too? As marathons are popular events and great for fundraising, you’ll find that there are more and more marathons springing up across the UK all the time, meaning that there is bound to be one that is easy and convenient for you to get to. Another benefit of joining one of the smaller marathon events nearby is that you’re less likely to miss out on a place and joining fees are generally lower.
If you’re looking for ways to get more active, or even start exercising more with a friend or partner, training for a marathon together is a great way to introduce a little friendly competition and also support each other in reaching your fitness goals. We list lots of marathon events that take place all over the UK, so be sure to take a look for marathons near you using the search bar on the left. You can then find races based on location and other options using the filters to find the perfect event for you.
Fundraising for a marathon
As we’ve mentioned, running a marathon is a great way to raise some money for a good cause, and with such a long race distance, you could even get people to sponsor you per mile. As well as the better-known events, such as the Virgin London Marathon and the Great Run series, there are plenty of smaller local events you can sign up for as well. In fact, many local charities organise their own events to raise money for specific causes.
Setting up funding for a marathon is easy too. Most charities will provide you with a sponsorship pack to get started you can also fundraise online and share your goals with your friends on social media. Running in a local marathon race is also an ideal way to raise money for charities that are based in your local community, and also a great way to get more familiar with your local area.
Charity marathon events are some of the most popular events out there, so if you want to get into running then these are a great place to start!
How can I find a charity marathon?
If you’ve decided to run a marathon for a charity, you may be wondering ‘Where are the charity marathon events near me?’. Well, you’re in the right place! On the UK Fitness Events website, you’ll find pages of fitness events that are taking place all across the UK. Use the search bar on the left and once you’ve filtered down the type of race you’re looking to take part in, you can then further refine the results by selecting your location and then choosing from a range of charities that you are interested in supporting.
If you’d like to support a charity that isn’t listed, you’re welcome to do that too! Be sure to check the website of your chosen charity to find out more about getting started with fundraising.
Marathon Training Plans
Marathons are probably the biggest challenge a runner will ever face and will push you to all your limits. Marathons require a much longer training plan where you have to train both your body and mind to be able to stand up to the length of the race. We cover some common questions around marathon training such as;
- How to train for a marathon: Simple steps to get you started and help you on your marathon journey.
- How long do I need to train for a marathon? Training plans are broken down for beginners, intermediate and advanced runners, ranging from 8-16 weeks in length.
- Ultimate Marathon Guide: You can download our ultimate resource which has all of our training plans included and a free training template too!
Keen to start? Find out how to prepare using our marathon training plan
What Are The Best UK Marathons?
The most famous marathon is the London Marathon, though there are many others dotted around the country too such as the Brighton or Edinburgh Marathons which provide just as much challenge and give you multiple scenic routes to run on. For a little more adventure, you can also look at something like the Midnight Marathon Run which will have you sprinting around a mountain in total darkness! We have 10 altogether in our article but here are 3 of the best marathons;
- Edinburgh Marathon: A great marathon to achieve a PB whilst having a scenic route with Edinburgh Castle in view.
- Greater Manchester Marathon: One of the fastest routes and biggest marathons in Europe, over 20,000 runners take part each year.
- Brighton Marathon: With a sea view and live bands this marathon is great if you want to get out of the city with its runner friendly course.
Want to find more? Take a look at our guide to 10 of the Best UK Marathons
What Is The Average Marathon Time?
The time it takes to run a marathon can vary depending on several factors such as age, fitness level and gender. If we assume the average running speed of 6.2 miles per hour you would finish the marathon in around 4 hours 13 mins. We have split the average times down even further in our post below;
- Average time for beginner runners: We suggest for beginners it’s best to focus on a training plan to help cross the finish line but also show what a good finish time might look like.
- Average time for intermediate runners: If you have already completed a half marathon or marathon before you might want to understand the finish times to help achieve a PB.
- Average time for elite/athletes: Impressive finishing times come in around 2 hours for elite runners.
Interested to learn more? You can read the full blog here for average marathon times
Marathon Running Tips
Completing a marathon is something many runners would like to achieve. It is regarded as one of the biggest challenges you can take part in. Joining a local running group can be a great support, we have also complied 10 top tips to help you take part in your next marathon, we have listed 3 below;
- Keep hydrated: Drinking plenty of fluid during the race is key but it is also important in the lead up to race day.
- Track your progress: Finding a good app to track your progress and record running times and pace is key when taking in a marathon.
- Don’t over-train: Many people will keep running right up to the day of the race and this can lead to being over-tiered and over-trained.
Hungry for more tips? You can continue reading here for 10 Marathon Running Tips
Marathon FAQ’s
With so many runners wanting to take part in marathons, there are a lot of questions to answer. We have picked some of the most common questions below to help you on your marathon journey.
How long is a Marathon in Miles?
The Marathon is an iconic event and distance so we look into how long it is in kilometers and miles in our post here about the marathon distance
How can I run a marathon faster?
If you have already finished a marathon but want to improve your time we have some top advice in our post here about running a marathon in a faster time
What should I eat before a marathon?
Nobody wants to be on the start line feeling full or bloated. In one of our latest posts, we investigate some of the best food to eat before a marathon
How Many Calories Are Burnt Running A Marathon?
Calculating calories burnt can be complex but we break it down, link you to a calorie calculator and look at ways to burn even more calories running a marathon
