If like us you're reading this, you probably didn't get into Dublin Marathon for 2026, and you're wondering how. If you’re one of the lucky few who managed to get an entry into the 2026 Dublin Marathon, congratulations! We believe the Pope will also in touch as you may qualify for sainthood. Its probably also a good time to enter the Lotto! Right now, even Sherlock Holmes would struggle to find any people who actually got into the Dublin Marathon.
According to the Dublin Marathon organisers, the move to a ballot system was supposed to make things fairer, calmer, and more transparent. Instead, it has turned into a nationwide game of Where’s Wally?, except this time Wally seems to be every marathon runner who paid a fiver to enter a lottery of which the odds were unknown.
Based on the noise online, and in various WhatsApp groups, the success rate looks closer to 5% as most people don't know anyone who got in.
A Ballot System That Makes Other Ballots Look Generous
Entering Berlin, one of the world’s most iconic marathons, gives you a statistically better chance. Even London, which has historically been brutal, seems more generous by comparison.
Berlin’s general ballot acceptance rate often sits somewhere around 15–20%. London, even with massive demand, floats around 6–10% depending on the category. But Dublin? If you listen to the running forums, the club WhatsApps, the soundings are “good luck, God bless, and don’t get your hopes up.”
For a marathon that prides itself on being the people’s race, this year it has felt more like the select few’s race. And the few seem to be keeping very quiet, possibly out of fear of being hunted for proof of entry.
A Perfect Storm of Demand, Confusion, and Silence
The real frustration isn’t just the low success rate, it’s the silence around it. No confirmation of odds, no data, no breakdown. Just a vague “you were unsuccessful” email that felt a bit like being friend-zoned by the marathon.
Runners thrive on planning. Whether it’s pacing strategies, gels vs. jellies, shoe rotation, or arguing whether the Phoenix Park hill “isn’t actually that bad,” runners want clarity. Instead, they’ve been given fog, guesswork, and a reminder that maybe it’s time to finally do that race abroad they’ve been threatening for years.
What Happens Next for Dublin?
The irony is that the frustration doesn’t come from anger, it comes from the love of the race. Dublin is a spectacular marathon, it is the crowds, the atmosphere, the city, the support which transform it into an iconic must run race. People don’t want to skip it. They want to be part of it.
A ballot system isn’t the issue. It’s the lack of clarity, communication, and transparency around it.
So for now, the search continues. Somewhere out there are the chosen ones, the golden ticket holders, the mythical 2026 Dublin Marathon entrants.