This Year's Dublin Marathon Expo Back at the RDS

Runners woke up to a surprise in their inboxes this morning. The 2025 Irish Life Dublin Marathon Expo is no longer heading for the National Show Centre near the airport. Instead, it’s marching straight back to its old home at the RDS in Ballsbridge.

Organisers had announced in May that the expo would relocate to Cloghran, citing “logistical challenges” and complaints about parking and accessibility at the RDS. That decision sparked plenty of grumbling from participants who preferred the central city location.

Today’s email to race entrants confirmed the reversal. Number pick-up will now happen at the RDS on:

• Friday 24 October: 12 noon -7 pm
• Saturday 25 October: 9 am - 6 pm (final cut-off at 6 pm sharp)

Organisers advise avoiding peak times (12 - 2 pm Friday and 2 - 4 pm Saturday) if you’d like to dodge queues.

This year’s Dublin Marathon takes place on Sunday October 26th. Every participant must collect their race number and pack at the Expo, where the usual vendors and last-minute gear bargains will be back in the familiar RDS halls.

After months of insisting the move “was not made lightly,” the marathon team have quietly pressed the reset button. For many runners, it’s a welcome return to tradition and a shorter bus ride.