Running 26.2 miles is hard enough without the entry fee giving you something else to catch your breath over.
The Irish Life Dublin Marathon will cost €130 to enter in 2027, up from €110, before platform and payment processing charges. That is a €20 increase, or just over 18%, and a noticeable extra expense for runners already budgeting for months of training and race weekend.
Organisers say this is the first increase in five years, pointing to higher costs across infrastructure, security, medical support and traffic management. The €4 ballot deposit will also be refunded to unsuccessful applicants, while successful runners will have it credited towards their entry.
But how does Dublin compare with other races that runners might have on their wish lists?
The answer depends on the event, where you live and when you enter. Dublin sits below several famous international races, but there are also substantial events with cheaper entry fees.
The comparisons below use published 2027 prices where available, with 2026 figures clearly identified. These are entry prices, not confirmation that entries remain available. Approximate euro conversions use European Central Bank reference rates from Friday October 2nd and are rounded to the nearest euro. Card charges and exchange rate changes can affect the amount paid.
Berlin: €215 for 2027
Berlin’s published participation fee is €215, putting its base entry €85 above Dublin’s new price.
The fee includes a public transport pass covering four days and a finisher poncho. Runners choosing the clothing bag service instead pay another €5. Those inclusions matter when judging value, but the starting price is comfortably above Dublin’s.
Chicago: About €232 for Overseas Runners in 2027
Chicago lists a standard entry fee of US$260 for runners living outside the United States, approximately €232, compared with US$250 for US residents. A processing charge applies.
For an Irish resident entering through the regular ballot or an eligible guaranteed route, that overseas fee is the relevant comparison. Charity entries have different charges and fundraising commitments, so they should be considered separately.
Boston: About €241 for Accepted Qualifiers in 2027
Boston’s entry fee for accepted qualifiers is US$270, approximately €241.
That puts it well above Dublin, although access is very different. Running a qualifying time does not automatically secure entry. The figure is the fee for an accepted qualifier, not the cost of obtaining entry through a charity or travel package.
Tokyo: About €205 for Overseas Runners in 2027
Tokyo charges international participants US$230, approximately €205, including handling fees and tax. Domestic participants pay ¥19,800.
Baggage storage costs another US$12, roughly €11. It is a useful reminder that services runners might assume are included can carry a separate charge.
Sydney: Around AUD350, Approximately €216, for Overseas Runners in 2027
Allow around AUD350, approximately €216, for Sydney’s international entry. This is a rounded budgeting figure: the organiser’s FAQ lists AUD340 plus a mandatory carbon levy.
At roughly €86 above Dublin’s base fee, Sydney provides another example of an international marathon costing considerably more to enter.
London: About €94 or €323, Depending on Residency
London makes any simple price comparison rather complicated.
Its current 2027 ballot information lists a standard UK entry fee of £79.99, approximately €94. International entry is £275, approximately €323, including a carbon offset charge for international travel.
There is also a reduced £49.99 fee through its optional donation ballot arrangement, which has separate conditions. That should not be confused with the standard UK price.
Dublin is therefore dearer than London’s standard UK entry and substantially cheaper than London’s international entry. For readers across Ireland, the residency distinction is essential.7
New York: About €281 at the Published 2026 Nonmember Rate
NYRR’s published 2026 Team for Kids information lists the race registration fee as US$315 for nonmembers, approximately €281, and US$255 for members, approximately €227.
These are the race registration charges quoted within that programme. Charity sign up costs and fundraising commitments are separate, and the figures should not be read as the full cost of a charity entry or an international tour package.
Barcelona: €70 to €100 for 2027, Before Management Fees
Barcelona provides a cheaper European comparison.
Its standard race entry has published bands of €70, €80, €90 and €100, with management fees excluded. The €70 rate is an initial band, not a promise that someone registering now can obtain that price.
Even the highest listed standard band is €30 below Dublin’s base fee. Barcelona also sells more expensive experience packages, but those should not be used as its ordinary entry price.
Valencia: €80 or €180 for 2026, Plus a Licence Where Required
Valencia is a particularly good example of the danger of quoting only the lowest price.
Its 2026 regulations list €80 for the first 10,000 bibs, followed by €180 for bibs 10,001 to 36,000. Ballot entries are also €180.
A mandatory €5 day licence applies to runners who do not hold one of the specified Spanish licences or the Runner Plus Card. That makes the relevant totals €85 or €185 for a runner requiring that licence.
Dublin’s €130 fee sits between Valencia’s two bands. Describing Valencia simply as an €80 marathon would leave out what many entrants pay.
Amsterdam: €145 for 2026
Amsterdam’s official registration page lists the 2026 marathon fee at €145, €15 above Dublin’s announced 2027 base price.
This is a comparison across two editions, rather than a claim about Amsterdam’s 2027 fee. It nevertheless provides a useful reference beyond the World Marathon Majors.
Paris: €169 for 2027
The published general public entry price for the 2027 Paris Marathon is €169, €39 above Dublin’s base fee.
That gives another European capital comparison without needing a currency conversion.
Seville: €87.10 for a Standard Entry Requiring a Day Licence in 2027
Seville’s general registration fee for runners living outside the province is €82.10, including management costs.
Runners without an exempting Spanish licence or Runner Plus Card must add €5 for a day licence, bringing that total to €87.10. Entries obtained through the waiting list have a higher fee of €97.10 before the licence charge, or €102.10 with it.
Both sit below Dublin’s €130 base price. Seville also offers local resident rates, but those would not be a fair headline comparison for someone travelling from Ireland.
Belfast: About €88 at the Standard Unregistered Rate for 2027
Closer to home, Belfast lists £75 for unregistered runners, approximately €88, and £73 for registered runners. The organiser says all entries include a quarter zip top.
These are the advertised registration fees. Any separate checkout charge should be checked before treating them as a final payment total.
Dublin’s new entry price is clearly below several of the better known international races. Berlin, Paris and the overseas rates for Chicago, Boston and Tokyo all provide context for the €130 figure.
Barcelona, Seville, Belfast and London’s standard UK entry provide the other side of the comparison. Large, established marathons do not all charge more than Dublin.
Nor does a cheaper entry necessarily mean a cheaper weekend. Flights, accommodation, transport and meals need to be added to an overseas race budget. For someone who can travel to Dublin and sleep in their own bed, those savings may outweigh a difference in entry fees.
For runners travelling to Dublin from elsewhere in Ireland, accommodation can be part of the bill too. Running at home does not automatically mean running locally.
The organiser’s explanation deserves consideration. Keeping an entry fee unchanged for five years while delivery costs rise creates pressure, and a safe event requires spending on services that runners may barely notice when everything works.
Runners are equally entitled to question an increase of more than 18%. The fact that another race costs €200 or €300 does not make an extra €20 irrelevant to someone managing a tight budget.
The international figures put Dublin’s increase into perspective. They still leave organisers with the job of explaining the full cost clearly and giving runners confidence that their money is being well spent.
