RacesIndependent race preparation guide

Cork, Ireland · 42.195 km road marathon

Cork City Marathon 2027

Sunday 6 June 2027

A mostly flat loop from Grand Parade through Cork's docklands and suburbs, with a 6 h limit and a tighter 4 h cut-off at the South Link Road (2026 rules).

Cork City Marathon at a glance

Start: 08:15, Grand Parade near the South Mall corner
Finish: Grand Parade, in the city centre
Course: One loop on the 2026 route, marked every mile, with km boards only every 5 km
Elevation: From about sea level to 32 m
Time limit: 6 h from the start, then roads reopen; the finish stays open for walkers (2026 FAQ)
Cut-offs: Jack Lynch Tunnel (about km 11.6) within 2 h, South Link Road (about km 28.3) within 4 h (2026)
Entry: Ballot closed and the 85 euro marathon is sold out. Waiting list, charity places or official transfer
Bib pickup: Cork City Hall on the Friday and Saturday in 2026, no race-day pickup listed; 2027 hours not yet published
Aid stations: 13 water stations, three of them with Lucozade Sport (2026 map)

Checked against the organizer's pages on 23 September 2026. Facts for the next edition can still change; the organizer's page is the final word.

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Cork City Marathon course map and elevation

One loop on the 2026 route, marked every mile, with km boards only every 5 km. Map, elevation profile and 3D flyover.

Loading topographic map…

running direction two lines: out and back on the same road race kilometresCourse: TrailSplits reconstruction; map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Flat (<5%)

Route drawn by TrailSplits from published race information; approximate. For illustration, not navigation.

What to expect on the course

Out the N20 through Blackpool to a turnaround near mile 2
Under the Lee through the Jack Lynch Tunnel at about mile 7, then Mahon and Blackrock with a short out-and-back on Castle Road
The one real rise: about 25 m from the South Link Road around km 26 to the high ground near km 31
The last three miles along the Carrigrohane Road and the Western Road past UCC to Washington Street

The map shows the organizer's 2026 route drawn onto the streets; the 2027 route has not yet been published.

Read the full course description

A single loop from Grand Parade in the city centre, where the start and finish moved in 2026, on a 42.195 km course the organizer describes as IAAF certified and a Boston qualifier, run by a full AIMS member. The 2026 route leaves the centre northwards and runs out the N20 through Blackpool to a turnaround near mile 2, returns to the quays and heads east along the Lower Glanmire Road and the Silver Springs dual carriageway to the Dunkettle interchange around mile 6, then passes under the Lee through the Jack Lynch Tunnel at about mile 7. Miles 8 to 13 wind around Mahon and Blackrock, including a short out-and-back on Castle Road, before the route comes back west through the south docklands by Centre Park Road and Albert Quay, turns south on the South Link Road (N27) around mile 17, reaches its southernmost point near mile 18 and crosses the southern and western suburbs to its far western end near mile 23. The last three miles come back east along the Carrigrohane Road through Victoria Cross and down the Western Road past UCC to Washington Street and the finish. The organizer calls the course fast and flat, starting at about 10 m with the highest ground, about 35 m, between km 30 and 35; on this map the first 26 km stay within about 15 m of the rivers, the one real rise is about 25 m from the South Link Road around km 26 to the high ground near km 31, rolling to km 36 before the descent to the Western Road, and the terrain heights add up to roughly 150 m of climb in small rises. The descent into and climb out of the Jack Lynch Tunnel are not in these terrain heights. The course is measured in miles and marked at every mile, with kilometre marks only every 5 km. The 2026 map shows 13 water stations, three of which, around km 17, 28 and 35, also hand out Lucozade Sport; pacers run every 15 minutes from 3:00 to 5:00 on chip time, headphones are strongly discouraged and hydration packs and own bottles are welcome.

Source, licence and file

TrailSplits reconstruction of the published route. Course: TrailSplits reconstruction; map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL · original source · Download reference GPX (42.9 km in the file). Approximate terrain-model heights added by TrailSplits, sampled and smoothed at roughly 100 m intervals. Buildings, bridges and small road gradients are not surveyed road elevations.Produced using Copernicus WorldDEM-30 © DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA; all rights reserved.

Three decisions to make before race day

Plan for the 4 h cut-off at the South Link Road, not only the 6 h limit

In 2026 you had to reach the South Link Road at mile 17.6 within 4 h of the gun, about 8:28 per km, which projects to just under 6 h. Run the first 28 km a little faster than a 6 h average and start as far forward as you can.

More detail
In 2026 you had to reach the Jack Lynch Tunnel at mile 7.2 within 2 h and the South Link Road at mile 17.6 within 4 h, both counted from the start, and official times run from the gun. The second one binds: 17.6 miles in 4 h is about 13:38 per mile or 8:28 per km including the minutes spent reaching the start line, which projects to a finish just under 6 h. A walker or back-of-field runner should plan the first 28 km a little faster than a 6 h average and start as far forward as their pacer area allows, rather than counting on the finish staying open after 6 h.
Pick your way in now that the 2027 ballot has closed

The ballot and good-for-age windows have closed and the 85 euro marathon is sold out. What is left: the waiting list, a charity place with an access code or an official Eventmaster transfer. A private swap bars both runners from all future Cork City Marathons.

More detail
The first ballot closed on 30 June 2026, good-for-age applications closed on 30 August and the entry listing shows the 85 euro marathon sold out. The remaining routes are the waiting list, which unsuccessful ballot applicants are already on and others can join from the listing, a charity place issued with an access code, or a transfer through the official Eventmaster window once its dates are announced. Never take a bib privately: the organizer disqualifies both runners from all future Cork City Marathon events, and a ballot place cannot be switched to the half or the 10K.
Be in Cork by Saturday afternoon to collect your race pack

Race packs are not posted, and in 2026 they were handed out only at City Hall on the Friday and Saturday, with no race-day pickup listed. Be in Cork by Saturday afternoon and check the 2027 hours when they appear.

More detail
Bibs and chips are not posted, and in 2026 race packs were handed out only in Cork City Hall on the Friday 12:00 to 19:00 and the Saturday 11:00 to 18:00, with no race-day pickup listed. The race starts at 08:15 on the Sunday of the June bank holiday weekend, Grand Parade closes to traffic from 04:00 and City Hall bag drop opened at about 07:00, so book travel and a bed that put you in the city by Saturday afternoon and check the 2027 pickup hours when they appear.

Your race-day sheet

Even elapsed splits for 42.195 km. All clocks are local to Cork.

Target finish time, including stops

HoursMinutes

Total stopped minutes Your start time (local)

The initial value is the first published start, not your assigned wave. Europe/Dublin.

Time limit: 6 h from the start, then roads reopen; the finish stays open for walkers (2026 FAQ)

How this sheet applies the limit

The organizer's 2026 FAQ sets a 6 h course limit counted from the start, and the official result is gun-to-chip time from the single 08:15 start shown on the 2027 entry listing. No closing clock is published: at 6 h the roads reopen and anyone still out may be asked onto the pavement, while the finish stays open for walkers, so this sheet checks 6 h without a closing time. Two intermediate cut-offs also run from the start: the Jack Lynch Tunnel at mile 7.2, about km 11.6, within 2 h, and the South Link Road at mile 17.6, about km 28.3, within 4 h, which is about 10:15 and 12:15 if the start stays at 08:15. The organizer says about 13.5 min per mile meets both; the 4 h point is the tighter one. These are 2026 statements that still need confirming for 2027.

A timing comparison, not a fitness assessment. Intermediate cutoffs, queues, weather and terrain are not modelled. Stops are spread evenly in the illustration; actual checkpoint times will differ.

ESTIMATED FINISH

12:15:00

MOVING PACE BUDGET

5:34/ km

ELAPSED PACE

5:41/ km

120 min below the modelled finish limit

Distance markers, not aid stations or guaranteed arrival times.
Distance	Elapsed	Local clock
5 km	00:28:26	08:43:26
10 km	00:56:53	09:11:53
15 km	01:25:19	09:40:19
20 km	01:53:45	10:08:45
Halfway	02:00:00	10:15:00
25 km	02:22:12	10:37:12
30 km	02:50:38	11:05:38
35 km	03:19:05	11:34:05
40 km	03:47:31	12:02:31
Finish	04:00:00	12:15:00

Training plan for Cork City Marathon 2027

A free week-by-week plan dated to this race. It starts from a stated default (weekly distance, longest recent run, days a week) that you can change; nothing is read from your watch or training history. It does not use the finish-time target above.

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Entry, bib pickup and rules

Entry:: Ballot closed and the 85 euro marathon is sold out. Waiting list, charity places or official transfer
Bib pickup:: Cork City Hall on the Friday and Saturday in 2026, no race-day pickup listed; 2027 hours not yet published

Read the full entry and pickup rules

For 2027 every place in all three races was allocated for the first time by ballot, open from 09:00 on 15 June to midnight on 30 June 2026 with a 5 euro application fee that counted towards the entry or was refunded; results went out on 21 July and the balance was charged on 28 July. Unsuccessful applicants went automatically onto a waiting list, 2026 participants were recognised in the draw, and runners who deferred from 2026 receive their own registration link. A good-for-age window for the full and half marathon ran from 24 to 30 August 2026, awarding places by age category to the fastest verified times set since 24 August 2024. On the check date the Eventmaster listing showed the marathon at 85 euro marked sold out with a waitlist button, free charity places released only with an access code, and a note that the race permit is still pending approval. A ballot place cannot be moved to another distance, and a bib may pass to another runner only through the official Eventmaster transfer window, whose 2027 dates are not yet published. The fee is not refundable; the 2026 rules allowed one deferral for injury with a medical certificate at least two weeks before race day and a full refund or deferral for pregnancy, set the marathon minimum age at 18 and offered concession places to social welfare recipients and full-time students. Race packs with bib and chip are never posted: in 2026 they were issued only in Cork City Hall on the Friday 12:00 to 19:00 and the Saturday 11:00 to 18:00 with no race-day pickup listed, and bag drop in City Hall opened at about 07:00 on race morning. The 2027 pickup hours are not yet published.

Sources

Checked 23 September 2026; next review due 2026-11-18. Event facts come from the organizer; the pacing sheet, decisions and plan are TrailSplits' own. Independently prepared by TrailSplits, not endorsed by the organizer.

What each source confirms

Organizer race page (Cork City Council): The 6 June 2027 date and the links to maps, FAQ, race information and tickets; corkcitymarathon.ie and analogdevicescorkcitymarathon.ie both forward here.
2027 ballot announcement: The 2027 event on 6 June, the ballot from 15 to 30 June 2026, the 5 euro fee, results on 21 July and payment on 28 July, the automatic waiting list, recognition of 2026 participants, no switching of distance for ballot places, concession verification, deferred entries and the 2026 move of the start and finish to Grand Parade and South Mall.
2027 good-for-age rules: The 24 to 30 August 2026 window, allocation by age category to the fastest verified times and the qualifying period from 24 August 2024.
2027 entry listing on Eventmaster: Sunday 6 June 2027 at 08:15, the 85 euro marathon price marked sold out with a waitlist, charity places by access code and the pending race permit.
Participant FAQ: The 08:15 start, the 6 h limit, the tunnel and South Link cut-offs, gun-to-chip timing, pacers, 13 water stations, the 10 m to 35 m profile, mile markings, City Hall pickup and bag drop, transfers, refunds, deferrals, concessions and the minimum age. The page is the 2026 edition and its dates are 2026 dates.
Maps page and 2026 route map: The 2026 PDF route map with mile markers, water, Lucozade Sport and toilet points, and the interactive map whose route layer is behind the matched line. Both show the 31 May 2026 course; no 2027 map is published yet.
2026 road closures: The streets on the route, including Blackpool, the Lower Glanmire Road, Dunkettle, the Jack Lynch Tunnel contraflow, Castle Road, Centre Park Road, Albert Quay and the Western Road, and the 04:00 closure of Grand Parade. 2026 facts.