Waterford, Ireland · 42.195 km road marathon
Waterford Viking Marathon 2027
Sunday 20 June 2027
An out-and-back from Waterford city over two Suir bridges and along the Waterford Greenway to a far turnaround, with a single 09:00 start and a 15:00 finish cut-off.
Waterford Viking Marathon at a glance
- Start
- 09:00, one start for all, The Mall
- Finish
- O'Connell Street, about 15 minutes' walk from the start
- Course
- Out and back, about 32 km on the Waterford Greenway, with a steady rise to the turn at km 23
- Elevation
- From about sea level to 87 m
- Time limit
- Finish by 15:00, six hours after the start (2026 rule); no walking allowed
- Cut-offs
- None published
- Entry
- Open; early bird 70.40 euro plus 5.81 euro fee, end date not yet published
- Bib pickup
- Garter Lane Theatre, Friday 18 or Saturday 19 June, or postage within Ireland
- Aid stations
- Water at mile 2, then roughly every two miles from mile 7 (2025 map)
Checked against the organizer's pages on 24 September 2026. Facts for the next edition can still change; the organizer's page is the final word.
Waterford Viking Marathon course map and elevation
Out and back, about 32 km on the Waterford Greenway, with a steady rise to the turn at km 23. Map, elevation profile and 3D flyover.
› running direction two lines: out and back on the same road race kilometresCourse: TrailSplits reconstruction; map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Route drawn by TrailSplits from published race information; approximate. For illustration, not navigation.
What to expect on the course
- Over the Rice Bridge at about km 1 and the Thomas Francis Meagher toll bridge on the N25 at about km 5
- A short loop through the paths of Mount Congreve Gardens at about km 11 to 12
- A steady rise of about 70 m from km 13 to the turnaround, then a gentle descent to about km 34
- Back along the greenway to Bilberry at about km 40, then Grattan Quay to the O'Connell Street finish
The map follows the 2025 course, the latest the organizer has published and the same roads it closed for the 2026 race; the 2027 route is not yet published.
Read the full course description
An out-and-back along the River Suir. The first 7 km are on roads: west along the quays, over the Rice Bridge at about km 1, north past the Newrath roundabout near km 3, onto the N25 and over the Suir on the Thomas Francis Meagher Bridge, a toll bridge, near km 5. Minor roads lead to the traffic-free Waterford Greenway by about km 7, and a short loop through Mount Congreve Gardens follows at km 11 to 12. The greenway runs west past Ballyduff, the relay changeover near halfway, to a turnaround at about km 23, near mile 14 on the organizer's map. This outward stretch holds the only real climb, a steady rise of about 70 m from km 13 to the turn, then a gentle descent to about km 34; the rest stays near river level. The organizer's 2026 chart gives 1,254 ft of gain and a 307 ft high point. The return stays on the greenway, about 32 km of the race in all, to Bilberry near km 40, then takes Bilberry Road and Grattan Quay to the finish. The 2025 map shows water at mile 2 and then roughly every two miles from mile 7 to mile 25, energy drinks at the greenway stations and gels at the far station; 2026 pacers ran 3:00 to 4:30.
Source, licence and file
TrailSplits reconstruction of the published route. Course: TrailSplits reconstruction; map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL · original source · Download reference GPX (42.0 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
Finish by 15:00, and plan to run the whole way
The finish closes at 15:00, six hours after the start, and walkers are removed from the full marathon; the slowest 2026 pacer ran 4:30.
More detail
The full marathon closes at 15:00, six hours after the 09:00 start, when the roads reopen. Walking is not permitted in the full marathon and the organizer says walkers will be removed, while the half marathon and 10 km allow walking. The slowest full-marathon pacer in 2026 was 4:30, so a runner expecting to need walk breaks should weigh the half instead.
Hold back on the long rise to the turnaround
The greenway climbs about 70 m from km 13 to the turn near km 23; run it by effort and save energy for the descent and flat finish.
More detail
From about km 13 the greenway climbs steadily for some 10 km, about 70 m in all, to the turnaround near km 23, then descends gently to about km 34 and stays flat to the finish. Run the outward half by effort rather than pace; the organizer's 2026 chart puts the high point at 307 ft, and the descent and flat last 8 km reward saved energy.
Collect your bib on Friday or Saturday, or have it posted
Collect your bib at Garter Lane Theatre on Friday 18 or Saturday 19 June 2027, or add postage within Ireland; race-morning pickup was for international runners only in 2026.
More detail
Race HQ at Garter Lane Theatre on O'Connell Street issues bibs on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 June 2027; in 2026 the hours were Friday 15:00 to 19:00 and Saturday 11:00 to 17:00. Runners in Ireland can add postage instead. In 2026 only international runners could collect on race morning, at the Tower Hotel from 06:45 to 08:15, and bag drop on The Mall closed at 08:45.
Your race-day sheet
Even elapsed splits for 42.195 km. All clocks are local to Waterford.
ESTIMATED FINISH
13:00:00
MOVING PACE BUDGET
5:34/ km
ELAPSED PACE
5:41/ km
120 min below the modelled finish limit
| Distance | Elapsed | Local clock |
|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 00:28:26 | 09:28:26 |
| 10 km | 00:56:53 | 09:56:53 |
| 15 km | 01:25:19 | 10:25:19 |
| 20 km | 01:53:45 | 10:53:45 |
| Halfway | 02:00:00 | 11:00:00 |
| 25 km | 02:22:12 | 11:22:12 |
| 30 km | 02:50:38 | 11:50:38 |
| 35 km | 03:19:05 | 12:19:05 |
| 40 km | 03:47:31 | 12:47:31 |
| Finish | 04:00:00 | 13:00:00 |
Training plan for Waterford Viking 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.
View my training planNo account required. Keep a fixed copy, download the calendar or get a subscription URL for Google or Apple Calendar.
Entry, bib pickup and rules
- Entry:
- Open; early bird 70.40 euro plus 5.81 euro fee, end date not yet published
- Bib pickup:
- Garter Lane Theatre, Friday 18 or Saturday 19 June, or postage within Ireland
Read the full entry and pickup rules
Entry for 2027 is open on Eventmaster: early bird 70.40 euro plus a 5.81 euro booking fee; the 2027 early-bird end date is not published, and in 2026 it ended on 31 March. The organizer has frozen prices at the 2026 level and limits numbers; in 2026 entries closed on 15 June at noon unless the race sold out first. The entry page notes the race permit is pending approval. Runners must be 18 or over, there are no refunds or deferrals and bibs may not be passed on; switch distance in your Eventmaster account until 24 May 2027. Bibs are collected at Race HQ in Garter Lane Theatre, O'Connell Street, on Friday 18 or Saturday 19 June 2027, or posted within Ireland if you add postage.
Sources
Checked 24 September 2026; next review due 2026-11-17. Event facts come from the organizer; the pacing sheet, decisions and plan are TrailSplits' own. Independently prepared by TrailSplits, not endorsed by the organizer.
- 2027 races page
- 2027 home page
- Eventmaster entry page for 2027
- Eventmaster ticket list for 2027
- Full marathon page
- FAQ (2026 edition)
- 2025 full marathon course map
- 2026 full marathon elevation chart
- 2026 road closures notice
What each source confirms
- 2027 races page: Sunday 20 June 2027 at 9am, the Mall start, Rice Bridge and Thomas Francis Meagher Bridge, the toll bridge, the Mount Congreve Gardens loop, the greenway turn and the O'Connell Street finish, the link to the 2025 course map PDF and the 2026 elevation chart.
- 2027 home page: The 15th edition on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 June 2027, entries open with an early-bird offer, prices frozen for 2027 and limited numbers.
- Eventmaster entry page for 2027: Marathon on 20 June 2027 at 09:00 on The Mall, permit pending approval, pickup at Garter Lane Theatre on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 June, postage within Ireland only, distance changes until 24 May.
- Eventmaster ticket list for 2027: Early-bird full marathon 70.40 euro plus 5.81 euro fee, and the relay, half and 10 km prices.
- Full marathon page: Start on The Mall between Waterford Crystal and the Bishop's Palace, the greenway and Mount Congreve route, the relay changeover at the Ballyduff underpass, and the rule that walkers are removed because roads reopen at 3pm.
- FAQ (2026 edition): The 15:00 completion cut-off, 09:00 start, no walking in the full marathon, minimum age 18, no refunds or deferrals, no bib swapping, 2026 pickup hours at Garter Lane Theatre, race-morning pickup for international runners at the Tower Hotel, bag drop closing at 08:45, pacers 3:00 to 4:30, the 2026 closing date and early-bird end, the finish 15 minutes' walk from the start, and AIMS accreditation.
- 2025 full marathon course map: Mile markers, the Mount Congreve loop at mile 7, the turnaround near mile 14, and the water, energy drink and gel stations.
- 2026 full marathon elevation chart: 1,254 ft of gain, a 307 ft high point and a 46 ft start, with the high point near halfway.
- 2026 road closures notice: The roads used in 2026: the quays to Rice Bridge, Sallypark, Newrath roundabout, the R861 to Grannagh, the N25 toll plaza, the greenway crossings, Bilberry Road, Grattan Quay, the Glen, Bridge Street and O'Connell Street, with city closures to 15:00.