The ballot for Dublin Marathon 2027 opens at 9am on Thursday 12 November and will close at midnight on Tuesday 17 November, giving runners a short window to chase one of 17,200 general entry places. With the race scheduled for Sunday 24 October, the entry process is again set to decide who gets a spot in one of Ireland's biggest mass-participation events.
Last year's introduction of a ballot was designed to strike a fairer balance between first-time runners and veterans, and it immediately showed how much demand there is for places. A total of 47,000 people signed up for the ballot, with just over one in three applicants successful. The 2027 field will again be capped at 22,500 runners, with the general entry places making up only part of that total.
How the ballot works
Entry into the ballot costs €4. That gives runners the chance to be considered for a place before the full process plays out later in November and December.
Applicants will find out whether they have been successful on Wednesday 25 November. For those who do get in, the remaining balance will then be charged between 1-3 December. The entry fee itself has risen this year to €130 plus booking fees, underlining how important it is to secure a place through the ballot rather than leave it to later stages.
The key dates runners need to know
The most important date is Thursday 12 November, when the ballot opens at 9am. The deadline follows quickly on Tuesday 17 November at midnight, so anyone hoping to enter will need to act within that five-day window.
There is also a later route for those still looking for a place. Resale tickets can be bought on a first-come-first-served basis on Wednesday 14 July 2027. For now, though, the ballot is the main route into the race, and the scale of interest last year suggests demand will again be intense.
