Everything you need to know about the Belfast Marathon

The 44th Belfast City Marathon is being held on Sunday, bringing thousands of participants and spectators onto the city's streets.

The 26.2 mile route will take participants across the city, starting in east Belfast before finishing in Ormeau Park in the south of the city and taking in the north and west along the way.

As a result many roads will be closed for much of Sunday and public transport will also be affected.

The first Belfast City Marathon was held on the same date in 1982, with more than 3,000 participants starting at the former Maysfield Leisure Centre near the city centre.

What time does the marathon start?

The race gets under way at the Stormont estate in east Belfast.

The wheelchair race starts at 08:59 BST, the elite race starts a minute later and all other participants at 09:01.

Participants start on Prince of Wales Avenue, and proceed down the hill, on to the Upper Newtownards Road.

When is it likely to finish?

Abay Alemu, an international elite runner from Ethiopia, has a personal best time of 2.06.50, so the first runners are expected to cross the finish line shortly after 11:00 BST.

But the rest of the runners will still be making their way across the city for a number of hours after that.

Roads will reopen after six hours, so everyone continuing along the route after this has been asked by the organisers to join the footpath and adhere to road safety laws.

How many people are taking part?

Just under 24,000 people have signed up for the marathon.

However, organisers say there is usually a 10-15 % drop off on the day of the event.

Marathon entrants must be over 18 years of age and team relay entrants must be over 16.

While it is obviously hard to predict just how many people will come out to watch, it is estimated there will be anywhere between 70,000 and 100,000 spectators.

Is there going to be extra public transport?

To help people going to the marathon there will be special early morning trains from Londonderry, Larne, Bangor, and Newry to Belfast Lanyon Place.

For a list of all special departure times click here.

These additional services cannot be booked in advance and standard fares will apply.

Public transport around the city will be affected due to several road closures.

Ulsterbus, Metro and Glider bus services within Belfast will be subject to delay or disruption.

Shuttle buses will be available from Belfast City Hall and Lanyon Place Station to the starting line from 07:00 BST and 07:30 BST respectively.

A shuttle bus will also take spectators from Massey Avenue to Ormeau Park after the start of the race at Stormont and additional buses will drop off runners off at their designated relay changeover point.

A bus will transport participants from Ormeau Embankment to Belfast City Centre from 11:45 BST to 16:00 BST and every shuttle bus leaving Ormeau Embankment will transport spectators back to Stormont.

What is the Belfast marathon route?

The course traverses the city, starting off in Stormont in east Belfast then heading south.

It takes in the Boucher Road, before going west onto the Falls Road.

From there, it's north, past the Waterworks, as well as through the city centre, before ending in Ormeau Park.

The route has minor alterations in east Belfast this year.

It will now turn left off Beersbridge Road onto Clara Street, and then left again onto Castlereagh Road.

In north Belfast, this year the route will remain on Oldpark Road and turn right at the roundabout onto Cliftonville Road and continuing on the route.

What are the relay changeover points?

The Team Relay follows the same route as the main marathon and the wheelchair race.

It has five legs, of varying distance, with changeover points across the route.

LEG 1: Stormont Estate - Montgomery Road: 4.2 miles.

LEG 2: Montgomery Road - Boucher Road: 6.8 miles.

LEG 3: Boucher Road - Falls Road: 4.5 miles.

LEG 4: Falls Road - Duncairn Gardens: 5 miles.

LEG 5: Duncairn Gardens - Ormeau Park: 5.7 miles.

The organisers advise that team relay leg distances are approximate and subject to change, depending on where you change over with your teammate.

Each changeover point could stretch over a half mile.

All runners are asked to be mindful when approaching changeover points as relay participants will be preparing to start their leg.

To help with the smooth flow of runners, there are designated sides of the road at each changeover:

• Changeover 1 (Montgomery Road), marathon runners should keep to the right;
• Changeover 2 (Boucher Road), keep to the left;
• Changeover 3 (Falls Road), keep to the left;
• Changeover 4 (Duncairn Gardens), keep to the right.

What roads are closed for the Belfast Marathon?

For a full list of what roads are closed and when they reopen you can click here.

There will be some disruption for the duration of the marathon, with the Upper Newtownards Road closing at the Comber Road junction from about 06:00 until 11:00.

Roads along the route will open and close on a staggered basis as runners pass, so for example the Boucher Road, from Tates Avenue to Stockmans Lane, will be closed between 08:30 and 13:30 while Duncairn Gardens in north Belfast will be closed between 09:30 and 14:45.

The last road to reopen will be the Ravenhill Road from the Rosetta Roundabout to the Ormeau Embankment (where local access is being maintained) which closes at 09:00 and does not reopen until 15:45 BST.

When can I pick up my Belfast marathon race pack?

Packs include a t-shirt, your number and some snacks to keep you going [BBC]

The Belfast City Marathon Expo and pack collections will take place at the Waterfront Hall on Friday 1 May and Saturday 2 May.

All participants need to attend it to receive their race number, t-shirt and bag.

No packs are being posted this year and none will be available on race day.

In order to collect your pack, you need your QR code included in the confirmation email and that can be accessed via your Eventmaster account.

If you can't attend the Expo and pack collection you can send someone to pick up the pack for you, but they must bring printed confirmation of your QR Code and can only collect a maximum of three pack/entries.

How can I prepare for the Marathon?

Before leaving home, participants should check their equipment including their number, timing chip, pins, and final instructions.

They are also advised to use the toilet before setting off.

Toilet facilities have been increased for this year's event, but "may not be able to cope with all competitors".

There are bag drop facilities available at the Expo & Pack Collection, at the Charles Hurst vehicles outside, as well as at the Carson's Statue and at the Prince of Wales Gates at Stormont.

Both bag drop facilities will close sharp at 08:15 BST. Any bags left after this time will not be transported to the finish line.

At the start line, participants are asked to allow space at the front for the elite runners and not to push forward.

They are also asked to line up according to their predicted time and look at signage that will indicate where to stand.

Athletes identified and invited to start in the elite pen will be corralled at the front of the start line and will wear a green race number. Elite athletes should be in position at about 08:45 BST.

Wheelchair athletes should take their position at the front of start line and be in position at the same time as elite runners.

What are the rules?

Participants can be disqualified for:

• Urination in any area other than that of designated toilets on the route
• Swapping numbers
• Deviation from run route
• Tampering with timing chip
• Refusing to obey the instructions of race officials
• Unsportsmanlike conduct
• Offensive actions or language to race officials, volunteers, participants or spectators

Is the eight-mile walk still part of the marathon?

The walk, which was first staged in 1997, will not be part of the 2026 event.

Claire O'Neill, the chief executive of Belfast City Marathon, said the decision to cancel the walk "was not taken lightly".

She said "the decision is not about excluding the walkers - the marathon is in a very different position in 2025 than what it was in 1997".

[Pacemaker]

What facilities will there be at Ormeau Park?

Refreshments and food will be available at the park, along with samples and freebies from the marathon's sponsors.

An athletic village and a charity village have also been organised.

For younger spectators, there will be a set of amusements.

Water will be available at the finish line, along with eight water stations along the route.

Can I watch the marathon at home?

Yes, Mark Simpson and Nicola McCarthy will present live coverage from around the course with live coverage of the race on the BBC iPlayer and the BBC NI Sport website or listen on Radio Ulster from 08:45 BST on Sunday.

There will also be updates here on the BBC News NI website.

What will the weather be like on the day of the marathon?

The latest forecast suggests a rather cloudy day with moderate northeasterly winds coming in off Belfast Lough.

Most of the day will be dry, but a few passing showers can't be ruled out. Clouds should break at times to allow for a little sunshine.

Starting temperature will be around 9C rising to 13C or 14C by early afternoon, close to average for early May

Thankfully, winds won't be particularly strong, and it won't be too warm and hopefully the chance of showers won't put off the supporters.

Good luck!

To everyone competing, good luck!