Edinburgh Marathon 2027
Sunday, 30 May 2027 · Edinburgh, United Kingdom
On this page
The weekend at a glance
- Your number
- The expo and number collection aren't described on the 2027 pages. The organiser sends an event information pack through your MyRunning account before race weekend
- Start
- Potterrow, 10:00 on Sunday 30 May 2027
- Finish
- Playing fields at Pinkie St Peter's Primary School, Musselburgh (2026)
- Baggage
- Trucks carry a tagged bag from the start to the finish. Relay teams don't get the service
- Time limit
- 6 hours 30 minutes from when the back of the race crosses the start line (the organiser's terms, as a running club summarises them)
- Getting home
- Trains from Musselburgh and Wallyford, with very limited capacity, or Lothian buses
- Climb
- A descent of almost 90 m to near sea level, per the organiser's 2027 route page. Wikipedia gives a net drop of 40 m. No climb figure from either
- Weather
- The last five race mornings ran from 10.1 °C to 18.0 °C at 10:00
- Entering
- The organiser says the marathon has sold out every year since 2008, and its 2027 page shows an Enter Now button without saying whether places remain. Places are standard entries from £84.50, charity entries from £0, and Top Club and Good for Age entries for fast runners
The Edinburgh Marathon starts at Potterrow, by the University of Edinburgh's McEwan Hall, and finishes in Musselburgh in East Lothian. Plan your return trip from Musselburgh after the finish. The organiser's route page gives a descent of almost 90 m to near sea level (2027 edition), while Wikipedia gives a net drop of 40 m. Wikipedia says the route passes Musselburgh, Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton and runs out to Gosford House before returning to the finish.
The 2027 race is on Sunday 30 May at 10:00, in the middle of a festival weekend. On Sunday the half marathon starts at 8:00 and the Hairy Haggis team relay at 10:00. On Saturday 29 May there is a 10K at 9:00, a 5K at 11:00 and junior races from 12:00. The organiser says the marathon has sold out every year since 2008 and calls the course the fastest marathon in the UK, citing a Runner's World vote.
The 2027 pages give the date, start, finish and a few other facts. The transport details below are from the 2026 race.
Planning the trip? See how In the Running helps make it easier.
Getting to Edinburgh
Edinburgh Airport has a tram to Princes Street. It takes about 30 to 35 minutes and runs every 7 to 10 minutes in the day. Edinburgh Waverley is the main station, about a mile from the start at Potterrow, and the Princes Street tram stop is about the same distance.
The organiser's 2026 advice was not to drive. There was no event parking in Musselburgh, parking restrictions were enforced, and the Wallyford park and ride wasn't open for ordinary use. The organiser ran event buses from four park and ride sites at Newcraighall, Straiton, Sheriffhall and Wallyford, and says 2027 tickets are expected around December 2026.
Where to stay in Edinburgh
You start in the middle of the city and finish in East Lothian, so you can stay at either end. A room in the middle puts you on foot at the start, under a mile from Waverley or Princes Street. A room in Musselburgh puts you near the finish, but you still have to reach Potterrow before 10:00. In 2026 the event buses ran from the park and ride sites.
Edinburgh is busy on the Bank Holiday weekend. Book early.
Collecting your number
The 2027 pages don't say where numbers are handed out. The organiser's terms say the event information pack goes into your MyRunning account before race weekend, with the race instructions, travel details and baggage arrangements. Check your MyRunning account before travelling to Edinburgh.
Race morning
The marathon starts at 10:00. The half marathon starts at 8:00 from the same place, so the roads around Potterrow are busy by 8:00. The 2027 pages mention wave and pen starts and official pacers.
Baggage trucks carry a tagged bag from the start to the finish. Put anything you want after the race in it. Relay teams don't get a bag service.
The course
The route runs east out of the city to Musselburgh and passes Musselburgh Links at the finish end. It goes on out through Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton to Gosford House before it returns to the finish at Pinkie St Peter's Primary School. The organiser publishes a written route and an elevation profile on its route map page, with no course file to download. The route page gives the descent figure of almost 90 m, but no total climb figure, and the 2027 pages as text do not give the drinks stations by distance.
The organiser lists drinks on the route and gels for every finisher.
Where to watch 2026 details
| The Royal Mile and Holyrood Park | 2 to 5 km (miles 1 to 3), once, just after the start at Potterrow. Edinburgh Waverley is the nearest train station to the start, and the Princes Street tram stop is about a mile away |
|---|---|
| Musselburgh, by the racecourse and Linkfield Road | 16, 21 and 42 km (miles 10, 13 and 26). The organiser says you see the marathon runners twice, including the last turn before the finish straight. Musselburgh and Wallyford stations are each about a mile from the finish area, and Lothian Buses run between the finish area and the city centre |
| Port Seton | 23 and 35 km (miles 14 and 22), so you see the runners twice. Lothian Buses serve Port Seton, Cockenzie and Prestonpans, and the organiser names no stop |
Weather in Edinburgh in May
Late May in Edinburgh is cool to mild. These are the last five race days at Potterrow, at 10:00 and at 13:00.
| Race day | 10:00 | 13:00 | Wind at 10:00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 May 2022 | 10.2 °C | 12.0 °C | 12 km/h |
| 28 May 2023 | 10.1 °C | 11.5 °C | 6 km/h |
| 26 May 2024 | 10.6 °C | 13.3 °C | 19 km/h |
| 25 May 2025 | 12.3 °C | 13.8 °C | 30 km/h |
| 24 May 2026 | 18.0 °C | 21.1 °C | 16 km/h |
Four of the five starts were between 10 °C and 12.3 °C. In 2026 it was 18.0 °C at the gun and 21.1 °C by lunchtime, and in 2025 the wind was 30 km/h.
Afterwards 2026 details
Trains from Musselburgh and Wallyford stations, both about a mile from the finish, run to Edinburgh Waverley. The organiser warns that capacity between Musselburgh and the city is very limited. Lothian buses are the other way back. The 26 and 44 run from Waverley Steps to Musselburgh, and staff stood at the main stops on Pinkie Road, Newbigging and High Street in 2026 to help passengers. Lothian said the services would be very busy.
Other race weekends
Close by, and with guides of their own, are Manchester Marathon and Brighton Marathon.
The next races with a guide
Sources
| 2027 dates, 10:00 marathon start, 8:00 half marathon start, Potterrow start, Musselburgh finish | Edinburgh Marathon Festival, organiser, 2027 edition |
| Fast and flat claim, sold out every year since 2008, drinks stations and bag drop | 2027 Edinburgh Marathon event information, organiser, 2027 edition |
| Transport to the start, event buses, trains from Musselburgh and Wallyford, no parking in Musselburgh | 2026 Edinburgh Marathon transport information, organiser, 2026 edition |
| Bus services and shuttles on race weekend | Diversions and shuttle buses for Edinburgh Marathon Festival 2026, Lothian Buses, 2026 edition |
| Baggage trucks, 6:30 limit, event pack in the MyRunning account | Edinburgh Marathon Festival 2027, a running club's summary of the organiser's terms |
| Finish at Pinkie St Peter's Primary School, 40 m drop, route towns | Edinburgh Marathon, Wikipedia |
| Airport tram | Edinburgh Trams, route, timetable and tickets, a visitor guide to the tram |
| Past race dates and winners | Edinburgh Marathon results, MarathonGuide, with the 2022 to 2026 results pages |
| Standard and charity entry prices, Enter Now for 2027 | 2027 Edinburgh Marathon event information, organiser, 2027 edition, checked 4 October 2026 |
| Top Club and Good for Age entries, closing three days before the race or when full | Top Club and Good for Age, organiser, 2027 edition |
| Spectator points at miles 1 to 3, 10, 13, 14, 22 and 26, seeing runners twice at Musselburgh | Event Spectator Information Pack, 2027 Edinburgh Marathon, organiser, 2027 edition |
| Route description, descent of almost 90 m and elevation profile | Edinburgh Marathon route map, organiser, 2027 edition. It offers no course file |
| Race-day weather | Open-Meteo historical weather, at Potterrow, a 9 km grid |
Written from the organiser's published information and the app's own race data, checked on 4 October 2026.
If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us.