Every major UK marathon for 2026 & 2027, sorted by date — 40+ races across England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland, from the London ballot to fast Edinburgh and flat Newport. Jump by month or filter by course profile below.
The undisputed flagship and a World Marathon Major — Tower Bridge, Canary Wharf and a finish on The Mall, wrapped in the sport's biggest atmosphere. Years of ballot waiting for the definitive UK experience.
The UK's second-largest and its go-to big-city PR race. One of the flattest major-city profiles, far better odds than London, and no lottery wait.
A friendly, flat seafront race beside England's south coast, with loud crowds and an easygoing vibe — the standout beginner-friendly debut with genuine scale.
Billed by Runner's World as the UK's fastest marathon — a downhill, net-drop coastal course built for the clock. The race British runners target for a BQ or Good-for-Age.
The polar opposite of the flat PR machines: a relentless closed-road mountain loop around Yr Wyddfa. The UK's bucket-list mountain test — run for the challenge, not the time.
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Planning a UK marathon in 2026 or 2027? This calendar tracks every major race across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, sorted by date — from the world-famous London Marathon (the UK's only World Marathon Major, entered by ballot) and the UK's second-largest in Manchester, to the fastest PB courses (net-downhill Edinburgh, pancake-flat Newport) and scenic point-to-point races like Loch Ness. Use the month chips above to jump straight to your racing window, or filter the grid by course profile and Boston-qualifier status.
Entry routes split cleanly here. London uses a heavily oversubscribed ballot — almost everything else (Manchester, Brighton, Edinburgh, Yorkshire, Chester, Newport, Belfast) is open / first-come and can sell out months ahead, with official charity places as a backup. Chasing a PB, a Boston qualifier or a London Good for Age standard? The flattest fast courses here are Newport (about 26 m of climb, one of Europe's flattest), Manchester (around 55 m) and Dorney Lake — see the flattest UK marathons and fastest-PB guides, and check your target with the Boston Qualifying calculator.
Not sure which to choose? Compare our picks for the best UK marathons, the cheapest entries and the best races for beginners, plus dedicated guides for Scotland and Wales. Each card shows a live countdown, field size, course profile and entry route, all checked against official race sources.
The London Marathon (April) is by far the largest — a field of around 56,000 and now the largest marathon in the world — its 2026 edition set a Guinness World Record with 59,830 finishers — entered mainly through its heavily oversubscribed ballot. The Manchester Marathon is the UK's second-largest with roughly 40,000 entries, ahead of Brighton, Leeds, Yorkshire and Belfast.
Edinburgh is billed by Runner's World as the UK's fastest big-city course thanks to its net-downhill profile, while Manchester (about 55 m of climb) and Newport in Wales (around 26 m, one of Europe's flattest) are the other top personal-best courses. All three are popular for chasing a Boston qualifier or a London Good for Age time.
For the flattest, fastest courses, head to Newport in Wales (about 26 m of climb, one of Europe's flattest), Manchester (around 55 m) or coastal Brighton — gentle, well-supported and beginner-friendly. By contrast the Leeds Marathon (with the Otley Chevin climb) and the Highland Loch Ness Marathon are scenic but genuinely hilly, so they are harder targets for a fast time. See the flattest UK marathons guide for the full ranking.
The UK stages well over 100 marathons a year, from big-city races to small rural and trail events. This calendar focuses on the major, well-organised marathons — more than 40 across 2026 and 2027, from London, Manchester, Brighton, Leeds, York and Chester (England) to Edinburgh and Inverness (Scotland), Newport and Tenby (Wales) and Belfast (Northern Ireland) — each measured, certified and worth travelling for. Use the month chips above to browse by date.
London uses a ballot and is massively oversubscribed; for the 2027 race the ballot ran for roughly a week in late spring and drew a record number of applicants. Most other UK marathons — Manchester, Brighton, Edinburgh, Yorkshire, Chester, Newport and Belfast — are open / first-come and can sell out months ahead, with official charity places as a backup once general entry closes. International runners need an ETA (electronic travel authorisation) or, where required, a UK visa — confirm your route on the official GOV.UK pages before booking.
Most UK road marathons are officially measured and certified, so a finish time can count toward the London Marathon's Good for Age (GFA) standard and toward Boston qualifying (BQ). The flat, fast profiles of Edinburgh, Manchester and Newport make them the usual choices, and you can verify your target with the Boston Qualifying calculator and the BQ race guide.
Just one of the seven Abbott World Marathon Majors is in the UK: the London Marathon, a cornerstone of the Six Star journey alongside Tokyo, Boston, Berlin, Chicago, New York and Sydney (the seventh Major, added in 2025). Entry is mainly through the public ballot, which opens for a short window roughly a year before race day and is hugely oversubscribed; the alternatives are a charity place, a Good for Age qualifying time, or — for international runners — an official tour-operator package. The other races on this page are all open or first-come, so they are far easier to get into.