Dublin, Ireland · October
Pacing the Dublin Marathon
Rolling, with the hills late
Out through Phoenix Park and back into the city, rolling rather than flat, with the hardest climbing saved for the last third when it does the most damage.
Official site: dates and entry
Dates, ballots and entry rules change every year and are not listed here. Check the official site.
How to pace it
This is not a flat course, and more importantly its difficulty is back loaded. Any pacing plan that treats it as flat will work beautifully for 30 km and then fall apart.
The early kilometres through Phoenix Park are open, comfortable and quick, and the crowd support in Dublin is genuinely among the best anywhere. Both of those pull your pace up without you deciding anything. The temptation to bank time while it feels this easy is strong and it is the wrong call here more than on most courses.
The climbing around Roebuck and the approach back into the city arrives after 30 km, which is precisely when a fast start comes due. Runners who ran the park section on feel rather than on their watch tend to meet those hills with nothing left.
Get through the first half a little slower than feels natural and the last 10 km becomes a race you are still in rather than one you are surviving.
Worth knowing
- The hardest hills come late. Bank effort rather than time.
- October in Dublin brings a real chance of both rain and wind.
- The run down to the finish is fast, but only if your legs still work.
What the common targets ask for
| Finish | Per km | Per mile |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00:00 | 4:16 | 6:52 |
| 3:30:00 | 4:59 | 8:01 |
| 4:00:00 | 5:41 | 9:09 |
| 4:30:00 | 6:24 | 10:18 |