Ballinskelligs Marathon
Where
Ballinskelligs, Ireland
Date
25 October 2026
Distances
Registration cost
€30–50
What runners say
When you reach the top of the last climb and see the Skellig Rocks rising from the Atlantic with Ballinskelligs Beach below you, you understand why you came all this way. Kerry isn't a backdrop — it's the reason you run.
Why it's special
A marathon with 630 metres of ascent along the Wild Atlantic Way and Skellig Coast, in Ireland's wildest corner. Finishing directly on Ballinskelligs Beach, with the Skellig Rocks on the horizon.
What's around
The Ballinskelligs Marathon takes place on 25 October in County Kerry, along one of Ireland's most remote and spectacular corners: the Wild Atlantic Way and the Skellig Coast, with views of the Skellig Rocks — the UNESCO World Heritage islands made famous by Star Wars. The course is brutal and beautiful in equal measure: 630 metres of ascent, coastal roads exposed to Atlantic winds, breathtaking scenery at every turn. Four distances — 5 km, 10 km, half marathon and marathon — all finishing on Ballinskelligs Beach. Organised by Hardman Events, the race also takes a sustainable approach: t-shirts are optional to reduce environmental impact. Outside Ireland almost nobody knows it exists. And yet it's one of the most scenic and challenging coastal marathons in the whole of Europe.