Every year The Edinburgh Marathon is oversubscribed and sells out months before event weekend. Thousands of runners secure charity places in this highly sought after run which means they are guaranteed a place on the start line.
Edinburgh Marathon has previously been voted the fastest marathon in the UK by Runner’s World and is Scotland's largest mass participation sports event!
Every year the Edinburgh Marathon Festival raises millions of pounds for a wide variety of charities. You too can get a guaranteed place in the event and make a positive difference at the same time by running for charity.
Charities buy places in this event, then give them to runners who agree to raise money for the charity – these are called charity places. Charity places are a great way to support a cause you're passionate about and to get a place in the event. Bag your charity place early to give yourself plenty of time to fundraise.
Committing to raising money for charity gives you motivation to get outside and run, plus all of these extras which will elevate your event experience:
Charities know that raising money is all part of the challenge, which is why they provide advice, branded materials and a personalised online fundraising page to help the donations roll in. Think eye-catching videos for social and traditional collection tins too.
Whether this is your first of fifth marathon, you'll need to train for it! Many charities provide training guidance, plans, an online training zone plus access to expert coaches and elite runners too, who can provide exclusive tips for your marathon preparation.
When you show up in Scotland's capital, people need to be able to see clearly that you're supporting a charity. Charities will give you a branded and often personalised t-shirt or vest to run in on the big day, and often a training top so you look and feel the part.
When you're 20 miles into your marathon and your energy is flagging, what you need is a boost from cheering squads to keep you moving. Many charities set up a cheer station along the route, keeping an eye out for you to send up a huge cheer as you jog past!
Refreshments and an indulgent post-race sports massage are often provided by charities for their runners. This is the perfect way to recover alongside other people who have run for that cause.
You won't be the only person running for that charity, so it's well worth meeting other runners through the charity's invite-only social media pages! You can organise to meet up for training runs, chat with the charity's expert coaches and share tips and stories with each other to keep the motivation levels running high. You won't be alone in central Edinburgh!
Marathons and charity fundraising go hand-in-hand - which of these charities will you run for?
Charity entries are now closed. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to hear when charity places are available for next year.
Dynamic Earth
Holyrood Road
Edinburgh
Edinburgh
EH8 8AS
UK
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The Scottish capital is renowned for its heritage and culture, with medieval architecture and cobbled streets helping to create a spellbinding atmosphere. It's the perfect setting for an active festival of running, with each route taking full advantage of its stunning location.
The Edinburgh Marathon Festival offers an ideal opportunity to explore the historic streets on closed roads and enjoy a Bank Holiday weekend in the Scottish capital.
Racing through the historic heart of the Scottish capital by Holyrood Park and running down the Royal Mile, this 26.2-mile run enjoys the grandeur of Edinburgh's heritage before heading along the stunning East Lothian coast and finishing close to the world's oldest golf course in Musselburgh.
This is one of the most scenic and one of the fastest marathons in the world!
Starting on Potterrow with the picturesque backdrop of The University of Edinburgh’s McEwan Hall, this incredible city centre route takes you past many iconic sights of the city.
Turning the first corner you’ll make your way past Greyfriars Kirkyard, home to the statue of Edinburgh’s favourite dog who spent 14 years guarding the grave of his owner - Greyfriars Bobby.
Continuing on into the city's old town, you’ll cross over the Royal Mile, with St Giles Cathedral to your right and the iconic Edinburgh Castle to your left, before heading down the Mound into New Town.
You’ll run through the beautiful Princes Street Gardens where you will see the Scott Monument - a towering gothic monument dedicated to Sir Walter Scott.
The route then turns back up to the historic Royal Mile, heading past the breathtaking architecture of the Scottish Parliament building. From here you can look up and take in the spectacular Arthurs Seat & Salisbury Crags, as well as the Palace of Holyrood, before departing the Royal Park and heading east towards the coast, taking in the sea air of Portobello promenade.
As you reach Musselburgh, you’ll run past the oldest golf course in the world, where it’s documented that golf has been played as early as 1672, before heading further east on the flat to Gosford House, an imposing neo-classical mansion which was one of the last great architectural commissions of the celebrated Scots architect, Robert Adam.
As you turn and head back along the coast, you’ll see the beautiful finish line ahead, one of the greatest sights for any marathon runner!
With a descent of almost 90 metres to near sea level, it has been said that this is the fastest marathon route in the world!
There is a cut-off time of 6 hours 30 minutes for the full marathon (from when the back of the race crosses the start line).
This event is committed to minimising the impact it has on the local environment, implemented in the following ways:
A sure-fire way to secure a place in this oversubscribed event is to get sponsored for your miles and raise money for charity, but how do you start?
Starting your fundraising early gives you the best chance of reaching – and even exceeding – your sponsorship goal.
Keep talking about your fundraising target to your friends, family, colleagues, social media followers - everyone!
Seize the chance to make it your own: sell unwanted clothing online, hold an afternoon tea, host a ticketed dinner party, wash some cars, shave your beard; be inspired by the wealth of suggestions at our fingertips!
... I really enjoyed the event. It was well organised and I liked the course which started up by the university and then had a 5 mile downhill run through the city to the coast, followed by an out and back coastal section which was pretty flat.
Really enjoyed this run. Beautiful settings and a fantastic atmosphere.
It's true that this is a perfect race for chasing PBs - I got one today and I hadn't trained as much as I should have.
Couldn’t have picked a better location for my first marathon! Amazing atmosphere with super helpful marshals and wonderful support from spectators especially the welcoming locals who utterly emmersed themselves in the event and were out in their hundreds. Topped off by lovely finish crew who didn’t mind being hugged and sobbed over ecstatically!! and the most beautiful medal and lovely (perfectly fitted) finishers shirt!
The route itself took you through lovely historical parts of the city and then out across the gorgeous coast before returning to the city for a rapturous welcome (despite the crazy headwind along the final four miles!). Terrific choice of route and I bet an experienced marathoner could get quite a pace as it’s relatively flat. A most excellent event and definitely one to recommend!
Reviews thanks to RaceCheck
