The Edinburgh Marathon Festival delivered another huge weekend of running across the capital and East Lothian last weekend as tens of thousands of runners and spectators turned out for Scotland’s biggest running festival. From junior races and 5K events through to the marathon and half marathon, the city once again became the centre of the Scottish running calendar across two packed days of racing.

The festival has continued to grow into one of the UK’s biggest mass participation running events, with the marathon and half marathon both building a reputation for selling out well in advance. Runners travelled from across the UK and overseas to take part in the busy race weekend, helping create a brilliant atmosphere throughout Edinburgh and along the East Lothian coastline.

Saturday’s programme brought crowds into Holyrood Park for the 5K, 10K and junior races, while Sunday saw runners take on the marathon and half marathon routes from the heart of Edinburgh out towards Musselburgh and the coast. The fast and flat nature of the course once again helped many runners chase PB performances on one of the UK’s best known spring marathon routes.

The Edinburgh Marathon remains a major attraction for runners targeting a quicker marathon experience. The route combines iconic city centre sections with long coastal stretches towards the finish, giving the race a distinctive feel compared with many traditional city marathons.

One of the biggest strengths of the festival continues to be its broad appeal across the full running community. First time 5K runners, charity fundraisers, club athletes, relay teams and experienced marathoners all shared the same race weekend atmosphere, helping create the inclusive and celebratory feel that has become part of the event’s identity.

With sold out races, packed spectator areas and another successful weekend completed, attention is already beginning to turn towards next year as the Edinburgh Marathon Festival continues to cement its place as one of the standout events in the UK running calendar.

Entries are already open for the 2027 Edinburgh Marathon here.

Image courtesy GSi Events.