Edinburgh Marathon 2020: Date, route, how you can enter and the nine different events planned – Edinburgh Live

The Edinburgh Marathon Festival will return to the city in 2020 with nine different events.

Thousands of runners will take on the gruelling event when it returns to the Scottish capital on Sunday, May 24 – some eyeing up a new personal best and other simply looking to complete their first ever long-distance race.

It’s fair to say that the event is always a pretty big deal in these parts, not just for the runners but also the scores of spectators who come out to cheer on those taking part.

So we thought we’d take a look at some of the most important things the people of Edinburgh would likely want to know about ahead of this year’s massive event.

When do the events take place?

The flagship Edinburgh Marathon event will take place on Sunday, 24 May, with runners setting off at 10am.

However it’s not just the main 26.2-mile event scheduled for the day, with eight other events also open to runners.

There will be a half marathon, team relay, 10K, 5K, junior 5K, junior 2K, junior 1.5K and kids’ kilometre.

The team relay event will see four runners in each team, running a quarter of the 26.2-mile race. This is open to those aged 15 and over.

The 10K will start at 9am, the 5K at 11am and the junior races will start at 11.45am for the 5K (for those aged 11 to 18); 2.40pm and 3pm for the 2K (for ages 9 to 12) and 1.45pm and 2pm for the 1.5K (for ages 6 to 8).

The kids’ kilometre, which is for young ones aged 3 to 6, will start at 1pm. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

What route does the marathon take?

The 26.2-mile race starts in the grounds of Edinburgh University, at Potterrow, before heading through parts of the city centre – including the Royal Mile, the Mound and Princes Street. Runners will make their way through Holyrood Park and then head east towards Musselburgh, and then along the coast, and out towards Longniddry.

At around mile-18 those taking part will pass the historic Gosford House, and head back in towards Edinburgh, and the finish at the Pinkie Playing Fields.

The Edinburgh Marathon Festival map found below shows the route runners will take.

The Edinburgh Marathon route for 2020 (Image: Edinburgh Marathon Festival)

Are entries still open?

Entry to all nine races remains open – so there’s still time for anyone looking to set themselves a massive challenge in 2020.

Runners taking part in the marathon are also able to complete the race in aid of a charity. More than £30million has been raised for hundreds of good causes in the last 17 years. Their official charity partner is MacMillan Cancer Support however the event is also affiliated with the British Heart Foundation, Teenage Cancer Trust, Stroke Association, Alzheimer Scotland and MS Society.

For further information on how to enter the event, visit the Edinburgh Marathon Festival website by .

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