Chester Marathon 2027

Sunday, 10 October 2027 · Chester, United Kingdom

In the RunningChecked 12 October 2026Read the sources

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Getting to Chester 2026 details

The racecourse estimates a 20-minute walk from Chester station, with direct services from Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and London according to the organiser. Trains on race morning are not described, so check the operator's timetable for Sunday.

If you drive, the Racecourse car park is open to runners from 6:30 until 7:30. It costs £5 and depends on the weather. The organiser says more than 3,000 spaces are in city centre car parks within walking distance. There is a drop-off zone on Hamilton Place, Goss Street and Crook Street.

The Little Roodee car park on Castle Drive is closed from 22:00 on Friday 9 October until 5:00 on Monday 12 October. It hosts the Event Village at the finish. Chester Football Club runs a £5 pre-book car park from 6:30 until 17:00.

Where to stay in Chester

The start and finish are both in the city, and the organiser puts the finish a little over half a mile from the start. A room in the city centre lets you walk to the Racecourse on race morning, and the racecourse estimates a 20-minute walk from Chester station. Allow extra time for the race entrance. If you are staying outside the city, remember the start is inside the Racecourse and the finish is on Castle Drive. Plan your trip back to your room from the finish.

Collecting your number 2026 details

UK entries are posted a race pack with number and timing chip. Packs go out in batches and arrive up to and including 10 October.

Late entries and runners outside the UK collect their pack in person from the Help Desk on the Little Roodee car park. The organiser's pages give more than one postal cut-off date, so do not rely on a posted pack if you entered late. Plan to collect it in person.

The Help Desk is open on the Saturday before the race, from 14:00 to 17:00, or from 7:00 on race day. The organiser strongly advises collecting on the Saturday to avoid the rush. Replacement numbers and last-minute transfers are issued from the Help Desk at the same times.

The organiser's race information page prints this Saturday as 9 October, although the Saturday is the 10th. Its FAQ gives Saturday 10 October. Check your race pack or the organiser's confirmation email.

Race morning 2026 details

The marathon starts at 9:00 from inside Chester Racecourse. Start zones are marked with estimated finish times, so assemble in the zone for a realistic time. Pacers run at 3:00 and every 15 minutes up to 5:00, by chip time.

The bag store is in the main marquee of the Little Roodee Event Village, which opens at 7:30. Collection is from 11:15 to 16:00. The main baggage label is on the bottom of your number. The bag team gives you two more labels, one for the bag and one for your wrist. You need your number and the wrist label to get the bag back.

The Event Village has food and drink stalls, activities and retailers.

The course 2026 details

The route heads west out of the Racecourse and turns into the city centre past the Town Hall, the Cathedral, the Rows, Eastgate Clock and the Amphitheatre. It leaves along Bridge Street and the Old Dee Bridge. It runs through Eccleston, Pulford and into the Cheshire countryside, and crosses into Wales at Lavister and Rossett. It loops through rural lanes to Holt, then crosses the Roman bridge at Farndon back into England. The home stretch passes Churton, Aldford and Huntington, and the final 8 miles join the Metric Marathon runners. The finish is down the Groves beside the Dee and onto Castle Drive.

The time limit is 6 hours. The organiser names two points where the route closes.

- Rossett Road at Borras Road, about 13.4 miles. Runners arriving after 12:10 cannot enter the Borras loop and can take the sweep vehicle. - Aldford, at 21 miles. Runners arriving after 14:00 cannot continue towards Huntington, which reopens to traffic, and are taken to the finish in the sweep bus.

Times for runners who finish over the cut-off are not listed in the final results.

Nine drinks stations are at miles 3.6, 7.1, 9.9, 12.8, 15.5, 18.5, 20.7, 22.6 and 24.7, plus water at the finish. They serve Brecon Carreg bottled water, and stations 2, 4, 6, 7 and 8 also have High5 energy gels. Toilets are at the start, each drinks station and the finish. There are mile markers every mile. The organiser lists the course as rolling and gives no climb figure.

Where to watch 2026 details

The organiser says the best places on the course are the villages of Holt and Farndon, which have places to eat and drink. Access is from the A41 and the A534, and parking is limited. In the city you can watch the start from the Racecourse. You can also walk less than half a mile into Chester to see runners in the centre and on the Old Dee Bridge.

Weather in Chester in October

These are the last five completed race days at Chester Racecourse, at 9:00 and at 13:00. The race has been run on the first or second Sunday of October in these years. They are model estimates for the start area, not readings from a weather station.

The 2025 morning was the windiest at 30 km/h at the start. The 2023 morning was the warmest at 13.7 °C.

Afterwards 2026 details

The finish is on Castle Drive, beside the River Dee, and the Event Village is on the Little Roodee car park next to it. Collect your bag between 11:15 and 16:00 and meet friends in the village. There is a disabled toilet in the village at the Little Roodee cafe.

Agree a meeting point in the Event Village before the race. The racecourse estimates a 20-minute walk from Chester station. Allow extra time to reach your race entrance.

Other race weekends

Close by, and with guides of their own, are Manchester Marathon and TCS London Marathon.

The next races with a guide

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All race weekend guides

Sources

Written from the organiser's published information and the app's own race data, checked on 12 October 2026.

If something here is wrong or out of date, tell us.