In the heart of Ireland

After 23 years the event is now a favourite fixture in the Irish athletics running calendar. In addition to the marathon the event now includes the Streets of Longford 5K, the Longford Half Marathon, the Longford Marathon, a Marathon Team Relay and a 39.3 mile Ultra Marathon.

The race motto is “The Friendly Marathon in the Heart of Ireland”. The race is organised by runners, for runners, over a flat course in the very middle of Ireland, and passes through the three counties of Longford, Roscommon and Leitrim.

The organisers go the extra mile to make sure everything is organised properly and that every participant has the best possible experience on the day. There are high quality medals, tech T-Shirts and an excellent goody bag for all entrants.

Last year the race attracted approximately 1300 participants across the five events. The Ultra starts at 07.00 and all other events start at 09.00.

The Marathon course is a single loop, starting and finishing on the main street in Longford Town, and run mainly on rural country roads.

There are water stations every 5km on the course and energy drinks are also provided at the water stations in the second half of the course. On the rural roads many of the local residents provide their own unofficial refreshment stations for the runners with drinks, fruit slices and other refreshments.

Groups of local musicians are often spotted and heard during the race at some of the most remote spots, providing encouragement and motivation to tired legs.

Regular signs, road markings and plenty of volunteer stewards mean that the flat course is easy to navigate and has yielded PB times for many runners over the years. There are on-course pacers in the Marathon which help runners to achieve their best possible result.

The weather in Ireland at the end of August is usually temperate and ideal for marathon running. There are cash prizes for the first six male and female finishers in the Marathon as well as a 500 euro bonus for a new course record.

Entries are now open for the 2025 Abbott Longford Marathon at http://www.longfordmarathon.com