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sport · Sunday 30 August 2026 · 07:00 
Abbott Longford Ultra Marathon
At The Longford Arms Hotel (Start/Finish) · Main Street, Longford, Co. Longford
At The Longford Arms Hotel (Start/Finish) · Main Street, Longford, Co. Longford
The Abbott Longford Ultra Marathon is one of the most accessible ultra-distance events on the Irish running calendar - not because it is easy, but because the course is flat, the route is well-marked, and the organisation has had 26 years to get the details right. The 63.4 km (39.3 mile) loop starts and finishes on Main Street in Longford town, threads through three midland counties, and brings runners back to the same spot they left in the dark at seven in the morning. If you are stepping up to ultra distance for the first time and want a course that gives you a genuine chance of finishing, this is the one to consider.
The route passes through counties Longford, Roscommon, and Leitrim, taking in stretches near the River Shannon and the village of Rooskey along the way. The surface is tarmac throughout, and the elevation gain is minimal - the course is regularly described as one of the flattest in Ireland, which matters at this distance when tired legs are looking for any excuse to slow down.
Water stations are set out every three miles, and the course is marked at regular mile intervals. Number collection opens the evening before at race headquarters in the Longford Arms Hotel (Saturday, 1 pm to 6 pm), with a second window on Sunday morning from 6 am. The ultra marathon start goes at 7:00 am, ahead of the main marathon and half marathon fields, giving ultra runners the road to themselves in the early miles and the best of the morning light along the Shannon.
The event is organised by runners, and that shows in the small details - the support stations, the mile markers, the race-day communication. New entries are also accepted at race headquarters on Saturday, so it is not too late to enter on the weekend itself.
Longford town is easy to reach from almost anywhere in Ireland. The N4 links it directly to Dublin (about 90 minutes), Sligo, and the north-west. Regular Bus Eireann services run from Dublin Busaras and from Sligo, and Longford railway station is on the Dublin Heuston to Sligo line, with several trains on a Sunday. The start and finish line is on Main Street, within a short walk of the station.
Parking in Longford town centre is generally available at car parks off Earl Street and Battery Road, and in the town’s surface car parks. For an early 7 am start, arriving the evening before - taking advantage of number collection on Saturday - means a more relaxed race morning.
Longford town is small and unpretentious, and the area around it repays a day’s exploration after the race. The River Shannon forms the county’s western boundary, and Lough Ree sits just to the south-west. There is more to see in Longford and across Co. Longford.
Heading to The Longford Arms Hotel (Start/Finish) in Longford? Longford has plenty more to see. Read the Longford area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.