Ballina Half Marathon

The Ballina Half Marathon is a chip-timed road race that takes runners through County Mayo countryside and back into the centre of one of the west’s liveliest market towns. Organised by Ballina Athletic Club, this is a proper club-run event - well marshalled, community-backed, and open to runners of all abilities, not just the competitive front-pack. If you have been training through the summer and want a meaningful goal to aim at, an August race in the west of Ireland, with the craic that tends to follow, is a solid reason to make the trip.

What to expect

The race starts and finishes in Ballina town centre, keeping the logistics simple for participants travelling from outside Mayo. The route covers 21.1 km on roads through the surrounding area, with chip timing ensuring accurate personal results posted online after the event. Water stations are placed along the route, and entry includes your timing chip, race bib, and post-race refreshments - the practical basics that make a race day comfortable rather than stressful.

The course takes in the landscape that makes this corner of Mayo worth running through: the River Moy corridor, broad agricultural land, and the kind of scenery that stops feeling like backdrop and starts feeling like the actual point. Ballina Athletic Club has a strong tradition in local road racing and the volunteer infrastructure that comes with a well-established club tends to show on the day.

Registration typically closes around a week before the race, so do not leave it until the last minute if you are travelling from outside the county.

Getting there

Ballina is the largest town in North Mayo, roughly 60 km north of Castlebar on the N26. From Dublin, the drive is around three hours via the N4 and N17. Bus Eireann runs services from Dublin Coach Station to Ballina, with the journey taking roughly four hours - worth checking the timetable before the weekend if you are coming without a car. Parking in Ballina town centre is generally available on-street and in surface car parks near the main square, though arriving early on race morning is sensible when roads may be coned off near the start.

While you’re in Ballina

Ballina sits on the River Moy, one of the best salmon rivers in Europe, and the town has a genuine character beyond the race weekend - good cafes, traditional pubs, and easy access into the broader North Mayo coastline and bogland. There is more to see in Ballina and across Co. Mayo.

Good to know

• Date: Sunday 2 August 2026
• Start time: 10:00am
• Entry fee: From EUR 20
• Organiser: Ballina Athletic Club - check ballinaathletic.ie for registration details and any updates on course information
• Registration: Closes approximately one week before race day - enter early to secure your place
• Bring: Race-day kit, water for before the start, and a change of clothes for post-race refreshments