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festivals · Saturday 26 September 2026 · Various 
EcoTrail Wicklow Trail Running Festival 2026
At Bray Seafront · Seafront, Bray, Co. Wicklow
At Bray Seafront · Seafront, Bray, Co. Wicklow
Bray Seafront becomes the start and finish line for the EcoTrail Wicklow Trail Running Festival from Saturday, 26 to Monday, 28 September 2026, a weekend of trail races that runs across the Wicklow Mountains. Five distances are on offer, from a 10km taster route to an 80km ultra, taking runners up Bray Head, past Killruddery Gardens and the Great Sugar Loaf, alongside Powerscourt Waterfall and around Lough Tay and the Vartry Reservoir near Roundwood. After a record-breaking 2025 edition, organisers describe it as the biggest trail running event ever held in Ireland.
Runners choose from five distances, 10km, 19km, 30km, 46km and an 80km ultra, with elevation gain ranging from around 877 metres on the shortest route to more than 2,600 metres on the longest. Courses run almost entirely on trail and forest paths rather than road, crossing some of the county’s best known scenery, including Bray Head, Killruddery Gardens, the Great Sugar Loaf, Powerscourt Waterfall, Lough Tay and the Vartry Reservoir at Roundwood. The event carries a strong environmental focus, with organisers committed to minimising litter and environmental impact and encouraging runners to travel by public transport where possible. Races are staggered across the weekend by distance, with the longer ultra routes typically starting earliest in the morning. Registration, race packs and the full timetable are managed through the event’s own booking system ahead of race weekend.
Bray Seafront, the start and finish point, is a short walk from Bray DART and rail station, with frequent services from Dublin. Given road closures and limited parking near the seafront on race days, arriving by train is the more practical option for both runners and spectators.
The race routes loop through some of the same landscape that draws walkers to Bray Head and the hills above the town all year round. There is more to see in Bray and across Co. Wicklow.
Heading to Bray Seafront in Bray? Wicklow has plenty more to see. Read the Bray area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.
In town for Bray Seafront? These Wicklow tours book out in summer.