Abay Alemu Lesa and Zenebu Fikdau Jebesa won the 2026 Irish Life Dublin Marathon on Sunday 25 October, while Hugh Armstrong and Judith Storm took the Irish national marathon titles. For runners looking beyond this year's finish, the organiser has also published a November ballot timetable for the 2027 race.

This results and entry guide was checked on Monday 26 October 2026. It brings together the organiser's published results, the official lookup route and the next entry dates. It distinguishes the international race from national honours and explains how to avoid confusing chip times, finish times and different editions of the event.

Who won the Dublin Marathon in 2026?

According to the organiser’s race report dated 25 October, Ethiopia's Lesa won the men's race in 2:10:28. Ebba Chala of Sweden finished second in 2:10:36, with Sahlesilassie Nigussie third in 2:11:25. Those published times put eight seconds between first and second.

The report names Ethiopia's Jebesa as the women's winner in 2:24:26, followed by Tenebeb Nega Aynalem in 2:25:50 and Sechele Dalasa Adunga in 2:27:22. These are the leading results reported by the organiser, rather than a complete list of every finisher or category award. The World Athletics meeting record independently lists the men’s leading times and dates the event to 25 October 2026.

Who won the Irish national marathon titles?

The organiser identifies Armstrong of Ballina AC as the men's national winner in 2:14:51 and Storm of City of Derry Spartans as the women's national winner in 2:35:46. National championship honours and international overall placings are separate results within the event.

That distinction matters when reading a headline or searching for a club runner. “First Irish finisher”, “national champion”, “category winner” and “overall winner” should not be treated as interchangeable labels. Read the classification attached to the result and use the official relevant list when discussing an award, rather than inferring a championship outcome from a surname or a nationality flag alone.

Where can I look up a runner's result?

The official Dublin Marathon results portal provides race, name, race-number and category fields. Begin by selecting the correct event and year. The organisers also run shorter races, and a result from the Dublin Half Marathon or a previous marathon edition is not a result from Sunday's full marathon.

At our check, the portal’s recent-race links still included the 2025 full marathon and 2026 shorter events. The presence of a search form is not confirmation that every 2026 full-marathon result is available through it. Check the event selector and the organiser’s current updates.

Use the runner's race number where you have it legitimately, or confirm the name against other details shown in the official result. People can share names. If a search produces an unexpected result, check the selection and spelling before drawing a conclusion. This article does not reproduce a database of participants or ask readers to send their personal race details to The Press.

Why are chip time and finish time different?

The portal displays both fields. In mass-participation races, elapsed time from an individual's start-line crossing and elapsed time associated with the race start can differ. A runner beginning farther back may reach the line after the starting signal, so two displayed times need not indicate an error.

For an invented example, a runner crossing the start two minutes after a common starting signal and finishing four hours after that signal has an elapsed start-to-finish interval of 3:58:00. The example explains the arithmetic; it is not a claim about a Dublin participant or a decision on which timing method determines a particular award. Use the event's rules and official classification for that purpose.

How should I read splits and category positions?

A split describes a recorded point during the race. A finish time describes the completed event. Check the distance and column heading before comparing numbers. A halfway split should not be compared with a 30km split as if they measure the same part of the course.

Category position also has a defined group behind it. A position within a category is different from overall place, and filters can change the list you are viewing. Keep the race, year, category and timing basis with any result you save. That small amount of context prevents an accurate number being given an inaccurate description when it is shared with a club or family group.

How do I calculate average pace from a finish time?

Convert the finish time to seconds and divide by the distance in kilometres, then convert the answer back to minutes and seconds per kilometre. A standard marathon is 42.195km. For an invented four-hour finish, 14,400 seconds divided by 42.195 gives approximately 341.27 seconds per kilometre, or about 5 minutes 41 seconds. This is an average across the whole distance, not evidence that every kilometre was run at that speed.

Use one timing basis consistently. Calculating from chip time and comparing that result with another person's pace calculated from a different finish-time field can introduce a difference unrelated to how either ran. A watch may also display a different recorded distance. That difference needs context; it does not, on its own, invalidate the official course or a timing record.

For reviewing a personal performance, retain the official finish time and any available official splits alongside the device record. Keep arithmetic separate from a training judgement. An average pace cannot explain weather effects, stops, fatigue or individual health. If planning another event, use the result as one piece of information rather than treating a single calculation as a personalised training prescription. The official result remains the appropriate starting point for discussing the recorded race outcome.

What if a result is missing or looks wrong?

Return to the official portal and check the event selection before assuming a recording problem. If the issue remains, use the organiser's published contact route and describe it precisely. The official website lists office@dublinmarathon.ie for general queries. Keep any relevant confirmation privately for that conversation.

The Press cannot amend a timing record or adjudicate an award. Avoid publicly attributing a missing entry to a particular cause without confirmation. A search failure, spelling difference or incomplete display does not by itself show why a record is absent. If a correction is made, use the updated official entry and retain the context of what changed.

How can I obtain a finish certificate?

The official results website links to its certificate service. Follow that route from the organiser's site and check the race and identifying fields requested there. Confirm that the displayed result belongs to the correct person before downloading or sharing a certificate.

The certificate selector in the page read for this guide listed 2025 and earlier full-marathon editions, without a 2026 option. We therefore cannot confirm that 2026 certificates were downloadable at that check. Revisit the organiser’s service for an update rather than selecting the wrong year.

A certificate lookup and an entry application are different processes. Do not provide payment details to an unrelated message claiming that a finish certificate requires a new race booking. If a service is unavailable, return to the official website or contact the organiser rather than relying on a lookalike page shared in an unsolicited message.

Did the 2026 event set a participation record?

In its post-race summary, the organiser says the 45th edition recorded more finishers than the previous record in 2025. That is an attributed organiser statement. A starter count, entry capacity and final finisher count measure different things and should not be substituted for one another.

For readers comparing editions, keep the measure and the year attached to the number. An event's maximum capacity does not show how many started, and a count of starters does not show how many finished. This guide does not turn the record claim into an independently audited participation total or supply a final number the summary does not give.

When is the 2027 Dublin Marathon ballot?

The organiser’s 2027 entry timetable lists the general ballot opening at 9am on Thursday 12 November 2026 and closing at midnight on Tuesday 17 November. Applicants are due to receive results on Wednesday 25 November. Successful applicants must complete and pay for entry by midnight on Monday 30 November.

The scheduled race date is Sunday 24 October 2027. Entering the November ballot is therefore an application for next year's event, not a late registration for the marathon that has just taken place. Recheck the organiser's current page before applying and retain its confirmation and deadlines.

What do the ballot and entry fees cover?

The published timetable gives a €4 ballot fee plus platform and payment-processing charges, and a €130 race-entry fee plus those charges. It says the €4 is refunded to unsuccessful applicants and offset against the entry fee for successful applicants; platform and processing charges are separate. Read the exact transaction total before paying.

A ballot application does not guarantee a place, and a successful ballot notification still requires the completion step by the stated deadline. Keep the application acknowledgement and check the official result communication. A reminder in a personal calendar is useful, but it does not replace the organiser's terms or establish that an incomplete payment has secured entry.

Are there other entry routes?

The organiser lists additional routes, including Good for Age and official charity places. Those routes have their own conditions. A charity place can involve fundraising requirements, while qualifying performance criteria and application dates must be checked in the relevant official guidance.

Do not assume that a 2026 finish automatically creates a 2027 entry or qualifies a runner for a particular route. Keep evidence of the result, then compare it with the criteria actually published for the next event. Avoid paying an unofficial seller for a place on the assumption that a race number can always be passed to another person.

What should I check before committing to next year's race?

Read the event rules and regulations alongside the current entry timetable, including the arrangements relevant to transfers, refunds and participation. A travel booking and a race entry are separate commitments. Check which has actually been confirmed before arranging non-refundable plans around the event.

For a useful personal record, save the confirmed race date, entry route, total payment, application outcome and any further action deadline. Keep the 2026 result separately with its timing basis and category. That gives runners a clear way to enjoy this year's achievement and prepare for November's application window without confusing a search result, a ballot acknowledgement or a social-media offer with a confirmed place.