I like to set myself goals and challenges. I find keeping my mind focussed on a particular priority helps with my general wellbeing. My current ambition is to climb the 40 highest mountains in Ireland. One of my previous challenges was completing the Belfast Marathon. In this article, I am going to give a breakdown of my experience running the Belfast Marathon. Plus, outlining how the Belfast Marathon route can be a real gateway for trying to understand a complex city.
I chose the Belfast Marathon mainly due to timing reasons. My wife was expecting our first child in July, so the start of May race day for the Belfast Marathon was a good fit. I knew I wouldn’t be getting much running and training done after the new arrival. Plus May was far enough out from the due date to not be worrying as much about needing to rush off to a Hospital.
So I picked the Belfast Marathon. Please read on for a run-through of my race morning preparations, and then details of the Belfast Marathon route on a mile-by-mile basis. I hope it will help anyone who is thinking of giving Belfast Marathon a try. It should give you a bit more knowledge about what to expect.
My Targets for the Belfast Marathon
My main aim for the marathon was to complete it in under 4 hours. I’ve done the Dublin Marathon twice before with my best time before Belfast being 4:30. I feel like the 4 hour mark is a nice split between a good time versus someone who is just glad to have completed the thing. So far, I had found myself firmly in the latter category.
I’d like to take this opportunity to let you know that I am not an experienced runner and you should definitely not take any of the below as advice for how to complete a marathon. Although, I will mention my times throughout, I want this to be more a guide to the Belfast Marathon Route itself. Plus of course, what you will see in the city along the way!
The Morning of the Belfast Marathon
We stayed in the Malmaison Hotel the night before the race. Malmaison provides a nice central location. We’ve used the hotel for this reason previously so knew the area a little.
The morning started for me with breakfast delivered up to the room at 6am. Breakfast consisted of some Weetabix, a banana and a nice big cup of coffee. I really appreciated the hotel organising this for me as their regular breakfast services didn’t start until 8am.
I needed to catch one of the free marathon shuttle bus services from beside Belfast City Hall which ran between 7am and 8am that morning. My wife will tell you I have an annoying habit of being early for everything so I made the short walk around the corner and boarded one of the first buses that arrived there. To be honest, I regretted that a bit as I ended up just hanging around the start area for quite a long time.
The Starting Point of the Belfast Marathon
I arrived at Stormont just before 8am. The bus dropped us off at the Massey Avenue Gate into the complex. From there, I had a short walk up the hill towards the Edward Carson Statue. The starting line lay to to the right of the statue halfway down the Prince of Wales Avenue.
I wandered around the area for about 45 minutes or so before joining the crowds of runners at the queue for the start line. To be honest, it felt like a bit of an anticlimactic start to the race. The gentle drizzle falling added to that feeling. I think the fact I was there on my own might have been a contributing factor too. However, with the main Parliament Buildings at Stormont building behind me, the start of the race beckoned.
Stormont
Stormont is an imposing building which has presided over the troubled history of the North for nearly 100 years. Built in 1932 to act as a permanent Parliament Building for Northern Ireland following the partition of the island in 1921 (Belfast City Hall being used in the years prior to this). Public tours of the building are available with more details available here.
Mile 1 – 8:54
Belfast Marathin attracts around 15,000 entrants every year. Despite the crowds, I set off at a good pace and completed the first mile in 8:54. To complete a 4 hour marathon, my pace per mile would need to be 9:09.
Belfast Marathon starts off down the gentle slope of the Prince of Wales Avenue. Then, I turned right and on to the Upper Newtownards Road. I immediately passed the first of many Churches along the Marathon Route. The churches in East Belfast really went all out supporting the marathon with many playing music and giving out drinks and sweets.
Mile 2 – 8:28
I started mile 2 still on the Upper Newtownards Road. The start of the Belfast Marathon is quite flat so I probably lulled myself into a false sense of security and tipped along at a quick pace.
Mile 3 – 8:31
To be honest, the first few miles along the road are pretty nondescript, the highlight being the large crowds of supporters cheering us on.
Mile 3 starts off with a turn to the left down Beersbridge Road. Again, the flat pace led me to complete this one quite quickly.
Mile 4 – 8:23
My quickest mile of the marathon. At this stage of the race, I felt really confident in myself as I turned left and south down Castlereagh Road. My legs and breathing felt strong. I had an ambition to get to the halfway point under the 2 hour mark. The reason being the elevation plan for the Belfast Marathon. The first half is mostly flat with long downhill stretches. The second half however is a completely different story with steep hills coming at the 17 and 24 mile mark.
Above elevation information from findmymarathon.com
This proved to be a terrible idea but more of that below.
Mile 5 – 8:38
I started mile 5 still on Castlereagh Road. My pace remained steady as I turned right on to Montgomery Road. I then completed Mile 5 after turning right and up Cregagh Road.
Mile 6 – 8:38
Cregagh Road turned into Woodstock Road and my pace remained steady. My surroundings began to change a bit too. As we got closer to the centre of Belfast, I noticed more retail units and businesses and less housing.
I found it interesting to see this area of East Belfast. It probably wouldn’t be top of my list of places to see in the city. However, running through the area and being cheered on by the smiling supporters along the way felt very nice.
Mile 7 – 8:37
Mile 7 began on Woodstock Road before turning on to Albertbridge Road with a brief glimpse of the Lagan while swinging around to the left towards Ormeau Park.
My pace for the last few miles has been pretty much identical and I’d got into a nice steady groove.
Mile 8 – 8:59
Mile 8 started pretty much as we crossed into Ormeau Park for the first time. Also for the first time, my legs started to feel a tiny little bit heavy. I tried to push these thoughts to the back of my mind as I continued through the Park. Towards the eight of Mile 8, I crossed the River Lagan for the first time
Ormeau Park
Situated on the banks of the River Lagan, the Park opened to the public in 1871 – making it the oldest municipal park in Belfast. The Park offers numerous amenities for locals such as soccer pitches and basketball, tennis and netball courts. In addition, the BMX track is a nice spot to enjoy the jumps and tricks on show. Overall, the park provides a nice green space to wander around. You can even avail of the outdoor chess table with chess pieces available for free from the nearby coffee vendor.
River Lagan
Flowing down from Slieve Croob Mountain in County Down, the River Lagan travels 53.5 miles before it enters the Irish Sea via Belfast Lough. The Lower Lagan Valley has historically been one of the most intensively industrialised areas in the whole of Ireland and formed a major part of the development of the city. You can take a 1 hour floating sightseeing tour of the River Lagan and Titanic Quarter which gives a sense of history of the river.
Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash
Mile 9 – 8:37
Crossing the Lagan, I entered into what is known as The Holylands area of Belfast. Mile 9 brought me northwards up the Ormeau Road heading towards central Belfast.
My pace remained strong however the effort to maintain it was definitely increasing. Worrying times.
The Holylands
The name comes from the religious references of the streets (Jerusalem St., Palestine St., Damascus St. etc.) named by the devoutly Christian property firm who planned out the network of streets in the 1890’s. The Holylands are largely occupied by students attending nearby Queen’s University.
Mile 10 – 8:45
Starting Mile 10, I got a welcome boost as I spotted my wife in the crowd for the first time. Although heavily pregnant, she had bravely made the walk up from Malmaison and joined the crowds along Chichester Street. It was amazing to get that bit of support and I waved madly as I ran past her with Belfast City Hall just up the street of the street and the Linen Hall across from it. Seeing Paula definitely spurred me on for the next 3 or 4 miles.
Some other well known sites along Mile 10 are the Grand Opera House and the Europa Hotel.
Belfast City Hall
The main civic building in Belfast was built in 1906 and stands as a reminder as to when Belfast was probably at the peak of its glory thanks to the major linen, rope making and shipbuilding industries booming in the city. The City Hall offers guided tours, exhibitions, a coffee shop and well maintained gardens to visitors – further details can be found here.
Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash
The Linen Hall
Belfast’s oldest library dates back to 1788. Admission is free to the library and to see the collections housed in their museum. The location also offers a nice coffee shop. Check it out here.
Grand Opera House
Operating as a theatre since 1895, the Opera House remains an impressive venue to catch a show. Their website has full details of upcoming performances.
The Europa Hotel
Famed as the most bombed hotel in world, the Europa survived 36 explosions during the Troubles. Some of the more famous guests to have stayed there are Bill and Hilary Clinton – first in 1995 and on several further occasions since. You can book this (in)famous hotel here.
Mile 11 – 8:48
After turning left on to Great Victoria Street, I turned right on to Donegal Road. Mile 11 started shortly after I made that turn. My pace for this mile felt steady. I was back in good spirits as I made the turn left and on to Boucher Road. I noticed the strange looking Rise Sculpture as I ran along.
The Rise Sculpture
Also known as the “Balls of the Falls”, these two spheres – one inside the other – represent the dawn of a new post Troubles era in Belfast. While interesting to look at, this is not something I would specifically recommend for anyone to go to see. Unless you have a major interest in modern art sculptures (or big pairs of balls) that is.
Mile 12 – 8:50
I started mile 12 halfway down Boucher Road and again maintained a steady pace. Maybe I could do this sub 4 hour time after all? Around this area, I could just about make out the outline of Windsor Park to my left.
Windsor Park
Home of Belfast soccer side Linfield and also the Northern Ireland national team. The stadium underwent a much needed redevelopment in 2016. Windsor hosts an Education and Heritage centre which offers tours. Or you could try to catch a match. With a capacity of 18,000, you shouldn’t have any issues getting tickets to any of Linfield’s home games. If you are used to watching the Premier League on TV, this will feel like a very different experience.
Mile 13 – 8:59
Another steady mile to bring me up to halfway point. A left turn towards the end of Boucher Road and then I took a right on to Lisburn Road and passed The King’s Hall. With a half marathon time of 1:53:24.
The King’s Hall
Currently under redevelopment as a health and wellbeing park, the impressive facade of the old building remains in place. Having been built in 1933, the location operated as an exhibition and events centre for nearly a century.
Mile 14 – 9:14
Mile 14 became my first mile over my target 9:09 pace. I didn’t worry too much about this as I ran along Fanaghy Road North for more or less the duration of this mile.
The reason being, I had nearly 6 minutes in the bank from the first half of the race. I wanted to start to conserve energy anyway for the big hill which dominates miles 18 and 19.
Mile 15 – 9:24
During mile 15, I turned right and on to Andersonstown Road. Again my pace remained slow. I pushed on nonetheless but now started to worry about achieving a sub 4 hour marathon. Everything started to take a little more effort.
Mile 16 – 9:40
I continued along Andersonstown Road before turning right on to the Falls Road. Again, this mile turned out to be slower than the last.
The Falls Road
The Falls Road runs from Davis Street in Belfast City Centre and out to the suburb of Andersonstown. Regarded as one of the most famous roads in Belfast largely due to it being one of the major Nationalist and Republican areas during the Troubles. The Black Cab tours operating from Belfast City Centre spend a good deal of time in this area. I would highly recommend these Black Cab tours as an excellent way to gain some awareness of the chequered history of the city.
Milltown Cemetery
The Cemetery on the Falls Road has become synonymous with Irish Republicanism with many IRA leaders and hunger strikers buried here. Tours are available of the cemetery which again offer insights on the Troubles.
Mile 17 – 9:41
I noticed a steady incline at the start of Mile 17 on the Falls Road after passing by Belfast City Cemetery. I really started to struggle right about this point and up through the Gaeltacht Quarter. Bad timing as the next two miles were long real uphill challenges.
Belfast City Cemetery
Another Cemetery which provides amenities to tourists to discover more about the City. You can learn about the Underground Wall – built to separate Catholic and Protestant graves through the Visitor Centre or download an app for a self-guided tour.
Gaeltacht Quarter
The Gaeltacht Quarter focuses on Irish language, music and culture. Notable attractions include the Arts & Culture Centre, the James Connolly Visitor Centre, Clonard Monastery and proximity to the starting point of the Divis Summit Trail.
Mile 18 – 10:26
After turning left off the Falls Road, mile 18 begins on Springfield Road. For the first time, my mile pace surpasses the 10 minute mark. I was really in trouble from here on. The route along Springfield Road was steadily uphill. Then more of the same right up Lanark Way and Cambrian Street via Shankill Road.
Shankill Road
The Shankill is in sharp contrast to the Republican parts of West Belfast. As part of a Loyalist and Unionist area, the flags and bunting change to red, white and blue. Again, the Black Cabs Tours spend a good bit of time in this area offering a balanced view of Belfast’s history.
Mile 19 – 10:45
More uphill to start mile 19. Thankfully I reached the top of what seemed like the never ending hill when I got to Oldpark Road. Despite going downhill for the majority of this mile, my time still increased. I hadn’t quite hit the wall but I could feel myself getting there.
Mile 20 – 10:43
I turned right and on to Cliftonville Road at the start of mile 20. Again, I moved downhill until a flat area along the Waterworks. Again, my time was very slow. I had given up on completing a sub 4 hour marathon at this stage. My focus had shifted to simply finishing the race.
Cliftonville Football Club
Despite on-field achievements, Cliftonville’s major claim to fame remains the fact they are the oldest soccer club on the island of Ireland – founded in 1879. Unfortunately, a lot of soccer clubs in Belfast are still associated with a particular side of the community – Cliftonville being one of the few on the Nationalist end of things. Like Linfield above, tickets are generally available for most games. It’s a good alternative thing to do on an evening out in Belfast.
The Waterworks
Popular with locals but never too crowded, the Waterworks offers an oasis of calm while still being close to the city centre. With swans, ducks and a playground available to keep the little ones occupied.
A Park Run is held here each Saturday which is just lovely.
Mile 21 – 10:54
I just kept getting slower and slower. As such, I wasn’t really able to enjoy the views as I passed through the Waterworks and then on to Duncairn Gardens (a nice tree-lined avenue). I just focussed on putting one foot in front of the other and tried to keep moving forward.
Mile 22 – 11:15
My first mile which went over the 11 minute mark. Thank God only 4 more miles left!
Mile 23 – 11:27
Turning left off Great Patrick Street and on to Albert Square, I at last had something positive happen. My wonderful wife was again out cheering me on. The crowds for the whole of the marathon were fantastic but there was just something special about seeing someone you know and love supporting you.
The last time I saw Paula, it gave me a huge lift for the following few miles. My body simply couldn’t do that again though. As soon as I turned the corner and past the Big Fish sculpture and then the Beacon of Hope, my body felt like lead again.
Mile 23 brought me past the Waterfront Hall before ending just as I reached the banks of the River Lagan.
The Big Fish
Commissioned in 1999, this 10m long salmon sculpture describes scenes from the history of the city with images on its blue ceramic tiles.
Beacon of Hope
Located on the west side of Queen’s bridge, the 20m high Beacon of Hope really stands out. Known locally as ‘Nuala with the Hula’ – the sculpture represents a female form made of steel holding a bronze circle aloft. The globe Nuala stands on represents peace, harmony and thanksgiving and also the global travels of Belfast’s people and exports.
Waterfront Hall
Probably Belfast’s most well known venue. This can be a great place to catch a show when you are in the city. Check out upcoming events and buy tickets here.
St. George’s Market
In this area also lies the fantastic St. George’s market. A market has taken place here every Friday since 1604. Now with markets also on Saturdays and Sundays, it has become a really popular attraction. You can learn more about St. George’s Market by booking a walking tour.
Mile 24 – 11:15
Another mile and another struggle. By now, I had resorted to counting to 10 in my head and tried to just keep running for the duration of the 10 seconds. Then start the process all over again. Rinse and repeat all along the lovely Towpath by the river.
The Lagan Towpath
The Lagan Towpath takes you along the river and canal system from Belfast to Lisburn. This picturesque route is a designated WalkNI trail covering the 11 miles between the two areas. I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for a great walk in the city.
Mile 25 – 12:17
Who decided to bring the marathon route up the steady hill up the Ormeau Road after crossing the Lagan? Whoever they were, I cursed them as I crossed over the bridge. The hill was a complete nightmare!
Mile 25 became the mile when I stopped running. I alternated between walking and running – walking until I could find the motivation and mental and physical reserves to run for another little bit. Then start again. It felt a bit like torture.
Mile 26 – 14:39
The last full mile and thankfully no more inclines. I still needed to continue alternating between running and walking along Ravenhill Road. At least I knew at this point, I would be finishing the race. The end was in sight.
The Final Yards of the Belfast Marathon
I turned left and along the Ormeau Embankment which forms the perimeter of Ormeau Park. As I took the final turn I could once again see Paula, once more cheering me on – this time to the finish line. My legs which had suffered so much came back to life briefly and I made my final run to the end.
My finish time of 4 hours and 17 minutes may not have been the result I had been looking for. However, I felt a huge sense of achievement on completing the Belfast Marathon route. The fact it wasn’t an easy race made me all the more delighted with myself.
Looking back, I went off too fast for the first part of the race. The fact I struggled so much in the second half probably meant I needed a bit more training under my belt too. These are learning I will take with me for my next Marathon!
Your Trip to Belfast
Whether or not you plan on completing a marathon when you visit Belfast, I hope the above provides some inspiration of what to see and do in the city. Of course, there are many amazing attractions outside of the marathon route. Chief among them being the Titanic Quarter. The Titanic Visitor Experience is a must when visiting Belfast.
Belfast offers acts as a great base for nearby excursions. Some of the most popular are day trips to The Giants Causeway or the Game of Thrones Studio Tour. Some operators even combine the Giants Causeway with a Game of Thrones Location Tour.
Whatever you decide to do, you definitely won’t be bored on a trip to Belfast!