Despite its small population of less than five million people, Ireland is an absolutely sport-loving country.
Ball sports in particular are very popular in Ireland. Sports that are hardly known in German-speaking countries are dominant. Hurling and Gaelic football, for example, are the so-called popular sports. Rugby and football are also very popular in Ireland. In rugby, Ireland is one of the strongest nations in Europe. Ireland's football team also repeatedly qualifies for major international events.
There are few very successful Irish runners, however. One of the few exceptions is Sonia O'Sullivan, who ran to a sensational silver medal in the 5,000 metres at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
The biggest running events in Ireland
The most famous sporting events in Ireland are unsurprisingly held in the capital, Dublin. There is the Dublin Marathon in autumn. 16,251 marathon runners successfully completed the marathon here in 2018. This makes the Dublin Marathon undoubtedly one of the most sought-after running events in Europe. Other well-known marathons in Ireland include the Cork City Marathon, the Waterford Viking Marathon and the Dingle Marathon.
Sightseeing in Dublin
Of course, you can also run the half marathon distance in Ireland. You should travel to the Rock 'n' Roll Dublin Half Marathon in the summer. You will see many of Dublin's sights along the way. These include the Docklands, the River Liffey, the Memorial Bridge, the Ha'Penny Bridge, the Guinness Brewery and the Phoenix Park. Sightseeing in Dublin is guaranteed to be fun.
30,000 at the Women's Run
For a long time, the Women's Mini Marathon in Dublin was considered the biggest women's race in Europe. Although the Austrian Women's Run now has an even larger starting field, the Women's Run in Dublin is still an absolute cult event. Since 1983, the race has been held every year shortly before the start of summer. Around 30,000 women and girls take part in this 10-kilometre race.
Triathlons in Ireland
For triathletes, there is also a well-known long-distance and middle-distance triathlon, IRONMAN Ireland Cork and IRONMAN 70.3 Cork.
All Running Races in Ireland (sorted by date) can be found in the following overview:
Running competitions 2026 in Ireland
Lough Cutra Castle Multisport Festival
 | 24.05.2026 ✔ |
| |
 | Galway |
 | Triathlon / Duathlon / Aquabike / Swim / Run |
Go to the running calendar Ireland
More sports in Ireland:
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