Traffic advice ahead of Belfast City Marathon on Sunday 5th May
15 April 2024
On Sunday 5th May Belfast City will welcome over 19,000 to its streets for the 2024 Moy Park Belfast City Marathon. The 26.2 mile challenge kicks off at Stormont Estate, passes through North, South, East and West of the City, and finishes in Ormeau Park. As a result motorists can expect some disruption throughout the morning and early afternoon, although every attempt will be made to ensure that this is kept to a minimum.
Roads will start to close wholly or partially from around 6am until 4pm approximately. Once all runners have passed points on the route, reopening of the roads will be managed as quickly as possible.
John Allen, Chairman of the Belfast City Marathon organising committee, commented:
“We are delighted to welcome over 19,000 participants to the streets of Belfast come Sunday 5th May - participants of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. This year’s Bank Holiday Weekend will see the BIGGEST Marathon in our 42 year history, with 5,500 runners taking on the 26.2 mile challenge. 2,500 Relay Teams and 1,200 8 Mile Walkers will join in to soak up in the marathon atmosphere, making it Northern Ireland’s biggest mass sport participatory event.
We would like to extend a huge thank you to the local community for their patience throughout the event, and of our volunteers who will generously donate their time and play a key role in making the event ‘run’ smoothly. We appreciate the impact and inconvenience of traffic disruption on race day, but ask that motorists please follow the traffic diversion signs and take direction from stewards. These traffic management measures are set up to prioritise safety for participants and road users.”
The 2024 Moy Park Belfast City Marathon route remains the same as the 2023 staging. Full details of the route, roads affected and predicted time of closures, and projected participant times can be found at https://belfastcitymarathon.com/race-weekend/Travel-&-Transport
The area around Stormont and Upper Newtownards Road will be closed to through traffic between approximately 6am – 10.30am, as the runners make their way towards Beersbridge, Castlereagh and Montgomery Road areas.
A full road closure will then be in place on the Ravenhill Road (Albertbridge Road to Ormeau Embankment) from 7am – 11.30am.
Some disruption can be expected in the city centre approximately between 8.30am – 12.30pm with full road closures in place on Chichester Street, Wellington Place, May Street, Donegall Square and Howard Street areas.
Some further disruption can be expected on the Boucher Road (Tates Avenue to Stockmans Lane) with a full road closure between 8am – 1.30pm approximately, as runners make their way onto Lislea Drive and Lisburn Road, marking their marathon halfway point.
Another point where disruption can be expected is in the Andersonstown Road and Falls Road areas with lane closures and full road closures in place from approximately 9.30am – 2pm.
Full road closures will be in place at approximately 9.30am – 3pm from North Howard Street, North Howard Link, Northumberland Street and Agnes Street.
Full road closures will also be in place from approximately 9:30am – 3pm in Antrim Road areas with a Team Relay changeover point taking place on Duncairn Gardens.
Some disruption again in the city centre as runners take on the final stretch of the marathon from Donegall Quay onto Oxford Street and Lanyon Place (full road closure 9.30am – 3pm). Runners will make their way up Ormeau Road to the Rosetta Roundabout and complete their journey down Ravenhill Road, onto Ormeau Embankment for the finish at the Ozone Tennis Centre, Ormeau Park.
For more information visit belfastcitymarathon.com and stay in touch Facebook / @MarathonBelfast Twitter / @marathonbcm Instagram / @belfastcitymarathon
The Moy Park Belfast City Marathon and Half Marathon is sponsored by Moy Park, Northern Ireland Electricity Newtworks, Belfast Live, Daily Mirror, Cool FM, Downtown, Downtown Country, Translink, Better, Tayto, Belfast City Council, Deep RiverRock, Athletics NI, Charles Hurst, Linwoods Health Foods and Mac in a Sac. The official charity partner is Air Ambulance Northern Ireland.
