Newcastle Way Marathon

NEWCASTLE WAY Marathon and Half Marathon

The event takes place on 4 October 2026 in Newcastle, County Down, near the Mournes. The route follows the way-marked Newcastle Way trail and uses existing trail markers; organisers do not add additional markers, so participants must follow the trail markers themselves. A GPX file and detailed route instructions are supplied for use on a personal device.

• Marathon: route from Newcastle through Tollymore, Castlewellan and Murlough to the beach.
• Half Marathon: starts outside Castlewellan forest and follows the same route back to Newcastle.

The Marathon starts close to Newcastle town centre, travels up through Tollymore Forest, crosses to Castlewellan Forest, then makes its way down to Murlough, passes through the National Trust Murlough Reserve and onto the beach to finish in Newcastle. The Half Marathon begins just outside Castlewellan Forest; there is an option to take a bus to that start location.

Included for participants are a bespoke medal, medical cover throughout the event and full event insurance. Post-race refreshments have been supplied by Quinns Bar for the last three years; the supplier for 2026 is to be confirmed. Course elevation imagery, a collection of route photos and a short fly-through video of the Half Marathon route are available. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.