Edinburgh Marathon Festival 2026 British Heart Foundation Charity Run

Take part in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival, Scotland's largest running event. The marathon route starts on Potterrow, with backdrop of The University of Edinburgh's McEwan Hall and will take you on a journey past many iconic sights of the city.

How to enter

There are 2 ways you can run in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival Marathon.

Charity place

Charity places for 2026 have now sold out for Edinburgh Marathon.

To get a charity place, you'll need to pay an entry fee of £25 and commit to raising a fundraising target of £500. Your charity place with us includes entry into the event plus additional benefits.

£25 registration fee
£500 fundraising target.

Own place

If you’ve already got a place for the Edinburgh Marathon Festival Marathon, you can sign up to fundraise for BHF. You’ll get all the same support and benefits as a charity place runner. There’s no entry fee and no fundraising goal. Just raise as much as you can.

No registration fee
No fundraising target - raise as much as you can.

I have my own place

Your entry includes:

a BHF running top or vest
free training plans and support
a fundraising pack with information and tips
regular support from BHF
access to our Team BHF Facebook group.

The easiest way to start fundraising is by setting up a JustGiving page.

You can share your page with friends and family and on social media.

We also have a wealth of fundraising resources for you. You can:

You might be an experienced runner, or this might be your first official race. Either way we’d recommend some training before taking on this kind of run.

In order to help you reach the finish line, we've put together some top tips on nutrition and some running training schedules.

Learn about nutrition for sport

See our running training plans

Join our event day team of volunteers

There’s nothing quite like the buzz of event day - but behind every incredible running event are the volunteers who bring it all to life. That’s where you come in. Motivating runners at a cheer point fuels the experience and helps us make the day unforgettable.

Why volunteer?

Volunteering at a running event is fun, fast-paced, and genuinely rewarding.

You’ll:

be part of an enthusiastic, friendly team
help to create an amazing event-day atmosphere
support vital fundraising that powers lifesaving research
gain experience, meet new people, and make a real impact.

Whether you can give a few hours or the whole day, every moment you contribute makes a difference.

What you’ll do

Roles vary, but could include:

welcoming and supporting participants
cheering runners on at key course points
supporting event leads to keep everything running smoothly.

Clear briefings and support will be provided - just bring your energy!

Who can join?

Anyone over 18 years old is welcome. Bring a friend, gather a group, or come along solo - you’ll be part of a supportive team from the moment you arrive.

Be part of something bigger

Your time helps fund breakthroughs, brings people together, and creates experiences runners remember for years. You won’t just be helping an event run smoothly - you’ll be helping drive real change.

Volunteer for us

Edinburgh Marathon Festival Marathon