Edinburgh Marathon

Edinburgh Airport is 8 miles west of the city centre. The Edinburgh Trams service runs directly from the airport to St Andrew Square in the city centre (35 minutes, £8.50 single). The Airlink 100 bus also runs to Princes Street (30 minutes, £4.50). A taxi from the airport to Old Town or New Town hotels is approximately £20–25.

💡 The Edinburgh Tram is the most reliable option — no traffic delays. Buy tickets from the machine at the airport stop. Trams run every 7 minutes during the day.

Old Town is atmospheric — close to the Castle, the Royal Mile, and within walking distance of the EICC Expo. New Town (north of Princes Street) has wider pavements, quieter streets, and excellent restaurant and café density. Both are ideal for race day, as the start is on Princes Street itself. The Balmoral, Citizen M, and various boutique guesthouses on Royal Terrace are popular marathon weekend stays.

💡 Book hotels early — Edinburgh in late May is festival-season shoulder and marathon weekend combines with general tourist influx. Prices are lower than London or Tokyo but availability is tight.

MANDATORY bib and chip collection — no race-morning pickup is available. The EICC is on Morrison Street in Edinburgh's Exchange district, a 20-minute walk from Princes Street or a 5-minute taxi. Bring your registration confirmation and photo ID. Collect your race number, timing tag, race bag, and T-shirt. The Edinburgh Marathon Expo is smaller and friendlier than the major city marathons — queues move fast and the atmosphere is relaxed Scottish charm. Official merchandise and specialist running kit are available.

💡 Saturday is the better Expo day — Friday is also quiet if you arrive early. Do the EICC Expo first, then explore the city. The EICC is in the financial district — combine with a walk along the Union Canal towpath if you want a gentle pre-race leg-loosener.

Walk from your hotel to Edinburgh Castle (15 min from New Town, 5 min from Old Town). Stand on the Castle Esplanade — this is effectively your start line. Look east down Princes Street toward Holyrood — you will run this direction at 09:30 tomorrow. The Princes Street Gardens below the Castle are flat and planted; a gentle 20-minute stroll is perfect.

💡 Do not enter the Castle today (it involves significant uphill cobblestones). Save that energy. The Esplanade view is free and superb.

New Town has several excellent restaurants for pre-race pasta. Contini George Street does outstanding Italian pasta and risotto in an elegant setting. Dishoom Edinburgh (St Andrew Square) offers buttery dal makhani and rice — an alternative, equally carb-rich option. For a simpler choice, The Outsider on George IV Bridge serves reliable pasta dishes with great views of the Castle. Order a large portion of pasta — linguine al pesto, risotto al parmigiano, or penne arrabbiata (mild spice).

💡 Many Edinburgh restaurants require booking on marathon weekend Saturday. Book a table when you arrive or earlier in the day — walk-in availability is poor after 19:00.

Wake by 06:15. Eat by 06:30: porridge with honey and a banana (the classic Scottish pre-race breakfast), white toast with peanut butter, or plain oat biscuits with jam. Drink 500ml of water. Many Edinburgh hotels open breakfast at 07:00 — too late. Buy oatcakes, bananas, and a sports drink from a Co-op or Tesco Metro the evening before (both open late near Princes Street).

💡 Porridge is Scotland's gift to pre-race nutrition — plain oats, water, pinch of salt, honey, banana. Make it in a hotel room with a kettle and instant oat sachets. Perfect.

The race starts at the west end of Princes Street near Edinburgh Castle. From most Old Town or New Town hotels, this is a 5–15 minute walk. Bag drop lorries are near the start — closes at 09:00. Corrals are organised by predicted finishing time (colour or letter coded). Enter your corral by 09:20. Security is light compared to major city marathons. The Castle looming above the start is spectacular in the low May morning light.

💡 A throwaway layer is advisable — May in Edinburgh can be 8–14°C at race start. By km 10, you will be warm enough to have discarded it.

Course departs Princes Street heading east through Old Town, down past the Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood (km 4), through Portobello (km 10–14) with views of the Firth of Forth, then along the coast road through Musselburgh (km 20–32), Prestonpans (km 32–38), and finishes at Musselburgh Racecourse (km 42). The coastal section is largely flat and exposed — wind off the Forth can be significant. The second half (km 20–42) is quite solitary compared to major city marathons; crowds thin after Musselburgh town centre. The racecourse finish provides a genuinely atmospheric venue.

💡 The coastal section from km 20 onward can have a headwind or crosswind off the Firth. If the wind is from the east, the last 20 km will feel very different from the sheltered first half. Check the forecast before race day and plan your pacing strategy accordingly.

Collect your finisher's medal, space blanket, and finisher's pack at Musselburgh Racecourse. Bag retrieval lorries are on the racecourse grounds — well organised with short queues (Edinburgh Marathon is smaller than the Majors). Free buses run from Musselburgh Racecourse back to Edinburgh city centre (Princes Street area) approximately every 20 minutes — included with your race entry. Journey is 25–30 minutes.

💡 The free race buses to Edinburgh fill quickly — queue immediately after collecting your bag. Taxis are very limited in Musselburgh post-race. Do not assume you can get an Uber quickly — pre-book a taxi the evening before as a backup.

Edinburgh is the world capital of whisky — a post-marathon dram is practically obligatory. But eat first: The Witchery by the Castle or The Elephant House (birthplace of Harry Potter, near the Meadows) for a recovery dinner of roast chicken, salmon, or a proper Scottish beef stew. Then, if energy permits, visit The Scotch Whisky Experience on the Royal Mile or Cadenhead's Whisky Shop for a guided tasting. One dram is perfect; rehydrate with water.

💡 The Devil's Advocate bar (Advocates Close, near the High Court) has 100+ single malts and a quiet, vaulted interior — ideal for a meditative post-race dram.

Arthur's Seat is the ancient volcano in Holyrood Park offering panoramic views over Edinburgh and the Forth. Post-race, do NOT attempt the full summit (251m, 45-min climb). Instead, walk the flat lower path along the base of the Salisbury Crags (the rocky cliff face) — about 1.5 km of flat gravel path with extraordinary views. If your legs are very sore, simply sit on the park grass near the Palace of Holyroodhouse and look up at the Crags.

💡 The flat Queen's Drive road around the base of Arthur's Seat is completely car-free on Sunday mornings. Gentle, beautiful, and one of the finest urban parkland walks in Europe.

Walk (slowly) the entire Royal Mile from the Palace of Holyroodhouse up to Edinburgh Castle — approximately 1.2 km of gently rising cobblestone. Browse the independent whisky and tartan shops, read the history plaques, and take in the medieval closes. Stop for a Scottish breakfast roll (roll 'n' square sausage — a cultural imperative) at a bakery on the High Street.

💡 The cobblestones on the Royal Mile are uneven — take your time and wear comfortable trainers. Compression socks under casual clothes will help your legs.

The Scotch Whisky Experience on Castlehill (Royal Mile) offers a guided tour and nosing session covering all five Scottish whisky regions (Speyside, Islay, Highlands, Lowlands, Campbeltown) — £20 for the Silver tour. Cadenhead's on Canongate is Edinburgh's oldest whisky shop and a more serious tasting experience. Either makes a memorable and low-energy Monday morning activity.

💡 Whisky dehydrates — drink a glass of water between each dram and have a proper breakfast before any tasting session, especially post-marathon.

Take the Edinburgh Trams from St Andrew Square or Princes Street directly to the airport (35 min, £8.50). The tram runs every 7–10 minutes and handles luggage easily. Allow 2 hours before international departure, 90 minutes for domestic UK flights.

💡 Edinburgh Airport security can have queues on Monday mornings — factor this in. Fast-track security is available for £5 at the airport and usually worthwhile.

Edinburgh Airport has several post-security dining options including a Caledonian Kitchen (Scottish produce), a Scotch bar, and a Wetherspoons (reliable and inexpensive). Order a final smoked salmon and scrambled egg, or a bowl of Cullen skink. A miniature bottle of Scotch whisky from the duty-free is the perfect souvenir.