Belfast City Marathon 2018: What you need to know
- Published
Runners flooded the streets at the start of last year's Belfast City Marathon
The months of training are over, the running shoes are nicely worn in, the superhero outfit has been dusted down, and all eyes are on the weather forecast - ready for Belfast to burst into a riot of colour and titanic athletic effort for the 37th annual city marathon.
A record number of entrants is expected for the Bank Holiday Monday spectacular, with close to 17,000 people set to hit the road for the marathon, wheelchair race, team relay and fun run.
About 3,000 of those are taking part in the gruelling 26-miles, up from 2,600 entrants last year.
The event starts at the City Hall at 09:00 BST and finishes in Ormeau Park.
Where's the Batmobile when you need one?
Twenty-six-and-a-bit miles of foot-pounding isn't something to be taken on lightly.
It's bad enough in singlet, shorts and vest, but spare a thought for those in charity fancy dress: Batman, Mario and Luigi, and the man "sitting" on a ostrich sweating their way to the finish in ill-fitting disguise.
There's one important change to the rules this year - for safety reasons runners will not be allowed to wear in-ear headphones.
This may pose a problem for those hoping to cross the finish line with the theme from Chariots of Fire ringing in their lugholes.
Some key marathon details to help you make the most of the event:
The route
All parts of the city compass are covered, from Sydenham in the east, to the Falls in the west, Whitehouse in the north and Ormeau in the south.
BBC News NI took a spin around the course by bike so you can run the marathon in two minutes.
And there's a big map at the bottom of this page to fill you in on the details.
Proposals to change the route and move the event to a Sunday have been deferred, so the runners are still faced with a long drag through industrial estates in north Belfast, at least until 2019.
Cheering crowds
There's nothing quite like a cheering crowd to put a spring in the step, and the marathon is a free spectacle that draws the public out on to the streets in their thousands.
Some are cheering on family or friends, others are lucky enough to have the marathon pass by their street.
Favourite viewing positions are at the start in front of the City Hall and at the finish point in Ormeau Park - there's also a Marathon Expo event, external in the park on Sunday, the day before the marathon.
The all-important weather
The London Marathon two weeks ago was the hottest on record - but the heat is unlikely to be a problem in Belfast.
BBC NI forecaster Angie Phillips has the lowdown:
"It's looking like a dry day, perhaps some early mistiness or low cloud but that should lift through the morning to give bright or sunny spells.
"Temperatures start out at about 10 or 11 celsius, but they'll rise up towards 18 degrees in afternoon sunshine. So it'll feel warm with a light southerly breeze.
"The early May sunshine will be strong when it comes through, so advice would be to wear sunscreen."
Traffic disruption
The majority of roads will remain open throughout the day, but an event the size of the marathon will inevitably cause some disruption.
The area around City Hall will be closed to through traffic between approximately 06:30 and 10:00 on Monday, although disruption can be expected in the city centre until about 12:00.
Disruption also can be expected along the Albertbridge Road, Holywood Road and Sydenham Bypass until shortly after 11:00.
Ormeau Embankment will be closed from 06:30 until after 17:00.
More detailed information on traffic disruption can be found on the Belfast City Marathon website, external.
Free Park-and-Ride
There will be a free park and ride shuttle bus service for runners and spectators running between Ormeau Park and the city centre. This will operate between 10:00 and 17:00, picking up from Belfast City Council car parks on Ormeau Avenue and Cromac Street.
There will be no car parking at Ormeau Park, or on Ormeau Embankment.
Mario and Luigi hoping for success in the Italian plumbers category
Elite athletes
While it's easy to get caught up in the sight of thousands of ordinary folk busting a lung to get round the course, or trying to improve on their personal best, we mustn't forget there's a race going on.
In 2017, Kenya's Bernard Rotich won the men's race in 2:16:02, beating Kenyan compatriots Daniel Tanui and Emmanuel Kiprotich Meli.
Kenyan Bernard Rotich winning the 2017 marathon
Fellow countryman Joel Kipsang will be aiming for an unprecedented 4th victory in Belfast.
The 30-year-old is from the famous Rift Valley area, which has historically produced many world-class distance runners.
He came to the fore in Belfast back in 2013 when he took his first victory from fellow Kenyan James Rotich.
The prize money from his annual Belfast jaunts, he says, has helped to pay for the building of his new bungalow back home.
Laura Graham was the first Northern Ireland winner of the women's marathon in 18 years
The 2017 women's race was won by Laura Graham from Kilkeel, County Down, the first local winner in 18 years.
She set a new personal best of 2:41:47 as she won the women's category just eight days after running the London marathon.
