Belfast City Marathon 2023: Road closures and traffic and travel …
The 26.2-mile marathon route runs through all four areas of Belfast from Stormont Estate to Ormeau Park and is due to take place on Sunday, April 30.
The team behind the race has said as a result “motorists can expect some disruption throughout the morning and early afternoon” but will make every attempt to ensure it 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.
Full details of the traffic disruption can be found below
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.
Belfast City Marathon route
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 North Queen Street.
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.
Full details of the route, roads affected and predicted time of closures, and projected participant times can be found here.[1]
Parking information
Free parking will be available at the start line within the Stormont Complex on Sunday.
The Upper Newtownards Road from the Stormont Entrance will close from around 8.00am to facilitate traffic management solutions for the start of the event. Access will be from the Dundonald side ONLY.
If you intend to park in or around the Stormont area, please use this facility and enter via Stoney Road – follow signage and the directions of the stewards.
Around the finish line area, around 90 spaces will only be available in Belfast City Council Car Park, Ormeau Avenue.
Click here[2] to source other suitable parking.
Transport
Getting to the start line– a shuttle bus will be available from Belfast City Hall (outside SS Moore’s) 07:00am – 8:00am and Lanyon Place Train Station 7:30am – 8:00am to the Start Line.
Spectator Transport from Stormont – a shuttle bus will pick spectators from Massey Avenue to Ormeau Park after the start of the race at Stormont.
Team Relay Transport – a shuttle bus service will run 8:00am – 10:00am from Annadale Embankment at Dunnes Stores to drop runners off at each relay changeover point on loop.
Getting back to Belfast City Centre – a shuttle bus will transport participants from Ormeau Embankment to Belfast City Centre.
This service will run from 11:45am – 4:00pm.
Getting back to Stormont – a complimentary Glider service is available from SS Moore’s Chichester Street or Wellington Street to Stormont. This service will run until 4:30pm, every 15 minutes. Please note that Stormont car parks will close from 5:00pm.
Translink have also added extra rail services to get participants to Belfast on race day.
