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Join Team IKA
The Dublin Marathon is an annual event that takes place on the last Sunday of October in Ireland’s capital city covering a distance of 42.2 km/ 26.2 miles
Sunday, 25th October, 2026 at 8:45AM
Dublin City Centre
Why Join Team IKA in 2026?
By choosing to run for the Irish Kidney Association, you’re making a real difference to people living with kidney disease.
Your fundraising helps to provide vital patient support services, holiday breaks, counselling, advocacy, and public awareness about organ donation and kidney health.
Meet our Dublin Marathon Runners from 2025
Meet some of the incredible people who took on the Dublin Marathon in 2025 in support of the Irish Kidney Association. Many are kidney patients themselves, running after transplant or while on dialysis, while others ran in honour or in memory of someone they love.
Story shared by: Robbie E.
How My Brother’s Gift of Life Changed Everything
Robbie, from Co. Kildare, was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease in 2005 at the age of 20. After his kidney function declined, he began dialysis in 2019, and underwent nighttime dialysis for three years until he received the ultimate gift of life through a kidney transplant from his brother Mark. Since then Robbie has continued to enjoy sport and proudly represented Ireland in the European Transplant Games in 2024. Now up for the next challenge, he is set to run in the Dublin Marathon while fundraising for the Irish Kidney Association.
Story shared by: Kevin K.
Running in memory of my Dad, Joe
Kevin, from Co. Longford, is running the Dublin Marathon in memory of his father, Joe, who sadly passed away in 2024. Joe was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease in the early 1990s, which gradually damaged his kidneys. He started dialysis in 2009 and was placed on the transplant list, before receiving a life‑saving kidney transplant in 2011. Inspired by his father’s strength and resilience, Kevin is taking on the marathon to fundraise for the Irish Kidney Association, who provided information, services and even helped arrange dialysis for Joe while on holiday.
Story shared by: Michelle M.
Honouring My Wife’s Journey and Her Best Friend’s Gift of Life
Stephen, from Co. Kildare, is running the Dublin Marathon in honour of his wife, Niamh, whose bravery and resilience continue to inspire everyone around her. Niamh was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease and went into kidney failure in 2024. Stephen was heartbroken to learn he wasn’t a match to donate a kidney, but Niamh’s best friend, Lindsay, stepped forward to be tested and discovered she was a match. After a few bumps along the way, Niamh received the incredible gift of a kidney from Lindsay in September this year, and Stephen is now running to celebrate that gift of life.