Although for many of our participants this is not a competitive race, we cannot remain on the Meadows all day. We require runners to be able to complete the marathon or half marathon in less than 4 and a half hours. This means your minimum average pace will have to be around 3.3 mph - a brisk walk - to take part in the half marathon.

Once again we are only opening the marathon for serious runners this year, so if you feel like you cannot complete the full marathon in under 4 hours, you should do the half instead. If you have not finished by this time, we will not stop you continuing along the route (and hopefully you would finish eventually) but we will have to ask you to surrender your running number and chip, as we will no longer be able to take any responsibility for your safety.

The Edinburgh weather in March can be anything from burning sun to drifting snow, but, as it is Scotland, it is most likely to be cool with the threat of light rain. Make sure you check the weather forecasted before the day and prepare accordingly. We will keep you updated by email on any plans in the event of forecast bad weather. It is essential that you keep warm before and after the race so be sure to bring something to wrap up in. We will provide foil blankets for after the race, but we still ask you to take it upon yourselves to make sure you are equipped and prepared for the event. Thanks!

There will be a cloakroom for you to store your belongings securely, the location of which will be explained once we have finalised arrangements for the day

Here at the Meadows Marathon, we believe that running should be fun. Thats why we organise for musicians and performers to keep runners and spectators thoroughly entertained. We believe that the festival atmosphere makes the event a much more enjoyable day out.

If you or someone you know would like to perform for our runners and spectators (we’re thinking buskers, bands, orchestras or any kind of performance) then please drop an email to tom@meadowsmarathon.org.uk and we’ll try and get you involved on the day.

Whether it's sleek athletic wear or penguin suits we want you to run in whatever you feel is most comfortable. Of course if you’re running for charity, we wholly encourage you to try out fancy dress! On a more serious note please consider those running alongside you. If your outfit is bulky or potentially obstructive, we would ask you to contact us in advance so we can confirm that it will be safe. Also this is a family event, so please keep the costumes suitable for before the 9pm watershed! Whatever your chosen fashion, a pair of proper trainers or running shoes is essential. The likelihood of having an accident while running in unsuitable footwear is very high, especially when you are running such a long distance. No one will be permitted to run in unsuitable footwear for their own safety. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at enquiries@meadowsmarathon.org.uk

This year, in addition to individual winners in each of the races, we will feature a team element in all three events. All runners will need to complete the full course (ie. no relays) and times will be combined to give an overall team time. Runners can enter in teams of any number they wish, but only the fastest three runners in the team will count towards the final team time.

Simply add your team name to your registration form at no extra cost, and we’ll do the rest!