Edinburgh Marathon Festival 5K 2026
Join #TeamSamaritans and take on this picturesque route around Holyrood Park with stunning panoramic views of the city and Edinburgh Castle.
How Samaritans will support you
- Regular email updates and support from the Samaritans Events Team
- Receive awareness-raising and fundraising materials
- Your own personalised running vest/t-shirt to wear with pride on the day
- Supporter t-shirts and cheering materials
Why Samaritans need your support
We know that life can sometimes be incredibly tough. Thanks to the dedication of more than 20,000 volunteers, Samaritans can be there for anyone, whatever they are going through and whenever they are struggling to cope. We’re also at the heart of local communities, working with schools, workplaces, railways, prisons and hospitals to offer training and support, preventing suicide and helping people turn their lives around.
Our life-saving work wouldn’t be possible without the extraordinary generosity of our event participants.
More information
Charity place applications are now open, please click on the 'Apply for your place' button below.
Got a question about this event? Contact our Events Team at community&[email protected] and we'll respond as soon as we can.
About Edinburgh Marathon Festival 5K 2026
Starting and finishing near Edinburgh Marathon Festival Hub at Dynamic Earth, this beautiful scenic route takes you around Holyrood Park in the heart of Edinburgh. The route offers stunning views of Edinburgh Castle and panoramic views of the city.
For more information on the event, please visit the official Edinburgh Marathon Festival website.
Incredible support from start to finish!
Team Samaritans Participant
Accessibility Information
Please read the information below about taking part if you have a disability and/or require assistance on event day.
Wheelchairs:
Anyone taking part in a wheelchair or handbike must be self propelled for the entire race, therefore, participants in electric wheelchairs and individuals being pushed by a friend/colleague are not permitted on the course. The race organiser will do everything they can to accommodate wheelchair and handbike users but there are also time limits which all entrants must stay within.
Support Runners:
A carer, guide or any other runner in a support role is eligible for an entry at no cost. They MUST set up their own 'MyRunning' account and create an entry into the relevant event.
Once at the payment stage, email the race organiser using the Contact Us form, explaining your support role and we can manually approve your entry free of charge. This MUST happen prior to the entry cut off date or you will not be able to take part.
For more information you can check out the race organiser’s Event FAQs here or please get in touch with our team at community&[email protected] to discuss further.