2027 ABP Southampton Marathon Festival

The 2027 ABP Southampton Marathon Festival is back on Sunday 11 April, and entries are already open. It's one of the biggest running events on the south coast, and it's not just for the marathon crowd — there's a distance for pretty much everyone. The main day features the full marathon, a half marathon, 10k, 5k, and a family mile, so you can pick the one that fits your pace.

The route takes you through the city streets, along the seafront, across The Common, past St Mary's Stadium — home of Southampton FC — and over Itchen Bridge, with the sea in view along the way. It's a proper tour of the city, not just a loop around one neighbourhood.

If you've got kids, there's a school and family fun run on Saturday 10 April, the day before the main races. It's a separate thing, so you can get the little ones involved on Saturday and then tackle your own distance on Sunday. Between that and the family mile on the main day, it's easy to make a weekend of it with the whole family.

Chris Rees, director and founder of ReesLeisure, describes the festival as a real south coast challenge. It's a paid event, and you can sign up through the official website, southamptonmarathon.co.uk, where you'll find the different entry options and more on the route. Entries are open now, so you can get your spot sorted well ahead of April.