Cornish Marathon
The Cornish Marathon is Cornwall’s only all-road marathon. Our next Cornish Marathon will be on the 1st of November 2026. Entries are now open.
History
It began in 1984 and originally started out from Saltash following the A38 and A390 to Lostwithiel. It started out as a wager between two organisers John Foster and Stephen Henderson that one could run faster than the other. Despite being run for charity, only 27 runners took the plunge, the winner managing 2.29 minutes and 15 secs, something to make all race winners this millenium envious. 78 runners turned out the next year and in 1987 it was handed over to East Cornwall Harriers.
Relocating to Rilla Mill in 1994, taking in much of the present route, it presented competitors with 3 miles of steady climbing from the gun. Finally changing to Pensilva, it starts from MilleniumHouse, a much gentler introduction to the scenic circular out and back route which takes runners along the Draynes Valley, through the ‘Poldark’ country of Bodmin Moor, past King Arthur’s legendary Dozmary Pool, Du Maurier’s Jamaica Inn at Bolventor and back along the Fowey Valley, taking in a climb to Foredown between miles 24 and 25, which most runners will remember for a long time, and not just for the fabulous views !
Event Info
- The date of the next Cornish Marathon is November 1st 2026.
- Registration opens on the day at 8:00am.
- The race starts at 10:00am with the race briefing at 9:50am.
- In 2026 we will again be implementing a cut-off for the race. The cut-off will be 6.5 hours and we will be setting cut-off points around the course with required times to be met.
- See below for the route and course elevation.
- If you have a question relating to the Cornish Marathon you can contact the race director via email here.
Liskeard & Looe Food Bank
We will again be supporting the Liskeard and Looe foodbank with a donation station on the day. If you’d like to bring donations you can find out what they are in need of on the link here. To find out more about what they do and how you can help visit their website.
Cornish marathon sponsorship
As the Cornish Marathon has grown in popularity, we are now giving businesses the chance to sponsor this iconic Cornish race, which also supports local charities and community groups. Details of the sponsorship packages and benefits include branding opportunities at the event, direct marketing to 475 runners via the finishers’ goody bags, plus promotion via our website and social media channels, will be available when we open the entries in May 2026. If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, or for more information, please email us here.