Chester actually reminds me a lot of my hometown, York. Both cities have stunning Roman walls, gorgeous architecture, a Huntington School, and they both host fantastic marathons. I even picked up a few Welsh phrases while running!

After taking a break from long-distance running for about 18 months, I was ready to get back to my pre-pandemic self. So when Chester Marathon invited me, I jumped at the chance to do an Autumn marathon.

By the way,  The MBNA Chester Marathon was voted the UK’s best marathon for races with up to 5,000 runners in both 2018 and 2019. And honestly, it’s clear why!

The marathon starts at the Chester Racecourse, takes you through all the city’s iconic spots, and then out into the Cheshire countryside and even North Wales. Yes, you get to run in two countries! The race ends along the beautiful River Dee in Grosvenor Park—sounds dreamy, right? Marathon number 11, here I come!

Before the race

Okay, confession time: I usually get lost. But surprisingly, I managed to navigate the Welsh road signs like a pro and arrived at the starting point stress-free. The racecourse was easy to find, thanks to a well-marked one-way system, and there was tons of parking, so no worries there!

Let’s talk essentials: bathrooms. The race had plenty of them, with no lines, which is basically every runner’s dream! The weather had me a bit anxious leading up to the race, but on the day, it was perfect—cool with just a few showers.

This year, there were no pacers (probably to avoid congestion), but the starting pens were organized by estimated finish times. I wasn’t aiming for a specific time, just wanted to soak up the experience, so I started near the 4:30 mark, ready for the 9 am start—right on time!

During the race

Since I don’t know Chester that well, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from the route. Spoiler alert: it’s pretty hilly! After leaving the racecourse, we entered the city, where the energy was incredible—cheering crowds everywhere! We ran through the Roman walls and over the Old Dee Bridge before heading out of Chester.

The route took us through traffic-free countryside roads, passing the Duke of Westminster’s estate, Pulford, and then into Wales through Lavister and Rossett. Even though we were out in the rural areas, it was never boring. I had my Shokz earphones with me just in case, but I decided to stay in the moment and chat with other runners. The volunteers were absolute stars, keeping us motivated at water stations and along the course.

Most of the tough hills showed up in the second half of the race. Mile 24 had this one killer hill back into Chester, but the crowd support was amazing and really pushed us through. When we got to Grosvenor Park, the course split into two paths—one for the marathon finish and one for the metric marathon. With one final burst of energy, I crossed the finish line at 4:31:26!

After the race

The finish line area was super organised—no waiting around at all. We got medals, a long-sleeved running top, and a goody bag stuffed with snacks (seriously, enough to last days)!

Final thoughts

The Chester Marathon is honestly fantastic—affordable, friendly, super well-organized, with the best crowd support and such a good goody bag. Even though it shares the date with the London Marathon, it’s definitely not one to miss. I’d totally do it again! If you’re thinking about running it next year, you can find more info here.

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Entry Cost: (my entry was kindly gifted)
£39.75 Until 10th October.
£49.75    Until 31st July 2021
£55.00    From 1st August 2021
Water stations: around every 3 miles – sports bottles
Parking: Plenty at the racecourse – £4
Photos: Yes, by AWOL
Baggage Facilities: Yes – but I didn’t use it
Post-Race Goodies: Long sleeved top  / medal / goody bag
Highlights: Friendly, well organised event
Low points: That hill… but let’s just call it character building!