The Purbeck Marathon is set to make a long awaited return to Dorset in 2026, five years after it last took place, bringing runners back to one of the UK’s most scenic – and demanding – courses.
First staged in 2012 and almost immediately ranked among the country’s top marathons, the event which starts and finishes in Swanage, will take place on Sunday 20th September 2026, with a renewed focus on community, charity, and the breathtaking landscapes of the Isle of Purbeck.
The Purbeck Marathon was last held in the Covid year of 2021, and is finally making a welcome return
Challenging run in stunning scenery
Starting from the Downs above Swanage, runners will once again tackle a gruelling route that winds through the dramatic coastline of the Jurassic Coast, across rolling hills, and past historic landmarks including Corfe Castle.
The event will feature both a full marathon and a shorter 16-mile route, with elevation gains of 1,032 metres and 627 metres respectively, ensuring participants are tested as much as they are rewarded.
Race director Ollie Allcock, whose family has lived in Swanage and Corfe Castle for generations, has taken on the challenge of reviving the event, having run it three times and noticing its absence in recent years.
He tracked down former organisers Richard Cook and Jason Haiselden through the Charity Commission and offered to take on the responsibility of relaunching the race – and with their support and guidance, plans quickly began to take shape.
In the past, crowds gathered on Swanage Downs to see the runners set off on their way
“There would always be crowds”
Ollie Allcock said:
“I ran the Purbeck Marathon in 2016, 2018 and then in its last year, in 2021. My brother in law ran it before me and I was determined to catch him up!
“It was always on the calendar for my family, if one or two of us were running then the rest would be along the route supporting us.
“There would always be crowds along the way, at the start line, at the Square and Compass in Worth Matravers, at Corfe Castle and many other places along the route.
“It felt like a good way to enjoy what we like best about Purbeck, which is the wonderful scenery, and the support of the community, the event condenses all of that into one day.”
New race director Ollie Allcock is hoping to grow the event in future years and make it part of the Purbeck Trail series
“Free ice cream at the finish line!”
Ollie added:
“I was gutted when it seemed to end with no real reason why. I couldn’t believe I was the only person asking where it had gone, but it was such a big event that it had to be brought back.
“It turned out that the race was a casualty of Covid, and when I finally found Jason and Richard, they said they needed someone with energy to put it on and offered to help if I was up for that – which brings us to today.
“I am not looking to change much, we have a perfect marathon course, which is incredibly picturesque and great fun, it doesn’t need changing much, it just needs bringing back,.
“Runners World did an article in 2012 after its debut year, saying that they were happy to put the event at number three in their list of the UK’s top marathons.
“They said there was some beautiful scenery and also very much liked the free ice cream at the finish line – and we are pleased to be able to confirm that’s happening for this year’s event as well, thanks to our friends at Purbeck Ice Cream!”
The event once attracted more than 1,000 runners, but Ollie will be happy if the 2026 race has more than 200 taking part
Hope to grow the race in future years
Although the event has previously attracted more than 1,000 runners, Ollie and his team are restarting it on a more conservative level – they hope to attract upwards of 200 runners and then to grow the race in future years.
Although participants will not run through the abandoned village of Tyneham in 2026 due to Ministry of Defence access restrictions, the route will still deliver iconic scenery.
All runners are taken through Durlston Country Park, which is often described as one of the most nature rich areas in the UK, and along scenically stunning stretches of the South West Coast Path and the Jurassic coastline.
Worth Matravers, Kingston, Kimmeridge and Corfe Castle are all on the race route, and to make up for losing the Tyneham stretch, the race will now end by heading for Studland and Old Harry before heading back into Swanage along the coastal path.
St Edward’s Church, Corfe Castle, will be a beneficiary of the revived marathon, along with Planet Purbeck and Dementia Friendly Purbeck
Raising funds for local causes
The Purbeck Marathon starts on Swanage Downs at 9 am, with runners in the 16 mile event setting off 30 minutes later, and both end on Sandpit Field in the centre of Swanage where there are plans to set up a race village.
Entirely volunteer run, the Purbeck Marathon will be raising funds for local organisations, with this year’s beneficiaries including Planet Purbeck, Dementia Friendly Purbeck, and St Edward’s Church in Corfe Castle.
Checkpoints along the route will be staffed by local groups such as the Swanage Sea Rowing Club, Swanage Tennis club, Coastwatch, and RayNet communications, who will be keeping organisers in touch with runners along the coastline, where there is little or no mobile signal.
The event will also tie in with the Planet Purbeck Festival, which takes place the day before the marathon. Organisers will host a stall there to distribute race numbers and share information about the route, highlighting its environmental and historical significance.
First aid support will be provided by Jurassic Events Medical, mindful that the course involves steep climbs, rugged paths, and ever changing coastal conditions – tough but spectacular.
Spectacular scenery for the race begins at the start, on Swanage Downs, and includes Corfe Castle, the Jurassic Coast and Old Harry
“We want this event to be for Purbeck”
Ollie Allcock, who has previously helped to organise cycling events across Cambodia, said:
“My best marathon time is 3 hours 17 minutes, but this is not a course for personal bests, there’s too much elevation! I think the three hour mark has been broken, but a lot of the old race results have been lost.
“The only results we have are from 2018 when the winning time was 3 hours and 1 minute. We will be very happy to welcome a new record, but the course is renowned for its combination of punishing terrain and spectacular views, so it will challenge runners!
“We hope that running conditions in September would be ideal, though on one occasion when I ran it I got pretty sunburnt.
“I’ve told my nephews that they can be at a particular spot with their super soakers so if it’s a hot day, and if runners give them the okay, they can douse them with water!
“We want this event to be for Purbeck, we will have runners from outside as well but we are really trying to go back to the roots of what running is all about – affordable, and celebrating local scenery and local people.”
Entry forms for the race on Sunday 20th September 2026 are now available online
Further information
- More information about the Purbeck Marathon, including entry details, is on its website
