Races Marathon · Stratford-upon-Avon, UK
Shakespeare Marathon
Shakespeare Marathon is a flat marathon in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, held each April. Starts in Stratford town centre, passes the racecourse and runs through Luddington and Welford-on-Avon before returning on the Greenway. The marathon is two laps with about 190 m of climbing. Late April in Warwickshire is usually cool and bright, around 5 to 14°C, with a chance of showers. On a course as flat as Shakespeare Marathon, even splits are everything; the classic mistake is banking time in the first third.
Page rebuilt 2026-11-14 · race facts not independently verified — confirm dates and entries on the official race site
When
April
next: Sunday 25 April 2027
Course
flat
Marathon
Conditions
Late April in Warwickshire is usually cool and bright, around 5 to 14°C, with a chance of showers.
Racing this course well
Starts in Stratford town centre, passes the racecourse and runs through Luddington and Welford-on-Avon before returning on the Greenway. The marathon is two laps with about 190 m of climbing.
On a course as flat as Shakespeare Marathon, even splits are everything; the classic mistake is banking time in the first third.
Getting a place
- How you get in
- Open entry: first come, first served
Official Shakespeare Marathon site →Checked November 2026
Race day
- Next race
- Sunday 25 April 2027
- Start time
- 09:00
- Also on the day
- half-marathon
The course in numbers
The second lap is extended through Long Marston, which adds the extra distance over the half marathon loop. The Greenway section brings runners back into Stratford and to the Recreation Ground finish.
- Layout
- Loop
- Surface
- Mostly closed roads, with a section on the Stratford Greenway, a firm compacted former railway path
- Total climb
- 190 m
Worth knowing
- The half marathon runs on the same day and covers one lap of the same loop.
- The Shakespeare Hospice is the official charity partner.
Pick your goal for Stratford-upon-Avon
Pace charts, weekly structure and timelines for the most common marathon goals:
The date shown is the one the organiser has announced. Change it if yours differs.
Build your training around Shakespeare Marathon.
RunV works backwards from race day to today. Your plan adapts when life interrupts, and you approve every change. It does not adapt to this specific course — the pacing guidance above is where the course knowledge is.
Everything above stays free and complete — this is an optional next step, not a paywall.
Asked often
- When is the Shakespeare Marathon?
- The next Shakespeare Marathon is on Sunday 25 April 2027 in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK. It is held each April.
- Is the Shakespeare Marathon course flat?
- Starts in Stratford town centre, passes the racecourse and runs through Luddington and Welford-on-Avon before returning on the Greenway. The marathon is two laps with about 190 m of climbing.
- How do I enter the Shakespeare Marathon?
- Open entry: first come, first served.
- How should I train for the Shakespeare Marathon?
- Train specifically for Stratford-upon-Avon — terrain, conditions, goal pace — and let the plan flex around real life. With RunV Premium you can adapt your plan to fit your week.
Not sure what to target? Predict your marathon time from a recent race →
More marathon races
Supplements research for this distance
Build for Stratford-upon-Avon — around your actual life
RunV engineers your block backwards from race day in April — and adapts it when training doesn't go to script. You approve every change.
