Amazing event and so well organised by everyone involved. Communication was outstanding and atmosphere on the day was electric. My 2nd year doing the metric. Just such a great experience and so well organised. Plenty of drink stations / toilets. Thank you to everyone. Volunteers too.

The support on the course in Chester and throughout the villages was amazing and gives you an extra boost yo carry on. However the merge with the metric marathon with people at a much slower pace it mostly ruins the race feel. It goes from running on a pack to weave around people when you need the most to be surrounded by runners at your pace. For that, I would not recommend, specially as a first marathon.

I completed the Chester Marathon on Sunday.I have to say a huge congratulations to the team for putting this event on. It is probably the best organised event I have done in many years. The race itself is well organised. There is great support from the crowds at the racecourse and in the city centre as we set off, as well as the villages that we pass through on the route. Upon returning to the city the crowds are even more enthusiastic and give everyone a huge lift just when it’s needed. The aid stations are very well run with lots of water and gels available. This is added to by enthusiastic supporters offering sweets and drinks around the course. The medal and long sleeve top, as well as the goody bag is possibly the best I have seen at any marathon.Given that some organisers charge excessive entry fees for their events, I can only say that the Chester marathon is definitely value for money. Thank you to all the organisers, marshalls, supporters , sponsors, and fellow athletes for making the day so memorable. I am already signed up for next years marathon. I would urge anyone looking to do a marathon, either first time or experienced to give Chester a go. See you in 2027

Wow! What a race! Chester is beautiful 😍 The start at the racecourse is stunning and Chester city is really lovely to run through. It was quite special running from England into Wales and back again. It’s a tough course because of the gradual inclines that seem to go on for miles and miles and miles. My legs were very tired from going up! The crowds cheering you on with their wonderful banners were fantastic and the marshals were super friendly and encouraging, it’s so appreciated - thank you! I felt the last 400m was really enclosed and not much space to run. Because it’s a bit twisty, turny at the end you don’t get to see the finish line until you’re really close. This is mentally quite tough and a little bit disappointing as you don’t get to take in an epic finish that you’ve been dreaming of all race. There weren’t any photos of me crossing the finish line. I’d rather pay to have photos which guarantee a finish line shot then not have one. As you leave the medal collecting tent (medal, t shirt and goody bag were awesome!) and enter the race village it was really busy, noisy and congested. I need a quiet spot to sit/lie down and just relax for a minute. I’d absolutely recommend this race. Chester you were awesome! 🤩

Great event, well organised great support and lovely atmosphere. However, there was a considerable bottleneck when the two routes merged. The Metric Marathon runners were running at a much slower pace and several were running two or three together. The road was also narrower as people were also running on the other side so it was very congested. Someone in front of me moved suddenly to get around other runners and I tried to avoid them and tripped over a traffic cone, injuring myself. The first aiders at the end did a great job of cleaning my wounds and putting on dressings - thank you!

What a day! This was mine and my dad's first road marathon and Chester was a great course to do it on. The route is relatively flat the whole way; there are 2-3 hills here and there, but plenty of support to get up them. Some of the routes we travelled were quite scenic, but I only remember the first 16 miles; after that, my head was down. Every one of the event workers and aid station crew was so positive and encouraging. A few parts towards the beginning were congested, especially going over the first bridge. But you will not lose any time; if anything, this helped me keep on pace and not shoot off too quickly. We will be back for me.

This was my first MBNA Chester marathon and second full marathon. The event was head and shoulders above the first marathon I completed (Worcester back in 2025 - you didn't even get a t-shirt!!). At MBNA you got a very good goodie bag (sweets, cereal bars, gels, energy chews, chocolate bars, Powerade drink, crisps), long sleeve 1/4 technical top, and a good medal. The course itself was great and the support along the route was fantastic (having your name on your bib means everyone was cheering you by name). Will I do this marathon again? YES! the only part I'd like to see an improvement on is the water stations, having them on only one side of the road means that it did bottleneck meaning you had to slightly slow down to get a drink (I don't think this is an issue that only Chester marathon has though) - it probably was the reason I missed out on a sub 3 hour marathon by 11 seconds... Overall, well done to the team that put the event on.

Very good marathon even if its a little tuff with all the hills. The big one near the end is a challenge but the course is very good in general. Well stocked aid stations and marshalls. Have done loads of different marathons all over europe and the goddy bag at the is well worth doing the marathon for. One of the best i have ever got