Yorkshire Marathon 2026: How Flat Is It? | Full Course Guide

How flat is the Yorkshire Marathon? Run the full 2026 course with me in this Yorkshire Marathon course guide, with commentary on the hills, water stations, out-and-back sections and that final climb before the finish. From York Minster and the city walls to the countryside and Dunnington, you'll see the route with an on-screen course map, elevation profile, gradient, distance and pace. I share where the little rises start to add up, what I found at the drinks stations and the sections I'd prepare for before running it again. Watch the whole route, try it at 2x speed, or use the detailed chapters to jump to the sections you need. This guide shows my experience at the 2026 event. Watch the race vlog here    • Yorkshire Marathon 2026: My First Sub-3 At...   CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to the full course guide 00:31 Course map, elevation and pace explained 00:57 The opening downhill 02:10 A landmark for the final hill 04:06 Event village and organisation 05:25 Through York's city walls 08:05 How flat is the course? 10:14 Running through York city centre 11:00 Uneven paving: watch your footing 11:45 Passing York Minster 13:55 Leaving the city walls 17:05 The small gradients add up 19:33 Marathon pacers 20:33 First water station: before 5km 21:46 Mile and kilometre markers 33:19 First hill: around 7.5km 35:44 Marathon and 10-mile course split 43:04 The gradual climb 43:31 Water and electrolytes: before 10km 45:03 The 10km marker and clock 51:18 Toilets on the course 1:01:07 Approaching the second hill 1:02:16 The steeper part of the climb 1:04:07 Downhill recovery 1:04:34 Turning into a headwind 1:04:49 Water station: around 14.5km 1:08:03 Another steady incline 1:16:12 Support in the villages 1:27:25 Water and electrolyte station 1:30:39 Settling into the countryside miles 1:35:16 Halfway marker and pacing thoughts 1:37:08 First out-and-back section 1:39:36 Spectator buses and viewing points 1:40:18 First turnaround 1:41:02 The uphill return 1:43:52 A tough stretch of rolling road 1:49:10 Water and gel station 1:59:05 The longer out-and-back begins 2:04:02 Dunnington cheer zone 2:11:28 The second turnaround 2:14:12 Drinks station and discarded bottles 2:15:40 The 30km marker: still climbing 2:23:33 Over the top and heading downhill 2:23:44 Is Yorkshire a good first marathon? 2:28:09 An unofficial water stop 2:32:17 Another water station 2:44:29 Tired legs and the warning signs of cramp 2:47:14 Heading back towards the city 2:48:44 Less than 5km to go 2:54:45 The final water station 2:59:33 Watch for speed humps 3:01:10 The 40km marker 3:07:44 Preparing for the final hill 3:09:17 The last steep push 3:09:58 Downhill towards the finish 3:11:28 The finishing straight 3:12:09 Finish line, medals and baggage 3:12:27 Final thoughts If you'd like more honest course guides, race vlogs and the ups and downs of an everyday runner chasing ambitious goals, subscribe