5K Junior
Sat 25 May 2024 Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

Edinburgh Marathon Festival | 5K Junior

The perfect way for teenagers to get involved in EMF Weekend! The event offers a picturesque route around Holyrood Park with panoramic views of the city and Edinburgh Castle plus a medal and t-shirt!

Enter now
  • Sat 25 May 2024
Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh

5K Junior

12:00

£22.75

Age 11-18

  • 5 km road running

Overview

Scotland's biggest running festival!

40,000 people every year come to the event to enjoy the picturesque views, iconic landmarks and vibrant culture of its stunning capital.

The weekend celebration of running features a range of beautiful routes from the city centre's famous Holyrood Park, including fun runs and 5Ks right up to the headline marathon itself which sells out every year.

Runners and spectators can enjoy panoramic views over the city, Edinburgh Castle and along the East Lothian coastline too.

Highlights

  • fastest marathon in the UK

    Edinburgh Marathon has previously been voted the fastest marathon in the UK by Runner’s World and is Scotland's largest mass participation sports event.

  • Bank Holiday festival

    Enjoy a weekend in Scotland's beautiful capital city with events for all ages and abilities with an inclusive focus and uplifting crowd support.

  • landmarks and coast

    With Edinburgh Castle as the stunning backdrop, the routes feature striking panoramic views of the city, historic buildings and the East Lothian coastline.

  • Nine stunning races

    All events benefit from the capital's historic streets and stunning green spaces.

This event is part of Edinburgh Marathon Festival.

Event video

  • All fitness levels
  • Event village
  • Families
  • Fancy dress
  • Newcomers
  • Spectators
  • Teams
  • Wheelchair users

Saturday events

  • 09:00 | 10K
  • 11:00 | 5K
  • 12:00 | Junior 5K
  • 13:00 | 2K Junior
  • 13:30 | 1.5K Junior 
  • 14:00 | Kids Kilometre

Sunday events

  • 08:00 | Half Marathon
  • 10:00 | Marathon
  • 10:00 | Hairy Haggis Team Relay

  • Bag storage
  • Cafe
  • Changing facilities
  • Coast
  • Park
  • Rural
  • Showers
  • Toilets
  • Urban

Event HQ

Dynamic Earth
Holyrood Road
Edinburgh
Edinburgh
EH8 8AS
UK

The Scottish capital is renowned for its heritage and culture, with medieval architecture and cobbled streets helping to create a spellbinding atmosphere. It's the perfect setting for an active festival of running, with each route taking full advantage of its stunning location.

The Edinburgh Marathon Festival offers an ideal opportunity to explore the historic streets on closed roads and enjoy a Bank Holiday weekend in the Scottish capital.

  • 1 lap
  • Cut off time
  • Distance markers
  • First aid
  • Marshals
  • Sweeper
  • Toilets
  • Traffic free
  • Undulating
  • Wave start

Route highlights

  • Starting from Dynamic Earth, at the edge of Holyrood Park
  • Heading east, you'll pass the tranquil Dunsapie Loch
  • Continue along Queen's Drive before dropping down towards Duddingston Loch
  • Enjoy incredible views of the towering Salisbury Crags
  • Arrive to a rapturous welcome at the finish line in the shadow of Arthur's Seat

Route description

Starting and finishing near EMF Hub at Dynamic Earth, this beautiful scenic route takes you around Holyrood Park in the heart of Edinburgh.

The route offers stunning views of Edinburgh Castle and panoramic views of the city. Runners start on Queens Drive and after 0.5km the route passes St. Margaret’s Loch before starting the ascent around the east side of Arthur’s Seat before you pass Dunsapie Loch at around 2k.

On the far side of Arthur’s seat and approaching the halfway point, runners can enjoy spectacular views of Duddingston Loch below and across the southside of Edinburgh and beyond towards the Pentland Hills with the knowledge that the rest of the route is flat and downhill!

As the route continues down the West Side of this famous old volcano you can enjoy the views of the steep slopes on your right and in the distance the cheering masses at the final turn.

The last 250m section runs back through the Start Line and then turns left onto Holyrood Gait and the Finish Line. 

The cut off time for the Junior 5K is 45 minutes (from when the back of the race crosses the start line). 

  • Public transport links
  • Recycling
  • Sustainability policy

Sustainability overview

This event is committed to minimising the impact it has on the local environment, implemented in the following ways:

  • Online entries rather than paper forms
  • Marketing material online rather than flyers and posters
  • Runner information online rather than printed
  • Public transport encouraged
  • Communication with residents and business regarding road closures, to reduce traffic congestion
  • Reduce noise pollution
  • All waste collected and recycled/repurposed wherever possible
  • Unused food donated to food bank

  • Chip timing
  • Medal
  • Technical t-shirt

Included

  • Wicking finisher's t-shirt
  • Finisher's medal and distance keyring
  • Finisher's pack
  • Personalised event number with accurate timing chip
  • Event baggage facilities
  • Hydration and nutrition at the finish
  • Results posted in your account within 48 hours
  • Fantastic running experience

  • Age 11-18
  • Entries open
  • Charity places
  • Enter online
  • Event merch available
  • Race pack by post
Enter now

Entry fees

Entry fee

£22.75

... I really enjoyed the event. It was well organised and I liked the course which started up by the university and then had a 5 mile downhill run through the city to the coast, followed by an out and back coastal section which was pretty flat.

Really enjoyed this run. Beautiful settings and a fantastic atmosphere.

It's true that this is a perfect race for chasing PBs - I got one today and I hadn't trained as much as I should have.

Couldn’t have picked a better location for my first marathon! Amazing atmosphere with super helpful marshals and wonderful support from spectators especially the welcoming locals who utterly emmersed themselves in the event and were out in their hundreds. Topped off by lovely finish crew who didn’t mind being hugged and sobbed over ecstatically!! and the most beautiful medal and lovely (perfectly fitted) finishers shirt! The route itself took you through lovely historical parts of the city and then out across the gorgeous coast before returning to the city for a rapturous welcome (despite the crazy headwind sclong the final four miles!) Terrific choice of route and I bet an experienced marathoner could get quite a pace as it’s relatively flat. A most excellent event and definitely one to recommend!

Reviews thanks to RaceCheck

Other races at event

  • Sun 26 May
  • #1 of 9
Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh > Pinkie St Peter's Primary School, Musselburgh

Marathon

10:00

£68

Age 18 & over

  • 26.2 miles road running
  • Sun 26 May
  • #2 of 9
Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh > Pinkie St Peter's Primary School, Musselburgh

Half Marathon

08:00

£42.25

Age 17 & over

  • 13.1 miles road running
  • Sun 26 May
  • #3 of 9
Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh > Pinkie St Peter's Primary School, Musselburgh

Hairy Haggis Team Relay

10:00

£142.25

Age 15 & over

  • 26.2 miles road running
  • Sat 25 May
  • #4 of 9
Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh

10K

09:00

£34

Age 15 & over

  • 10 km road running
  • Sat 25 May
  • #5 of 9
Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh

5K

11:00

£22.75

Age 11 & over

  • 5 km road running
  • Sat 25 May
  • #7 of 9
Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh > Holyrood Gait, Edinburgh

2K Junior

13:00

£14.50

Age 9-12

  • 2 km road running
  • Sat 25 May
  • #8 of 9
Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh > Holyrood Gait, Edinburgh

1.5K Junior

13:30

£14.50

Age 6-8

  • 1.5 km road running
  • Sat 25 May
  • #9 of 9
Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh > Holyrood Gait, Edinburgh

Kids Kilometre

14:00

£14.50

Age 3-6

  • 1 km road running