Louth women urged to join 30,000 at Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon

Registration is now open for the 2026 Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon, the world’s largest all-female event of its kind, with Louth women urged to enter. Now in its 44th year, the 10km event will take place on Sunday 31st May at 12:30pm, with close to 30,000 women expected to walk, jog or run through Dublin City Centre on the day.

Entrepreneur Aimee Connolly, broadcaster and presenter Katja Mia, health and fitness coach Nathalie Lennon and content creator Clóda Scanlon return this year as Vhi ambassadors, encouraging women of all fitness abilities to join them on the 31st May for what promises to be an inspiring and uplifting day.

To mark this year’s launch, Vhi commissioned research with 500 female runners to highlight the positive impact of running and walking on women’s physical and mental wellbeing. Key findings reveal:

• 74% of women say walking or running improves their overall physical health.
• 73% say it boosts their mood; 53% say it helps manage stress and 68% cite mental health benefits as a key reason they run or walk.
• 64% say running or walking helps manage PMS or menstrual symptoms, but 74% say they have been prevented from exercising due to symptoms; 89% feel these symptoms impact their confidence when exercising.
• Among women who have given birth, 80% say running or walking supported their recovery.
• 77% believe signing up to a mass participation event would help them stay motivated and 82% say joining a community run group would help them reach their goals.

With campaign theme “Because You Can,” Vhi is aiming to inspire women to take that first step, whichever way they choose to participate. The Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon website now features an AI assistant to guide participants through registration, answer FAQs and provide instant event support.

Vhi members can continue to claim a refund on their entry fee via Snap & Send in the Vhi App, helping to make healthy choice that little bit easier. Participants will also have access to training plans for walkers, joggers and runners, plus healthy, nutritious recipes developed by Vhi ambassador Nathalie Lennon. These are all available at vhiwomensminimarathon.ie and on @VhiWMM social channels.

New for 2026, Nathalie Lennon will also host a Vhi Run Series; a three part programme with 3km, 5km and 8km running events to help women build their distance gradually across the 12-week campaign in a supportive community environment. Further details will be announced in the coming weeks. 

Participants can also access certified training and health tips from Vhi health experts on Vhi Verified at vhi.ie/blog.

Every participant will receive a Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon finishers medal and an official event t-shirt is available as an opt-in during registration. Early sign up is advised. Last year’s event sold out in record time.

Aimee Connolly, Vhi ambassador and entrepreneur said: “The Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon is such a powerful event and I’m proud to be a Vhi ambassador. It’s not about pace - it’s about participation, community and proving to yourself that you can do challenging things. That’s what ‘Because You Can’ means to me.”

David O’Leary, General Manager of the Women’s Mini Marathon, said: “After two unprecedented sell-outs, the excitement around this year’s Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon is already building. We’re seeing an incredible running boom and a real cultural movement of women coming together to challenge themselves, support one another and build community.

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"Event day is an unforgettable celebration full of colour, music, laughter and pure joy, and we can’t wait to welcome tens of thousands of participants back for what promises to be the best start to summer. With the support of our fantastic sponsors, we’re ready to deliver another extraordinary event.”

Brighid Smyth, Head of Corporate Affairs in Vhi: "Vhi is proud to continue our long-standing partnership with the Women’s Mini Marathon and our commitment to supporting women’s health and wellbeing at every stage of life. The Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon is more than a race; it’s a powerful movement that brings women together in support of each other and their communities.

"This year’s theme, ‘Because You Can,’ is about empowering women to take that first step, whatever that looks like for them. It has been fantastic to see so many young women taking part in recent years and making health and wellness a priority in their lives. Our latest research reinforces just how transformative movement can be - for physical health, confidence, motivation and overall mental wellbeing.”

Register now at: http://www.vhiwomensminimarathon.ie