Lace up your shoes; the annual Dublin Pride Run is returning in 2025! Organised by Dublin Front Runners, the rainbow-filled event will take place in Phoenix Park on Friday, June 13.

The Dublin Pride Run isn’t just an ordinary 5km race, it’s a celebration of movement, energy and physical activity. The occasion champions inclusivity, identity, self-expression and queerness in an open, friendly, safe space, allowing participants to be themselves and connect with others in the LGBTQ+ community, alongside friends, family and loved ones.

This year’s event is extra special as it will also mark the Dublin Front Runners’ 20th anniversary. The group was founded in 2005 by Mark Rooney through an ad published in Gay Community News (GCN) Issue 182. While at the end of its first year, it had just 10 members, it has since grown into Ireland’s largest LGBTQ+ athletics club with almost 500 people registered.

Everyone is invited to join the Dublin Front Runners in celebrating its milestone anniversary at its Pride Run in June. Whether aiming to beat a personal best or looking to walk, jog or run your first 5km, feel great while raising much-needed funds for three worthy causes. The charity partners for the 2025 event are Gay Community News (GCN), LGBT Ireland and Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI).

Speaking at the launch of this year’s Pride Run, Dublin Front Runners Chairperson Mark Armstrong commented: “I am delighted to be launching this year’s Pride Run on the 13th of June 2025 in the Phoenix Park. The Phoenix Park has been the home of Dublin Front Runners AC now for the last 20 years and we are delighted to welcome you all back. It’s going to be a fun run celebrating pride, diversity and raising an amazing amount of money for charities working in the LGBTQI space.

“Since 2012, the Dublin Pride Run has raised over €250,000 for charity and it has grown every year to be the biggest LGBTQI sporting event in Ireland. I am also delighted to welcome this year’s Pride Run Race Director Paul Franey. Paul and the Pride Run sub committee have been working hard over the last few months and we are in for an amazing fun filled race.”

This year, Dublin Front Runners want to raise €100,000 total for its chosen charities to support the incredible work they do in the community. If every entrant raises as little as €50, this target can be reached.

 

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GCN is Ireland’s free national LGBTQ+ media since 1988. For over three decades, it has been a vital resource to inform, educate, connect, platform, entertain and advocate for the community, evolving from a monthly magazine to the vibrant multimedia outlet that it is today. GCN is owned and published by the National LGBT Federation (NXF), a registered charity.

Speaking about being a charity partner for the 2025 Dublin Pride Run, GCN Manager Stefano Pappalardo said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been selected as one of the charity partners for this year’s Dublin Pride Run. For over 35 years, GCN has been Ireland’s LGBTQ+ paper of record and a free resource to inform, connect, and advocate for our community. With rising misinformation and attacks on our communities, independent queer media is more vital than ever. Funds raised from the Pride Run will directly support printing GCN magazine for a full year, ensuring it reaches those who rely on it most.

“Dublin Front Runners has been at the heart of Ireland’s LGBTQ+ running community for 20 years, fostering inclusivity, well-being, and connection. This partnership is especially meaningful as the club was founded through an ad in GCN all the way back in 2005. This feels like a powerful full-circle moment, and we want to say a huge thank you to Dublin Front Runners and everyone taking part in the Dublin Pride Run – your support means the world!”

LGBT Ireland is a national support service for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families and friends. The service was established in 2010 by seven local LGBTQ+ helplines that shared a vision to create an infrastructure to enable them to offer support and information nationally through their network of trained volunteers. Today, LGBT Ireland offers a comprehensive range of services which provide support and information on issues relating to sexuality and gender identity.

Speaking about being a charity partner for the 2025 Dublin Pride Run, LGBT Ireland CEO Paula Fagan said: “On behalf of LGBT Ireland, I want to express our heartfelt gratitude to Dublin Front Runners for choosing us as a charity partner for the 2025 Pride Run. This partnership not only provides vital funding but also highlights the power of unity and collective action in advancing LGBTQI+ rights and wellbeing. In today’s challenging environment, this work is a marathon, not a sprint. Together, we can take each challenge in our stride and strive to make Ireland the best place in Europe to be LGBTQI+.”

TENI is a charity that works on behalf of the transgender and non-binary community in Ireland.  Last year, the organisation helped over 2,000 trans and non-binary people and their families access the services they needed to live healthy and happy lives. TENI offers support on a range of issues, including advocacy, healthcare, legal recognition, employment, mental health, sports inclusion and community and peer support.

Speaking about being a charity partner for the 2025 Dublin Pride Run, Chairperson of the TENI Board Caoimhe O’Brien said: “Being part of this year’s Pride Run with the Dublin Front Runners is a dream partnership for TENI. We both hold a shared belief that sport should be inclusive of everyone. Working with the Dublin Front Runners is a fantastic opportunity for us both to reach more people and provide them with the chance to pull on their runners and take part.”

The Dublin Pride Run takes place on Friday, June 13, in Phoenix Park. Tickets are on sale now here; don’t miss out on this fantastic celebration of movement and community.