Combos Marathon and Half Marathon (Albany Marathon)
Albany, United States · March · Independent
Why people love it
- Flat point-to-point road course, Boston-qualifying and USATF certified.
- Aid about every 3.2 km (2 mi), with water, sports drink, bananas and gels.
- Seven-hour cutoff and pacers on course.
- Free ticket to a downtown music festival after the race.
- Race proceeds go to a local hospice house.
Watch out for
- The 2023 start sent runners the wrong way, adding up to 1.6 km (1 mi).
- Back half can turn hot and humid; the 2023 start was about 14 °C (57 °F).
- Expo is small; few big-city extras.
- Few athlete reviews: two ratings and some news coverage.
- Albany is far from major airports, 2 to 3 hours by road.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Moderate
- Racer satisfactionLoved3.5
MarathonGuide 3.9/5 from 2 reviews (3.0 and 4.7); a 2025 news report quotes a repeat runner calling it awesome. Few runners have written about it. · Low confidence
- OrganizationAdequate3.2
Aid and course markings praised, but the 2023 start sent front runners the wrong way, adding up to 1.6 km (1 mi). The director apologised. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.8
Flat course, 7-hour cutoff, pacers, but humid back half and a small, underwhelming expo. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast3.8
Flat and fast, with a course record of 2:17:09. Heat and humidity late in the race hurt some runners. · Low confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryPleasant3.1
City streets past two colleges, neighbourhoods and historic sites; no strong scenery reports. · Low confidence
- Room to runRoomy3.8
Point-to-point with 256 marathon finishers; no congestion reported. · Low confidence
- Road surfaceGood3.8
City roads; no surface complaints in reviews. · Low confidence
- Road closuresPartly closed3.4
Police-guided closed-road start; extent of closures not stated. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessMostly flat4.0
Billed flat and fast; reviewers mention small rolling hills; no gain figure. · Low confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Billed flat; no net drop reported; Boston-qualifying. · Low confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSome waiting3.0
Downtown Civic Center start; 2023 wrong-way start; small expo. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingGood3.8
Pacers were on course in 2023 and returned to route quickly after the mistake. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportDecent3.4
A 2023 reviewer praised enthusiastic spectators; local runners say the city puts its best foot forward. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsGood4.3
Aid about every 3.2 km (2 mi) with water, sports drink, bananas, oranges and gels; reviewers called it excellent. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindMostly calm3.5
No wind complaints in reviews. · Low confidence
- Air temperatureWarm or cool3.2
About 14 °C (57 °F) at the 2023 start, warming into humidity later. · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable2.9
Early March in south Georgia can turn warm and humid quickly. · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints3.2
Organiser calls the route spectator-friendly; pairs with an all-day downtown festival. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.9
Albany sits near 55 m (180 ft). · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early3.4
A host hotel is near the start and finish; Albany is a mid-size city. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.6
Not verified. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable3.8
Reviewer praised a hotel close to the start and finish line. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection2.6
Albany regional airport (ABY) is about 8 km (5 mi) away; Tallahassee and Atlanta are 2 to 3 hours by road. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSome complexity3.4
Small expo, wrong-way start in 2023; otherwise simple. · Low confidence
- Town and foodFine3.0
Mid-size city; free all-day downtown music festival for marathoners. · Low confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inOpen entry4.6
799 spots remain; open entry, no lottery. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyGood value3.9
$75 early to $105 regular; free festival ticket, hospice charity; heavy sponsor branding noted on the medal. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Albany, Georgia, United States
- Typical month
- March
- Latest or next date
- 6 March 2027
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 256 athletes
- First held
- 2007
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- point-to-point
- Start time
- 07:00
- Cutoff
- 7 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- City streets
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Rarely
- Entry fee
- About $75
- Air temperature
- 10–22 °C (50–72 °F)
- Humidity
- Humid; rises through the morning
- Altitude
- 55 m (180 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Southwest Georgia Regional (ABY), 8 km (5 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Downtown Albany
- Booking
- A host hotel near the start/finish was praised by a 2023 reviewer.
What racers and reviewers say
- MarathonGuideRaced 2023 · aggregator · Mixed
Two reviews, 3.9/5 average. Roy called the expo small and the start chaotic, praised the aid and the hotel near the start. Katherine praised support, volunteers and spectators on a mostly flat course; heat and humidity hit later. Both noted heavy sponsor branding.
“Plenty of aid support”
- WALB NewsRaced 2023 · article · Mixed
Report on the 2023 start mistake: a police officer took the old route, runners followed and some lost up to 1.6 km (1 mi); the leader lost about 4.5 minutes. About 700 runners, down 20% from 2022.
“We are deeply sorry”
- SouthGA TVRaced 2025 · article · Positive
2025 race-day report on the 19th annual race with more than 850 runners. A repeat runner called it an awesome race and praised crowd support and the course; others were excited to run through town.
“an awesome race”
- Albany HeraldRaced 2023 · article · Positive
Local coverage of the race drawing rave reviews. Runners call it the day Albany puts its best foot forward.
“best foot forward”
Raced Combos Marathon and Half Marathon (Albany Marathon)? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
Training for Combos Marathon and Half Marathon (Albany Marathon)? Moku Coach builds your plan around race day.