Atlantic City Marathon
Atlantic City, United States · October · Independent
Why people love it
- Held since 1958, described as the third-oldest continuing US marathon.
- Very flat: about 14 m (45 ft) of gain, and a Boston qualifier.
- Start and finish at the same Boardwalk spot, which suits spectators.
- About 13 km (8 mi) of Boardwalk with ocean views, per most reviewers.
- Quarter-zip shirt and medals are consistently praised.
Watch out for
- Wind, especially from 31 to 42 km (miles 19 to 26), cost times in several years.
- Loose Boardwalk boards and potholes on city streets; wet boards are slippery.
- Half and full runners share the Boardwalk with pedestrians and cyclists.
- Gels and late-finish supplies ran short in some years; the expo is small and hard to find.
- Reviewers call the city rough and Bally's rooms smoky; the Claridge was recommended.
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
RaceRaves 3.6 from 47 ratings and MarathonGuide 3.4: flat, well run and good swag, but wind, uneven crowds and a small expo. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.6
RaceRaves production 3.9 and praise for directors, but 2021 reports cite broken tracking, few start toilets, gel shortages and a weak post-race area. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.5
Very flat with a shared start and good volunteers, but wind, a crowded Boardwalk and a 6.5 hour limit from third-party listings count against it. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast3.7
Flat and Boston-qualifying, though only 6.1% of 2025 finishers qualified and a headwind from 31 to 42 km (miles 19 to 26) hit several years. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryPleasant3.3
Ocean views on the Boardwalk stand out; early industrial streets, ramps, a tunnel and a Margate loop do not. · Medium confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points2.8
Narrow Boardwalk, a packed start, half and full runners mixed and a long Atlantic Avenue out-and-back cause congestion. · Medium confidence
- Road surfaceMixed2.7
Three 2024 reviewers flagged loose Boardwalk boards, city streets have potholes, and wet boards were slippery in rain. · Medium confidence
- Road closuresPartly closed2.9
The Boardwalk is shared with pedestrians and cyclists, and slower runners dodge people unaware of the race. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessPancake flat4.9
About 14 m (45 ft) of total gain per one runner; reviewers agree it is flat. · High confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Flat point-to-point with start and finish at the same spot, so no net drop. · Medium confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth3.5
A warm indoor start at Bally's is praised, but the chute is small, 2021 had only two or three toilets and corrals are packed. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingGood3.6
A pace coach was praised in 2026 and mile markers show digital time, but tracking failed and photos were not delivered in 2021. · Medium confidence
- Crowd supportDecent3.0
Split: loud on the Boardwalk and at the finish per 2021 and 2026 reviewers, but thin mid-race and quiet in the tunnel per 2024. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.6
Plenty of water and Gatorade with friendly volunteers, but slower runners found gels, beer and heat sheets ran out. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindWindy2.2
Wind is the top complaint: headwind from 29 km (18 mi) in 2021 and 24 to 32 km (19.9 mi)/h (15 to 20 mph) gusts in 2022. · Medium confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant3.7
Starts of 11 to 13 °C (51 to 55 °F) are typical, but October highs of 27 °C (81 °F) have been reported. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
Sunny days are common, but rain and slippery boards hit 2021 and 2022, and a 2025 runner found it warmer than expected. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy3.9
Start and finish are at the same Boardwalk spot and the Atlantic Avenue out-and-back lets supporters see runners more than once. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
Sea level, about 3 m (10 ft). · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood4.2
Casino hotels are a short walk from the start; book early. · Medium confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.5
Bally's rooms were called rough and smoky by one runner; the Claridge was recommended and Absecon is cheaper. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalk to everything4.6
Start, finish, packet pickup and casino hotels are all along the Boardwalk. · High confidence
- Travel easeEasy3.6
Atlantic City airport (ACY), 14 km (9 mi) away, has limited flights; Philadelphia is about 100 km (60 mi) away by road. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSome complexity3.3
Packet pickup at Bally's had a long outdoor line in 2021, the expo was small and hard to find, and shirts came the next morning. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodFine3.1
Reviewers call the city rough and best suited to gamblers; the Boardwalk and ocean are the draw. · Medium 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 inEasy4.4
Open entry with about 1,100 marathon finishers and no sell-out reports. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyGood value3.6
Shirts and medals are consistently praised, but the fee is not published and expo and hotel costs are mixed. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Atlantic City, Atlantic County, United States
- Typical month
- October
- Latest or next date
- 18 October 2026
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 1,100 athletes
- First held
- 1958
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- point-to-point
- Climbing
- 14 m (46 ft)
- Start time
- 08:00
- Cutoff
- 6.5 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- City streets, ramps, Boardwalk planks
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Rarely
- Air temperature
- 6–20 °C (43–68 °F)
- Humidity
- Coastal, moderate
- Altitude
- 3 m (10 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Atlantic City International (ACY), 14 km (9 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Boardwalk, Claridge, Absecon (cheaper, 15 min drive)
- Booking
- Bally's and other casino hotels are closest; the Claridge is recommended by two runners and is a short walk. Rooms at Bally's called rough and smoky by one runner. Book early.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRavesRaced 2026 · aggregator · Mixed
47 ratings (31 marathon), 3.6 overall; difficulty 2.5, scenery 3.7, production 3.9, swag 3.9. Flat and fast with ocean views and praised shirts and medals; wind in miles 19 to 26 (31 to 42 km), thin crowds in places, loose boardwalk boards, small expo and gel shortages.
“Well organized; wind hurt times.”
- MarathonGuideRaced 2024 · aggregator · Negative
Three reviews, 3.4 average; the one text shown rates it 2.3: coastal route but strong wind and a slippery Boardwalk in rain, a poor post-race area with scarce food and water and too few toilets before the start.
- Blisters, Cramps & HeavesRaced 2021 · blog · Positive
State 35. Near flat with about 14 m (45 ft) gain, wet boardwalk on a packed start, headwind from mile 18 (29 km) and tedious Margate loop, plentiful aid and clear mile markers, thin Boardwalk crowds, unreliable tracking; 11 to 16 °C (51 to 61 °F); recommended to travellers.
- Running With RockRaced 2021 · blog · Positive
Course starts at Bally's, loops past casinos to the island's north tip near mile 7 (11 km), boardwalk around miles 8 to 11 (13 to 18 km). Good crowds on the Boardwalk, well-run aid with gels, just two or three toilets at the start, mid-50s F (13 °C (55 °F)) to mid-60s F (18 °C (64 °F)), the Claridge a short walk.
“There was great crowd support along the boardwalk.”
- WHYYRaced 2012 · article · Mixed
54th edition in 2012: sunny, over 3,000 at the start, local cheering, but the Boardwalk was overcrowded with walkers, half marathoners turning back mixed with full runners and a cyclist nearly hit a top finisher. Older edition; used for course-flow risk only.
Raced Atlantic City Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
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