Belleville Main Street Marathon
Belleville, United States · September · Independent
Why people love it
- MarathonGuide runners rate it 4.9 out of 5 across 6 reviews, praising the volunteers.
- Water and sports drink every 1.6 to 3.2 km (1 to 2 mi), per 2019 runners.
- USATF-certified Boston qualifier; 8 runners qualified in 2019.
- Metro rail links St. Louis airport to Belleville, so no rental car is needed.
Watch out for
- About 16 km (10 mi) of the course is paved trail rather than street.
- A 2022 runner found hills, packet pickup 16 km (10 mi) away and finish barbecue gone for slower runners.
- Warm and humid in 2019; expect heat in late September.
- Small field of about 200 to 300, so quiet stretches. Cutoff is 6.5 hours.
- Few runners have written about it, so ratings rest on a small sample.
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: Tough
- Racer satisfactionLoved3.9
MarathonGuide shows 4.9 out of 5 from 6 reviews describing a friendly, well-run small-town race. A small sample, so held below well-reviewed peers. · Low confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.9
MarathonGuide organisation 4.9 out of 5 (6 reviews). A 2022 runner lost a star for packet pickup 16 km (10 mi) away. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.5
Friendly event with frequent water and 300 volunteers in 2019, but hilly in places, with a long trail section and a 6.5 hour cutoff. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast3.6
Certified Boston qualifier with 8 qualifiers from about 200 finishers in 2019, but a 2022 runner found hills and warm weather hurts. · Low confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryPleasant3.3
Long Main Street through downtown, then paved trails past a college and a YMCA. Little scenic detail in reviews. · Low confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points3.4
Small field, but an out-and-back on paved trail means some two-way traffic in the quiet sections. · Low confidence
- Road surfaceGood3.9
Paved streets and paved bike trail. · Low confidence
- Road closuresPartly closed2.6
Listings describe open roads and open trails, with local news noting some road closures. About 16 km (10 mi) is on paved trail. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessRolling3.2
One reviewer says hilly in places but manageable. No gain figure published. · Low confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Out-and-back on a loop-style course; no net drop. · Medium confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth3.7
Downtown start with a local organising club, but no drop bags and packet pickup off site per a 2022 runner. · Low confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups2.6
Pace groups and timing are not documented. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportDecent3.3
2019 coverage cites excellent community turnout and enthusiastic volunteers; a 2023 half marathon runner mentions enthusiastic supporters. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsGood4.3
A 2019 runner reports water and Gatorade every mile or two (1.6 km to 3.2 km), and a 2022 runner calls stations well stocked. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindSome wind3.4
No wind complaints. · Low confidence
- Air temperatureWarm or cool2.8
Late September was warm and humid in 2019 with a 7:00 start; no temperatures found. · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
Storms threatened the 2019 race, otherwise little data. · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy3.6
Spectators can see runners at the MetroLink College Station and near the YMCA turnaround, around 32 to 34 km (20 to 21 mi). · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.7
Belleville is about 140 m (460 ft) above sea level. · 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 2022 runner stayed four days in town. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.5
No price reports. · Low confidence
- WalkabilitySome driving3.4
Downtown start; the Metro serves the area. · Low confidence
- Travel easeEasy3.8
A 2022 runner reached Belleville by Metro from the St. Louis airport with no rental car. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.5
Packet pickup about 16 km (10 mi) away for one 2022 runner and no drop bags; otherwise simple. · Low confidence
- Town and foodGood3.6
A 2022 runner called the town very friendly; local barbecue at the finish. · 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 entry4.5
Open registration with no sellout; 900 sign-ups across all events by August 2026. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyGood value3.6
Fees run $50 to $130 for the marathon, with shirt, finish food and community donations. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Belleville, St. Clair County, United States
- Typical month
- September
- Latest or next date
- 25 September 2027
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 250 athletes
- First held
- 2016
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- out-and-back
- Start time
- 07:00
- Cutoff
- 6.5 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- City streets and about 16 km (10 mi) of paved Metro BikeLink and Richland Creek trail
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Rarely
- Entry fee
- About $90
- Humidity
- Warm and humid in 2019 with storms threatening
- Altitude
- 140 m (460 ft)
- Nearest airport
- St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), 35 km (22 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Downtown Belleville
- Booking
- A 2022 runner took the Metro from the airport to Belleville with no rental car and stayed four days downtown.
What racers and reviewers say
- MarathonGuide (Belleville Main Street Marathon)Raced 2022 · aggregator · Positive
Six reviews average 4.9 out of 5 (course 5, organisation 4.9, spectators 4.7). Reviewers describe a friendly, well-organised small-town race with excellent aid and volunteers. A 2022 50-states runner found it hilly but manageable and reachable by Metro from the airport; he lost a star for distant packet pickup.
“just a great small town race with super volunteers!”
- Terrain Magazine (fourth Belleville Main Street Marathon)Raced 2019 · article · Positive
Report on the 2019 race: just over 200 finishers, 8 Boston qualifiers, over 300 volunteers, warm and humid with storms holding off. A St. Louis runner praised community turnout, enthusiastic volunteers and drinks every mile or two.
“Belleville goes all out for this event.”
Raced Belleville Main Street 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.
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